Historia ya Matengenezo ya Kanisa na Makanisa ya Kireformed — Sehemu ya 4: Imani ya Reformed Yaenea: Ufaransa, Uholanzi, Hungaria na PalatinateHistory of the Reformation and Reformed Churches — Unit 4: The Reformed Faith Spreads: France, the Netherlands, Hungary and the Palatinate

Mstari MkuuKey Verse

"Uwe mwaminifu hata kufa, nami nitakupa taji ya uzima." (Ufunuo 2:10, SUV)"Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life." (Revelation 2:10, NKJV)

Malengo ya KujifunzaLearning Objectives

Utakapomaliza kipindi hiki, unapaswa kuweza:When you finish this unit, you should be able to:

1. Kueleza ukuaji, mateso na kuendelea kuishi kwa makanisa ya Reformed ya Ufaransa, yaliyoitwa Huguenots, kuanzia 1559 hadi 1685.1. Describe the growth, suffering and survival of the Reformed churches of France, called Huguenots, from 1559 to 1685.

2. Kueleza jinsi imani ya Reformed ilivyoota mizizi katika Uholanzi na kwa nini Guido de Brès na Ungamo la Ubelgiji (Belgic Confession) ni muhimu.2. Explain how the Reformed faith took root in the Netherlands and why Guido de Brès and the Belgic Confession matter.

3. Kueleza kanisa la Reformed huko Hungaria na kutaja ungamo lake na tafsiri yake ya Biblia.3. Describe the Reformed church in Hungary and name its confession and its Bible translation.

4. Kueleza jinsi Katekisimu ya Heidelberg ilivyoandikwa huko Palatinate, na kueleza mpango wake.4. Explain how the Heidelberg Catechism came to be written in the Palatinate, and describe its plan.

5. Kueleza pingamizi kwamba upinzani wa kisiasa wa Reformed ulipingana na Warumi 13, na kutoa jibu la Reformed.5. State the objection that Reformed political resistance contradicted Romans 13, and give the Reformed answer.

Sauti ya Kozi HiiThe Voice of This Course

Kipindi hiki kimeandikwa kutoka ndani ya utamaduni wa Reformed kwa wanafunzi wa Reformed. Katika nchi hizi nne imani ya Reformed haikubebwa na majeshi. Ilibebwa na wahubiri, wachapishaji, katekisimu, watu waliohamishwa na wafia dini. Tunawakumbuka waumini walioteseka, na pia tunakiri kwamba katika baadhi ya nchi hizi mapambano ya kisiasa na ya kijeshi yalichanganyika na jambo la Injili. Tunaeleza maswali ambayo wanahistoria huuliza kuhusu hili, na tunatoa jibu la utamaduni wetu.This unit is written from inside the Reformed tradition for Reformed students. In these four lands the Reformed faith was not carried by armies. It was carried by preachers, printers, catechisms, exiles and martyrs. We remember the believers who suffered, and we also admit that in some of these lands political and military struggles became mixed with the cause of the gospel. We state the questions historians ask about this, and we give the answer of our tradition.

Jinsi Imani InavyoeneaHow a Faith Spreads

Kufikia miaka ya 1550, harakati ya Reformed haikuwa tena imefungwa kwa Zurich na Geneva. Iliendelea kuenea kwa njia tatu kuu. Kwanza, ilienea kwa vitabu. Institutes ya Calvin, Biblia za Geneva na Zaburi katika lugha za watu wa kawaida zilivuka mipaka. Pili, ilienea kwa watu. Wachungaji waliofunzwa Geneva na wakimbizi waliopewa hifadhi huko walirudi nyumbani. Tatu, ilienea kwa maungamo na utaratibu wa kanisa. Popote kanisa la Reformed lilipokua na nguvu, liliandika kile linachoamini na kujipanga kwa wazee na sinodi. Kila nchi kati ya hizi nne katika kipindi hiki inaonyesha mifumo hii katika mazingira tofauti.By the 1550s the Reformed movement was no longer confined to Zurich and Geneva. It spread in three main ways. First, it spread by books. Calvin's Institutes, the Genevan Bibles and the Psalms in the languages of ordinary people crossed borders. Second, it spread by people. Pastors trained in Geneva and refugees who had been sheltered there returned home. Third, it spread by confessions and church order. Wherever a Reformed church grew strong, it wrote down what it believed and organized itself with elders and synods. Each of the four lands in this unit shows these patterns in a different setting.

