persecution Archives

Part of the Reformation monument in Geneva: four Reformers

There was much persecution during the time of the great Reformation. It greatly affected John Calvin; it caused him to study the Bible on this matter and write many letters to comfort fellow sufferers. This letter is an example.

Geneva, June 1559

Dearly beloved and honored brothers,

You are all suffering persecution; like a storm it is suddenly blowing with such power that its effects are felt everywhere. We do not know about your personal situations, so we thought it best to write a general letter to encourage you in the name of God. Although Satan causes great trouble, not to give up brothers; do not withdraw from the battle. Withdrawing will rob you of the fruit of the victory which has been promised and confirmed to you. It is most certain that if God did not give freedom to Satan and his agents, they could not attack you.

Did you know the Belgic Confession is the only officially adopted Reformed confession written by a martyr? True, other confessions were written by martyrs. The most notable is the Guanabara Confession. It was written in 1557 by three Huguenot martyrs in Brazil – it bears the distinction of being the first Reformed confession written in the Americas. Yet, unlike our Belgic, the Guanabara Confession was never adopted by any church. The Belgic Confession stands alone.

If we closely survey the Belgic Confession, we’ll find the themes of martyrdom and persecution pervading it. It’s common knowledge that Guido de Brès borrowed heavily from the French Confession of 1559. However, one of the significant differences between the French Confession and the Belgic is the emphasis in the Belgic on persecution and martyrdom. In fact, there is no European Reformation confession as oriented to this subject as the Belgic.

Tag: persecution

A letter from John Calvin to the brothers in France

Geneva, June 1559

De Bres, the Belgic Confession & Persecution