Reformed confessions of faith

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The Westminster Confession. Title page, 1st ed. Westminster Confession of Faith title page.jpg
The Westminster Confession. Title page, 1st ed.

The reformed confessions of faith are the confessional documents of various Reformed churches. These express the doctrinal views of the churches adopting the confession. Confessions play a crucial part in the theological identity of reformed churches, either as standards to which ministers must subscribe, or more generally as accurate descriptions of their faith. Most confessions date to the 16th and 17th century.

Contents

Catechisms, canons, theses and other such documents may not be confessions per se, yet these still serve as symbols of the reformed faith. [1]

Confessions

The Belgic Confession. Belgic Confession 1566.jpg
The Belgic Confession.

Confessions state that church's beliefs in a full, while not exhaustive, way.

Continental Reformed

Presbyterian

The Westminster Confession and catechisms were produced by a committee rather than a single author. Assertion of Liberty of Conscience by the Independents of the Westminster Assembly of Divines, 1644.jpg
The Westminster Confession and catechisms were produced by a committee rather than a single author.

Congregationalist

The presbyterians' Westminster was formed by an assembly of ministers called by parliament for use in the established churches of England and Scotland. For congregationalists, this was not the case. The difference in application of the congregationalists' primary confession, Savoy, is that it was written as a declaration of consensus, and as such it was not treated as morally binding upon church officers like Westminster for presbyterians [9] (called subscriptionism [10] ).

Local congregational churches are historically formed around covenants (e.g. the Dedham Covenant), often unique to that church, another kind of confession. [1]

Baptist

Baptist confessions, like the congregationalists, are statements of agreement rather than enforceable rules. They "have never been held as tests of orthodoxy, as of any authoritative or binding force; they merely reflect the existing harmony of views and the scriptural interpretations of the churches assenting to them." [14]

Part of the baptist movement finds its origin in the nonconformist movement in England, observing Calvinistic theology with the presbyterians and congregationalists. Calvinistic baptists are called reformed or particular baptists. There are further subdivisions of reformed baptists, such as regular and primitive.

Baptist churches, like the congregationalists with whom they share views of polity, compose church covenants for the local congregation. [1]

Anglican

Anglican churches are not confessional in the same strict sense as in Lutheran churches. [17] [18] Anglican doctrine is most defined by Lex orandi, lex credendi ("the law of praying [is] the law of believing"). [19] [20]

Methodist

Catechisms

German Theologian Michael Landgraf portraying a reenactment of Zacharias Ursinus, principal author of the Heidelberg Catechism. Landgraf Ursinusfuhrung.jpg
German Theologian Michael Landgraf portraying a reenactment of Zacharias Ursinus, principal author of the Heidelberg Catechism.

Catechisms are teaching tools in the church, usually in a question and answer format.

Continental

Presbyterian

Congregationalist

Baptist

Anglican

Constitutions, ordinals, and platforms of church order

The Synod of Dort was convened to respond to the Remonstrants. The Synod of Dordrecht, Holland, Netherlands (31343788070).jpg
The Synod of Dort was convened to respond to the Remonstrants.

These documents relate to the ecclesiastical polity of the church.

Continental

Presbyterian

Congregationalist

Occasional documents

The Consensus Tigurinus found common ground between Calvin in Geneva and Bullinger in Zurich. Consensus Tigurinus.jpg
The Consensus Tigurinus found common ground between Calvin in Geneva and Bullinger in Zurich.

These documents are less general in scope than a usual confession. They may confess that church's response to a theological controversy (e.g. the Canons of Dort) or seek to find common ground between discrete churches (e.g. the Consensus Tigurinus).

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reformed Christianity</span> Protestant denominational family

Reformed Christianity, also called Calvinism, is a major branch of Protestantism that began during the sixteenth-century Protestant Reformation, a schism in the Roman Catholic Church. Today, it is largely represented by the Continental Reformed, Presbyterian, Reformed Anglican, Congregationalist, and Reformed Baptist denominational families.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Creed</span> Statement of belief

A creed, also known as a confession of faith, a symbol, or a statement of faith, is a statement of the shared beliefs of a community in a form which is structured by subjects which summarize its core tenets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Continental Reformed Protestantism</span> Reformed church originating in continental Europe

Continental Reformed Protestantism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that traces its origin in the continental Europe. Prominent subgroups are the Dutch Reformed, the Swiss Reformed, the French Huguenots), the Hungarian Reformed, and the Waldensian Church in Italy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Westminster Confession of Faith</span> Presbyterian creedal statement

The Westminster Confession of Faith, or simply the Westminster Confession, is a Reformed confession of faith. Drawn up by the 1646 Westminster Assembly as part of the Westminster Standards to be a confession of the Church of England, it became and remains the "subordinate standard" of doctrine in the Church of Scotland and has been influential within Presbyterian churches worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Westminster Shorter Catechism</span> Presbyterian manual of basic religious instruction

The Westminster Shorter Catechism is a catechism written in 1646 and 1647 by the Westminster Assembly, a synod of English and Scottish theologians and laymen intended to bring the Church of England into greater conformity with the Church of Scotland. The assembly also produced the Westminster Confession of Faith and the Westminster Larger Catechism. A version without Scripture citations was completed on 25 November 1647 and presented to the Long Parliament, and Scripture citations were added on 14 April 1649.