Ufaransa: Kanisa Chini ya MsalabaFrance: The Church Under the Cross

Mwanzo. Huko Ufaransa Matengenezo yalikutana na mateso ya kifalme tangu mapema. Hata hivyo, makutaniko ya Reformed yalikua katika miaka ya 1550, mengi yakiongozwa na wachungaji waliofunzwa Geneva. Walikutana kwa siri, katika nyumba na mashambani. Mwezi Mei 1559 wajumbe wao walikutana Paris katika sinodi ya kwanza ya kitaifa ya makanisa ya Reformed ya Ufaransa. Sinodi ilipitisha ungamo la imani, ambalo kwa kawaida huitwa Ungamo la Gallic au Ungamo la Kifaransa (Gallic or French Confession), na kitabu cha utaratibu wa kanisa. Calvin alikuwa ameandaa rasimu ya ungamo, na andiko la sinodi lilitumia kazi hiyo.The beginnings. In France the Reformation was met by royal persecution from early on. Even so, Reformed congregations grew in the 1550s, many of them led by pastors trained in Geneva. They met in secret, in houses and fields. In May 1559 their delegates met in Paris at the first national synod of the Reformed churches of France. The synod adopted a confession of faith, usually called the Gallic or French Confession, and a book of church order. Calvin had prepared a draft of a confession, and the synod's text drew on that work.

Mfumo wa uongozi. Utaratibu wa kanisa la Ufaransa ulikuwa wa Presbyterian. Kila kusanyiko liliongozwa na baraza la mchungaji na wazee. Makutaniko ya eneo moja yalituma wajumbe kwenye colloquy (mkutano wa eneo) na sinodi za mikoa, nazo zilituma wajumbe kwenye sinodi ya kitaifa. Kwa njia hii makanisa ya Reformed ya Ufaransa yalionyesha, kabla ya Scotland, jinsi kanisa lisilo na ulinzi wa dola linavyoweza kujiongoza kwa wazee na sinodi. Kozi ya 4 itachunguza mfumo huu.A pattern of government. The French church order was presbyterian. Each congregation was governed by a consistory of pastor and elders. Congregations in a region sent delegates to a colloquy and to provincial synods, and these in turn sent delegates to the national synod. In this way the French Reformed churches showed, before Scotland did, how a church with no protection from the state could govern itself through elders and synods. Course 4 will study this system.

Jina. Waumini waliitwa Huguenots. Asili ya neno hilo haina uhakika, na wasomi wamependekeza maelezo kadhaa, kwa hiyo hatutegemei lolote kati yake. Lilitumiwa kwanza na maadui zao.The name. The believers were called Huguenots. The origin of the word is uncertain, and scholars have suggested several explanations, so we do not rely on any one. It was first used by their enemies.

Vita vya kidini. Wakuu wengi walijiunga na jambo la Reformed, na Ufaransa iliingia katika mfululizo mrefu wa vita vya wenyewe kwa wenyewe vilivyoanza mwaka 1562. Msiba unaojulikana zaidi ulikuwa mauaji ya Siku ya Mtakatifu Bartholomayo (Saint Bartholomew's Day), yaliyoanza Paris tarehe 24 Agosti 1572. Viongozi wengi wa Reformed walikuwa wamekuja mjini kwa harusi ya kifalme, nao waliuawa. Ghasia kisha zilienea miji mingine na Huguenots wengi zaidi waliuawa. Habari hizo zilishtua Waprotestanti kote Ulaya. Mwaka 1598 Mfalme Henry IV, ambaye mwenyewe alilelewa kama Mprotestanti na akawa Mkatoliki, alitoa Amri ya Nantes (Edict of Nantes). Iliwapa Huguenots haki ya kuabudu katika maeneo mengi na ulinzi fulani chini ya sheria.The wars of religion. Many nobles joined the Reformed cause, and France entered a long series of civil wars beginning in 1562. The best known tragedy was the massacre of Saint Bartholomew's Day, which began in Paris on 24 August 1572. Many Reformed leaders had come to the city for a royal wedding, and they were killed. The violence then spread to other cities and many more Huguenots were killed. The news shocked Protestants across Europe. In 1598 King Henry IV, who had himself been raised a Protestant and had become a Catholic, issued the Edict of Nantes. It gave the Huguenots the right to worship in many places and some protection under the law.

