Helvetica, which was drawn up A. D. 1536, signed by various Swiss cities, and transmitted to the Lutheran theologians then assembled at Schmalkald.4 1 It was drawn up by M. Bucer, and published A. D. 1531. 4°., both in German and Latin. German editions of it also appeared Neustadt a. d. Hardt 1580, and Zweibrücken 1604. 4°. It consists of 23 articles. The 18th article, concerning the Lord's Supper, differs but little from the Confessio Augustana (see the special history of doctrines.) Planck iii. 1. p. 83 ss. The Latin text is given in the Corpus et Synt. i. p. (215 ss.) 173 ss. and by Augusti p. 327. Comp. Winer 1. c. and Wernsdorf, historia Confess. Tetrapol. Vite. 1721. 4. 2 Comp. § 219. note 4. Winer 1. c. 3 "Bekannthnuss vnfres heyligen Christenlichen Gloubens wie es die kylch zu Basel haldt" (with the motto: corde creditur ad justitiam, ore autem fit confessio ad salutem. Rom. x.) in 12 articles; it was founded upon a sketch drawn up by Oecolampadius (see Hagenbach, Geschichte der Basler Confession. Basle 1827. Appendix A.); the German copy of it is given ibid. p. 37 ss., the Latin in Corpus et Synt. i. (93) 72 ss. Augusti, p. 103 ss. 4 It was composed at a synod in Basle 1536, by theologians deputed by the cities Zurich, Berne, Basle, Schafhausen, St Gallen, Muhlhausen, and Biel (especially by H. Bullinger, Oswald Myconius, Simon Grynaeus, Leo Judä, and Caspar Grosmann) with the assistance of Bucer and Capito, the delegates from Strassburg. On the cause and origin of the said confession, see *Kirchofer, Oswald Myconius, Zurich 1813. p. 271–316. Hess, Lebensgeschichte Heinrich Bullingers, vol. i. p. 199 ss. 217 ss. Escher 1. c. On the relation in which it stood to the first confession of Basle, see Hagenbach, Geschichte der Basler Confession, p. 67. M B. § 222. SYMBOLICAL WRITINGS WHICH EVINCE THE INFLU ENCE EXERTED BY CALVIN UPON THE REFORMED The Church of Geneva having at first been founded upon the basis of the Calvinistic doctrine, independently of the Church of Zurich, was brought into closer connection with it (A. D. 1549) by means of the Consensus Tigurinus (which had reference to the doctrine of the Lord's Supper), while the doctrine of predestination, in its more developed form, was established in the Consensus Genevensis (A. D. 1552.)2 But it was not until Frederick III., Prince Elector of the Palatinate, had joined the Reformed Church, that symbols were adopted which obtained general authority. These were, on the one hand, the Catechism of Hiedelberg (A. D. 1562), drawn up by Caspar Olevianus and Zacharias Ursinus; on the other, the Second Confessio Helvetica, composed by Bullinger, and published at the request of the Prince Elector A. D. 1564.4 The principles contained in them are also set forth more or less distinctly in the other Reformed creeds, e. g. in the Confessiones Gallicana,5 Anglicana, Scoticana, Hungarica (Czengerina), Belgica, the Confessio Sigismundi (Brandenburgica, Marchica),10 the Catechismus Genevensis,11 etc. And lastly, the controversies carried on between the different sections of the Reformed Church, (especially concerning the doctrine of predestination),12 rendered necessary symbolical definitions similar to those contained in the Formula Concordia of the Lutheran Church. To these belong the Decrees of the Synod of Dort (A. D. 1618),13 and the Formula Consensus which had been drawn up in Switzerland.14 1 Consensio mutua in re sacramentaria Ministror. Tigur. et J. Calvini, consisting of 36 articles, in Calvini Opp. viii. p. 648 ss. and in his Tract. theolog. (Geneva 1611. Amst. 1667. fol.) It was separately printed 1554, by Robert Stephen. Winer, p. 19. Comp. Hess, Lebensgeschichte Heinrich Bullingers ii. p. 15-20. 2 De æterna Dei prædestinatione, qua in salutem alios ex hominibus elegit, alios suo exitio reliquit, it. de providentia, qua res humanas gubernat, consensus pastorum Genevensis ecclesiæ, a J. Calvino expositus. Genev. 1552. 8. in Opp. vii. 688 ss., and in vol. viii. of the Dutch edition, p. 593 ss. Tract. theol. p. 688. On the (erroneous) statement of Planck and Marheinecke, that this consensus had also been adopted by the inhabitants of Zurich, see Escher 1. c. Hagenbach, Gerchichte der Basler Confess. p. 83. and Winer p. 19. 3 Its proper title is: Christlicher Underricht, wie der in Kirchen und Schulen der churf. Pfalz getrieben wirdt (i. e., Christian instruction, as it is imparted in the churches and schools of the Palatinate.) It was also called Catech. Palatinus, the Palatine catechism. Joshua Lagus and Lambert Ludolph Pithopaus translated it into Latin. An edition, which contained both the Latin and the German, appeared Hiedelberg 1563. 8. In later times it was translated into almost all the modern languages, and very frequently commented upon. It consists of three principal parts: 1. Concerning the misery of man in consequence of sin; 2. Concerning the redemption from that state; and, 3. Concerning man's gratitude for that redemption. It is divided into 129 questions. (The 80th question concerning the mass was omitted in many editions.) Comp. Simon von Alpen, Geschichte und Literatur des Hiedelberg Katechismus Frankf. a. M. 1810. 