3 forms of unity

7/31/2019 3 Forms of Unity

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THE THREE FORMS OF UNITY

The Heidelberg Catechism

The Belgic Confession

The Canons of the

Concil of !ordrecht

along "ith the

Ecmenical Creeds

www.start.URClearning.org

For hel#$ send an email to%

info&start'rclearning'org

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INTRO!UCTION

Since the Bible teaches that Christians continue to sin,

the church will be corrupted over time. Therefore,Christians should always be attempting to reform the

church, to put it bac in accordance with biblical

teachings and practice.

!uring the si"teenth century, Roman Catholics chose

to stop participating in this process and actuallycondemned those who attempted such reform.

Reformers were forced outside of the Roman

Catholic Church and participated in the Reformation

in #rotestant churches such as the $utheran,

%nglican, and Reformed.

&rom '(') to '('*, the Reformed churches from

do+ens of countries throughout the world sent

representatives to meet at the Synod, or Council, of

!ordrecht. There, they collectively stated their faith

and summari+ed biblical teachings with three

documents, or forms, of unity the -eidelbergCatechism, Belgic Confession, and Canons of !ort.

The United Reformed Churches in orth %merica

are the descendants of these international Reformed

churches, and as participants in this Reformation

here offer these statements of faith as summaries ofbiblical teaching.

The Church has always stated its faith for many

reasons and these Three &orms of Unity perform

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many roles. They summari+e biblical teachings such

as the doctrines of the Trinity, the /ncarnation,

#redestination, 0ustification, and the Church. They

allow members to gather together around sharedbeliefs about fundamental teachings in the Bible, and

thereby relegate non1essential doctrines 2political

positions, educational platforms, etc.3 to personal

opinion lest the church needlessly split. They also

help others understand what we believe and thereby

provide a basis upon which ecumenical unity can bebuilt.

!ifferent types of documents serve different

purposes. Catechisms, such as the -eidelberg

Catechism 2written in -eidelberg, 4ermany3 are

documents written in a 5uestion1and1answer formatthat help e"plain biblical teaching to children and

those new to the faith6 the -eidelberg is divided into

78 Sundays, or $ord9s !ays, which allows it to be

wored through in a year. Confessions, such as the

Belgic Confession 2written in Belgium3 e"plain

various biblical teachings. &inally, canons, such asthe Canons of !ort 2written at the Synod of

!ordrecht3, are series of technical responses to

specific theological issues.

These documents were originally written in 4ree,

$atin, &rench and 4erman. The :nglish translationsof the four ecumenical creeds 2%postles9, icene,

%thanasian and Chalcedonian3 and the three forms

of unity 2-eidelberg Catechism, Belgic Confession

and Canons of the Synod of !ordrecht3 were created

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and reviewed by various individuals, including

pastors and elders in the URC.

The :nglish translation of the three forms of unityoffered here may loo different than others. ;any

modern :nglish editions are translations of

translations or the products of various alterations

and additions to the te"t of the documents including

scriptural citations and dubious historical notes.

The Belgic Confession offered here is a new

translation. Current :nglish editions select specific

versions of the confession, used only in limited

locations for limited periods of time, as the sources of

their translations. The international churches,

however, gathered together at the Synod of !ort andcollected these versions and edited them 2added to

them, subtracted from them, and re1wrote entire

articles3. The te"t that serves as the basis of this new

translation represents the consensus of the

international movement from which the URC traces

its roots.

The sources of the -eidelberg Catechism and Canons

of !ort used at !ort could not be precisely identified.

&or the Canons of !ort, the translation of the CRC9s

#salter -ymnal is offered, and for the -eidelberg

Catechism, we offer a typical amalgamation withoutte"tual pedigree but rendered in modern :nglish and

bearing bible verses.

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T(B)E OF CONTENTS

Introdction.....................................................................8

(#ostles* Creed...............................................................(

Nicene Creed....................................................................ffice of the

Jeys until they amend their lives.

' #s 7F'(1'


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they are not converted.' %ccording to this

testimony of the 4ospel, 4od will ?udge men both in

this life and in that which is to come.

' /sa 7)'6 ;t '('*6 0n DD'1D(, )8E, 8F8'18D6 %cts

'FED6 8 Cor 8'71'(

)7. -ow is the ingdom of heaven shut and opened

by Christian disciplineA

/n this way that, according to the command of

Christ, if any under the Christian name show

themselves unsound either in doctrine or in life, and

after several brotherly admonitions do not turn from

their errors or evil ways, they are complained of to

the Church or to its proper officers6 and, if they

neglect to hear them also, are by them denied the

holy sacraments and thereby e"cluded from the

Christian communion, and by 4od -imself from the

ingdom of Christ6 and if they promise and show

real amendment, they are again received as members

of Christ and -is Church.'

' ;t ')'718F6 $ '78F18E6 ' Cor 7D17, ''1'D6 8 Cor

8(1''6 8 Thes D'E1'76 8 0n 'F1''

~~Third Part: Gratitude

++Sanctification

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)ord2s !a3 40

)(. Since, then, we are redeemed from our misery by

grace through Christ, without any merit of ours, why

must we do good worsA

Because Christ, having redeemed us by -is blood,

also renews us by -is -oly Spirit after -is own

image, that with our whole life we show ourselves

thanful to 4od for -is blessing,' and that -e be

glorified through us68 then also, that we ourselvesmay be assured by our faith by the fruits thereof6D

and by our godly wal win also others to Christ.E

' Rom ('D, '8'186 ' Cor (8F6 ' #t 871'F6 8 ;t

7'(6 ' Cor ('*18F6 ' #t 8'86 D ;t


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/n two things the dying of the old man, and the

maing alive of the new.'

' Rom (E1(6 ' Cor 7


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The Ten Commandments

*8. @hat is the $aw of 4odA

4od spoe all these words, saying

&irst Commandment

G/ am the $>R! your 4od, who brought you out of

the land of :gypt, out of the house of bondage. Hou

shall have no other gods before ;e.

Second Commandment

Hou shall not mae for yourself a carved image 1 any

lieness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is

in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under theearth6 you shall not bow down to them nor serve

them. &or /, the $>R! your 4od, am a ?ealous 4od,

visiting the ini5uity of the fathers upon the children

to the third and fourth generations of those who hate

;e, but showing covenant faithfulness to thousands,

to those who love ;e and eep ;y commandments.

Third Commandment

Hou shall not tae the name of the $>R! your 4od

in vain, for the $>R! will not hold him guiltless who

taes -is name in vain.

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&ourth Commandment

Remember the Sabbath day, to eep it holy. Si" days

you shall labor and do all your wor, but the seventh

day is the Sabbath of the $>R! your 4od. /n it you

shall do no wor you, nor your son, nor your

daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female

servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is

within your gates. &or in si" days the $>R! made

the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in

them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the

$>R! blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.

&ifth Commandment

-onor your father and your mother, that your days

may be long upon the land which the $>R! your

4od is giving you.

Si"th Commandment

Hou shall not murder.

Seventh Commandment

Hou shall not commit adultery.

:ighth Commandment

Hou shall not steal.

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inth Commandment

Hou shall not bear false witness against your

neighbor.

Tenth Commandment

Hou shall not covet your neighbor9s house6 you shall

not covet your neighbor9s wife, nor his male servant,

nor his female servant, nor his o", nor his doney,

nor anything that is your neighbors.I'

' :" 8F6 !eut 76 #s ''**6 ;t 7'


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alone,7 with all humility( and patience


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That we in no way mae any image of 4od,' nor

worship -im in any other way than -e has

commanded us in -is @ord.8

' !eut E'71'*6 /sa EF')1876 %cts '


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)ord2s !a3 47

**. @hat is re5uired in the third CommandmentA

That we must not by cursing,' or by falseswearing,8 nor yet by unnecessary oaths,D profane

or abuse the name of 4od6 nor even by our silenceE

and connivance be partaers of these horrible sins in

others6 and in summary, that we use the holy name

of 4od in no other way than with fear and

reverence,7 so that -e may be rightly confessed(and worshiped


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)ord2s !a3 48

'F'. But may we swear reverently by the name of

4odA

Hes, when the magistrate re5uires it, or when it may

be needful otherwise, to maintain and promote

fidelity and truth to the glory of 4od and our

neighbor9s good6 for such an oath is grounded in

4od9s @ord,' and therefore was rightly used by the

saints in the >ld and ew Testaments.8' !eut ('D, 'F8F6 /sa E)'6 0er E'186 -eb ('(6 8

4en 8'8E, D'7D17E6 0osh *'7, '*6 ' Sam 8E886 ' Jgs

'8*1DF6 Rom '*6 8 Cor '8D

'F8. ;ay we swear by Gthe saintsI or by any othercreaturesA

o, for a lawful oath is a calling upon 4od, that -e,

as the only searcher of hearts, may bear witness to

the truth, and punish me if / swear falsely6' which

honor is due to no creature.8

' Rom *'6 8 Cor '8D6 8 0er 7


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/n the first place, 4od wills that the ministry of the

4ospel and schools be maintained,' and that /,

especially on the day of rest, diligently attend

church8 to learn the @ord of 4od,D to use the-oly Sacraments,E to call publicly upon the

$ord,7 and to give Christian alms.( /n the second

place, that all the days of my life / rest from my evil

wors, allow the $ord to wor in me by -is Spirit,

and thus begin in this life the everlasting Sabbath.