Kufutwa. Ulinzi huo ulidumu hadi mwaka 1685, wakati Mfalme Louis XIV alipoifuta Amri hiyo. Ibada ya Reformed ilikatazwa, na wachungaji wengi walifukuzwa. Huguenots walikimbia kwa wingi hadi Uswisi, Ujerumani, Uholanzi, Uingereza, Amerika Kaskazini na Afrika Kusini. Wengine walibaki Ufaransa na kufanya ibada nje mashambani, katika kile walichokiita "kanisa la jangwani." Imani ya Reformed ilidumu Ufaransa kwa sababu ya uaminifu wao. Mwito wa mstari mkuu, "Uwe mwaminifu hata kufa," unaeleza hadithi yao.The revocation. That protection lasted until 1685, when King Louis XIV revoked the Edict. Reformed worship was forbidden, and many pastors were exiled. Huguenots fled in large numbers to Switzerland, Germany, the Netherlands, England, North America and South Africa. Some remained in France and held services in the open country, in what they called the "church of the desert." The Reformed faith survived in France because of their faithfulness. The call of the key verse, "Be faithful until death," describes their story.

Uholanzi: Kanisa Lililozaliwa Katika MatesoThe Netherlands: A Church Born in Persecution

Mwanzo. Nchi za Chini zilikuwa wakati huo chini ya utawala wa mfalme wa Hispania, aliyekuwa mtetezi mkali wa Kanisa Katoliki na aliyetawala kupitia magavana. Harakati za mapema za Kiprotestanti huko zilikutana na adhabu kali. Mafundisho ya Reformed yalikuja kwa nguvu kutoka mikoa ya kusini inayozungumza Kifaransa, iliyokuwa na mawasiliano na Geneva na Ufaransa, na kutoka kwa watu wanaozungumza Kiholanzi waliohamishwa katika Ujerumani na Uingereza ya karibu.The beginnings. The Low Countries were then under the rule of the king of Spain, who was a strong defender of the Catholic Church and ruled through governors. Early Protestant movements there met severe punishment. Reformed teaching came strongly from the French-speaking southern provinces, in contact with Geneva and France, and from the Dutch-speaking exiles in nearby Germany and England.

Guido de Brès na Ungamo la Ubelgiji. Guido de Brès alikuwa mchungaji katika Uholanzi ya kusini aliyefunzwa Geneva. Mwaka 1561 aliandika ungamo tunaloliita Ungamo la Ubelgiji. Linaeleza imani katika makala thelathini na saba. Liliandikwa kwa Kifaransa na lilikusudiwa kwa sehemu kama utetezi wa waumini waliokuwa wakiteswa: mapokeo yanasema kwamba nakala zilitupwa juu ya ukuta wa ngome ya mkuu mmoja ili viongozi wajue kwamba Wa-Reformed hawakuwa waasi. De Brès alikamatwa na kunyongwa mwaka 1567. Ungamo la Ubelgiji likawa mojawapo ya Fomu Tatu za Umoja za makanisa ya Dutch Reformed, pamoja na Katekisimu ya Heidelberg na Kanuni za Dort.Guido de Brès and the Belgic Confession. Guido de Brès was a pastor in the southern Netherlands who had been trained in Geneva. In 1561 he wrote the confession which we call the Belgic Confession. It states the faith in thirty-seven articles. It was written in French and was meant partly as a defense of the persecuted believers: tradition says that copies were thrown over the wall of a nobleman's castle so that the authorities would know that the Reformed were not rebels. De Brès was arrested and hanged in 1567. The Belgic Confession became one of the three Forms of Unity of the Dutch Reformed churches, together with the Heidelberg Catechism and the Canons of Dort.

