The Heidelberg Catechism by Zacharias Ursinus

Conversion, regeneration, and universal obedience. “Being justified by faith, we have peace with God.” (Rom. Joy and delight in God, with peace of conscience. As the Catechism says, we receive both of these benefits by Union with Christ through faith. We discussed that these “benefits” are the two-fold grace of Justification and Regeneration/Sanctification/Glorification, the first answering to our guilt in Adam and the second to our corruption inherited in Adam. We read the following from the Catechism:Ģ0: Are all men, then, saved by Christ as they have perished in Adam?Ī: No only such as by true faith are engrafted into Him, and receive all His benefits. I our first post in this series, “ Rachel Miller Contra Mundum? The 5 Solas and John Piper,” we showed from the Heidelberg Catechism and its principal (or sole) author, Zacharias Ursinus, that the instrumental cause of the whole of Salvation is faith. Salvation Sola Fide: Zacharias Ursinus and the Heidelberg Catechism

Salvation Sola Fide: John Calvin and the Causes of Salvation Salvation Sola Fide: Martin Luther and the Fruits of Faith Rachel Contra Mundum? The 5 Solas and John Piper: Part 3, Beginning at the End: The Marrow Men Rachel Miller Contra Mundum? The 5 Solas and John Piper: Part 2, “Salvation” Rachel Miller Contra Mundum? The 5 Solas and John Piper: Part 1 Gootjes (a professor at the Canadian Reformed Seminary in Hamilton, Ontario) has given us non-Dutch speakers an important window into the origins of our confession which is a wonderful summary of the biblical faith.This post is a continuation of “Part 3” of the series below, assessing the tradition with respect to John Piper and his defenders: The appendix is also helpful and contains the texts of critical correspondence establishing the confession's authorship and authority. Gootjes convincingly shows that the confession was accepted by the churches (and was therefore binding) shortly after it was written, well before the Synod of Dort. As the Remonstrants gathered steam in Holland, they began to challenge the authority of the confession, especially because it was used by the orthodox to challenge Arminian doctrine. There is a helpful discussion of the confession's authority in the Dutch Reformed Church.

There are important chapters dealing with the sources of the Belgic Confession (primarily the French Confession) as well as a previously overlooked source, Beza's Catechism. Nicolaas Gootjes' The Belgic Confession: Its History and Sources covers a number of important topics, including whether or not Guido (Guy) de Bres is the primary author of the confession - Gootjes argues that he was.

The Heidelberg Catechism by Zacharias Ursinus