The Reformed Creeds and Confessions
The 1689 Baptist Confession
Preface. To the Judicious and Impartial Reader
Chapter 1. Of the Holy Scriptures
Chapter 2. Of God and of the Holy Trinity
Chapter 5. Of Divine Providence
Chapter 6. Of the Fall of Man, of Sin, and of the Punishment Thereof
Chapter 8. Of Christ the Mediator
Chapter 10. Of Effectual Calling
Chapter 15. Of Repentance Unto Life and Salvation
Chapter 17. Of the Perseverance of the Saints
Chapter 18. Of the Assurance of Grace and Salvation
Chapter 20. Of the Gospel and the Extent of Grace thereof
Chapter 21. Of Christian Liberty and Liberty of Conscience
Chapter 22. Of Religious Worship and the Sabbath Day
Chapter 23. Of Lawful Oaths and Vows
Chapter 24. Of the Civil magistrate
Chapter 27. Of the Communion of Saints
Chapter 28. Of Baptism and the Lord's Supper
Chapter 30. Of the Lord's Supper
Chapter 31. Of the State of Man after Death, and of the Resurrection of the Dead
Chapter 32. Of the Last Judgment
The Reformed Confessions
The Reformed confessions embody the deliberate, prayerful, and exegetical reflections of the Reformed churches on key doctrinal, practical, and theological issues faced during the 16th and 17th centuries. They are not intended to be comprehensive systematic theologies in miniature but serve as clear summaries and guiding principles for what Christians should believe and how they should live out their faith. These documents reflect the theology, piety, and church practice of Reformed communities throughout Europe and the British Isles during the golden age of Reformed thought. Many of these confessions have been adopted, adapted, and upheld by contemporary Reformed churches as they continue to confess and live out the historic Reformed faith.
Among these confessions, the most widely recognized and used today are the Westminster Standards—comprising the Confession of Faith and the Larger and Shorter Catechisms—and the Three Forms of Unity, which include the Belgic Confession, the Heidelberg Catechism, and the Canons of Dort. These documents are professed by Reformed churches worldwide, spanning countless languages and cultural contexts, and remain central to Reformed doctrine and worship.
While this list is not exhaustive, it highlights some of the most significant confessional texts of the Reformed tradition. It is important to note that not all of these documents are considered entirely orthodox; for example, the Five Articles of Remonstrance (1610) represent a theological challenge to Reformed orthodoxy. These articles were the basis of the debates at the Synod of Dort and are included here primarily for historical reference.
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Consensus Tigurinus (1549)
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French Confession (1559)
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Scots Confession (1560)
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Belgic Confession (1561)
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Confessio Belgica (1561)
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Belgic Confession (audio)
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Heidelberg Catechism (1563)
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Heidelberg Catechism (audio)
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Catechesis Palatina (1563)
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Heidelberger Katechismus (1563)
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Second Helvetic Confession (1566)
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[Five Articles of Remonstrance] NB: This is not a Reformed confession but it is a valuable resource for understanding the background of the Canons of Dort and other documents.
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Canons of Dort (1619)
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Canones Synodi Dordrechtanae (1619)
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Westminster Confession (1647)
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Westminster Larger Catechism (1648)
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The Savoy Declaration (1658)
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Helvetic Consensus Formula (1675)
Supplementary Resources
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Richard A. Muller: Confessing the Faith
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R. Scott Clark, Recovering the Reformed Confession (Phillipsburg: P&R Publishing, 2008).
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Heidelcast 144: Calls On Confessions, Covid-19, Chick-Fil-A, Christ and Culture, And More
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If You Want To Know What P&R Christians Believe, Read The Confessions