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The Belgic Confession

Article 4Canonical Books of the Holy Scriptures

Reformed Dutch Church English, 1840

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Text public domain · U.S.

1840 Reformed Dutch Church translation. Source: Wikisource scan transcription.

This English translation was published in the United States in 1840, before the current U.S. public-domain cutoff. Rights evidence. Verified 2026-07-14.

We believe that the holy scriptures are contained in two books, namely, the old and new testament, which are canonical, against which nothing can be alleged. These are thus named in the church of God. The books of the old testament are, the five books of Moses, viz. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy; the book of Joshua, Judges, Ruth, two books of Samuel, and two of the Kings; two books of the Chronicles, commonly called Paralipomenon, the first of Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job, the Psalms of David, the three books of Solomon, namely, the Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Songs; the four great prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel; and the twelve lesser prophets, namely, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi.

Those of the new testament are the four evangelists; viz. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John; the Acts of the Apostles; the fourteen epistles of the apostle Paul; viz. one to the Romans, two to the Corinthians, one to the Galatians, one to the Ephesians, one to the Philippians, one to the Colossians, two to the Thessalonians, two to Timothy, one to Titus, one to Philemon, and one to the Hebrews: the seven epistles of the other apostles, namely, one of James, two of Peter, three of John, one of Jude; and the revelations of the apostle John.