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' 4en *8E1876 :" 8''


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' Rom '8)1D86 8 ' 0n 8*1''6 D 4al 7'*18'6 0as

8'D6 E ' 0n D'76 0as ''*, D'(

'F


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words,' thoughts, desires,8 and whatever may

entice thereto.D

' ' Cor (')18F6 :ph 7D1E6 8 ;t 78


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That / further my neighbor9s good where / can and

may, deal with him as / would have others deal with

me,' and labor faithfully, so that / may be able to

help the poor in their need.8

' ;t


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)ord2s !a3 55

''D. @hat does the tenth Commandment re5uireA

That not even the least inclination or thought againstany commandment of 4od ever enter our heart, but

that with our whole heart we continually hate all sin

and tae pleasure in all righteousness.'

' #s '*


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that we be renewed more and more after the image

of 4od, until we attain the goal of perfection after

this life.D

' #s D876 ' 0n '*6 8 Rom D'*18(,


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hear our prayer,


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To awaen in us at the very beginning of our prayer

that childlie reverence for and trust in 4od, which

are to be the ground of our prayer, namely, that 4od

has become our &ather through Christ, and willmuch less deny us what we as of -im in faith than

our parents refuse us earthly things.'

' /sa (D'(6 ;t


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$ 'E(177, ()1


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' ;t '(8E6 8 ;t

'87. @hat is the fourth petitionA

G4ive us this day our daily bread6I that is, be pleased

to provide for all our bodily need,' so that we may

thereby acnowledge that Hou are the only fountain

of all good,8 and that without Hour blessing neither

our care and labor, nor Hou gifts, can profit us6D

that we may therefore withdraw our trust from all

creatures and place it alone in Hou.E

' #s 'FE8


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'8*. @hat is the meaning of the word G%menAI

G%menI means so shall it truly and surely be. &or

my prayer is much more certainly heard of 4od than

/ feel in my heart that / desire these things of -im.'

' #s 'E7')1'*6 /sa (78E6 8 Cor '8F6 8 Tim 8'D

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The Belgic Confession

Truly the Christian Confession of the BelgicReformed Churches, containing the Summary of

!octrine about 4od and about the :ternal Salvation

of Souls

(rticle .% (bot the Natre of :od

@e believe in the heart and confess with the mouth

that there is a uni5ue and simple spiritual Being,

@ho we call 4od, eternal, incomprehensible,

invisible, unchangeable, and infinite, @ho is wise

and the overflowing source of all good things. :ph.

E)6 8 !euter. (E6 ' Tim 876 8 Cor. )(6 0ohn E8E6 /sa.EF8), EE(.

(rticle 0% (bot the no"ledge of :od

;oreover, we now 4od by two means, first, by the

creation, preservation, and government of this wholeworld. &or it is before our eyes as a most beautiful

Boo in which all creatures, from the least to the

greatest, are as certain letters and mars through

which the invisible things of 4od can be e"amined

and understood, certainly -is eternal power and -is

divinity as the %postle #aul says in Romans '8F.This nowledge is sufficient for convicting any given

people and rendering them ine"cusable. But -e also

bears -is very self to us, much more clearly and

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openly, in -is holy and divine @ord6 indeed, as

much as is e"pedient in this life for -is glory and for

the salvation of -is own people. #salm '*6 :phes. E(6

8 Cor. 8(.

(rticle 4% (bot Hol3 Scri#tre

@e confess that this @ord of 4od has neither been

sent or delivered by any human will, but that holy

men of 4od, having been filled up by the Spirit, havespoen it forth, as blessed #eter witnesses. 8 #et. '8'.

%fterwards, however, 4od -imself, according to that

great care and concern that -e bears for -is own

people and their salvation, commanded -is servants,

the %postles and #rophets, to commit -is oracles to

writings, to the point that -e -imself scratched outthe two tables of the $aw with -is own finger, which

is the reason why we call writings of this sort holy

and divine @ritings.

(rticle 5% (bot the Canonical Boos of the Oldand Ne" Testaments

;oreover, we hold that Sacred Scripture is

encompassed in these two volumes of the >ld and

ew Testaments, the boos of which are called

canonical6 about these there was never a controversy.

%nd this is not only their number but also theirorder, having been received in the Church of 4od

The &ive Boos of ;oses, the boo of 0oshua, 0udges,

Ruth, the two boos of Samuel, two of Jings the two

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boos of Chronicles, which is called #aralipomenon,

the first of :+ra, ehemiah, :sther, 0ob, liewise the

#salms of !avid, the three boos of Solomon,

certainly #roverbs, :cclesiastes, and the Song ofSongs, the &our ;a?or #rophets, /saiah, 0eremiah,

:+eiel, and !aniel, and to these twelve other ;inor

#rophets. %gain, there are canonical boos of the

ew Testament the &our 4ospels, obviously blessed

;atthew, ;ar, $ue, and 0ohn, the %cts of the

%postles, the &ourteen $etters of Blessed #aul, andthe Seven $etters of the Remaining %postles, the

%pocalypse of the Blessed %postle 0ohn.

(rticle 6% (bot the (thorit3 of Hol3 Scri#tre

@e receive all these boos, alone, as holy andcanonical, by which our faith can be supported,

confirmed, and established. %nd so, without any

doubt, we believe all these things that are contained

in them, and not so much because the Church

receives and endorses them as Canon as because the

-oly Spirit testifies to our consciences that they havearisen from 4od, and, about this, mostly because

they also witness and prove themselves by this

sacred authority and holiness of theirs, since even the

blind themselves can clearly observe, ?ust as if they

could perceive with their senses, the fulfillment and

occurrence of the things that had been predicted.

(rticle 7% (bot the !ifference Bet"een Canonical

and (#ocr3#hal Boos

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@e then establish a distinction between these -oly

Boos and those that are called %pocrypha, namely

that the %pocrypha certainly can be in the Church,

and it is also lawful even to select lessons from them,insofar as they echo the Canonical boos. But, by no

means is their authority or stability such that any

dogma concerning the &aith and the Christian

Religion could be definitely established from their

testimony. &ar from that, they cannot infringe upon,

or lessen, the authority of the others.

(rticle 8% (bot the


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councils, nor finally any human decrees or statutes

ought to be pitted against or held on par with these

divine Scriptures and this naed truth of 4od,

because the truth of 4od surpasses all things. &or allhuman beings are liars, themselves vainer than

vanity. &or this reason, we re?ect, with our whole

soul, whatsoever does not agree with this most

certain rule, as we have been taught by the %postles

when they say, GTest the spirits whether they are

from 4od,I and also, G/f anyone comes to you, anddoes not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into

your house,I etc. 8 Tim. D'E, '


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Spirit is the true power and strength that emanates

from the &ather and the Son. evertheless, this

distinction does not mae it that 4od is divided, as if

into three parts, seeing that Scripture teaches us thatthe &ather, the Son, and the -oly Spirit each has a

hypostasis, or a subsistence, distinguished by their

properties. Thus these three persons are nevertheless

one 4od alone. Therefore, it is certain then that the

&ather is not the Son, nor is the Son the &ather, nor is

the -oly Spirit either the &ather or the Son. %t thesame time, however, these persons, so distinct, are

neither divided, nor confused, nor mingled together.

