Westminster Confession of Faith

The Westminster Confession of Faith is a foundational doctrinal statement of Reformed theology, composed in 1646 by the Westminster Assembly. Convened by the English Parliament, this body of theologians and pastors aimed to reform the Church of England’s doctrine, worship, and governance. The resulting Confession, along with the Larger and Shorter Catechisms, formed what is now called the Westminster Standards. Though initially intended for the English church, the Confession became the “subordinate standard” of faith in the Church of Scotland and has since significantly shaped global Presbyterianism, always remaining secondary to the authority of Scripture.

The Confession’s influence extended beyond Scotland. While the Church of Scotland officially adopted only the Confession (not the Catechisms), other Protestant bodies found it a robust theological foundation. The Savoy Declaration (1658) was a modified version of the Confession for English Congregationalists, and together with English Presbyterians and some Anglicans, they formed the core of the Nonconformist tradition after the Act of Uniformity (1662) enforced strict adherence to the Church of England. Despite their legal exclusion, these groups remained united around the theological framework of the Westminster Confession.

The full version of the Westminster Confession of Faith, including chapter summaries and publication details from the Tercentenary Edition, is presented below. This content is drawn from the public domain text available at Wikisource.