Reformátusok Lapja, 1969 (69. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

1969-11-01 / 11. szám

Hungarian Reformed Religious Paper

Founded in 1900

OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE CALVIN SYNOD—UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST

Thanksgiving Day

For all the gracious gifts in harvests fair In things material whose goodly share I richly prize;

For mans abundant wealth that lies in sight,

And for the sense of power and of might With which to meet my foe, and fight the fight,

My thanks arise.

But for the richer gifts of Love and Peace That bring the soul a sense of sweet release From pressing care;

For mercies shown; for greater growth of soul;

For light when clouds of deadly dark uproll To point the way to some more loftly goal,

And lead us there;

For broader human sympathy; for tears Of brotherhood to ease another s fears,

And cheer his way;

For seeing eyes; and shoulders fit to bear The burdens of our fellows in despair,

And right good will to help them in their care When times are gray;

For men of heart and soul inclined To honors of a lowlier, meeker kind,

With grace endued;

Who seek all dire injustices to mend,

To guide the hopeless to some hopeful end,

Not this alone, but all my days, I spend In gratitude!

John Kendrick Bangs

The Second Helvetic Confession

Reprinted from REFORMED CONFESSIONS OF THE 16th CENTURY, edited by Arthur C. Cochrane. Copyright MCMLXVI, by W. L. Jenkins, The Westminster Press. Used by permission.

Chapter XVIII. OF THE MINISTERS OF THE CHURCH, THEIR INSTITUTION AND DUTIES

God Uses Ministers in the Building of the Church. God has always used ministers for the gathering or establishing of a Church for himself, and for the governing and preservation of the same; and still he does, and always will, use them so long as the Church remains on earth. Therefore, the first beginning, institution, and office of ministers is a most ancient arrangement of God himself, and not a new one of men. Institution and Origin of Ministers. It is true that God can, by his power, without any means join to himself a Church from among men; but he preferred to deal with men by the ministry of men. Therefore ministers are to be regarded, not as ministers by themselves alone, but as the ministers of God, inasmuch as God effects the salvation of men through them.

The Ministry Is Not to Be Despised. Hence we warn men to beware lest we attribute what has to do with our conversion and instruction to the secret power of the Holy Spirit in such a way that we make void the ecclesiastical ministry. For it is fitting that we always have in mind the words of the apostle: “How are they to believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how are they to hear without a preacher? So faith comes from hearing, and hearing comes by the word of God” (Rom. 10:14, 17). And also what the Lord said in the Gospel: “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who receives any one whom I send receives me; and he who receives me receives him who sent me” (John 13:20). Likewise a man of Macedonia, who appeared to Paul in a vision while he was in Asia, secretly admonished him saying: “Come over to Macedonia and help us” (Acts 16:9). And in another place the same apostle said: “We are fellow workmen for God; you are God’s tillage, God’s building” (I Cor. 3:9).

Yet, on the other hand, we must beware that we do not attribute too much to ministers and the ministry; remembering here also the words of the Lord in the Gospel: “No one can come to me unless my Father draws him” (John 6:44), and the words of the apostle: “What then is Paul? What is Apollos? Servants through