Article V
The Authority of Scripture
The authority of the canonical books rests not on human approval, but on the internal testimony of the Holy Spirit and the fulfillment of divine prophecy.
We receive these books alone as holy and canonical, using them to govern, ground, and establish our faith, and we fully believe everything they contain—not so much because the Church receives and approves them as such, but chiefly because the Holy Spirit testifies in our hearts that they are from God, and also because they attest to this in themselves; for even the blind can see that the things foretold in them come to pass.
Read the original Latin
Nous recevons tous ces livres-là seulement, pour saints et canoniques, pour régler, fonder et établir notre foi, et croyons pleinement toutes les choses qui y sont contenues, non pas tant parce que l'Église les reçoit et approuve tels, mais principalement parce que le Saint-Esprit nous rend témoignage en notre cœur, qu'ils sont de Dieu, et aussi qu'ils sont approuvés tels par eux-mêmes; car les aveugles mêmes peuvent apercevoir que les choses adviennent qui y sont prédites.
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