The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-01-21
REFORMED CHURCH
CELEBRATES TODAY
Marks $50 Years of Heldel-
berg Catechism
Studying Up-to-Date Methods OF
.Arousing Interest in Five An
niversarleS
(By THE RELIGIOUS RAMBAEh~

Sunday. January -, niaIhS -
three hundred and fiftieth anniversary
of the publication by, the Elector
Frederick of the Heidelberg Cate
chism. The Reformed churches in
this country are making the occasion
one Of special celebration throughout
their whole denomination and link
ing up the Catechism anniversary to
four other anniversaries tina occur
this year. and to the every-member
canvass by which they will be COM
memorated.
Catchisms are not taken largely
into account by the man Of the street,
and yet they are more influential in
shaping the thought of people than
much literature hat makes more stir
III the world. The fashion Of teaching
the catechism to children has by no
means gone out Of existence, and so
Important is the place of the Heldel-
berg CathechSm in it's Church that
the committee of union between the
Presbyterian denominations and the
German Reformed Church agree that
the Heidelberg Catechism should be
accepted on a plane of equality with
the Westminster CatechiSm. Both OF
these decuments-the Heidelberg
Catechism being the older. have had
stormy and notable careers, and in
hundreds of pulpits this Sunday the
stories Of the Elector Frederick's
courageous defense of his catechisIn
Will be told.
A Little Bit of History.
The minds of the church folk are
being refreshed by the denomination
leaders upon the history of this cate
chisin. Summarized, it uns thus:
The Heidelberg CatechiSm was pub
lished in the year 1868 by the order
cf Elector Frederick III, CT the Pala-
Innate, a district in western Germany,
OF which Heidelberg is the capital.
1t was written by Zacharias Ursinus
and Casper OleVianus and was pub
lished in the city Of Heidelberg, from
which city it gets its name. 1t be-
came the creed of the Reformed
Church, which was founded at Zurich,
Switzerland G519-25), by Ulrich
Hwingle. one OF the reformers. After
his death O531) his work was con
tnued by JOIN Calvin at Geneva
formed Church spread into France
Holland, Poland, Hungary, Bohemia
Germany and Scotland.
The Heidelberg Catechism, which
was the most prominent Of it's creeds
was carried by these churches to tn,
euus VI the eartn. IL was OfOOEh
TO America in the eighteenth century
together with their Bibles and hym1
books. 1t has been in use In tn
Church in America since the yea
l12o. when the Church was organize.
by John Philip Boehm."
Its Place in Many Lands.
While it Is the German Reforme
denomination that is creating mos
commotion over this three hundre
and fftieth anniversary of the cate
chism, the truth is the wa
1irst brought to America by the Dutc
reformed Church when the Dutc
entered New York. The Heidelber
Catechism is the catechism Of tt
Church in Holland, and it ia also tf
ofhcial standard of the Dutch r,
formed denomination everywhere.
n Bohemia Protestan
adhere to the Heidelberg Catechisr
and wherever the German Reformt
Church has been carried by It's mi
Sions this catechism Is taught.
me UNCONVENTIONAL leaders s.
tnat In the seventeen hundred CO
sregations OF the German Reform,
Church this celebration will be O
served on January 10. There a
IWelVe hundred ministers and abo
four hundred thousand members
the church at present recorded.
\ DenominauOn's Jubilee Year.
While the leaders In the Germ
reformed Church sincerely look fl
ward TO Ultimate union with the Pr,
byterian denomination, they reas
that the best procedure is to ma
their own denomination strong
order that the union may be strong
SO 1913 has been xed upon as a
nominational year. 1t not only CO
memorates the publication of the
catechism. but also marks the seven
hitn anniversary of the board Of f
cign missions. the fftieth a%nnivers;
or the organization Of the Gene
synod. n fftieth anniversary of
loard OF home missions. and
fftieth anniversary of the Sun,
school board.
At present there is under wa,
widespread mpai in repara