XXIX.
The Order of the Church
The church must be governed by the offices established by Christ to ensure pure doctrine, discipline, and care for the needy.
XXIX. As for the true Church, we believe it must be governed according to the order our Lord Jesus Christ established.1 That is, there should be pastors, overseers, and deacons so that pure doctrine may have free course, vices may be corrected and restrained, and the poor and all others who are afflicted may be helped in their needs; and so that assemblies may be held in the name of God, in which both great and small may be built up.2
Read the original French
XXIX. Quant est de la vraie Eglise, nous croyons qu’elle doit être gouvernée selon la police que notre Seigneur Jésus-Christ a établie. C’est qu’il y ait des pasteurs, des surveillants et des diacres, afin que la pure doctrine ait son cours, que les vices soient corrigés et réprimés, et que les pauvres et tous autres affligés soient secourus en leurs nécessités; et que les assemblées se fassent au nom de Dieu, esquelles grands et petits soient édifiés.
Notes
French Confession of Faith (Confession de La Rochelle / Gallican 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