Uasi na utaratibu wa kanisa. Mwaka 1566 wimbi la kuvunja sanamu lilipita katika makanisa mengi ya Nchi za Chini. Viongozi wa Kihispania walijibu kwa nguvu, na hali ikageuka kuwa uasi mrefu dhidi ya utawala wa Hispania, ulioongozwa na mkuu William wa Orange. Wakati wa uasi, wakimbizi wa Reformed huko Emden, Ujerumani, walifanya sinodi mwaka 1571 iliyoweka mfano wa utaratibu wa kanisa kwa makanisa ya Dutch Reformed: makutaniko yanayoongozwa na mabaraza, na classes (mikutano ya eneo) na sinodi juu yake. Miaka minane baadaye, mwaka 1579, mikoa ya kaskazini ilijiunga katika Muungano wa Utrecht (Union of Utrecht). Kanisa la Reformed likawa kanisa la umma la Jamhuri mpya ya Uholanzi, ambayo uhuru wake Hispania iliutambua mwaka 1648. Watu wa imani nyingine hawakulazimishwa kujiunga nalo, ingawa haki za hadharani zilikuwa za Kanisa la Reformed.Revolt and church order. In 1566 a wave of image-breaking swept through many Netherlandish churches. The Spanish authorities answered with force, and the situation turned into a long revolt against Spanish rule, led by the noble William of Orange. During the revolt Reformed refugees in Emden, Germany, held a synod in 1571 that set the pattern of church order for the Dutch Reformed churches: congregations governed by consistories, with classes (regional meetings) and synods above them. Eight years later, in 1579, the northern provinces joined in the Union of Utrecht. The Reformed Church became the public church of the new Dutch Republic, whose independence Spain recognized in 1648. People of other beliefs were not forced to join it, though public privileges belonged to the Reformed Church.

Sura inayofuata. Ndani ya kizazi kimoja, mgogoro ndani ya kanisa la Uholanzi kuhusu kuchaguliwa tangu awali ulisababisha Sinodi ya Dort. Hilo ndilo somo la Kipindi cha 6.The next chapter. Within a generation, a dispute within the Dutch church over predestination led to the Synod of Dort. That is the subject of Unit 6.

Hungaria: Imani ya Reformed MpakaniHungary: Reformed Faith on the Frontier

Hungaria ilikuwa nchi iliyogawanyika katika karne ya kumi na sita. Baada ya ushindi mkubwa wa Waottoman huko Mohács mwaka 1526, ufalme uligawanywa. Waottoman walitawala sehemu ya kati, wafalme wa Habsburg walishikilia magharibi na kaskazini, na Transylvania mashariki ilikuza serikali yake. Mawazo ya kiinjili yaliingia Hungaria mapema kupitia wanafunzi waliosoma Ujerumani na kurudi nyumbani. Mwanzoni harakati hiyo ilikuwa ya Kilutheri zaidi, lakini kufikia katikati ya karne wahubiri wengi wa Kihungaria walikuwa wamekubali mitazamo ya Reformed juu ya Meza ya Bwana na maisha ya kanisa. Mji wa Debrecen ukawa kituo kikuu.Hungary was a divided land in the sixteenth century. After a great Ottoman victory at Mohács in 1526, the kingdom was split. The Ottomans ruled the central part, the Habsburg kings held the west and north, and Transylvania in the east developed its own government. Evangelical ideas had entered Hungary early through students who studied in Germany and returned home. At first the movement was mostly Lutheran, but by the middle of the century many Hungarian preachers had adopted Reformed views on the Lord's Supper and church life. The city of Debrecen became the leading center.

Mwaka 1567 sinodi iliyokutana Debrecen ilipitisha Ungamo la Pili la Helvetic, lililoandikwa na Bullinger, kwa ajili ya Kanisa la Reformed la Hungaria. Hii inaonyesha jinsi ungamo lililoandikwa Zurich lilivyoweza kulitumikia kanisa katika nchi iliyo mbali mashariki. Kanisa la Reformed la Hungaria pia lilipokea Maandiko katika lugha ya watu. Mwaka 1590 Biblia ya Kihungaria iliyotafsiriwa na Gáspár Károli ilichapishwa huko Vizsoly. Ikawa Biblia pendwa zaidi ya Waprotestanti wa Hungaria kwa karne nyingi.In 1567 a synod meeting at Debrecen adopted the Second Helvetic Confession, written by Bullinger, for the Reformed Church of Hungary. This shows how a confession written in Zurich could serve a church in a land far to the east. The Reformed Church in Hungary also received the Scriptures in the language of the people. In 1590 the Hungarian Bible translated by Gáspár Károli was printed at Vizsoly. It became the best-loved Bible of Hungarian Protestants for centuries.

