Belgic Confession, Article 13: The Doctrine of God's Providence
This excerpt from Article 13 of the Belgic Confession presents the Reformed doctrine of God's providence, asserting that God sovereignly governs all creation according to His holy will while remaining unaccountable for sin. The article provides theological grounding for divine providence while explicitly rejecting fatalism and Epicureanism, offering pastoral comfort to believers by assuring them that God's providential care extends to the smallest details of their lives.
Article 13: The Doctrine of God's Providence We believe that this good God,after creating all things,did not abandon them to chance or fortune but leads and governs themaccording to his holy will,in such a way that nothing happens in this world without God’s orderly arrangement.Yet God is not the author of, and cannot be charged with, the sin that occurs. For God’s power and goodness are so great and incomprehensible that God arranges and does his works very well and justly even when the...