November 2007 - Protestant Reformed Churches in America
November 2007 - Protestant Reformed Churches in America
November 2007 - Protestant Reformed Churches in America
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<strong>Protestant</strong> <strong>Reformed</strong> Theological Journal<br />
special prayer <strong>in</strong> the Church Order is a clear <strong>in</strong>dication that the<br />
Heidelberg Catechism was be<strong>in</strong>g preached <strong>in</strong> Heidelberg <strong>in</strong> 1563.<br />
The <strong>in</strong>clusion of the prayer was also very likely <strong>in</strong>tended to underscore<br />
the Elector’s desire, as well as the desire of the leaders<br />
of the church, that the Heidelberg Catechism be preached <strong>in</strong> the<br />
cities and villages throughout the Palat<strong>in</strong>ate.<br />
That the Heidelberg Catechism was be<strong>in</strong>g preached already<br />
<strong>in</strong> 1563, at least <strong>in</strong> Heidelberg, is <strong>in</strong>dicated <strong>in</strong> a letter written by<br />
Zacharias Urs<strong>in</strong>us, the ma<strong>in</strong> author of the Heidelberg Catechism.<br />
In the letter, written <strong>in</strong> 1563, Urs<strong>in</strong>us compla<strong>in</strong>s that the authorities<br />
have added to his already heavy workload the preach<strong>in</strong>g of<br />
the Catechism at the Sunday afternoon worship service. 4 This<br />
letter shows that the Heidelberg Catechism was be<strong>in</strong>g preached<br />
even before the publication of the Palat<strong>in</strong>ate Church Order towards<br />
the end of 1563. Early on, the dist<strong>in</strong>ction appears to have<br />
been made between the teach<strong>in</strong>g of the Heidelberg Catechism <strong>in</strong><br />
the home by Christian parents, the teach<strong>in</strong>g of the Catechism <strong>in</strong><br />
the schools by the schoolmasters, and catechism preach<strong>in</strong>g as a<br />
part of the official worship of the <strong>Reformed</strong> congregation.<br />
Catechism Preach<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the Dutch <strong>Reformed</strong> Tradition<br />
Among the Dutch <strong>Reformed</strong>, Heidelberg Catechism preach<strong>in</strong>g<br />
is a long-stand<strong>in</strong>g practice. The Heidelberg Catechism was<br />
translated <strong>in</strong>to Dutch already <strong>in</strong> 1563. In that year, Peter Dathenus<br />
translated the third German edition <strong>in</strong>to Dutch for use by the refugee<br />
congregation <strong>in</strong> Frankenthal. In 1566 this translation was<br />
<strong>in</strong>cluded <strong>in</strong> the Dutch Psalm book. This was the beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g of the<br />
practice of pr<strong>in</strong>t<strong>in</strong>g the Heidelberg Catechism, along with the other<br />
major <strong>Reformed</strong> creeds, <strong>in</strong> the back of the Psalter. The first documented<br />
use of the Heidelberg Catechism for preach<strong>in</strong>g among the<br />
Dutch <strong>Reformed</strong> is by Peter Gabriel, m<strong>in</strong>ister <strong>in</strong> Amsterdam, <strong>in</strong><br />
4. Gootjes refers to this letter as cited by W. Hollweg, Neue<br />
Untersuchungen zur Geschichte und Lehre des Heidelberger<br />
Katechismus (Neukirchen: Neukirchener Verlag, 1961), p. 137.<br />
4<br />
Vol. 41, No. 1