Fraternity-Testvériség, 1966 (44. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

1966-10-01 / 10. szám

F RAT ERN I TY

OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE HUNGARIAN REFORMED FEDERATION OF AMERICA Edited by the Officers of the Federation

Published monthly, with the exception of the summer months, when the June-July and August-September issues are combined

Subscription for non-members in U. S. A. & Canada $2, elsewhere $3 a year

Office of Publication: Expert Printing, 4627 Irvine St., Pittsburgh, Pa. 15207 Editorial Office: 3216 New Mexico Avenue, N. W., Washington, D. C. 20016

Volume XLIV OCTOBER 1966 Number 10

BLESSINGS OF THE REFORMATION

October is the month of the Reformation. Each year during this month, our thoughts fly through the centuries and stop in Wittenberg, Germany . . . there, in our mind's eye we see Martin Luther nailing his 95 Theses on the door of the castle-church so that he might provoke thought and argument over the daring document.

As we turn our thoughts to Luther and his famous theses, we also see Calvin, Zwingli and the other famous champions of the faith, among them the names and faces of many reformers of our own Hungarian Reformed faith. As their names, faces, writings and deeds appear before us, with thankful hearts we count the blessings of the Reformation, which remain our heritage through the grace of God and the faith and work of these great men of God. — What are these blessings?

The first and greatest blessing of the Reformation is THE HOLY WORD OF GOD, THE BIBLE, which we can read in our own tongue. Up to this period, the Bible was preserved as an old relic to be hidden in musty cloisters, museums and libraries. It could not serve its real purpose. The Reformation broke down these shackles. Soon, the Bible was translated into many languages and given to the people throughout the world . . . Do YOU make good use of this first blessing of the Reformation?!

The second great blessing given to us by the Reformation is the FREEDOM OF THOUGHT AND CONSCIENCE. Until the Reformation, man and his soul heard only this: "Believe, because The Church teaches you so." It was a sacrilege to doubt the authority of the Church. The reformers, on the other hand, said: "He, who can better instruct us in the Scriptures, him shall we follow." Free thinking, a search for the truth- this makes for freedom of conscience . . . Are you thankful enough for this great privilege?

Through ihe "rediscovered" Scriptures we learned to find our way to God on the wings of faith and we learned to pray by freely