Article XXXII
The Order of the Church
Church leaders may establish order as long as they remain strictly faithful to the commands of Christ.
We believe, however, that while it's useful and good for Church leaders to establish a certain order among themselves to preserve the body of the Church, they must take great care not to depart from what Christ, our only Master, has commanded us.
Freedom from Human Invention
The church rejects any human-made laws that attempt to bind the conscience in the worship of God.
For this reason, we reject every human invention and every law that anyone might seek to introduce for the worship of God, using them to bind and constrain consciences in any way at all.
Unity and Discipline
True church unity is maintained through obedience to God and the practice of biblical discipline.
Therefore, we accept only what is fitting to preserve and foster harmony and unity, and to keep everything in obedience to God. This requires excommunication carried out according to the Word of God, together with everything that belongs to it.
Read the original Latin
Nous croyons cependant que bien qu'il soit utile et bon aux gouverneurs de l'Église d'établir et disposer certain ordre entre eux, pour l'entretien du corps de l'Église, ils se doivent toutefois bien garder de décliner de ce que Christ notre seul Maître nous a ordonné. C'est pourquoi nous rejetons toutes inventions humaines, et toutes lois qu'on voudrait introduire pour servir Dieu, et par elles lier et étreindre les consciences en quelque sorte que ce soit. Nous recevons donc seulement ce qui est propre pour garder et nourrir concorde et union, et entretenir tout en l'obéissance de Dieu: à quoi est requise l'excommunication faite selon la Parole de Dieu avec ce qui en dépend.
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