Hungaria pia inaonyesha kwamba Kanisa la Reformed mara nyingi liliishi chini ya watawala wageni au wenye uhasama. Mwaka 1568 bunge la Transylvania huko Torda lilitoa amri maarufu iliyoruhusu wahubiri kufundisha Injili kama wanavyoielewa, na kulinda maungamo kadhaa, mfano wa mapema wa uvumilivu wa kidini barani Ulaya. Katika nchi za kifalme za Hungaria zilizokuwa chini ya Habsburg, waumini wa Reformed walikabili shinikizo na wakati mwingine mateso makali. Kanisa la Reformed huko Hungaria lilidumu, na leo ni mojawapo ya makanisa makubwa zaidi ya Kiprotestanti huko.Hungary also shows that the Reformed Church often lived under foreign or hostile rulers. In 1568 the diet of Transylvania at Torda issued a famous decree allowing preachers to teach the gospel as they understood it, and protecting several confessions, an early example of religious toleration in Europe. In the royal Hungarian lands that were under the Habsburgs, Reformed believers faced pressure and sometimes severe persecution. The Reformed Church in Hungary survived, and it remains one of the largest Protestant churches there today.

Palatinate: Katekisimu ya HeidelbergThe Palatinate: The Heidelberg Catechism

Palatinate ilikuwa eneo la Kijerumani lililotawaliwa na mteule (elector), mkuu aliyekuwa na kura katika kumchagua mfalme mkuu. Mji wake mkuu ulikuwa Heidelberg, uliokuwa na chuo kikuu maarufu. Mwaka 1559 mteule Frederick III alipanda kiti cha enzi. Mwanzoni alifuata mafundisho ya Kilutheri, lakini kwa kusoma Maandiko na kushawishiwa na walimu, alisogea kuelekea msimamo wa Reformed juu ya Meza ya Bwana na maisha ya kanisa. Chini ya utawala wake Palatinate ikawa nchi muhimu zaidi ya Reformed huko Ujerumani.The Palatinate was a German territory ruled by an elector, a prince who had a vote in choosing the emperor. Its capital was Heidelberg, which had a famous university. In 1559 the elector Frederick III came to the throne. At first he followed Lutheran teaching, but through study of the Scriptures and the persuasion of teachers he moved toward the Reformed position on the Lord's Supper and church life. Under his rule the Palatinate became the most important Reformed state in Germany.

Katekisimu. Frederick alitaka katekisimu ya kufundisha imani kwa watoto na kuwaongoza wachungaji na walimu. Aliwaomba wanatheolojia wa Heidelberg waandae moja. Katekisimu ya Heidelberg ilitokea mwaka 1563. Mapokeo humtaja mwanatheolojia kijana Zacharias Ursinus na mhubiri Caspar Olevianus kama waandishi wake, wakifanya kazi pamoja na Frederick na wengine. Wanahistoria bado wanajadili ni kiasi gani kila mmoja aliandika. Hili halituhangaishi, kwa sababu katekisimu ilikuwa kazi ya kanisa na ilipokelewa na kanisa.The catechism. Frederick wanted a catechism to teach the faith to children and to guide pastors and teachers. He asked the theologians of Heidelberg to prepare one. The Heidelberg Catechism appeared in 1563. Tradition names the young theologian Zacharias Ursinus and the preacher Caspar Olevianus as its authors, working with Frederick and others. Historians still debate exactly how much each man wrote. This does not trouble us, because the catechism was the work of a church and was received by the church.

Mpango wake. Katekisimu ina maswali 129, yaliyogawanywa katika sehemu hamsini na mbili zinazoitwa Siku za Bwana (Lord's Days) ili iweze kufundishwa kwa mwaka mzima. Imepangwa kuzunguka mada tatu, ambazo kwa kawaida huitwa hatia, neema na shukrani: ole wa dhambi yetu, wokovu wetu katika Kristo, na maisha ya shukrani ya utii yanayofuata. Ni ungamo lenye uchangamfu na la binafsi zaidi kati ya maungamo ya Reformed. Swali la kwanza linauliza, "Faraja yako pekee katika uzima na katika kifo ni nini?" na jibu ni kwamba sisi ni wa Mwokozi wetu mwaminifu Yesu Kristo, mwili na roho. Haianzi na amri za Mungu. Inaanza na faraja.Its plan. The catechism has 129 questions, divided into fifty-two sections called Lord's Days so that it can be taught through a year. It is arranged around three themes, usually called guilt, grace and gratitude: the misery of our sin, our deliverance in Christ, and the thankful life of obedience that follows. It is the most warm and personal of the Reformed confessions. The first question asks, "What is your only comfort in life and in death?" and the answer is that we belong, body and soul, to our faithful Savior Jesus Christ. It does not begin with decrees. It begins with comfort.

