The Heidelberg Catechism by Zacharias Ursinus

He has fully paid for all my sins with His precious blood, and has set me free from all the power of the devil. That I am not my own, but belong with body and soul, both in life and in death, to my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ. What is your only comfort in life and death?Ī. (The Three Forms of Unity are The Heidelberg Catechism, The Belgic Confession of Faith, and The Canons of the Synod of Dordt.)ġ. The National Synods of the sixteenth century adopted it as one of the Three Forms of Unity, requiring office-bearers to subscribe to it and ministers to explain it to the churches. In the same year, Peter Gabriel set the example of explaining this catechism to his congregation at Amsterdam in his Sunday afternoon sermons. In The Netherlands this Heidelberg Catechism became generally and favorably known almost as soon as it came from the press, mainly through the efforts of Petrus Dathenus, who translated it into the Dutch language and added this translation to his Dutch rendering of the Genevan Psalter, which was published in 1566. In the third edition the 129 questions and answers were divided into 52 “Lord’s Days” with a view to the Catechism’s being explained in one of the services on the Lord’s Day. While the first edition had 128 questions and answers, in the second and third editions, at the request of the Elector, the eightieth question and answer, which refers to the popish mass as an accursed idolatry, was added. Second and third German editions, each with some small additions, as well as a Latin translation were published in Heidelberg in the same year. The Heidelberg Catechism was adopted by a Synod in Heidelberg and published in German with a preface by Frederick III, dated January 19, 1563.

Frederick obtained the advice and cooperation of the entire theological faculty in the preparation of the Catechism.

This pious Christian prince, in order that the Reformed Faith might be maintained in his province, commissioned Zacharius Ursinus, twenty-eight years of age and professor of theology at the Heidelberg University, and Caspar Olevianus, twenty-six years old and Frederick’s court preacher, to prepare a catechism for instructing the youth and for guiding pastors and teachers. It was written at the request of Elector Frederick III, ruler of the most influential German province, the Palatinate, from 1559 to 1576. The Heidelberg Catechism received its name from the place of its origin, Heidelberg, the capital of the German Electorate of the Palatinate. An orthodox catechism written by Zacharias Ursinus.

The Heidelberg Catechism by Zacharias Ursinus