Magyar Egyház, 1963 (42. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1963-10-01 / 10. szám
6 MAGYAR EGYHÁZ MAGYAR CHURCH Dr. Aladár Komjáthy: The Heidelberg (Meehism - The treed of (he Reformation “What is your only comfort, in life and in death? — That I belong — body and soul, in life and in death — not to myself but to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ, who at the cost of his own blood has fully paid for all my sins and has completely freed me from the dominion of the devil; that he protects me so well that without the will of my Father in heaven not a hair can fall from my head; indeed, that everything must fit his purpose for my salvation. Therefore, by His Holy Spirit, He also assures me of eternal life, and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for Him.” These precious words of Christian consolation are found in the first answer of the time honored “Book of Comfort” of the Reformed Churches, the Heidelberg Catechism. This Catechism bears the name of the capital city of the German state, Palatinate, in which it was written. Its 400th anniversary was remembered this year throughout the world. The Heidelberg Catechism was first published on January 19, 1563. Two brilliant theologians, Zacharias Úrsinus and Caspar Olevianus are honored as the authors of this precious confessional book of the Reformed Churches. A group of counselors, including the wise prince of the Palatinate, Frederick III, assisted the principal authors and revised parts of the work. The publication of the Catechism in 1563 was a landmark in the history of the Reformation. The Heidelberg Catechism was more widely received and accepted by churches in other states and nations, and the praise accorded it probably exceeds that of any other statement of faith. The Reformed Church of Hungary adopted the Heidelberg Catechism in 1567, as its standard. The first Hungarian translation was printed in 1577, another and more faithful translation was published in 1604. It was reprinted in many editions and for centuries the Catechism remained a book of comfort to Hungarian Reformed Christians. We should also know that Lördntffy Zsuzsanna, the wife of the Prince of Transylvania sponsored a translation of the Heidelberg Catechism into the Rumanian language, and it is also a fact, that Hungarian Reformed pastors prepared the Slovak, the Croatian and Turkish translations of the Catechism. From Holland the Heidelberg Catechism crossed the Atlantic to Manhattan Island, probably as early as 1609. Our Catechism was the first Protestant Catechism planted on American soil. We know from contemporary documents that the first Reformed pastor in Manhattan preached every Sunday afternoon from the Catechism, in the year of 1624! A hundred years later the German Reformed people came to this country bringing with them their Bibles, Psalters and the Heidelberg Catechism. In the late nineteenth century the Hungarian Reformed people came to this country in great numbers. They have always been the people of the Heidelberg Catechism. How many times did they see their precious catechisms confiscated and burnt! Those galley-slaves, who were tried and persecuted because of their Reformed faith, repeated the famous words of the first answer of this Catechism in face of their tormentors. We are people of the Heidelberg Catechism. A creed of the Reformation, which is part of our Hungarian Reformed tradition, but it is also the first American Protestant catechism! One of the greatest contempory Reformed scholars, Dr. Hendrikus Berkhof of the University of Leyden made this comment on the relevancy of our Catechism: “This wonderful, radical, catholic, serious yet happy, confession should be learned by heart by everyone who wishes to become a communicant member of a Reformed church. As a former minister, as well as personally, I know what it means to people to be accompanied by these words during life’s pilgrimage. I have known many for whom they were an anchor on their deathbed.”----------------o----------------DR. ALADÁR KOMJÁTHY and his family were honored at a welcome banquet by the Passaic congregation. Dean Dezső Ábrahám, Dr. Andrew Harsanyi, Editor of Magyar Egyház and the Rev. László Kovács from Roebling brought greetings from our churches. A telegram sent by Bishop Béky was read.
