Helvetic Confessions

The name Helvetic Confession carry two Reformed creeds of the 16th century.

First Helvetic Confession

The First Helvetic Confession (Confessio Helvetica prior), also Second Basel Confession (Confessio Basileensis posterior) called, originated in 1536 as the first joint confession of the Reformed German Confederation.

In an effort to union with the Lutherans gathered from 30 January to 4 March of that year in Basel delegates from Zurich, Bern, Basel, Schaffhausen, St. Gallen, Mulhouse, Constance and Biel; came to the theologian Martin Bucer and Wolfgang Capito from Strasbourg.

The Latin version of the 27 articles of the confession, which was aimed at a rapprochement within Protestantism arose under the leadership of Heinrich Bullinger, Simon Grynaeus, Leo Jud, Kaspar Mega Santander and Oswald Myconius. However, it was assumed the German translation of Leo Jud, which leaned more clearly than the Latin original to the Theology of Ulrich Zwingli.

Second Helvetic Confession

The Second Helvetic Confession (Confessio Helvetica posterior) is next to the Heidelberg Catechism is still the most widely Reformed confession.

From 1561 it was written by Heinrich Bullinger as a personal confession and in 1564 transferred to the Zurich Council ( as a spiritual testament ). When Elector Friedrich III. wanted to justify his conversion to the Reformed faith of the Palatinate at the Diet of Augsburg, Bullinger sent him this commitment to his wish. Friedrich prompted that it was printed by the Swiss Reformed cantons of 1566 ( Title: Confessio et expositio simplex orthodoxae fidei et dogmatum Catholicorum syncerae religionis Christianae ), and it was quickly spread.

The Second Helvetic Confession was adopted by all the Reformed churches of German Switzerland, with the exception of Basel, in addition, of Geneva, and also of the Reformed in Scotland, Poland, Austria and Hungary.

The commitment, the most comprehensive Reformed confession, comprises thirty chapters. It is based on the Apostles' Creed, but first treated in the first two chapters of basic hermeneutical issues such as the Reformation principle of Scripture ( sola scriptura ) and the relationship between Scripture and tradition. Made famous is the marginal note Praedicatio verbi Dei est Verbum Dei ( the preaching of the Word of God is the Word of God ), which Bullinger expresses that the Word of God only in the proclamation lawfully called; preacher in the Church is self-existent. In the second half of the font appear next to the basic questions of faith and rules for the design of Christian and ecclesial life ( order of worship, holidays, food order, marriage, etc.).

Editions

• Ernst Saxer (ed.): Confessio Helvetica prior of 1536, In: . Heiner Faulenbach, Eberhard Busch et al (eds): Reformed Confessions. Vol 1.2: 1535-1549. Neukirchen 2006, pp. 33-68.
• Emidio Campi (ed.): Confessio Helvetica Posterior. In: Reformed Confessions. Vol 2.2: 1562-1569. Edited by Andreas Mühling inter alia, Neukirchen 2009, pp. 243-345.
• Walter Hildebrandt, Rudolf Zimmermann (Eds. ): The second Helvetic Confession. Zurich: Zwingli -Verlag 1936 ( TVZ, Zurich, 5th edition 1998).
• Georg Plasger, Matthias Freudenberg (ed.): Reformed Confessions. Göttingen 2005, pp. 187-220; Text of the Confessio Helvetica Posterior in German only in excerpts.