Belgic Confession
By Guido de Bres, Low Countries. First printed in 1561 at Rouen, it was revised at a synod in Antwerp in 1566
- Chapter 1: The Only God
We all believe in our hearts and confess with our mouths that there is a single and simple spiritual being, whom we call God- eternal, incomprehensible, invisible,... - Chapter 2: The Means by Which We Know God
We know God by two means: First, by the creation, preservation, and government of the universe, since that universe is before our eyes like a beautiful book in which all... - Chapter 3: The Written Word of God
We confess that this Word of God was not sent nor delivered "by human will," but that "men and women moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God," as Peter says. (2 Pet. 1:21)... - Chapter 4: The Canonical Books
We include in the Holy Scripture the two volumes of the Old and New Testaments. They are canonical books with which there can be no quarrel at all. In the church of God the... - Chapter 5: The Authority of Scripture
We receive all these books and these only as holy and canonical, for the regulating, founding, and establishing of our faith. And we believe without a doubt all things... - Chapter 6: The Difference Between Canonical and Apocryphal Books
We distinguish between these holy books and the apocryphal ones, which are the third and fourth books of Esdras; the books of Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Jesus Sirach, Baruch; what... - Chapter 7: The Sufficiency of Scripture
We believe that this Holy Scripture contains the will of God completely and that everything one must believe to be saved is sufficiently taught in it. For since the entire... - Chapter 8: The Trinity
In keeping with this truth and Word of God we believe in one God, who is one single essence, in whom there are three persons, really, truly, and eternally distinct according to... - Chapter 9: The Scriptural Witness on the Trinity
All these things we know from the testimonies of Holy Scripture as well as from the effects of the persons, especially from those we feel within ourselves. The testimonies of... - Chapter 10: The Deity of Christ
We believe that Jesus Christ, according to his divine nature, is the only Son of God- eternally begotten, not made or created, for then he would be a creature. He is one in... - Chapter 11: The Deity of the Holy Spirit
We believe and confess also that the Holy Spirit proceeds eternally from the Father and the Son- neither made, nor created, nor begotten, but only proceeding from the two of... - Chapter 12: The Creation of All Things
We believe that the Father, when it seemed good to him, created heaven and earth and all other creatures from nothing, by the Word- that is to say, by the Son. God has given... - Chapter 13: The Doctrine of God's Providence
We believe that this good God, after creating all things, did not abandon them to chance or fortune but leads and governs them according to his holy will, in such a way that... - Chapter 14: The Creation and Fall of Humanity
We believe that God created human beings from the dust of the earth and made and formed them in his image and likeness- good, just, and holy; able by their will to conform in... - Chapter 15: The Doctrine of Original Sin
We believe that by the disobedience of Adam original sin has been spread through the whole human race. (Rom. 5:12-13) It is a corruption of the whole human nature- an inherited... - Chapter 16: The Doctrine of Election
We believe that- all Adam's descendants having thus fallen into perdition and ruin by the sin of Adam- God showed himself to be as he is: merciful and just. God is merciful in... - Chapter 17: The Recovery of Fallen Humanity
We believe that our good God, by marvelous divine wisdom and goodness, seeing that Adam and Eve had plunged themselves in this manner into both physical and spiritual death and... - Chapter 18: The Incarnation
So then we confess that God fulfilled the promise made to the early fathers and mothers by the mouth of the holy prophets when he sent the only and eternal Son of God into the... - Chapter 19: The Two Natures of Christ
We believe that by being thus conceived the person of the Son has been inseparably united and joined together with human nature, in such a way that there are not two Sons of... - Chapter 20: The Justice and Mercy of God in Christ
We believe that God- who is perfectly merciful and also very just- sent the Son to assume the nature in which the disobedience had been committed, in order to bear in it the... - Chapter 21: The Atonement
We believe that Jesus Christ is a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek- made such by an oath- and that he presented himself in our name before his Father,... - Chapter 22: The Righteousness of Faith
We believe that for us to acquire the true knowledge of this great mystery the Holy Spirit kindles in our hearts a true faith that embraces Jesus Christ, with all his merits,... - Chapter 23: The Justification of Sinners
We believe that our blessedness lies in the forgiveness of our sins because of Jesus Christ, and that in it our righteousness before God is contained, as David and Paul teach... - Chapter 24: The Sanctification of Sinners
We believe that this true faith, produced in us by the hearing of God's Word and by the work of the Holy Spirit, regenerates us and makes us new creatures, (2 Cor. 5:17)... - Chapter 25: The Fulfillment of the Law
We believe that the ceremonies and symbols of the law have ended with the coming of Christ, and that all foreshadowings have come to an end, so that the use of them ought to be... - Chapter 26: The Intercession of Christ
We believe that we have no access to God except through the one and only Mediator and Intercessor, "Jesus Christ the righteous," (1 John 2:1) who therefore was made human,... - Chapter 27: The Holy Catholic Church
We believe and confess one single catholic or universal church- a holy congregation and gathering of true Christian believers, awaiting their entire salvation in Jesus Christ,... - Chapter 28: The Obligations of Church Members
We believe that since this holy assembly and congregation is the gathering of those who are saved and there is no salvation apart from it, people ought not to withdraw from it,... - Chapter 29: The Marks of the True Church
We believe that we ought to discern diligently and very carefully, by the Word of God, what is the true church- for all sects in the world today claim for themselves the name... - Chapter 30: The Government of the Church
We believe that this true church ought to be governed according to the spiritual order that our Lord has taught us in his Word. There should be ministers or pastors to preach... - Chapter 31: The Officers of the Church
We believe that ministers of the Word of God, elders, and deacons ought to be chosen to their offices by a legitimate election of the church, with prayer in the name of the... - Chapter 32: The Order and Discipline of the Church
We also believe that although it is useful and good for those who govern the churches to establish and set up a certain order among themselves for maintaining the body of the... - Chapter 33: The Sacraments
We believe that our good God, mindful of our crudeness and weakness, has ordained sacraments for us to seal his promises in us, to pledge good will and grace toward us, and... - Chapter 34: The Sacrament of Baptism
We believe and confess that Jesus Christ, in whom the law is fulfilled, has by his shed blood put an end to every other shedding of blood, which anyone might do or wish to do... - Chapter 35: The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper
We believe and confess that our Savior Jesus Christ has ordained and instituted the sacrament of the Holy Supper to nourish and sustain those who are already regenerated and... - Chapter 36: The Civil Government
We believe that because of the depravity of the human race, our good God has ordained kings, princes, and civil officers. God wants the world to be governed by laws and... - Chapter 37: The Last Judgement
Finally we believe, according to God's Word, that when the time appointed by the Lord is come (which is unknown to all creatures) and the number of the elect is complete, our...