Article VI
The Distinction of the Apocrypha
The Church acknowledges the value of the apocryphal books for instruction while maintaining that they lack the divine authority of the canonical Scriptures.
We distinguish these holy books from the apocryphal books: Third and Fourth Esdras, Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Ecclesiasticus, Baruch, the additions to the story of Esther, the Song of the Three Children in the Furnace, the story of Susanna, the story of the idol Bel and the Dragon, the Prayer of Manasseh, and the two books of Maccabees. The Church may certainly read these books and learn from them wherever they agree with the canonical books; however, they do not have the power or authority to establish any point of Christian faith or religion based on their testimony, much less to diminish the authority of the other holy books.
Read the original Latin
Nous mettons différence entre ces saints livres et les livres apocryphes, qui sont le troisième et quatrième livre d'Esdras, le livre de Tobie, Judith, Sapience, Ecclésiastique, Baruc, ce qui a été ajouté à l'histoire d'Ester, le cantique des trois Enfants en la fournaise, l'histoire de Susanne, l'histoire de l'idole Bel et du Dragon, l'Oraison de Manassé, et les deux livres des Maccabées, lesquels l'Église peut bien lire et y prendre instruction dans les choses conformes aux livres canoniques; mais ils n'ont point telle force et vertu que par un témoignage qui en est tiré, on puisse arrêter quelque chose de la foi ou religion chrétienne, tant s'en faut qu'ils puissent ramoindrir l'autorité des autres saints livres.
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