Zacharias Ursinus (1534-1583) on the necessity of teaching the Heidelberg Catechism in the church
I love the Heidelberg Catechism. It has been very influential in my life, and its contents and personal character (together with Scripture, of course) has often provided me with great comfort and assurance, as well as offering me a platform for discernment. Yet, although I am a member of a denomination (the Dutch Reformed Church in South Africa) which officially confesses the Three Forms of Unity (of which the Heidelberg Catechism is a part, together with the Belgic Confession and Canons of Dort), I have often been dumbfounded by the apathy shown towards the Catechism by many (certainly not all) pastors and fellow theology students even in my own confessionally Reformed denomination. The Dutch Reformed Church has a very rich history and tradition to draw from, of which the Heidelberg Catechism stands out and has arguably been the most influential church document in Reformed Protestant churches through the ages. And yet inexplicably, to me at least, it doesn’t seem in our times to get the attention it deserves, much to the detriment of the church. If you’ve never read the Heidelberg Catechism, you may find and read it here. While I could give many reasons for the necessity of teaching the Heidelberg Catechism in Reformed churches (unless you’re Presbyterian and subscribing to the Westminster Standards), I’d rather let Zacharias Ursinus (1534-1583), the old German Reformed theologian and principal author of the Heidelberg Catechism, do the talking. Ursinus wrote this in the Special Prolegomena section of his Commentary on the Heidelberg Catechism:
IV. WHY IS IT NECESSARY TO INTRODUCE AND TEACH THE CATECHISM IN THE CHURCH?
This necessity may be urged,
1. Because it is the command of God: “Ye shall teach them to your children” etc. (Deut. 11. 19.)
2. Because of the divine glory which demands that God be not only rightly known and worshipped by those of adult age, but also by children, according as it is. said, “Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength.” (Ps. 8. 2.)
For the rest, see:
http://deovivendiperchristum.wordpress.com/2014/01/13/zacharias-ursinus-1534-1583-on-the-necessity-of-teaching-the-heidelberg-catechism-in-the-church/
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