Kufika kwake mbali. Katekisimu ilitafsiriwa katika lugha nyingi. Katika Uholanzi na katika makanisa yaliyotokana nayo ikawa msingi wa mahubiri na mafundisho. Makanisa mengi ya Reformed bado hugawanya sehemu ya mahubiri yao kulingana na Siku zake hamsini na mbili za Bwana. Frederick alitetea kanisa lake mbele ya Bunge la Augsburg mwaka 1566, ambapo imani ya Reformed ya Palatinate ilipingwa na wakuu wengine wa Kijerumani. Baadaye, katika miaka ya mwanzo ya Vita vya Miaka Thelathini vilivyoanza mwaka 1618, Palatinate iliharibiwa na uongozi wake wa Reformed ukafukuzwa. Lakini katekisimu ilikuwa tayari mikononi mwa watu.Its reach. The catechism was translated into many languages. In the Netherlands and in the churches that came from them it became a foundation for preaching and teaching. Many Reformed churches still divide a part of their preaching according to its fifty-two Lord's Days. Frederick defended his church before the Diet of Augsburg in 1566, where the Palatinate's Reformed faith was challenged by other German princes. Later, in the early years of the Thirty Years' War, which began in 1618, the Palatinate was devastated and its Reformed leadership was driven out. But the catechism was already in the hands of the people.

Pingamizi na Majibu YetuObjections and Our Answers

Pingamizi: Huguenots na Waholanzi waliwaasi watawala wao, na Warumi 13 inakataza hilo.Objection: The Huguenots and the Dutch rebelled against their rulers, and Romans 13 forbids it.

Paulo anaandika katika Warumi 13:1-2 kwamba kila mtu aitii mamlaka zilizopo, kwa kuwa mamlaka zimeteuliwa na Mungu. Baadhi ya wanahistoria na Wakristo wengi husema kwamba vita na maasi ya Reformed vilipingana na mafundisho haya, na kwamba upinzani wa Reformed uliidhuru Injili. Petro pia anatuamuru kumheshimu mfalme (1 Petro 2:17).Paul writes in Romans 13:1-2 that every person should be subject to the governing authorities, since authorities are appointed by God. Some historians and many Christians say that the Reformed wars and revolts contradicted this teaching, and that Reformed resistance harmed the gospel. Peter also commands us to honor the king (1 Peter 2:17).

Jibu letu. Warumi 13 inafundisha kwamba watawala ni watumishi wa Mungu kwa manufaa ya watu, na kwamba Wakristo kwa kawaida wanapaswa kutii. Lakini Biblia hiyo hiyo inaonyesha kwamba utii una mipaka. Mamlaka zinapoamuru kile Mungu anachokikataza, mitume walijibu, "Imetupasa kumtii Mungu kuliko wanadamu" (Matendo 5:29). Huguenots wa mwanzo kwa kiasi kikubwa waliteseka bila kupigana. Baadaye, baada ya mauaji ya Siku ya Mtakatifu Bartholomayo, kitabu cha Theodore Beza On the Right of Magistrates (Juu ya Haki ya Mahakimu, 1574) kilibishana kwamba maafisa wa ngazi ya chini, kama wakuu na mahakimu wa miji, wana wajibu wa kuwalinda watu dhidi ya mtawala anayetenda udhalimu, na kwamba watu binafsi hawapaswi kuchukua silaha. Mafundisho haya yaliweka upinzani mikononi mwa maafisa halali, si watu binafsi. Katika kisa cha Uholanzi, William wa Orange na Mabunge (Estates) walitenda kama maafisa halali. Pia tunakiri kwamba si kila tendo la vita upande wa Waprotestanti lilikuwa la haki, na kwamba silaha kuu ya kanisa ni Neno (2 Wakorintho 10:4). Mstari mkuu unatukumbusha kwamba uaminifu hata kufa, si ushindi wa kijeshi, ndio wito wa kanisa.Our answer. Romans 13 teaches that rulers are God's servants for the good of the people, and that Christians should ordinarily obey. But the same Bible shows that obedience has limits. When the authorities command what God forbids, the apostles answered, "We ought to obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:29). The early Huguenots mostly suffered without fighting. Later, after the St. Bartholomew massacre, Theodore Beza's book On the Right of Magistrates (1574) argued that lower officials, such as nobles and city magistrates, have a duty to defend the people against a ruler who commits tyranny, and that private persons should not take up arms. This teaching placed resistance in the hands of lawful officers, not individuals. In the Dutch case, William of Orange and the Estates acted as lawful officials. We also admit that not every act of war on the Protestant side was just, and that the church's main weapon is the Word (2 Corinthians 10:4). The key verse reminds us that faithfulness unto death, not military victory, is the church's calling.