&or the &ather did not tae on human flesh, nor the

-oly Spirit, but only the Son. The &ather never was

without -is Son, nor without -is -oly Spirit, since

these same persons are of the same eternal essence.&ar from these, there is neither a first nor a last, for all

three are one, in truth and power, in goodness and

mercy.

(rticle ;% (bot the Hol3 Trinit3

@e certainly now all these things to such an e"tent

according to the testimonies of -oly Scripture as

much from their own effects, especially from those

we feel within our very selves. %nd indeed, the

testimonies of the -oly Scriptures that teach us to

believe in this sacred Trinity run throughout in the>ld Testament need not be enumerated so much as

selected with reliable ?udgment. These are of such a

sort 4od first says in 4enesis, G$et Us mae

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humanity according to >ur image and lieness.I

%nd then, G-e created them male and female.I

$iewise, GBehold, %dam has been made, as it were,

one of Us.I 4en. D7. &rom this, namely because it issaid, G$et Us mae humanity according to >ur

image,I it appears that there is a plurality of #ersons

in the !eity. But since G4od created, etc.I is said, a

unity of !ivinity is indicated. -ow many persons

there are, although it is obscurely delivered in the

>ld Testament, is placed before us in the ew withbright light. &or when our $ord 0esus Christ was

bapti+ed in the 0ordan, ;atth. D'(, the voice of the

&ather was heard proclaiming, GThis is my dear

Son6I the Son -imself was seen in the water6 and,

truly, the -oly Spirit appeared under the form of a

dove. /n the common baptism of all believers we arecommanded to use this formula GBapti+e all peoples

in the name of the &ather, and of the Son, and of the

-oly Spirit.I So also, in the 4ospel of $ue 'D7 the

%ngel 4abriel addresses ;ary, the mother of our

$ord GThe -oly Spirit come upon you and the

power of the ;ost -igh will overshadow you, andfor this reason the >ne who will be born from you,

-e will be called the Son of 4od.I %gain, G;ay the

grace of our $ord 0esus Christ, and the love of 4od,

and the communion of the -oly Spirit be with you.I

%gain, GThere are three who testify in heaven the

&ather, the @ord, and the -oly Spirit, which threeare oneI ' 0ohn 7


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nevertheless firmly believe it now according to the

@ord of 4od, anticipating, until we may fully en?oy

the nowledge of this in heaven. &urthermore, we

must note the office and effect of these three #ersons@ho stretch out towards us. &or the &ather is called

our Creator on account of -is power. The Son is

called our true Savior and Redeemer because -e has

redeemed us by his blood. The -oly Spirit is our

Sanctifier because -e dwells in our hearts. ;al. 8'F6

' #et. '86 ' 0ohn E'E6 4al. E(6 Tit. D76 Rom. )*6 Rom.'E'(. ;oreover, the Church has always held this

doctrine of the -oly Trinity from the age of the

%postles all the way up to this time now and has

defended it against 0ews, ;uslims, and other

psuedo1Christians and heretics, such as ;arcion,

;ani, #ra"eas, Sabellius, #aul of Samosata, and thelie, who have been deservingly condemned by the

blessed fathers. %nd so, in this matter, we willingly

here receive the Three Symbols, the %postles9,

icene, and the %thanasian, and whatever ?udgment,

along with their Symbols, they established

concerning this dogma.

(rticle .>% (bot the Eternal !eit3 of the Son of

:od$ Or )ord ?ess Christ

@e believe that 0esus Christ, with respect to -is

divine nature, is the only Son of 4od begotten frometernity not made or created 0ohn ''), E*, for -e

would be a creature but for the e"act same essence of

the &ather and coeternal to -im, and @ho is the true

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image of the substance of the &ather and the splendor

of -is glory, e5ual to -im in all things Col. ''76 0ohn

'FDF6 #hil. 8(6 -ebr. 'D6 0ohn )8D, *D( %ct. )D


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(rticle .0% (bot the Creation of the Dorld and

abot (ngels

@e believe that the &ather, through -is @ord, that is

through the Son, created heaven, earth, and all

remaining nature from nothing when it seemed

opportune to -im, and, that there is a form for each

of them in turn, and that -e has assigned various

duties so that they might serve the interests of their

Creator. :ven now -e maintains, sustains, and rules

them by -is eternal providence and immeasurable

power. %nd this is so that they may also serve

humanity, as humanity may serve the interests of its

true 4od. &urthermore, -e created the angels good

in nature so that they might be -is messengers and

serve the interests of -is elect. evertheless, several

of them have fallen down from the e"cellent naturein which 4od created them into eternal perdition,

and others, certainly by the grace of 4od alone, have

stood firm in their original state. /ndeed, the devils

and the e"crement1ridden demons are so corrupt and

depraved that they conspire as enemies1of1the1State

against both 4od and all good people. %s thievesfrom a loo out, they lie in ambush with all their

strength for the Church and each of its members in

order to ruin and destroy them all by their

deceptions. &or this reason, having been sentenced to

eternal condemnation on account of their own evil,

they daily await the dreadful punishment of theirdeeds. %nd therefore we re?ect the error of the

Sadducees in this place, who deny that there are any

Spirits or %ngels. $iewise, the error of the

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;anicheans, who assert that the !evils hold an

origin from themselves and are evil on account of

their nature, but not corrupted by willful

disobedience. 0ohn '78(6 4en. ''6 /sai. EF8(6 -eb.DE6 %po. E''6 ' Tim ED,'6 Col. ''(6 -eb D'E, 'D6

#sal. 'FD8', ED,)6 0ohn )EE6 8 #et. 8E6 $uc. )D'6 '

#et. 7)6 ;att. 87EF6 %ct. 8D).

(rticle .4% (bot the


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lawful. Truly, this doctrine brings immeasurable

comfort to us. &or from it we now that nothing

happens to us by fortune, but only all things by the

will of our heavenly &ather, @ho truly eeps watchfor us with fatherly care, having sub?ugated all things

unto -imself so that not even a hair our head 2which

have all been numbered down to the individual one3

can be pluced out, nor can the smallest chic fall to

the ground, apart from the will of our &ather. %nd so

we thoroughly rest in this, acnowledging that 4odrestrains the devils and all our enemies, ?ust as

curbed with whips, so that no one is strong enough

to hurt us apart from -is will and good permission.

%nd therefore in this place we re?ect the detestable

opinion of the :picureans, who create an idle god,

doing nothing and forfeiting all things. %ct. 8D)60ohn 7'


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were unaware and did not understand their

e"cellence. But nowing and desiring, they sub?ected

their very selves to sin and to the conse5uence of

death and the curse. By bending the ear towards thewords and allurements of the devil, they

transgressed the commandment of life, which they

had received from the $>R!, and through this

penalty they carried themselves away and alienated

themselves from 4od 2their true life3, having wholly

damaged and corrupted their own nature by sin. Bythis, it was accomplished that they handed

themselves over as liable to the death of both the

body and the soul. %nd so accomplished as wiced

and perverse in all their ways and pursuits, they cast

off all those splendid gifts with which 4od had

adorned them, to the point that nothing remainse"cept small spars and tiny vestiges, which are

sufficient for rendering people ine"cusable, because

whatever light in us has turned into blind shadows,

so that Scripture itself teaches, saying GThe light

shines in the darness, and the darness did not

grasp it.I &or here 0ohn clearly calls peopleGdarness.I Therefore whatever is drudged up

concerning the free will of humanity, we deservedly

re?ect it, since humanity is the Gslave of sin, I and no

good can come out of humanity, Gunless it was given

to it from heaven.I &or who dares to boast that he

can perform anything that he desires, since Christ-imself says, Go one can come to me, unless my

&ather, @ho sent me, draws himIA ;ay he who

hears Gall flesh has been afflicted with hostility

against 4odI glorify his own willA ;ay he who

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nows Gthe human soul is not capable of the things

that of the Spirit of 4od,I pride himself about his

own nowledgeA /n short, may he who understands

that we are not sufficient for any thought accordingto our very selves but that what we are sufficient for

is entirely from 4od, even drag out any thought of

his into the public ga+eA Therefore, what the %postle

said ought to remain firm and fi"ed G4od is -e @ho

wors in us so that we both desire and wor

according to -is gratuitous good will.I &or no mind,no desire, in which Christ -imself has not first

wored ac5uiesces to the will of 4od, which -e

-imself teaches us, saying, G@ithout me you are can

do nothing.I ;att. 8F8*, DF6 4en '8(6 :ccle.


