The original title was in French, Title: “Confession de Foy, faiste d’um commun accord pour les fideles qui conversent es Pays-Bas, lesquels desirent vivre salon la purite ‘de1’ Evangele de nostre Seigneur Jesus Christ”. Translation: “Confession of faith made with one accord for the faithful that are wondering in the low countries, (the Netherlands) according to the purity of the Gospel, who desired to live of Jesus Christ.” The Confessio Belgica was composed in the year 1561. This places the composition of this part of the three forms of unity in a period of great trouble and fierce persecution and suffering for Christ’s sake, Especially in the low countries, as they were then known, consisted of seventeen provinces in Netherlands and Belgium and were under the sway of the Roman Catholic Spaniards. The instigator of the violent persecutions was the sovereign Phillip II, son of Charles V, and he used as his instruments the members of the Spanish Inquisition. This organization had its agents everywhere who sought out the opponents of the Romish faith. And when they found them, they would subject them to the most cruel tortures that perverted minds can imagine, and finally kill them with most cruel deaths. The chief leader of this inquisition later became the well-known Duke of Alva. It is estimated by some that no fewer than 100,000 suffered martyrdom for the cause of Jesus Christ at this time.
Guido de Bres was born in Mons in the year 1522. He was born a Roman Catholic but was converted to Protestantism before the age of 25 after a careful study of the Scripturus. When persecution broke out in 1548, he was banished from his country, and went to England for a time where he studied for the ministry. He soon came back and settled in Ryssel as a preacher. Persecution became so intense that his congregation was scattered and he fled to Frankfurt in Germany and later to Switzerland. In 1559 he returned and served various churches in the southern part of what is now Belgium, but often in disguise for safety’s sake. It was at this time that the confession was composed with the aid of Adrian de Saravia, Professor in Leyden; H. Moditus and G. Wangen. In 1561 when a new investigation of Protestantism was instituted, de Bres presented his confession to the authorities to prove that he was not a revolutionist, but that the protestant doctrines were founded upon the Word of God. It had no effect upon the authorities at all, and the life of de Bres was in constant danger. He was forced to flee from place to place seeking refuge, until in 1566 he settled in Valenciennes, a protestant stronghold, where he served as minister. But shortly thereafter the city was besieged by the Roman Catholic govenor who forced the city to surrender. Guido and several ministers fled, but were captured in a few hours, and brought back to the city. It was but the work of few hours to try him, convict him and hang him. So the author of this confession died in the public place of Valenciennes for the faith he had so valiantly defended.
The creed itself was soon accepted by the reformed churches in the Netherlands. It was first printed in 1566 after revisions by Francis Junious of Bourges, and afterwards translated in German, Dutch, and Latin. It was approved and adopted by several Synods, and was finally revised and adopted by the great Synod of Dordrecht together with the Canons, the Heidelberg Catechism and the Church Order. Since then it has been recognized by the reformed churches in the Netherlands, Africa and America as part of their confession.