Westminster Confession of Faith

The commitment of Westminster (English: Westminster Confession of Faith ) from 1646 ( printed 1647) is a valid in some Reformed churches today confession. In 33 articles, it provides a systematic exposition of Christian doctrine.

The commitment was written at the time of the English Civil War at the instigation of the "Long Parliament " of the Westminster Synod of 1643-1649, which meets and consisting of English and Scottish Presbyterians theologians Commission. Known members of the Westminster Synod were Alexander Henderson, John Lightfoot, Thomas Goodwin and Samuel Rutherford.

The Westminster Confession was planned as the official creed of the Church of England, the Church of Ireland and the Church of Scotland and should replace the Thirty-nine Articles. Due to the restoration of the English monarchy (from 1660), the confession, however, established only in the Church of Scotland as an official document.

The commitment of Westminster applies together with the large ( " Westminster Larger Catechism " ) and the small ( " Westminster Shorter Catechism " ) Catechism to this day as the official creed of Presbyterian churches.

The American Presbyterians revised the confession twice. The adjustments to the first revision of 1789 ( separation of church and state) were taken over by the conservative Presbyterian denominations in the United States, the revisions of the second revision of 1903 ( chapter on the Holy Spirit, the love of God and the election) but usually rejected.

The commitment of Westminster was also the basis for various other denominations, such as the Savoy Declaration ( 1658), a confession of the Congregational churches and the London Baptist Confession ( 1677), a confession of the Baptists in England.

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