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condemnation of the entire human race. Truly, it is

not thoroughly e"tinguished nor pluced out by the

roots through Baptism, seeing that ?ust as waves of a

stream continually rise up and pour forth from acorrupt bubbling spring, so too from it. %lthough, to

the children of 4od it is not handed over or imputed

to condemnation, but for them it is remitted

according to the pure grace and mercy of 4od, not so

that they may fall asleep confident in this remission,

but so that with the sense of this corruption it waesup more fre5uent groans in the faithful, and so that

by it they more passionately desire themselves to be

free from this body of death. &rom this, we therefore

damn the error of the #elagians, who assert that this

original sin is nothing other than imitation. #hil. 8'D6

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(rticle .8% (bot the Restoration of the Hman

Race b3 the Son of :od

@e believe that our 4od ;ost -igh, 2since -e saw

that humanity had thus cast itself into the damnation

of death of both body and soul, and had made

themselves utterly miserable and also cursed3,

having drawn together both -is miraculous wisdom

and goodness in order that -e might both see after

and also indly console them who had fled from

-im on account of fear, with the promise that -is

Son shall born from a woman, @ho would crush the

head of the serpent and render them blessed and

happy.

(rticle .9% (bot the Incarnation of the Son of :od

Truly we confess that 4od then finally fulfilled the

promise 2that -e made to the &athers, by the mouth

of his holy #rophets3, when, at the time -e -imself

established, -e sent into this world this only and

eternal Son of -is, G@ho received the form of a

servant,I Gmade similar to humanity,I truly

assuming a real human nature with all its

weanesses, e"cept sin, when -e was conceived in

the womb of the =irgin ;ary by the power of the

-oly Spirit, without the wor of any man. %gain, -e

not only assumed a human nature as far as the body

but also unto the soul. &or -e had been endowed

with a true human soul so that he would be a real

human. /ndeed, since the soul no less than the body

itself is guilt of damnation, it was necessary that he

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assume both body and soul in order that he might

save them both together. &or this reason, against the

heresy of the %nabaptists who deny that Christ

assumed human flesh from his mother, we confessthat Christ Gpartoo of the same flesh and blood ?ust

as -is own brethren,I made Gflesh from the loins of

!avid,I Gthe same flesh from the seed of !avid,I

Gand fruit from the womb of the virgin ;ary,I Gborn

from a woman,I Gseed of !avid,I Ga flower from the

root of 0esse,I Gfrom the tribe of 0udah,I Gand havingdescended from the 0ews themselves according to the

flesh,I and, in short, GTrue seed of %braham and of

!avidI because G-e had assumed the seed of

%braham, e"cept for sin,I as it is said, G-e was made

similar to -is brothers in all things, to a degree that

-e is truly :mmanuel, that is, 4od with us.I

(rticle .;% (bot the H3#ostatic$ or


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it through -is resurrection, that nevertheless did not

steal or change the truth of human nature for -im.

&or our salvation and resurrection hang upon the

truth of -is body. ;oreover, these two natures are sounited and ?oined together in one person that they

cannot be separated even by -is death. Therefore,

what he commended to the &ather at -is dying was a

real human spirit, going out from -is own body. But

meanwhile, the !ivine nature always 2even while

lying in the grave3 remained united to the -uman, tothe point that !eity itself was no less in -imself

when -e was still an infant, although it did not show

itself for a little while. >n account of this, we confess

-is self to be true 4od and true man indeed, true

4od in order that -e would con5uer death, and true

man in order that -e would fall to death in theweaness of -is flesh in our place.

(rticle 0>% (bot the Manner of Redem#tion$

throgh the !eclaration of the ?stice and Merc3 of

:od in Christ

@e believe that 4od, @ho is consummately and

perfectly both merciful and ?ust, has sent -is Son so

that -e would assume that nature in order that -e

should mae satisfaction in that very nature that

sinned through disobedience, and in order that

concerning sin, -e should endure the ?ust penaltiesby -is bitter suffering and death. Therefore, 4od

displayed and stretched forth -is ?ustice upon -is

own Son, laden with our sins. -e liberally poured

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out and stretched forth -is goodness and mercy

upon us, worthily deserving condemnation, when

-e handed -is Son over to death on account of our

offenses, out of his immeasurable love for us, and inturn raised -im from death on account of our

?ustification, so that we would obtain immortality

and eternal life through -im.

(rticle 0.% (bot the Satisfaction of Christ for OrSins

@e believe that 0esus Christ is that consummate

-igh #riest, established in eternity with an oath

according to the ;elchi+edeian order, and that -e

presented -is very self in our name in the presence

of the &ather for the placation of -is wrath with fullsatisfaction, placing -is very self upon the altar of

the cross and pouring out -is blood for the

purgation of our sins, ?ust as the #rophets had

predicted it would happen. &or it is written, Gthe

castigation of our peace was placed on the Son of

4od,I and Gwe are healed by his wounds.I %gain,G-e -imself was led to death as a lamb,I and -e

was Gnumbered among sinnersI and condemned as a

criminal by #ontius #ilate, even though he had

previously declared -im innocent. Therefore, -e

paid, Gfor what -e had not stolen,I and the ?ust

suffered for the un?ust, both in -is soul and body, sowhile sensing the awe1striing debt for our sins, -e

sweated blood and water and -e even finally cried

out, G;y 4od, my 4od, why have Hou forsaen

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meAI %nd -e endured all these things for the

remission of our sins. &or this reason, we rightly say

with blessed #aul Gwe now nothing whatsoever,

e"cept 0esus Christ and -im crucified,I in fact, Gweconsider all things as e"crement on account of the

e"cellence of the nowledge of our $ord 0esus Christ,

I so that he who is in -is wounds finds every ind of

consolation. %nd so nothing is necessary lest we

would hope for or thin up for ourselves any other

reconings with which we can be reconciled to 4odbesides this one and only complete oblation, by

which all believers, who are sanctified, are

consecrated and perfected unto eternity. %nd

moreover this is the reason why -e -imself was

called by the %ngel, G0esus,I that is, GSavior, because

-e is going to save -is people from their sins.I

(rticle 00% (bot ?stif3ing Faith and abot

?stification in Faith

@e believe that the -oly Spirit imparts true faith

indwelling within our hearts so that we arrive at atrue nowledge of such a great mystery6 a faith that

embraces 0esus Christ with all -is merits and claims

-im as made our own. &or it is necessary that either

all the things that are re5uired for our salvation are

not in Christ, or, that if all things are in -im, then he

who possesses Christ by faith also has perfectsalvation at the same time. %nd therefore it is a

wholly horrendous blasphemy against 4od to assert

that Christ is less than sufficient, but also that other

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things liewise are needed. &or it would follow from

here, that 0esus Christ is only Savior in part. %nd

therefore we deservedly say with blessed #aul, G@e

are ?ustified by faith alone, or by faith apart fromwors of the $aw.I >therwise, properly speaing,

we by no means understand faith itself, through

itself, or from itself, to ?ustify us6 it is as if it were no

more than an instrument by which we lay hold of

Christ our righteousness. Therefore our

righteousness is Christ -imself, @ho imputes all -isown merits to us. Truly faith is the instrument by

which we are bound to -im in fellowship and the

communion of all -is good wors, and also

preserved in the same, to the point that all those,

having been made ours, are more than enough for

the absolution from our sins.

(rticle 04% (bot Or ?stification$ b3 Dhich De

Stand Fast in :od2s n account ofthis, as supported by solid ground, we present all

glory to 4od, perceiving ourselves in e"treme

humility so that we may properly now of what sort

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our selves really are. %nd so, we presume nothing

whatsoever on account of ourselves or any of our

merits, but having been supported only by the

obedience of Christ crucified, we thoroughlyac5uiesce to it, so that when we believe in -im it

becomes ours. %gain, this alone is abundantly

sufficient both for covering over all our ini5uities and

also for rendering us safe and secure against all

temptation at the same time. %nd indeed this drives

all fear, all trembling, and finally all dread far awayfrom the conscience, where we approach near to 4od

and we do not imitate the e"ample of the first of our

parents, who, fleeing because of fear, attempted to

hide and cover themselves with fig leaves. Certainly

it is proper that if we were to stand in the presence of

4od, relying ever so little upon ourselves or anyother creature, it is certain that we would be instantly

engulfed in wrath. &or this reason, it is preferable for

each of us, in turn, to call out with !avid G$ord, do

not enter into ?udgment with your servant, because

any living thing will not be ?ustified in your ga+e.I

(rticle 05% (bot Sanctification and abot :ood

Dors

@e believe that this true faith, through the hearing of

the @ord of 4od and the wor of the -oly Spirit, on

account of 4od, acts and wors so that it enlivens usunto living a new life and renders us free from the

slavery of sin. Therefore, this ?ustifying faith is far

from such a sort that it would call people away from,

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or mae them tepid towards, an upright and holy

rule of living, but on the contrary, apart from it no

one can ever act or wor anything good on account

of 4od 2but all things either on account of -im or onaccount of fear of ?ust condemnation3. Therefore, it is

not possible that this holy faith is idle in a person.

