Westminster Confession of Faith

Expanded explanation

A confession is a church's summary of what it believes Scripture teaches. Reformed churches treat the Westminster Confession as a subordinate standard: it is meant to serve under Scripture, not alongside it. Quoting the Confession is useful because it shows what a broad tradition has formally affirmed, rather than one author's individual phrasing. Decalvinised quotes it so that Calvinist claims are evaluated in their strongest and most representative form.

Context

Not every Calvinist holds the Westminster Confession. Reformed Baptists commonly use the Second London Baptist Confession of 1689, which closely follows Westminster, and Continental Reformed churches use the Three Forms of Unity: the Belgic Confession, the Heidelberg Catechism, and the Canons of Dort. The Canons of Dort (1618–1619) are the historical source of the five points later summarized as TULIP. The same assembly that wrote the Confession also produced the Larger and Shorter Catechisms. Quoting the Confession shows representative Calvinist teaching; it does not mean that every Calvinist agrees with every article.

Calvinist Usage

Many Presbyterian and Reformed churches adopt the Westminster Confession as their doctrinal standard, and their ministers and elders commonly vow to uphold it. Calvinists regard it as a careful and representative summary of Reformed theology under the authority of Scripture. On salvation, its chapters on God's eternal decree (chapter 3), free will (chapter 9), effectual calling (chapter 10), and the perseverance of the saints (chapter 17) set out the doctrines later summarized by TULIP.

Decalvinised Position

Decalvinised uses the Westminster Confession as a primary source for presenting Calvinist positions accurately and in their own words. The site shares much of what the Confession affirms, including the authority of Scripture, the Trinity, the person and work of Christ, and justification by faith alone. It rejects the Confession's soteriology at the points TULIP summarizes: an unconditional decree of who will be saved, the total inability of the fallen will, effectual calling that precedes and produces faith, and redemption limited to the elect.