The Confession of Faith (1689), also known as the 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith, or the Second London Baptist Confession of Faith, is a Particular Baptist confession of faith. It was written by English Baptists who subscribed to a Calvinistic soteriology as well as to a covenantal systematic theology. Because it was adopted by the Philadelphia Association of Baptist Churches in the 18th century, it is also known as the Philadelphia Confession of Faith. The Philadelphia Confession, however, was a modification of the Second London Confession; it added an allowance for the singing of hymns, psalms, and spiritual songs in the Lord's Supper and made optional the laying on of hands in baptism.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Westminster Assembly</span> 1643–1653 English church reform council

The Westminster Assembly of Divines was a council of divines (theologians) and members of the English Parliament appointed from 1643 to 1653 to restructure the Church of England. Several Scots also attended, and the Assembly's work was adopted by the Church of Scotland. As many as 121 ministers were called to the Assembly, with nineteen others added later to replace those who did not attend or could no longer attend. It produced a new Form of Church Government, a Confession of Faith or statement of belief, two catechisms or manuals for religious instruction, and a liturgical manual, the Directory for Public Worship, for the Churches of England and Scotland. The Confession and catechisms were adopted as doctrinal standards in the Church of Scotland and other Presbyterian churches, where they remain normative. Amended versions of the Confession were also adopted in Congregational and Baptist churches in England and New England in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The Confession became influential throughout the English-speaking world, but especially in American Protestant theology.

<i>Book of Confessions</i>

The Book of Confessions contains the creeds and confessions of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). The contents are the Nicene Creed, the Apostles' Creed, the Scots Confession, the Heidelberg Catechism, the Second Helvetic Confession, the Westminster Confession of Faith, the Shorter Catechism, the Larger Catechism, the Theological Declaration of Barmen, the Confession of 1967, the Confession of Belhar, and the Brief Statement of Faith.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Helvetic Confessions</span> 16th century Swiss reformed confessions of faith

The Helvetic Confessions are two documents expressing the common belief of Calvinist churches, especially in Switzerland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Memorialism</span> Theological position of certain Christian denominations

Memorialism is the belief held by some Christian denominations that the elements of bread and wine in the Eucharist are purely symbolic representations of the body and blood of Jesus Christ, the feast being established only or primarily as a commemorative ceremony. The term comes from the Gospel of Luke 22:19: "Do this in remembrance of me", and the attendant interpretation that the Lord's Supper's chief purpose is to help the participant remember Jesus and his sacrifice on the Cross.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amyraldism</span> Christian doctrine

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Metousiosis is a Greek term (μετουσίωσις) that means a change of ousia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Savoy Declaration</span> Doctrinal statement for English Congregationalists

The Savoy Declaration is a Congregationalist confession of Faith. Its full title is A Declaration of the Faith and Order owned and practised in the Congregational Churches in England. It was drawn up in October 1658 by English Independents and Congregationalists meeting at the Savoy Hospital, London. It consists of a preface, a confession, and a platform of discipline.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Reformed Christianity</span>

Reformed Christianity originated with the Reformation in Switzerland when Huldrych Zwingli began preaching what would become the first form of the Reformed doctrine in Zürich in 1519.

A subordinate standard is a Reformed confession of faith, catechism or other doctrinal or regulatory statement subscribed to by a Protestant church, setting out key elements of religious belief and church governance. It is subordinate to the Bible as the supreme standard, which is held as divinely inspired and without error.

The Africa Evangelical Presbyterian Church (AEPC) is a growing conservative Presbyterian and Reformed Church which adheres to the Westminster Confession of Faith started in Kenya, later spread to the surrounding countries like Burundi, Tanzania, Congo and as far as Zimbabwe. The headquarters of the church is located in Nairobi, Kenya. The current Moderator is Rev. Dr Joseph Mutei installed on Sunday 26th June 2022.