&or we do not spea of an vain faith or dead faith,

but only of that which in Scripture is said Gto be

wored through charity,I and which drives a person

so that he practices these wors themselves that 4od-imself prescribes in -is own @ord. Truly these

good wors, having sprouted forth from the sincere

root of this faith, are therefore finally good and

accepted by 4od because they are sanctified by -is

grace. everthless, they are entirely of no importance

for our ?ustification. &or we are ?ustified in Christ,even before we had put forth any good wors. &or

before faith, our wors no more can be good than

fruit of a tree can be good before the tree itself was

good. Therefore, we certainly do good wors, but not

so that we merit anything by them. &or what could

we meritA But rather we are more and more bound to4od for good wors 2if we do them3, not 4od to us.

&or 4od is -e @ho Gwors in us both so that we

desire, and also so that we wor, according to -is

gratuitous goodness.I %ccording to which, it is

necessary for us always to loo bac upon that which

is written, G@hen you have done all the things thatare commanded to you, say, L@e are useless servants,

for we have done what we owed9.I %gain, we would

not deny that 4od rewards good wors in -is own

people, but we say that it occurs out of -is own pure

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grace so that -e crowns -is own gifts in us.

;oreover, although we do good wors, we

nevertheless do not all place any hope of salvation in

them, for we can do no wor that is not polluted bythe sin of the flesh and also worthy of punishment

and penalty. But even if we could bring forth any

wor of ours, a single recollection of a sin is

nevertheless sufficient for removing it from the ga+e

of 4od. %nd so, we would always be in doubt,

wavering here and there, and our miserableconsciences would always be disturbed unless they

would lean upon the uni5ue merit of the death and

suffering of our Savior and, in that, repose.

(rticle 06% (bot the (brogation of Ceremonies ofthe )a" and abot the (greement bet"een the Old

and Ne" Testaments

@e believe that all the ceremonies and forms of the

$aw and all the shadows finally have ceased with the

advent of Christ, to the point that, liewise, their uses

among Christians ought also now be lifted andabolished. ;eanwhile, their truth and substance

remain with us, in Christ, in @hom they all have

been fulfilled. %nd so, we continue to use the

witnesses of the $aw and #rophets, in order that they

themselves would build us up in the doctrine of the

4ospel and that we would place our whole lifehonorably unto the glory of 4od together ne"t to -is

will.

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(rticle 07% (bot the Intercession of Christ

&urthermore, we believe that we have no access to

4od e"cept through this only ;ediator and

%dvocate, 0esus Christ the Righteous, @ho therefore

was made man 2uniting divine and human natures3

in order that -e would open up an entrance to the

ma?esty of 4od for us miserable humans, which had

otherwise been shut eternally to us. evertheless, the

;a?esty and power of this ;ediator 2@hom the

&ather had established between -imself and us3

ought not terrify us in the least, lest for that reason

we would thin that we ought to see after another

for ourselves, according to our own ?udgment. &or

there is, neither among heaven nor among the

terrestrial creatures, one who more lovingly

embraces us than Christ -imself, @ho, Galthough -ewas in the form of 4od, emptied -is very self,I and,

on account of us, Gwas made lie -is brethren in all

things.I But if we had to contrive another ;ediator

for ourselves through seeing, who would deem us

of some worth, who would love us more +ealously

than -e -imself @ho willingly abandoned -is ownlife on our behalf when we were up to that point

enemiesA %gain, if another had to be sought out by

us, who e"cels in consummate authority and power,

who has ever obtained so much as -e @ho is seated

Gat the right hand of the &ather,I and to @hom Gall

power on heaven and earth has been givenIA %ndfinally, who shall have been heard by 4od more

clearly than That >nly1Begotten, the :lect Son of

4odA Therefore, unbelief alone has led to this custom

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by which we afflict the Saints 2those we thin in

heaven3 with dishonor, when we accomplish that

which is so far removed from those things they ever

did while living, but rather they constantly repelledthis, in accordance with their duty, ?ust as their

writings testify. %nd our vileness here is not to be

dragged out as an e"cuse for such sacrilege. &or we

do not in the least offer prayers propped up with our

dignity, but with the dignity and e"cellence only of

our $ord 0esus Christ, @hose righteousness is oursby faith, according to which place the %postle ?ustly,

since he would shae off this inane fear 2or rather

unbelief3 from us, says, GChrist was made lie -is

brethren in all things,I so that he would be a merciful

and faithful -igh #riest, in these things which were

in accordance with the ritual for the e"piation of thesins of the people in the presence of 4od. &or

according to this, -e can aid those who are tested,

because he had fully endured when -e was tested. /n

addition, so that he would increase our spirits in

which we may come near to this -igh #riest more

confidentially, the same %postle adds, GTherefore,having a great -igh #riest, @ho has entered into

heaven, 0esus Christ the Son of 4od, let us hold on to

our profession. &or we do not have a -igh #riest

who is unable to be moved with a sense of our

weanesses, but >ne tested in all things, similar to

us, e"cept for sin. Therefore, let us proceed with faithup to the throne of grace so that we may pursue

mercy and come upon grace unto favorable aid.I The

same apostle says, G@e have freedom for entering

into the sacristy through the blood of 0esus. $et us

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therefore approach with a firm persuasion of faith,

etc.I $iewise, GChrist has an eternal priesthood,

from which -e can also save those who approach

through -is blood unto 4od, always living, so that-e may always intercede on their behalf.I @hat need

is there for other thingsA Since Christ -imself says, G/

am the way, the truth, and the life. o one comes to

my &ather e"cept through ;e,I why should we see

another advocate for ourselvesA ;ost certainly, since

it has pleased 4od -imself to give -is Son to us asan advocate, let us not having abandoned -im, see

another, lest in always having to follow fate we may

never come across any other. &or when 4od gave

That >ne to us, -e new, without a doubt, that we

were miserable sinners. %ccording to which, it

happens that in remaining close to thecommandment of Christ -imself, we only call upon

the heavenly &ather through 0esus Christ our only

mediator -imself, as -e -imself also taught us in

the $ord9s #rayer. &or we are certain that we are

going to receive all the things for which we as in

-is name, from the &ather.

(rticle 08% (bot the Catholic Chrch

@e believe and confess a single Catholic or universal

Church, which is the true congregation or assembly

of all the faithful who await their entire salvationfrom 0esus Christ alone, obviously in so far as they

have been absolved with -is blood and sanctified

and sealed through -is Spirit. &urthermore, this

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Church has e"isted from the beginning of the world

and is going to endure until its end, even as it

appears from this the fact that Christ is an eternal

Jing, @ho cannot be without sub?ects. ;oreover,4od protects this Church from all the furor and

assault of the world, although, from a human

perspective, it may appear very small, as if it were

e"tinguished, ?ust as in that most dangerous time of

%hab, it was said that 4od reserved for -imself

seven thousand men who had not bent the neebefore Baal. %nd finally, this holy Church is neither

situated in or circumscribed by a particular place, nor

bound or tied down to any particular individual, but

sown and poured forth throughout the whole world,

although at the same time it is thoroughly bound

together and also united in soul and will and a singlesame spirit and power of faith.

