Regional Synod of Canada - Reformed Church in America

Pioneer Christian Monthly

Date - June/93

Contributor - John Muller

Title - I Believe In Communion With The Church of All Ages and Places

Topic - Church History

Most of our Pioneer readers are aware of the fact that our Reformed Church in America (along with other Reformed bodies) has three Standards of Unity, or statements of what we believe. The Word of God in the Bible is our primary source of truth, but these standards help us to understand Biblical truth, and give us a systematic statement of Reformed doctrine. The Heidelberg Catechism (1563) is without a doubt the best known of the three Standards, since we preach about its truths regularly, and also teach them to our young people. The Belgic Confession (1561) is the oldest standard, and the Canons of Dort are the youngest (1619) and probably the least known by our average layman. Since Rev. Wim Meijer has been writing about the Heidelberg Catechism over recent months, we have agreed to turn our attention for some time to the Belgic Confession.

The CONFESSION comes to us from a rich heritage. Its author, Guido deBres, lived from 1522 to 1567. He was a native of the Lowlands, or the Netherlands. In his time this area consisted of 17 provinces, which now constitute Holland, northern France and Belgium. Since deBres's CONFESSION originated in what is now known as Belgium, it. has been called the BELGIC CONFESSION. DeBres paid for his faith with his life. He was placed in a foul dungeon, and was put to death in 1567. A letter to his wife from the dungeon speaks of his impending death with an indomitable faith in the Providence of God, and with remarkable peace of heart.

At this time the Netherlands was under the rule of Philip 11 of Spain. He and his father, Charles V, were both fiercely Roman Catholic, but the Netherlands was very hospitable to Reformation truths. Wessel of Groningen and Erasmus of Rotterdam, although differing in emphasis, both played an early part in leading a return to the Scriptures. The door was also open to France, which was alive with the teachings of John Calvin. It has been said that if the Heidelberg Catchism has its roots in Zurich, the BELGIC CONFESSION had its roots in Geneva, both cities being in Switzerland.

Philip 11 was forceful in dealing with Reformed believers, but found them stout-hearted. Philip did his best to punish "heresy" in the Netherlands, and was hated as a tyrant and absentee landlord. To "purify" the Netherlands he imported the Spanish Inquisition. An edict declared that "no one should print, write, copy, keep, buy, sell, or give any heretical book or writing, or hold or be present at any heretical meeting, or read, teach, or expound the holy Scriptures." Anyone who dared to transgress the edict was not spared. One commentator said: "All the great elements of nature were pressed into service - fire for burning, water for drowning, air for hanging, and earth for burying alive."

Such a devotee of the Reformed "heresy" was the Rev. Guido deBres that he was always in danger of his life. After his death in 1567 the situation became very serious. Many were convinced that Philip meant to wipe out every man, woman and child. It was said that he vowed stubbornly to make a wilderness of the Netherlands rather than to allow it to be inhabited by "heretics".

But the Protestants of the Netherlands proved to be just as stubborn and tough as Philip. Some of them went underground while others fled across the German border to Wesel and Emden. deBres remained in the Lowlands, serving the Reformed churches in Toumai, Lille and Valenciennes. Here, in 1559, he prepared the first draft of the BELGIC CONFESSION.

A copy was sent to Calvin, who approved its contents. The preachers in Emden, Germany also gave their approval. The next effort was made directly to King Philip 11 himself The CONFESSION, together with a letter to the ruler, was tossed over the castle wall. A Synod, meeting in secret in Antwerp in 1566, adopted it. Ever since that time the BELGIC CONFESSION has remained one of the standards of our faith. It was born in the fires of political and religious persecution, and became a rallying point for the Reformed people in their heroic struggle for the faith.

At the same time the Anabaptist movement arose, which tended to take radical views about civil government. "Instead of thinking that Christians ought to reclaim culture for Christ, and transform it under the sovereignty of God, Anabaptists wanted to oppose and withdraw from most everything in the world." (Plantinga)

Reformed Christians like deBres did not want to be confused with such ideas. Hence frequent allusions to the Anabaptist position are found in the BELGIC CONFESSION. In the covering letter to Philip 11 which went over the wall" with the CONFESSION, deBres insisted that the Reformed believers were not seditious and not revolutionaries. He assured Philip that prayers were offered for him, and that taxes would be paid.

The BELGIC CONFESSION is a prose composition, consisting of 37 articles. It is clearly orthodox Calvinism, and bears likeness to Calvin's Genevan Confession of 1559. The 37 articles fall into a roughly Trinitarian pattern. Articles I to 9 talk of God and how we know Him, 10 to 23 speak of Christ and how we are justified by Him, and 24 to 37 deal with the Holy Spirit and the Christian life.

There are differences between the Heidelberg Catechism and the BELGIC CONFESSION which cause them to complement each other. The Catechism says little about the Bible as such, but the CONFESSION deals at length with the Word of God and the canon of Scripture. The CONFESSION deals much more with the doctrine of election than does the Catechism, which barely mentions it in Answer 54. Although the Catechism gives considerable space to the sacraments, the CONFESSION says a lot more about the doctrine of the Church itself The CONFESSION shows more interest in the relationship of church and state.

Our CONFESSION breathes a spirit of courage despite the days of persecution from which it sprang. We trust that our study of it in future articles will inspire and uplift us, and cause us to be courageous for the faith 11 once for all delivered to the saints."

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