Belgic Confession, Article 16: The Doctrine of Election
This excerpt from Article 16 of the Belgic Confession presents the Reformed doctrine of election and reprobation, emphasizing God's sovereign mercy in choosing the elect through Jesus Christ apart from human merit, and His justice in leaving the reprobate in their self-inflicted ruin. The article grounds election in God's eternal counsel and highlights the contrast between divine mercy toward the chosen and divine justice toward those passed over, reflecting core Reformed soteriological convictions shaped by the Reformation and affirmed at the Synod of Dort.
Article 16: The Doctrine of Election We believe that—all Adam’s descendants having thus fallen into perdition and ruin by the sin of Adam—God showed himself to be as he is: merciful and just.God is merciful in withdrawing and saving from this perdition those who,in the eternal and unchangeable divine counsel,have been elected and chosen in Jesus Christ our Lordby his pure goodness, without any consideration of their works.God is just in leaving the others in their ruin and fall into which they...