(rticle 09% (bot the Commnion of the Saints

"ith the Tre Chrch

@e believe that since this holy assembly andcongregation is of those who ought to be saved and

that there is no salvation outside of it, no one

2regardless of whatever status or name he may be3

ought to withdraw or separate his very self from it,

so that being content with such a habit, he would live

alone and apart. But on the contrary, each and everyone ought to attach and hold themselves to this

assembly, and an"iously preserve the unity of the

Church, and they ought to sub?ugate their very selves

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to both its doctrine and its discipline, and finally,

they ought to willingly place the nec under the yoe

of Christ and serve the interests of the edification of

the brethren, as communal members of a single body,?ust as 4od has lavishly given to each one his own

gifts. &urthermore, so that this may be better

observed, it is the duty of all believers, according to

the word of 4od, to separate their very selves from

those who are established outside the Church and to

?oin their very selves to this assembly andcongregation of the faithful, wherever 4od has

established it, regardless of whether hostile decrees

of princes and magistrates forbid it, even those who

would do so indicting with a punishment of

beheading and death of the body. %nd so, whosoever

withdraws from this true Church, or refuses to ?ointheir selves to it, openly fights against the command

of 4od.

(rticle 0;% (bot the Mars of the Tre Chrch

@e believe that we ought to see and discernaccording to the word of 4od, with consummate

diligence and prudence, what then this true Church

may be, since all of the sects, however many flourish

in the world today, sei+e upon and cloa themselves

with the title of GChurch.I @e are certainly not now

speaing of the assembly of hypocrites, who aremi"ed among the good in the Church although they

do not rightly e"tend into the Church in which they

are bodily present, but of having to distinguish the

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congregation of the true Church from all sects, which

falsely glorify themselves as members of the Church.

Therefore the true Church will be distinguished from

the false by these mars6 if the pure preaching of the4ospel and the legitimate administration of the

sacraments, according to the prescription of Christ,

flourishes, liewise if the right ecclesiastical

discipline is used for the restraint of sin. %nd finally,

2so that we embrace the whole @ord alone3, it

measures all things according to the standard of the@ord of 4od and repudiates whatever things are

hostile to it and acnowledges Christ as the only

head. /t is certain that by these mars it is possible to

distinguish the true Church, from which it is not

lawful for anyone to be separated. ;oreover, those

who are true members of this Church can be ?udgedby mars according to the communion of all

Christians, of such a sort is &aith, by which, once

apprehending Christ as their Savior, they flee from

sin and see after righteousness6 liewise, they love

their neighbors, and, not turning to the left or right,

they crucify their flesh with its wors, even though itis too little, as if a greater weaness is in them, but

regarding that, they fight against it by the power of

the Spirit throughout the whole course of life, and,

constantly fleeing to the blood, death, suffering, and

obedience of our $ord Christ, as to the most safe

protection, since they now that in -im alone theyhave forgiveness of sins, through faith in -im. Truly

the &alse Church, on the contrary, always assigns

more authority to its very self, and its institutions

and traditions, than to the word of 4od. /t does not

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suffer to sub?ect itself to the yoe of Christ, nor does

it administer the sacraments according to the

prescription of Christ, but it adds something to them

in this way, and subtracts from them in that way,according to it9s ?udgment. &urthermore, it always

relies more upon humans than on Christ, and, in a

hostile manner, it persecutes those who piously

desire to conform their lives according to the

prescription of the word of 4od or who indict and

repudiate its sins as greed and idolatry. Therefore,from this, in turn, it is easy to discern and recogni+e

either Church from one another.

(rticle 4>% (bot Control of the Chrch

@e believe that this true Church ought to be ruledand governed according to the spiritual order that

4od has instructed us -is @ord, so that there would

be #astors and ;inisters in it who purely preach and

administer the Sacraments. $iewise, there should be

:lders and !eacons who compose the Senate of the

Church, so that ?ust as by these means true Religioncan be preserved, true doctrine retained and

propagated, and people given over to sin censored

and corrected, and also, ?ust as they can be restrained

with the same bridle of discipline, so also are the

poor and afflicted can be assisted with help and

comfort according to their particular need. &or thenall things will be done duly and in good order, when

faithful and pious men are elected to its government

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according to the prescription of blessed #aul, which

is held in Tim. D and Tit. '.

(rticle 4.% (bot the Calling of Ministers of the

Chrch

@e believe that ;inisters, :lders, and !eacons ought

to be called and put forward to their offices by a

legitimate election of the Church, having been

invited to it by the grave invocation of 4od, in theorder and manner that is prescribed to us in the

word of 4od.

;oreover, above all else, each person ought to tae

care lest he carry his very self into these duties by

forbidden means. &or everyone must wait until they

are called by 4od -imself, so that they may havesure testimony about their calling, and so that they

may now it to be from the $ord. ;oreover, all of the

;inisters of the word of 4od, in whatsoever place

they may be, all have similar and e5ual power and

also authority, so that they are all e5ually ;inisters

of Christ, of this only universal Bishop and head ofthe Church. %gain, lest this holy order of 4od be

either violated or departed from in contempt, all of

the ;inisters and :lders of the Church ought to be

honorably esteemed on account of the wor

incumbent upon them and peace ought to be

cultivated with them, and, in turn, 5uarrels andcontentions ought to be refrained from as much as is

possible.

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(rticle 40% (bot the


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very thing itself that -e proclaims to us in -is word

and also even that which -e -imself internally

wors in our hearts, and finally, so that -e would

confirm in us, more and more, the salvation that -edeemed worthy to communicate to us. &or the

sacraments are signs and visible symbols of internal

and invisible things, through which, as through

means, 4od -imself wors in us by the power of the

-oly Spirit. %nd therefore these signs are not in the

least empty, or vacuous, or established for ourdeception or frustration. &or their truth is 0esus

Christ -imself, without @hom they would certainly

be nothing of importance. ;oreover, the number of

the remaining sacraments that Christ -imself, our

true and only Teacher, has instituted is sufficient for

us. Truly there are only two, obviously the sacramentof baptism and of the Supper of our $ord 0esus

Christ.

(rticle 45% (bot Ba#tism

@e believe and confess that 0esus Christ, 2@ho is theend of the $aw3, has now, by the pouring out of -is

own blood, put in place the end of having to use the

pouring out of all other bloods for the propitiation of

sin. %nd, having abolished Circumcision, which was

occurring in Blood, -e instituted Baptism in its place,

by which we are received into the Church of 4odand separated from all other peoples and foreign

religions, since we have been consecrated to -im

alone, @hose signet and insignia we bear. %nd

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finally, Baptism is a testimony to us that That >ne

-imself, @ho is the favorably inclined &ather

towards us, will be 4od to us throughout eternity.

Therefore, the $ord commanded all -is own to bebapti+ed, by pure water, in the name of the &ather,

and of the Son, and of the -oly Spirit, in order that,

through the same -oly Spirit, -e would indicate the

blood of Christ to wor and act internally in the soul,

in the same way that water operates e"ternally upon

bodies. &or ?ust as water, having been poured outupon us, and residing upon of the body to be

bapti+ed, and itself clearly seen, washes filth away

from the body, so too the Blood of Christ also cleans

that one from sins, washes the soul and thoroughly

cleanses it from ini5uities, and regenerates us

children of wrath as children of 4od. But this doesnot happen because of this material of the water, but

by the very sprinling of the most precious Blood of

the Son of 4od, @ho is for us as the Red Sea through

which it is necessary to cross, so that we can escape

from the tyranny of the #haraoh, that is, of the !evil,

and to enter into the spiritual land Canaan. %nd so,;inisters certainly offer sacraments and the visible

thing to us, but the $ord -imself produces what is

signified in the Sacrament, certainly the invisible

gifts and graces, washing, purifying, and cleansing

our souls from all their filth and sins6 liewise,

renewing and filling up our hearts with allconsolation, and finally, granting assurance of -is

fatherly goodness to us, and clothing us with the new

man and stripping off the old with all of its deeds.

>n account of these reasons, we believe that every

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person who sees to obtain eternal life ought to be

bapti+ed with one 2and once is enough3 baptism,

which it is never to be repeated afterwards, since we

certainly cannot be born twice. evertheless, thisbaptism not only benefits us only in that moment at

which water settles down upon us or at which we are

moistened by it, but also throughout the whole span

of our life. %nd so we call down a solemn curse upon

this error of the %nabaptists, who not only have not

been content in receiving Baptism once and for all,but who also damn the Baptism of the children from

the faithful. @e believe that, for the same reason,

they ought to be bapti+ed and sealed with the sign of

the covenant in which little children were once

circumcised in /srael, certainly because the same

promises have been made to our infants. %nd in factChrist has poured out -is blood so that -e would

wash adults no less than infants. %nd therefore, it is

fitting for them to receive the sign or the Sacrament

of the thing that Christ has done for their sae, ?ust as

in the $aw, the $ord commanded the Sacrament of

the death and suffering of Christ to be communicatedto recently born children by offering a lamb in their

place, which was the future Sacrament of Christ. /n

addition, the things that Circumcision fulfilled for

the 0ewish people are the same things that Baptism

fulfills for the children of the faithful. %nd this is the

reason why #aul calls Baptism the Circumcision ofChrist.

