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For such a time as this: Zwingli’s Song or Prayer of the Plague 1519

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At the Beginning of the Illness

Help, Lord God, help

In this trouble!

I think Death is at the door.

Stand before me, Christ;

For Thou hast overcome him!

To Thee I cry:

If it is Thy will,

Take out the dart,

Which wounds me

Nor lets me have an hour’s

Rest or repose!

Will’st Thou however

That Death take me

In the midst of my days,

So let it be!

Do what Thou wilt;

Me nothing lacks.

Thy vessel am I;

To make or break altogether.

For, if Thou takest away

My Spirit

From this earth,

Thou dost it, that it may not grow worse,

Nor spot

The pious lives and ways of others.

In the Midst of the Illness

Console me, Lord God, console me!

The illness increases,

Pain and fear seize

My soul and body.

Come to me then,

With Thy grace, O my only consolation!

It will surely save

Everyone, who

His heart’s desire

And hopes sets

On Thee, and who besides

Despises all gain and loss.

Now all is up.

My tongue is dumb,

It cannot speak a word.

My sense are all blighted.

Therefore it is time

That Thou my fight

Conductest hereafter;

Since I am not

So strong, that I

Can bravely

Make resistance

To the Devil’s wiles and treacherous hand.

Still will my spirit

Constantly abide by Thee, however he rages.

At the End of the Sickness

Sound, Lord God, sound!

I think I am

Already coming back.

Yes, if it please Thee,

That no spark of sin

Rule me longer on earth.

Then my lips must

Thy praise and teaching

Bespeak more

Than ever before,

However it may go,

In simplicity and with no danger.

Although I must

The punishment of death

Sometime endure,

Perhaps with greater anguish

Then would now have

Happened, Lord!

Since I came

So near;

So will I still

The spite and boasting

Of this world

Bear joyfully for the sake of the reward

By Thy help,

Without which nothing can be perfect.

Zwingli, Huldreich. The Latin Works and The Correspondence of Huldreich Zwingli: Together with Selections from His German Works. Edited by Samuel Macauley Jackson. Translated by Henry Preble, Walter Lichtenstein, and Lawrence A. McLouth. Vol. 1. New York; London: G. P. Putnam’s Sons; Knickerbocker Press, 1912.

Haddington House Spring 2020 Newsletter

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The latest Haddington House Newsletter is available. Click here.

Dear Friends,
Thank you very much for praying for the winter months and in particular (given the world situation) the last couple of weeks. We arrived back earlier than planned (in order to follow government and airline orders), and by God’s grace we made it back into Canada before midnight on Sunday March 21st.

We are self-isolating now for 14 days in Ontario, so we can spend these next two weeks marking exams and starting to do some writing — will try to take advantage of this quiet time in a productive way. Thank you to all those who emailed words of encouragement the last couple of weeks. It was most appreciated.

Psalm 16
In the Lord,
Jack Whytock

Highlights:

  • The Whytocks are back in Canada from South Africa
  • Report on winter teaching and ministry
  • Update on Africa textbook project
  • Public lectures and talks Spring/Summer 2020
  • Combined 2019/2020 Journal Spring distribution
  • Prayer points for Spring/Summer 2020

The latest Haddington House Newsletter is available here.

Africa Textbook Research Underway

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This huge project on the history of evangelical Presbyterian missions and churches on the continent of Africa has commenced. Dr. & Mrs. Whytock have been working at Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa in the various libraries there. They have been delighted to find primary documents and many rare manuscripts that they hope will contribute to the interest and value of the textbook.

Also, many others (from across Africa as well as on other continents) have shown an interest in researching and writing. We are thankful for the network of interest and cooperation that is developing. Please pray for this network to continue to grow and pray for each contributor as he or she pieces together part of the great tapestry of this story.

Thank you for your part in this work.

For information about the project, click here.

January-March 2020 Haddington House Newsletter

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The January-March 2020 Haddington House Newsletter is now available. Click here for Dr. Whytock’s new year’s greeting, and all the latest publishing and seminary news from Haddington House. Please consider sharing this Newsletter with your friends. Many thanks. “Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it”.

ANNOUNCING a three-year publication project co-ordinated by Haddington House Trust 2020-2023 WORKING TITLE: From Cairo to Cape Town: Presbyterian Missions and Churches in Africa

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PUBLICATION RELEASE DATE 1 JANUARY, 2024

for

The 200th Anniversary of The Establishment of The First Presbytery on The Continent Of Africa

Basic Parameters: 

  • to use a connectional basis to the Westminster Confession and/or Shorter Catechism as a linkage constitutionally or practically for inclusion purposes 
  • to focus upon the evangelical tradition of Presbyterianism 
  • to include dates from the beginnings to 2022 
  • to produce a book with several chapters with a variety of contributors

Purposes: 

  • to promote the writing of Presbyterian mission and church history for African church history
  • to promote exchanges through this project and new networks so people become aware of one another and of other missions and churches, agencies, etc. who have or continue to be involved in Africa 
  • to produce this work as a textbook for theological training institutions for classes and libraries across Africa and also globally

Approach: 

  • identify and find writers who can assemble chapters for this collection
  • edit work and provide a forum for writing and publication
  • produce a new textbook for African church history

The following topics as chapters will be considered:

  • denominational histories/mission and church
  • regional histories
  • specialized ministries 
  • institutional development/history, e.g., schools, hospitals medical, other
  • diaspora
  • controversies
  • themes
  • Ethiopianism, Presbyterianism
  • other

From Cairo to Cape Town: Presbyterian Missions and Churches in Africa

Haddington House Trust 2020-2023

Style and Format:

  • all chapters must contain a bibliography at the end of the chapter
  • maximum word count will be between 8,000 and 10,000 words 
  • average article lengths of 5,000 are encouraged 
  • footnoting style should be kept fairly light and not take over the page
  • no remuneration but each contributor will receive one complimentary published copy 

Schedule:

  • chapter or section proposals welcome early in 2020 addressed to the general editor ( proposals of 250 to 500 words should be sent, stating the area which is being proposed)
  • the general editor will also be contacting potential contributors
  • deadline for draft text submissions will be January 1st, 2022 but the editor will accept drafts for examination and consultation before that date
  • editing and returns, if necessary, for rewrites, where needed, will be done throughout 2022 
  • no draft text will be received after January 1st, 2022 
  • typesetting and publishing will be done in 2023 

Book launches and lectures in 2024

  • some chapters will also be read by others  
  • all contributors will be encouraged to be collaborative and exchange draft chapters where there may be possible overlap, etc.