Pingamizi: Jambo la Reformed katika nchi hizi lilikuwa kuhusu siasa kweli, si imani.Objection: The Reformed cause in these lands was really about politics, not faith.

Baadhi ya wanahistoria hubishana kwamba wakuu huko Ufaransa na wafanyabiashara huko Uholanzi walitumia dini kuendeleza nguvu au mali yao, na kwamba vita vilikuwa vya kisiasa hasa.Some historians argue that nobles in France and merchants in the Netherlands used religion to advance their own power or wealth, and that the wars were mainly political.

Jibu letu. Siasa na dini viliunganishwa katika karne ya kumi na sita, na watu wengine walikuwa na nia mchanganyiko. Wanahistoria wako sahihi kusema hivyo. Lakini waumini wa kawaida, wachungaji na wafia dini kama Guido de Brès walikufa kwa ajili ya kile walichoamini, na walikataa kukana imani yao walipoweza kujiokoa. Maungamo waliyoandika ni taarifa za imani, si programu za kisiasa. Pia waliteswa kwa ajili ya imani. Ingekuwa kosa kusema kwamba usadikisho haukuwa na sehemu.Our answer. Politics and religion were joined in the sixteenth century, and some people had mixed motives. Historians are right to say so. But ordinary believers, pastors and martyrs like Guido de Brès died for what they believed, and they refused to deny their faith when they could have saved themselves. The confessions they wrote are statements of faith, not political programs. They were also persecuted for the faith. It would be a mistake to say that conviction played no part.

Matumizi ya KichungajiPastoral Application

Mchungaji anahudumia kusanyiko dogo la Presbyterian katika mji ambapo wainjilisti ni wachache na mara nyingi hukabili shinikizo kutoka kwa majirani na ndugu. Msichana kijana katika kusanyiko anamwambia kwamba familia yake imemwomba aache kuhudhuria, na kwamba anajaribiwa kuficha imani yake ili kudumisha amani.A pastor serves a small Presbyterian congregation in a town where evangelicals are a minority and often face pressure from neighbors and relatives. A young woman in the congregation tells him that her family has asked her to stop attending, and that she is tempted to keep her faith hidden to keep peace.

Mchungaji hamkemei. Kwanza, anasikiliza kwa makini na kuuliza hasa familia yake inaogopa nini. Pili, anasoma pamoja naye Ufunuo 2:10, na kumweleza kwa ufupi jinsi familia za Huguenot huko Ufaransa zilivyoabudu kwa siri na kushikilia imani yao chini ya shinikizo, na jinsi Katekisimu ya Heidelberg ilivyowazungumzia kuhusu faraja. Tatu, anamwomba asome swali la kwanza la katekisimu na kujifunza jibu kwa moyo. Nne, hamwambii awe na kiburi au ukaidi. Anamtia moyo awe mwenye heshima na mkweli nyumbani, aombee familia yake, na alete maswali yake kwa wazee, watakaosimama pamoja naye. Anamhakikishia kwamba kusanyiko litamwombea kwa jina.The pastor does not scold her. First, he listens carefully and asks what exactly her family fears. Second, he reads with her Revelation 2:10, and tells her briefly how Huguenot families in France worshiped in secret and held on to their faith under pressure, and how the Heidelberg Catechism spoke to them of comfort. Third, he asks her to read the first question of the catechism and to learn the answer by heart. Fourth, he does not tell her to be proud or defiant. He encourages her to be respectful and honest at home, to pray for her family, and to bring her questions to the elders, who will stand with her. He assures her that the congregation will pray for her by name.

