Q. 77. Who is your neighbor?

A. All my fellow men are my neighbors.

Q. 59. But what does it profit thee now that thou believest all this?
A. That I am righteous in Christ, before God, and an heir of eternal life. [a]

Q. 60. How are thou righteous before God?
A. Only by a true faith in Jesus Christ; [a] so that, though my conscience accuse me, that I have grossly transgressed all the commandments of God, and kept none of them, [b] and am still inclined to all evil; [c] notwithstanding, God, without any merit of mine, [d] but only of mere grace, [e] grants and imputes to me, [f] the perfect satisfaction, [g] righteousness and holiness of Christ; [h] even so, as if I never had had, nor committed any sin: yea, as if I had fully accomplished all that obedience which Christ has accomplished for me; [i] inasmuch as I embrace such benefit with a believing heart. [j]

Q. 61. Why sayest thou, that thou art righteous by faith only?
A. Not that I am acceptable to God, on account of the worthiness of my faith; but because only the satisfaction, righteousness, and holiness of Christ, is my righteousness before God; [a] and that I cannot receive and apply the same to myself any other way than by faith only. [b]

1: Repentance unto life is an evangelical grace,^[291] the doctrine whereof is to be preached by every minister of the Gospel, as well as that of faith in Christ.^[292]

2: By it, a sinner, out of the sight and sense not only of the danger, but also of the filthiness and odiousness of his sins, as contrary to the holy nature, and righteous law of God; and upon the apprehension of His mercy in Christ to such as are penitent, so grieves for, and hates his sins, as to turn from them all unto God,^[293] purposing and endeavouring to walk with Him in all the ways of His commandments.^[294]

3: Although repentance is not to be rested in, as any satisfaction for sin, or any cause of the pardon thereof,^[295] which is the act of God’s free grace in Christ,^[296] yet it is of such necessity to all sinners, that none may expect pardon without it.^[297]

Having set forth the orthodox teaching, the Synod rejects the errors of those

V

Who teach that all people have been received into the state of reconciliation and into the grace of the covenant, so that no one on account of original sin is liable to condemnation, or is to be condemned, but that all are free from the guilt of this sin.

For this opinion conflicts with Scripture which asserts that we are by nature children of wrath.

Having set forth the orthodox teaching, the Synod rejects the errors of those

VI

Who make use of the distinction between obtaining and applying in order to instill in the unwary and inexperienced the opinion that God, as far as he is concerned, wished to bestow equally upon all people the benefits which are gained by Christ’s death; but that the distinction by which some rather than others come to share in the forgiveness of sins and eternal life depends on their own free choice (which applies itself to the grace offered indiscriminately) but does not depend on the unique gift of mercy which effectively works in them, so that they, rather than others, apply that grace to themselves.

For, while pretending to set forth this distinction in an acceptable sense, they attempt to give the people the deadly poison of Pelagianism.

Having set forth the orthodox teaching, the Synod rejects the errors of those

VII

Who teach that Christ neither could die, nor had to die, nor did die for those whom God so dearly loved and chose to eternal life, since such people do not need the death of Christ.

For they contradict the apostle, who says: Christ loved me and gave himself up for me (Gal. 2:20), and likewise: Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? It is Christ who died, that is, for them (Rom. 8:33-34). They also contradict the Savior, who asserts: I lay down my life for the sheep (John 10:15), and My command is this: Love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends (John 15:12-13).

1. That the law is perfect, and bindeth everyone to full conformity in the whole man unto the righteousness thereof, and unto entire obedience forever; so as to require the utmost perfection of every duty, and to forbid the least degree of every sin.^[422]

2. That it is spiritual, and so reacheth the understanding, will, affections, and all other powers of the soul; as well as words, works, and gestures.^[423]

3. That one and the same thing, in divers respects, is required or forbidden in several commandments.^[424]

4. That as, where a duty is commanded, the contrary sin is forbidden;^[425] and, where a sin is forbidden, the contrary duty is commanded:^[426] so, where a promise is annexed, the contrary threatening is included;^[427] and, where a threatening is annexed, the contrary promise is included.^[428]

5. That what God forbids, is at no time to be done;^[429] what he commands, is always our duty;^[430] and yet every particular duty is not to be done at all times.^[431]

6. That under one sin or duty, all of the same kind are forbidden or commanded; together with all the causes, means, occasions, and appearances thereof, and provocations thereunto.^[432]

7. That what is forbidden or commanded to ourselves, we are bound, according to our places to endeavour that it may be avoided or performed by others, according to the duty of their places.^[433]

8. That in what is commanded to others, we are bound, according to our places and callings, to be helpful to them;^[434] and to take heed of partaking with others in what is forbidden them.^[435]

Q. 100. What special things are we to consider in the ten commandments?
A. We are to consider in the ten commandments, the preface, the substance of the commandments themselves, and several reasons annexed to some of them, the more to enforce them.

We believe that our good God, mindful of our crudeness and weakness, has ordained sacraments for us to seal his promises in us, to pledge his good will and grace toward us, and also to nourish and sustain our faith. He has added these to the Word of the gospel to represent better to our external senses both what he enables us to understand by his Word and what he does inwardly in our hearts, confirming in us the salvation he imparts to us. For they are visible signs and seals of something internal and invisible, by means of which God works in us through the power of the Holy Spirit. So they are not empty and hollow signs to fool and deceive us, for their truth is Jesus Christ, without whom they would be nothing. Moreover, we are satisfied with the number of sacraments that Christ our Master has ordained for us. There are only two: the sacrament of baptism and the Holy Supper of Jesus Christ.

