Article XII
The Creator and His Creation
God created all things through His Son and continues to sustain them by His providence.
We believe that the Father created heaven and earth and every creature out of nothing, when it pleased him, through his Word—that is, through his Son—giving each creature its being, form, appearance, and particular function so that it might serve its Creator. Even now, he sustains and governs them all by his eternal providence and infinite power, so that they may serve humanity, and humanity may serve its God.
The Realm of Angels and Demons
God created angels as good messengers, but some fell into malice and now actively oppose the Church.
He also created the angels good, to be his messengers and to serve his chosen people. Some of them fell from the excellence in which God had created them into eternal ruin, while the others, by God's grace, remained steadfast in their original state. The devils and evil spirits are so corrupt that they are enemies of God and of everything good. Like robbers lying in wait, they use all their power to stalk the Church and each of its members, seeking to destroy and ruin everything through their deceptions. Therefore, because of their own malice, they are condemned to everlasting damnation and await their torments day after day.
Refuting Errors Regarding Spirits
The church rejects historical heresies that deny the existence of spirits or misattribute the origin of evil.
On this basis, we reject the error of the Sadducees, who deny that spirits and angels exist, as well as the error of the Manichaeans, who say that the devils originated from themselves and are evil by their own nature rather than having become corrupt.
Read the original Latin
Nous croyons que le Père a créé de rien le ciel et la terre, et toutes créatures, quand bon lui a semblé, par sa Parole, c'est-à-dire par son Fils, donnant à chaque créature leur être, forme et figures, et divers offices pour servir à leur Créateur: et que maintenant même il les soutient et gouverne toutes selon sa providence éternelle et par sa vertu infinie, pour servir à l'homme, afin que l'homme serve à son Dieu. Il a aussi créé les anges bons pour être ses messagers et pour servir à ses élus: desquels les uns sont trébuchés de l'excellence en laquelle Dieu les avait créés, en perdition éternelle; et les autres ont persisté et demeuré en leur premier état, par la grâce de Dieu. Les diables et esprits malins sont tellement corrompus, qu'ils sont ennemis de Dieu et de tout bien, épiant l'Église comme brigands, de tout leur pouvoir, et aussi chaque membre, pour tout détruire et gâter par leurs tromperies; c'est pourquoi, par leur propre malice, ils sont condamnés à perpétuelle damnation, attendant de jour en jour leurs tourments. Et sur ceci nous détestons l'erreur des Sadducéens qui nient qu'il y ait des esprits et des anges, et aussi l'erreur des Manichéens qui disent que les diables ont leur origine d'eux-mêmes, étant mauvais de leur propre nature sans avoir été corrompus.
The Belgic Confession companion
Rule yourself daily, not just on retreat
Chosen Portion turns the mirror into a daily practice — a short reading and examining question each morning before you lead anyone.
Chosen Portion makes the mirror daily: the ruler-formation questions this collection preserves become a two-minute morning examination in the app.
- A daily formation reading drawn from centuries of counsel to those in authority
- One pointed examination question a day — two minutes, before the meetings start
- Track your practice over weeks and watch the examined life become a habit