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(rticle 46% (bot the S##er of the )ord

@e believe and confess that our Blessed Savior 0esus

Christ has established the sacred Sacrament of -is

Supper, so that -e would nourish in it and sustain

those whom -e has already regenerated and planted

into -is family, namely, the Church. Truly those who

have been regenerated have two lives inside

themselves one that is carnal and transitory that they

have carried with them from their first birth, and this

one is common to all people6 the other is holy and

heavenly, which is given to them in that second birth,

which comes from the word of the 4ospel in union

with the body of Christ, and this life is particular to

the elect of 4od alone. 0ust as 4od certainly

instituted earthly and material bread, suitable for the

preservation of this carnal and terrestrial life, whichis as common to all as life itself, so too has 4od sent

life1giving bread, which has descended from heaven,

which is particular to the faithful, namely, 0esus

Christ. -e nourishes and sustains the spiritual life of

the faithful when -e is eaten, that is, applied and

received by the Spirit through faith. ;oreover, sothat that Christ would form or depict this holy and

celestial bread for us, -e has established terrestrial

and visible bread and wine in the Sacrament of -is

Body and Blood. -e truly witnesses to us in these

things. %s we truly accept and hold of this Sacrament

in our hands and eat it with our mouths 2from wherethis life of ours is afterwards sustained3, so also truly

for the maintaining of spiritual life in us, we receive

the true body and blood of Christ our only Savior in

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our souls, by faith, which is the counterpart to the

hand and mouth of our soul. Truly, it is most certain

that Christ did not so an"iously entrust -is

Sacrament to us without reason, as -e actuallyaccomplishes in us whatever -e -imself represents

to us in -is sacred signs, although the manner itself

e"ceeds our natural capacity, nor can it be perceived

in any of this, because clearly all the operations of the

-oly Spirit are hidden and incomprehensible.

;oreover, we certainly do not error in saying thatthat which is eaten is the very most natural body of

Christ, and that that which is drun is -is true blood,

but the instrument or medium through which we eat

and drin these is not the mouth of the body but our

Spirit -imself, and that through faith. %nd so Christ

always resides at the right hand of the &ather inheaven, but this does not therefore in the least eep

-im from communicating -imself to us through

faith. %gain, this Supper is a meal of the Spirit, in the

midst of @hom Christ brings -is self forth to us for

partaing with all of -is wors, and maes it so that,

in this, ?ust as which we en?oy -is very self, so too dowe en?oy the merits of -is suffering and death. &or

-e nourishes, reinforces, and consoles our miserable

afflicted souls that are destitute of all consolation by

the eating of -is very own flesh6 liewise -e sustains

and recreates them by the drining of -is blood. /n

addition, although the Sacraments are ?oined to thesignified things themselves, both of those things,

nevertheless, are not received by all. /ndeed, the evil

person certainly receives the Sacrament to his own

damnation, but he does not receive the thing or truth

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of the Sacrament. &or e"ample, 0udas and Simon

;agus indeed both received the Sacrament, but truly

not in the least Christ -imself @ho was signified in

it, for -e is communicated to believers alone. &inally,we communicate with this sacred Sacrament in the

meeting of the people of 4od, with consummate

humility and reverence, piously celebrating the

memory of the death of Christ our Savior with acts of

gratitude, and there publicly declaring the confession

of faith and of the Christian Religion. %nd so, no onewho has not first e"amined his very self ought to

bring himself to this table, lest eating from this bread

or drining from this cup, he eats and drins

?udgment and damnation upon his very self. %gain,

by the use of this Sacrament, the most passionate

love towards both 4od -imself and towardsneighbor is inflamed in us. %nd so, indeed we rightly

re?ect as true profanity all the mocery and damnable

fabrications of people, 2which they have added to

and mi"ed among the Sacraments3, and we affirm

that we ought to be content only with that entire

pious order and rite that Christ and the %postleshave handed over to us, and we ought to spea of the

same mysteries in the way in which they have also

spoen of them.

(rticle 47% (bot the Magistrac3

@e believe that the ;ost -igh 4od has established

Jings, #rinces, and ;agistrates, because of the

corruption and depravity of the human race, and that

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-e desires that this @orld be governed by these laws

and firm polity for the punishment of human evils

and that all things be conducted among people in a

right order. &or this reason -e has armed themagistrates themselves with the sword, so that they

would inflict evil people with punishment, and truly

protect good people. %gain, it is the duty of these,

not only to an"iously preserve civil polity, but also to

give true effort that the holy ministry would be

preserved, and that all idolatry and adultery of theworship of 4od would be removed from the public

s5uare, that the Jingdom of %ntichrist would be

destroyed, that the Jingdom of Christ would be truly

e"tended. &inally, it is of their duty to bring it about

that the sacred word of the 4ospel would be

preached from everywhere so that everyone, in turn,can freely worship purely and venerate 4od

according to the prescription of -is word. ;oreover,

all people, of whatsoever status, or state, or respect

they may be, ought to be sub?ect to the lawful

;agistrates, to pay ta" and tribute to them, and to

follow and obey them in all things that are notopposed to the word of 4od, and also to pour out

prayers on their behalf so that 4od would deem it

worthy to lead them in all of their actions, and so that

we could truly lead, with all piety and honesty, a

tran5uil and 5uiet life under their very selves. &or

this reason we detest all %nabaptists and anarchists,who re?ect their Superiors and ;agistrates and

subvert right and law, who mae all goods common,

and finally, who efface and disfigure the honest

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order and hierarchy that 4od has established among

people.

(rticle 48% (bot the Final ?dgment$ the

Resrrection of the Flesh and Eternal )ife

&inally, we believe, according to the word of 4od,

that when the time predestined by 4od and

unnown to all creatures arrives, and the number of

the :lect will be completed, our $ord 0esus Christ isgoing to return from heaven, bodily and visibly, ?ust

as -e once ascended there, decorated with

consummate ;a?esty, and -e -imself will declare

?udgment upon the living and of the dead and in

order, having set this old world abla+e with fire and

flame so that -e would purify it. Then truly allcreatures, so as with men also with women and

infants, as many as have thereupon lived, bac from

the beginning up unto the end of the world, will

appear in the presence of this consummate 0udge,

certainly called forth by the sound of both the

%rchangel and by the trumpet of 4od. &or all of thepreviously dead will then rise up from the ground

and, by the Spirit, the soul of every one of them, in

turn, will be united and ?oined together with their

own body in which they had lived. %gain, those who

will be living up unto that ultimate day will be

transformed in but a moment and a blin of the eye,clearly from corruption into an incorruptible nature.

Then the boos, certainly the consciences, will be

opened up and the dead will be ?udged according to

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the things that they did in this world, whether good

or bad. /n fact, people are then even going to render

an account of every idle word that they have spoen,

which the world now regards as sport and ?oe. /nshort, then all the hypocrisies, and secrets of people,

and the things of their hearts, will be openly

uncovered in presence of all people, so that, with

singular merit, the thought of this is rightly horrible

and terrifying to the wiced and reprobate, and truly

both most greatly hoped for and also an enormousconsolation for the elect. &or then their redemption

will be made thoroughly obvious, and they will

obtain the most pleasant fruits of their labor and pain

that have endured in this life6 then their innocence

will be openly acnowledged by everyone, and they

themselves, in turn, will see the terrifying vengeancethat the $ord will tae upon those whom have

tyrannically afflicted them with various torments

and molestations in this world. %gain, evil people

will be convicted by the own testimony of their

consciences, and indeed rendered immortal, but in

that state so that they will always be torturedeternally in the never1ending fire that has been

prepared for the !evil. But on the contrary, the

faithful and :lect will truly be given crowns of honor

and glory, and the Son of 4od will confess their

name in the presence of 4od the &ather and of the

%ngels, and every tear will be wiped from their eyes.%nd so, their cause, which is damned as heresy and

wicedness by ;agistrates and ?udges, will then be

acnowledged to be the cause of the Son of 4od. %nd

the $ord will freely reward them with such glory as

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no person ever can imagine with the mind.