MuhtasariSummary

Imani ya Reformed ilienea kwa vitabu, kwa watu na kwa maungamo. Huko Ufaransa, Huguenots walifanya sinodi ya kitaifa mwaka 1559, walipitisha Ungamo la Gallic, walijiongoza kwa mabaraza na sinodi, walistahimili mauaji ya Siku ya Mtakatifu Bartholomayo ya mwaka 1572, walipata Amri ya Nantes mwaka 1598, na waliipoteza mwaka 1685. Huko Uholanzi, Guido de Brès aliandika Ungamo la Ubelgiji mwaka 1561 na akanyongwa mwaka 1567; uasi dhidi ya Hispania, Sinodi ya Emden mwaka 1571 na Muungano wa Utrecht mwaka 1579 viliunda Kanisa la Dutch Reformed. Huko Hungaria, Sinodi ya Debrecen ilipitisha Ungamo la Pili la Helvetic mwaka 1567, na Biblia ya Károli ilichapishwa Vizsoly mwaka 1590. Huko Palatinate, Mteule Frederick III aliagiza Katekisimu ya Heidelberg ya mwaka 1563, yenye maswali 129 juu ya hatia, neema na shukrani. Tunajibu pingamizi la Warumi 13 kwa kutaja mpaka uliowekwa na Matendo 5:29 na mafundisho ya Beza juu ya mahakimu halali. Tunakumbuka kwamba uaminifu hata kufa ndio wito wa kanisa.The Reformed faith spread by books, by people and by confessions. In France the Huguenots held a national synod in 1559, adopted the Gallic Confession, governed themselves by consistories and synods, endured the Saint Bartholomew's Day massacre of 1572, gained the Edict of Nantes in 1598, and lost it in 1685. In the Netherlands, Guido de Brès wrote the Belgic Confession in 1561 and was hanged in 1567; the revolt against Spain, the Synod of Emden in 1571 and the Union of Utrecht in 1579 shaped the Dutch Reformed Church. In Hungary, the Synod of Debrecen adopted the Second Helvetic Confession in 1567, and Károli's Bible was printed at Vizsoly in 1590. In the Palatinate, Elector Frederick III commissioned the Heidelberg Catechism of 1563, with its 129 questions on guilt, grace and gratitude. We answer the objection about Romans 13 by noting the limit set by Acts 5:29 and Beza's teaching on lawful magistrates. We remember that faithfulness unto death is the church's calling.

Usomaji ZaidiFurther Reading

• The Gallic (French) Confession (Ungamo la Gallic au Kifaransa, 1559).• The Gallic (French) Confession (1559).

• The Belgic Confession (Ungamo la Ubelgiji, 1561).• The Belgic Confession (1561).

• The Heidelberg Catechism (Katekisimu ya Heidelberg, 1563), chanzo cha msingi na mlango bora wa kuingilia kipindi hiki.• The Heidelberg Catechism (1563), a primary source and the best entrance to this unit.

• The Second Helvetic Confession (Ungamo la Pili la Helvetic, 1566).• The Second Helvetic Confession (1566).

• Zacharias Ursinus, Commentary on the Heidelberg Catechism (Ufafanuzi wa Katekisimu ya Heidelberg), ufafanuzi wa kawaida wa Reformed.• Zacharias Ursinus, Commentary on the Heidelberg Catechism, a classic Reformed exposition.

• Theodore Beza, On the Right of Magistrates (Juu ya Haki ya Mahakimu, 1574), chanzo cha msingi juu ya upinzani.• Theodore Beza, On the Right of Magistrates (1574), a primary source on resistance.

• John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion (Misingi ya Dini ya Kikristo), Kitabu cha 4, sura ya 20, juu ya serikali ya kiraia (tafsiri ya Beveridge, 1845).• John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, Book 4, chapter 20, on civil government (Beveridge translation, 1845).

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