Three Forms of Unity

The Three Forms of Unity are the Belgic Confession, Heidelberg Catechism, and Canons of Dordrecht ("Canons of Dordt").  They are official statements of doctrine used by churches with roots in the continental Reformed tradition.

The Belgic Confession is the earliest of the Three Forms.  Guido de Bres (1522-1567), its author, wrote it and threw it over the city walls at Antwerp.  He also sent a copy to King Philip II of Spain (1527-1598) in hopes of gaining peace and acceptance from the Roman Catholic civil authorities.  He was subsequently arrested for his Calvinistic beliefs and gave his life for the faith on 31 May 1567.

The Heidelberg Catechism was penned by the German theologian Zacharius Ursinus (1534-1583) and published in 1563.  It is used by both Reformed and Lutheran churches, and is much loved by millions for its gentle pastoral tone and subjective orientation about the believer's approach to the Christian life.

The last of the Three Forms, the Canons of Dordt, arose in the Netherlands in 1618-1619 in response to growing resistance against the doctrines of grace.  It answers five objections raised by Jacobus Arminus' (1560-1609) group the Remonstrants and provides the scriptural basis for this.  The Canons are where we get the term "five points of Calvinsm", although this term is heavily misused and mischaracterizes Calvinism into a caricature, as an actual reading of the Canons will show (John 3:16, for example, appears at the very beginning).