In addition to the Reformation in England (reflected by the Articles of Religion), the Reformation throughout Continental Europe also produced a variety of wholesome Biblical confessions and catechisms. We affirm the following to be sound expositions of doctrine harmonious with the Primary Doctrinal Standards of this Church. They are reflective of the Magisterial Protestant heritage to which we belong and fondly share with our Reformed and Lutheran brethren. While they are not held as doctrinally binding confessions within this parish, they are approved and esteemed for use in teaching and training in Absolution Church, and we encourage our members to study them with their families. You may read them by selecting them here, or you may read an introduction to each below.

• The Heidelberg Catechism

• The Augsburg Confession

• Luther’s Small Catechism & Large Catechism

• The Canons of Dordrecht

The Heidelberg Catechism and Canons of Dordrecht are representative of the Reformed tradition, while the Augsburg Confession and Luther's Catechisms are representative of the Lutheran tradition. Some terms worth knowing:

• Confession — from the Latin confessio, from confiteri, which means "to acknowledge, to confess."  A confession is a detailed and binding statement of faith, effectively synonymous with a creed.

• Catechism — from the Greek κατηχίζω (katēkhízō), which means "to instruct by word of mouth." A catechism is a curriculum of instruction in the basics of the Christian faith, to catechize is to instruct in the catechism, and catechesis is the overall process of instruction.

• Canon — from the Greek κανών (kanṓn), which was literally a measuring stick used by architects, and came to be generally used for "a standard of measure." A Canon is an authoritative ruling/judgement from a Church Council, but can also be used to refer to the inspired books of the Bible "The Canon of Scripture."

While only one of the documents here is a confession in the formal sense, all of these documents are viewed in a "confessional" or doctrinally binding manner by the respective traditions to which they belong.

The Heidelberg Catechism (1563) was composed in the city of Heidelberg, Germany, at the request of Elector Frederick III, who ruled the province of the Palatinate (a principality of the Holy Roman Empire) from 1559 to 1576. It was written primarily by Caspar Olevianus, the superintendent of the Palatinate church, and Zacharias Ursinus, a professor of the theological faculty of the University of Heidelberg. This new catechism was intended as a tool for teaching young people, a guide for preaching in the provincial churches, and a form of confessional unity among the Protestant factions in the Palatinate and the broader European world during the 16th Century Reformation. It has been accepted since that time by traditional Protestants all throughout the world as a sound, faithful, and accessible summary of essential Biblical truth. It continues to be a key doctrinal document for many confessionally Reformed churches around the world today.

The Heidelberg Catechism’s 129 questions and answers are divided into three parts patterned after the book of Romans, and arranged together into 52 sets for the 52 Sundays of the year. After a moving introduction related to the true believer’s comfort, questions 3–11 consider the experience of sin and misery (Romans 1–3:20); questions 12–85 are concerned with redemption in Christ and faith (Romans 3:21–11:36), incorporating a lengthy exposition of the Apostles’ Creed and the sacraments; questions 86–129 stress true gratitude for God’s deliverance (Romans 12–16), primarily through a consideration of the Ten Commandments and the Lord’s Prayer. One of the Catechism’s precious distinctives is its presentation of doctrines with clarity and warm piety in an experiential, practical manner. It is more subjective than objective, more spiritual than dogmatical. It is not surprising that the Catechism, so personal and devotional throughout as exemplified in its use of singular pronouns, has been called “the book of comfort” for God’s people.

Read The Heidelberg Catechism

The Augsburg Confession was drafted in 1530, at the Diet of Augsburg (in modern day Germany) by the request of Emperor Charles V of the Holy Roman Empire. He had called the Diet of his German territories to seek internal unity in order to repel the increasing aggression and advances of the Ottoman Empire which were now reaching eastern Austrian territories. To that end, he called upon the Protestant nobility to explain their religious convictions, with hopes that the controversy and divisions of the Reformation could be cooled or resolved. To this end, Philip Melanchthon, a close friend of Martin Luther and a Professor of New Testament at Wittenberg University, was called upon to draft a common confession for the Lutheran Lords and Free Territories. The resulting document, the Augsburg Confession was presented to the emperor on June 25, 1530. 

The Augsburg Confession is one of the earliest drafted Protestant Confessions, and continues to be a key doctrinal document to confessional Lutherans across the world today. While it is typically viewed as a Lutheran confession, it nevertheless represents the convictions shared by all magisterial Protestants in the early Reformation, before divisions began to form and solidify between factions. It is perhaps the most ecumenical of all Protestant Confessions.

Read The Augsburg Confession

The Small Catechism was written by Martin Luther and published in 1529 for the training of children and new converts. Luther's Small Catechism provides a succinct outline of instruction in the fundamentals of the faith: the Ten Commandments, the Apostles' Creed, the Lord's Prayer, the Sacrament of Holy Baptism, the Office of the Keys and Confession, and the Sacrament of the Altar (Lord's Supper). It is written in a simple short question, short response format which is intended to be easily used by parents and children. It was historically typical in Lutheran churches for a child to have a sound grasp of this catechism prior to confirmation and being admitted to the Lord's Table.

Read The Small Catechism

The Large Catechism, also written by Martin Luther and published in 1529, is a much more thorough and expositional instruction intended to aid clergy instructing their congregations and fathers instructing their households. It covers all the same topics as the Small Catechism, but substantially expands the instruction such that it is more of a textbook on the faith. For those looking for a more thorough treatment of the contents of the Small Catechism, the Large Catechism is highly recommended.

Read The Large Catechism

The Canons of Dordrecht—also called "The Canons of Dort" in English—were issued from the Protestant Synod (Council) convened in Dordrecht, (Dutch Republic, modern Netherlands)