The Presbyterian Church of Venezuela is a Reformed denomination in Venezuela which began in 1897. Its confessions include the Apostles' Creed, Nicene Creed (381), Heidelberg Catechism (1563), Second Helvetic Confession (1562), Westminster Confession of Faith (1646/47) and Barmen Declaration (1934). In the 1970s, it suffered difficult times, the church faced Pentecostalism. In 1983, the oldest and largest church split, but maintained the name Presbyterian it was the El Redentor church. In 1991, a Synod was organised with 2 Presbyteries, the Western and Central Presbyteries. In 2004, the denomination had 21 congregation, 8 house fellowships and almost 1,000 members.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Philip Schaff: Creeds of Christendom, with a History and Critical notes. Volume I. The History of Creeds. - Christian Classics Ethereal Library". ccel.org. § 2. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Rohls, Jan (1998) [1987]. Theologie reformierter Bekenntnisschriften[Reformed confessions: Theology from Zurich to Barmen] (in German). Translated by John Hoffmeyer. Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster John Knox Press. ISBN   0-664-22078-9.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Cochrane, Arthur C. (2003). Reformed Confessions of the Sixteenth Century. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press. ISBN   978-0-664-22694-7.
  4. ↑ Carson, D. A. (27 January 2015). Themelios, Volume 36, Issue 2. Wipf and Stock Publishers. p. 313. ISBN 978-1-62564-954-6.
  5. ↑ Scots Confession (1560). Confession of Faith Ratification Act (1560), (Acts of the Old Scottish Parliament). https://www.legislation.gov.uk/aosp/1560/1.
  6. ↑ "Confession of Faith: The Orthodox Presbyterian Church". opc.org. Retrieved 2023-11-13.
  7. ↑ Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) (2004). "Book of Confessions, Confession of 1967" (PDF). Louisville, Kentucky: The Office of the General Assembly. pp. 252–262. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-08-11. Retrieved 2023-11-13.
  8. ↑ Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) (2004). "Book of Confessions" (PDF). Louisville, Kentucky: The Office of the General Assembly, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-08-11. Retrieved 2023-11-13.
  9. ↑ Davies, Horton (1948). The worship of the English Puritans. Internet Archive. Westminster [London] : Dacre Press. p. 274.
  10. ↑ "The Confessional Subscription Debate at Westminster Theological Seminary in California". opc.org. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
  11. 1 2 3 4 "Philip Schaff: Creeds of Christendom, with a History and Critical notes. Volume I. The History of Creeds. - Christian Classics Ethereal Library". ccel.org. § 103. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
  12. ↑ Bremer, Francis J.; Webster, Tom, Puritans and Puritanism in Europe and America: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia, Volume 1, ABC-CLIO, USA, 2006, p. 354.
  13. 1 2 "Philip Schaff: Creeds of Christendom, with a History and Critical notes. Volume I. The History of Creeds. - Christian Classics Ethereal Library". ccel.org. § 102. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
  14. 1 2 3 4 "Philip Schaff: Creeds of Christendom, with a History and Critical notes. Volume I. The History of Creeds. - Christian Classics Ethereal Library". ccel.org. § 105. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
  15. ↑ Gribben, Crawford. The Puritan Millennium: Literature and Theology, 1550–1682 (Revised Edition), Wipf and Stock Publishers, USA, 2008, p. 252.
  16. ↑ The 1689 Baptist Confession of Faith, Documents, Reformed.
  17. ↑ Turnbull, Richard (15 July 2010). Anglican and Evangelical?. Bloomsbury Publishing. pp. 45–. ISBN   978-1-4411-1475-4.
  18. ↑ Avis, Paul (2013). The Anglican Understanding of the Church: An introduction. SPCK. pp. 65–. ISBN   978-0-281-06815-9.
  19. ↑ Earey, Mark (2013). Beyond Common Worship: Anglican Identity and Liturgical Diversity. SCM Press. pp. 100–. ISBN   978-0-334-04739-1.
  20. ↑ Platten, Stephen; Woods, Christopher (2012). Comfortable Words: Polity, Piety and the Book of Common Prayer. Hymns Ancient and Modern. pp. 142–. ISBN   978-0-334-04670-7.
  21. 1 2 "Reformed Confessions of the 16th and 17th Centuries in English Translation: Volume 2, 1552–1566". The Gospel Coalition. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
  22. ↑ Muller, Richard A. (2004). "John Calvin and later Calvinism". In Bagchi, David; Steinmetz, David C. (eds.). The Cambridge Companion to Reformation Theology. New York: Cambridge University Press. p. 135. ISBN   978-0-52177-662-2.
  23. ↑ Schaff, Philip (1877). The Creeds of Christendom: The history of creeds. Harper.
  24. ↑ "Confessions of Faith, The Westminster Confession of Faith" (PDF). Louisville, Kentucky: Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). 2004 [1646]. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-08-11. Retrieved 2023-11-13.
  25. ↑ Confession of Faith of the Calvinistic Methodists or the Presbyterians of Wales at the Wayback Machine (archived July 27, 2011)
  26. ↑ "Reformed Confessions of the 16th and 17th Centuries in English Translation: Volume 1, 1523–1552". The Gospel Coalition. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
  27. ↑ Calvin, Jean; Reid, J. K. S. (John Kelman Sutherland) (1977). Calvin: theological treatises. Internet Archive. Philadelphia : Westminster Press. pp. 56–72. ISBN   978-0-664-24156-8.
  28. ↑ Walker 1894, pp. 114, 221.
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