Q. 75. What do the last six commandments teach?
A. Our duty to our fellow men.

Q. 57. What comfort does the “resurrection of the body” afford thee?
A. That not only my soul after this life shall be immediately taken up to Christ its head; [a] but also, that this my body, being raised by the power of Christ, shall be reunited with my soul, and made like unto the glorious body of Christ. [b]

Q. 58. What comfort takest thou from the article of “life everlasting”?
A. That since I now feel in my heart the beginning of eternal joy, [a] after this life, I shall inherit perfect salvation, which “eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither has it entered into the heart of man” to conceive, and that to praise God therein for ever. [b]

1: The grace of faith, whereby the elect are enabled to believe to the saving of their souls,^[278] is the work of the Spirit of Christ in their hearts,^[279] and is ordinarily wrought by the ministry of the Word,^[280] by which also, and by the administration of the sacraments, and prayer, it is increased and strengthened.^[281]

2: By this faith, a Christian believes to be true whatsoever is revealed in the Word, for the authority of God Himself speaking therein;^[282] and acts differently upon that which each particular passage thereof contains; yielding obedience to the commands,^[283]trembling at the threatenings,^[284] and embracing the promises of God for this life, and that which is to come.^[285] But the principal acts of saving faith are accepting, receiving, and resting upon Christ alone for justification, sanctification, and eternal life, by virtue of the covenant of grace.^[286]

3: This faith is different in degrees, weak or strong;^[287] may be often and many ways assailed, and weakened, but gets the victory:^[288] growing up in many to the attainment of a full assurance, through Christ,^[289] who is both the author and finisher of our faith.^[290]

Having set forth the orthodox teaching, the Synod rejects the errors of those

III

Who teach that Christ, by the satisfaction which he gave, did not certainly merit for anyone salvation itself and the faith by which this satisfaction of Christ is effectively applied to salvation, but only acquired for the Father the authority or plenary will to relate in a new way with men and to impose such new conditions as he chose, and that the satisfying of these conditions depends on the free choice of man; consequently, that it was possible that either all or none would fulfill them.

For they have too low an opinion of the death of Christ, do not at all acknowledge the foremost fruit or benefit which it brings forth, and summon back from hell the Pelagian error.

Having set forth the orthodox teaching, the Synod rejects the errors of those

IV

Who teach that what is involved in the new covenant of grace which God the Father made with men through the intervening of Christ’s death is not that we are justified before God and saved through faith, insofar as it accepts Christ’s merit, but rather that God, having withdrawn his demand for perfect obedience to the law, counts faith itself, and the imperfect obedience of faith, as perfect obedience to the law, and graciously looks upon this as worthy of the reward of eternal life.

For they contradict Scripture: They are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Jesus Christ, whom God presented as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood (Rom. 3:24-25). And along with the ungodly Socinus, they introduce a new and foreign justification of man before God, against the consensus of the whole church.

Q. 96. What particular use is there of the moral law to unregenerate men?
A. The moral law is of use to unregenerate men, to awaken their consciences to flee from wrath to come,^[410] and to drive them to Christ;^[411] or, upon their continuance in the estate and way of sin, to leave them inexcusable,^[412] and under the curse thereof.^[413]

Q. 97. What special use is there of the moral law to the regenerate?
A. Although they that are regenerate, and believe in Christ, be delivered from the moral law as a covenant of works,^[414] so as thereby they are neither justified^[415] nor condemned;^[416] yet, besides the general uses thereof common to them with all men, it is of special use, to show them how much they are bound to Christ for his fulfilling it, and enduring the curse thereof in their stead, and for their good;^[417] and thereby to provoke them to more thankfulness,^[418] and to express the same in their greater care to conform themselves thereunto as the rule of their obedience.^[419]

Q. 98. Where is the moral law summarily comprehended?
A. The moral law is summarily comprehended in the ten commandments, which were delivered by the voice of God upon Mount Sinai, and written by him in two tables of stone;^[420] and are recorded in the twentieth chapter of Exodus. The four first commandments containing our duty to God, and the other six our duty to man.^[421]

We believe that this true church ought to be governed according to the spiritual order that our Lord has taught us in his Word. There should be ministers or pastors to preach the Word of God and adminster the sacraments. There should also be elders and deacons, along with the pastors, to make up the council of the church. By this means true religion is preserved; true doctrine is able to take its course; and evil men are corrected spiritually and held in check, so that also the poor and all the afflicted may be helped and comforted according to their need. By this means everything will be done well and in good order in the church, when such persons are elected who are faithful and are chosen according to the rule that Paul gave to Timothy.[75]

Article 31: The Officers of the Church

We believe that ministers of the Word of God, elders, and deacons ought to be chosen to their offices by a legitimate election of the church, with prayer in the name of the Lord, and in good order, as the Word of God teaches. So everyone must be careful not to push himself forward improperly, but he must wait for God’s call, so that he may be assured of his calling and be certain that he is chosen by the Lord. As for the ministers of the Word, they all have the same power and authority, no matter where they may be, since they are all servants of Jesus Christ, the only universal bishop, and the only head of the church. Moreover, to keep God’s holy order from being violated or despised, we say that everyone ought, as much as possible, to hold the ministers of the Word and elders of the church in special esteem, because of the work they do, and be at peace with them, without grumbling, quarreling, or fighting.

Article 32: The Order and Discipline of the Church

We also believe that although it is useful and good for those who govern the churches to establish and set up a certain order among themselves for maintaining the body of the church, they ought always to guard against deviating from what Christ, our only Master, has ordained for us. Therefore we reject all human innovations and all laws imposed on us, in our worship of God, which bind and force our consciences in any way. So we accept only what is proper to maintain harmony and unity and to keep all in obedience to God. To that end excommunication, with all it involves, according to the Word of God, is required.