Therefore, we wait upon that great day of the $ord

with consummate eagerness so that, as happy

people, we will most fully ac5uire and willthoroughly en?oy throughout eternity all of those

things promised by 4od in 0esus Christ the $ord.

%poc. 888F. Come again $ord 0esus.

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The Canons of !ordrecht

The !ecision of the Synod of !ort on the &ive ;ain

#oints of !octrine in !ispute in the etherlands

The First ain Point o! "octrine: "i#ine $lection

and %e&ro'ation

The 0udgment Concerning !ivine #redestination

@hich the Synod !eclares to Be in %greement with

the @ord of 4od and %ccepted Till ow in the

Reformed Churches, Set &orth in Several %rticles

(rticle .% :od2s Right to Condemn (ll


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(rticle 0% The Manifestation of :od2s )o=e

But this is how 4od showed his love he sent his only

begotten Son into the world, so that whoever

believes in him should not perish but have eternal

life.

(rticle 4% The


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free gift of 4od. %s Scripture says, /t is by grace you

have been saved, through faith, and this not from

yourselves6 it is a gift of 4od 2:ph. 8)3. $iewise /t

has been freely given to you to believe in Christ 2#hil.'8*3.

(rticle 7% :od2s Eternal !ecision

The fact that some receive from 4od the gift of faith

within time, and that others do not, stems from hiseternal decision. &or all his wors are nown to 4od

from eternity 2%cts '7')6 :ph. '''3. /n accordance

with this decision he graciously softens the hearts,

however hard, of his chosen ones and inclines them

to believe, but by his ?ust ?udgment he leaves in their

wicedness and hardness of heart those who havenot been chosen. %nd in this especially is disclosed to

us his actMunfathomable, and as merciful as it is ?ustM

of distinguishing between people e5ually lost. This is

the well1nown decision of election and reprobation

revealed in 4od9s @ord. This decision the wiced,

impure, and unstable distort to their own ruin, but itprovides holy and godly souls with comfort beyond

words.

(rticle 8% Election

:lection or choosing is 4od9s unchangeablepurpose by which he did the following

Before the foundation of the world, by sheer grace,

according to the free good pleasure of his will, he

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chose in Christ to salvation a definite number of

particular people out of the entire human race, which

had fallen by its own fault from its original innocence

into sin and ruin. Those chosen were neither betternor more deserving than the others, but lay with

them in the common misery. -e did this in Christ,

whom he also appointed from eternity to be the

mediator, the head of all those chosen, and the

foundation of their salvation. %nd so he decided to

give the chosen ones to Christ to be saved, and to calland draw them effectively into Christ9s fellowship

through his @ord and Spirit. /n other words, he

decided to grant them true faith in Christ, to ?ustify

them, to sanctify them, and finally, after powerfully

preserving them in the fellowship of his Son, to

glorify them.4od did all this in order to demonstrate his mercy, to

the praise of the riches of his glorious grace.

%s Scripture says, 4od chose us in Christ, before the

foundation of the world, so that we should be holy

and blameless before him with love6 he predestinedus whom he adopted as his children through 0esus

Christ, in himself, according to the good pleasure of

his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, by which

he freely made us pleasing to himself in his beloved

2:ph. 'E1(3. %nd elsewhere, Those whom he

predestined, he also called6 and those whom he

called, he also ?ustified6 and those whom he ?ustified,

he also glorified 2Rom. )DF3.

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(rticle 9% ( Single !ecision of Election

This election is not of many inds6 it is one and the

same election for all who were to be saved in the >ld

and the ew Testament. &or Scripture declares that

there is a single good pleasure, purpose, and plan of

4od9s will, by which he chose us from eternity both

to grace and to glory, both to salvation and to the

way of salvation, which he prepared in advance for

us to wal in.

(rticle ;% Election Not Based on Foreseen Faith

This same election too place, not on the basis of

foreseen faith, of the obedience of faith, of holiness,

or of any other good 5uality and disposition, as

though it were based on a prere5uisite cause or

condition in the person to be chosen, but rather for

the purpose of faith, of the obedience of faith, of

holiness, and so on. %ccordingly, election is the

source of each of the benefits of salvation. &aith,

holiness, and the other saving gifts, and at last

eternal life itself, flow forth from election as its fruits

and effects. %s the apostle says, -e chose us 2not

because we were, but3 so that we should be holy and

blameless before him in love 2:ph. 'E3.

(rticle .>% Election Based on :od2s :ood


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actions from among all those possible as a condition

of salvation, but rather involves his adopting certain

particular persons from among the common mass of

sinners as his own possession. %s Scripture says,@hen the children were not yet born, and had done

nothing either good or badN, she 2Rebecca3 was told,

GThe older will serve the younger.I %s it is written,

G0acob / loved, but :sau / hatedI 2Rom. *''1'D3.

%lso, %ll who were appointed for eternal life

believed 2%cts 'DE)3.

(rticle ..% Election Unchangeable

0ust as 4od himself is most wise, unchangeable, all1

nowing, and almighty, so the election made by him

can neither be suspended nor altered, revoed, orannulled6 neither can his chosen ones be cast off, nor

their number reduced.

(rticle .0% The (ssrance of Election

%ssurance of this their eternal and unchangeableelection to salvation is given to the chosen in due

time, though by various stages and in differing

measure. Such assurance comes not by in5uisitive

searching into the hidden and deep things of 4od,

but by noticing within themselves, with spiritual ?oy

and holy delight, the unmistaable fruits of electionpointed out in 4od9s @ordM such as a true faith in

Christ, a childlie fear of 4od, a godly sorrow for

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their sins, a hunger and thirst for righteousness, and

so on.

(rticle .4% The Frit of This (ssrance

/n their awareness and assurance of this election

4od9s children daily find greater cause to humble

themselves before 4od, to adore the fathomless

depth of his mercies, to cleanse themselves, and to

give fervent love in return to him who first so greatlyloved them. This is far from saying that this teaching

concerning election, and reflection upon it, mae

4od9s children la" in observing his commandments

or carnally self1assured. By 4od9s ?ust ?udgment this

does usually happen to those who casually tae for

granted the grace of election or engage in idle andbra+en tal about it but are unwilling to wal in the

ways of the chosen.

(rticle .5% Teaching Election ld and

ew Testament times, and has subse5uently been

committed to writing in the -oly Scriptures, so also

today in 4od9s church, for which it was specifically

intended, this teaching must be set forthMwith a spiritof discretion, in a godly and holy manner, at the

appropriate time and place, without in5uisitive

searching into the ways of the ;ost -igh. This must

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be done for the glory of 4od9s most holy name, and

for the lively comfort of his people.

(rticle .6% Re#robation

;oreover, -oly Scripture most especially highlights

this eternal and undeserved grace of our election and

brings it out more clearly for us, in that it further

bears witness that not all people have been chosen

but that some have not been chosen or have beenpassed by in 4od9s eternal electionM those, that is,

concerning whom 4od, on the basis of his entirely

free, most ?ust, irreproachable, and unchangeable

good pleasure, made the following decision to leave

them in the common misery into which, by their own

fault, they have plunged themselves6 not to grantthem saving faith and the grace of conversion6 but

finally to condemn and eternally punish them

2having been left in their own ways and under his

?ust ?udgment3, not only for their unbelief but also for

all their other sins, in order to display his ?ustice.

%nd this is the decision of reprobation, which does

not at all mae 4od the author of sin 2a blasphemous

thoughtO3 but rather its fearful, irreproachable, ?ust

?udge and avenger.

(rticle .7% Res#onses to the Teaching ofRe#robation

Those who do not yet actively e"perience within

themselves a living faith in Christ or an assured

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confidence of heart, peace of conscience, a +eal for

childlie obedience, and a glorying in 4od through

Christ, but who nevertheless use the means by which

4od has promised to wor these things in usMsuchpeople ought not to be alarmed at the mention of

reprobation, nor to count themselves among the

reprobate6 rather they ought to continue diligently in

the use of the means, to desire fervently a time of

more abundant grace, and to wait for it in reverence

and humility. >n the other hand, those whoseriously desire to turn to 4od, to be pleasing to him

alone, and to be delivered from the body of death,

but are not yet able to mae such progress along the

way of godliness and faith as they would lieMsuch

people ought much less to stand in fe

3 forms of unity

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