8. Reinäcker (in der allgemeinen Encyclopædie 2d sect. 4th part.) Beckhaus in Illgens historischer Zeitschrift viii. 2. p. 39. and Augusti (see p. 10.) 4 Confessio helvetica posterior (it was also called: confessio et expositio brevis et simplex sinceræ religionis christianæ.) At the request of Frederic iii. Prince Elector of the Palatinate (1564), it was edited by Bullinger, first in Latin 1566), and afterwards in a German translation made by the author himself. It was republished by Kindler 1825. 8., and by *0. F. Fritzsche Tur. 1839 (with Prolegomena.) Compare Escher 1. c. It consisted of 30 chapters, and was adopted not only in Switzerland, but also in Germany (in the Palatinate), and Scotland, as well as by the Polish, Hungarian, and French Reformed churches. It was translated into French by Theodore Beza. Geneva 1566. 8. and by Cellérier, ibid. 1819. 8. 5 It consisted of 40 articles. It is doubtful whether it was composed by Calvin or not. It was approved by the Synod of Paris A. D. 1559, presented first to Francis II. A. D. 1560, and afterwards to Charles IX. A. D. 1561, and confirmed by the Synod of Rochelle 1571. A Latin translation of it appeared 1566. Comp. Corp. et Synt. i. p. (99) 77 ss. Augusti, p. 110 ss. It is a different work from that which was published at Hiedelberg 1566. 8. under the title: Confession und Kurze Bekanntnuss des Glaubens der reformisten Kirchen in Frankreich (i. e., a creed and short confession of faith adopted by the French Reformed churches.) For further particulars see Winer, p. 19. 6 Commonly called the 39 articles, which were drawn up by Cranmer and Ridley in the reign of King Edward VI. (A. D. 1551), revised in the reign of Queen Elizabeth, and confirmed 1562, by the Synod of London. They were originally published under the title: Articuli, de quibus convenit inter Archiepiscopos et Episcopos utriusque Provinciæ, et Clerum universum in Synodo, Londini anno 1562, secundum computatione Ecclesiæ anglicanæ, ad tollendam opinionum dissensionem, et consensum in vera rel, firmandum; editi auctoritate serenissimæ Reginæ 1571. The English edition is given in the Books of Common Prayer, the Latin in Corp. et Synt. i. p. (125) 99 ss. Augusti, p. 126 ss. The Church Catechism was composed by John Poinet (1553) in four sections, by order of King Edward VI. Comp. Winer, p. 22. 7 It was published A. D. 1560, and consisted of 25 articles. Its principal author was the Scotch Reformer John Knox (his views on the doctrine of predestination were less Calvinistic than those on the Lord's Supper.) Corp. et Synt. i. (137) p. 109 ss. Augusti, p. 143 ss. Another confession from the year 1581 was added. It is different from the Westminster Confession of Faith 1643. (Cantabr. 1659. 8, Edinb. 1671. 12.) Comp. Gemberg, schottische National Kirche, p. 11. Winer 1. c. 8 It was drawn up at a Synod of the Hungarian Reformed churches, A.D. 1557 or 58, and consisted of 11 articles. Schröckh, Kirchengeschichte nach der Reformation ii. p. 737. Corp. et Synt. i. (186.) p. 148 ss. Winer, p. 20. Augusti, p. 241 ss. 6 It was originally a private confession of Guido of Bres, and was, for the first time, published A. D. 1562, in the Walloon language (it consisted of 37 articles.) It was soon after translated into Dutch, approved of by the Dutch congregations, and even signed by several princes. It was solemnly confirmed by the synod of Dort. It was edited by Festus Hommius, Lugd. Bat. 1618. 4. and several times subsequently. See Augusti, p. 170 ss. 10 Its original title was: Des hochgebornen Fürsten Johann Siegmund etc. Bekänndniss von jetzigen unter den Evangelischen schwebenden und in Streit gezogenen Punkten, etc. (i. e., The confession of the illustrious Prince John Sigismund, etc., concerning those points respecting which Protestants are now at issue.) It consisted of 16 articles. It is not to be confounded with the confession of faith adopted by the Reformed evangelical churches of Germany, which was published at Frankfort on the Oder 1614, by order of the same prince. For further particulars see Winer, p. 21. It is reprinted by Augusti, p. 369 ss. 11 It was composed by Calvin, and appeared 1541, in a French edition, and 1545 in a Latin one. It consists of 4 principal parts (Faith, Law, Prayer, and Sacraments.) Calvini Opera T. viii. p. 11 ss. Winer, p. 22. Winer, p. 22. Augusti, p. 460. 12 See the special history of doctrines (the chapters on predestination.) 13 It lasted from A. D. 1618. Nov. 13th, to A. D. 1619. May 9th, and held 145 sessions. Its decrees, etc. were published in the Actis Synodi nationalis etc. Dort. 1620. 4. 14 It was directed, in the first instance, against the theory of particularism, which had spread in the academy of Saumur (comp. § 223. note 3.), and owed its origin chiefly to Heinrich Heidegger of Zurich, Francis Turrentin of Geneva, and Lucas Gernler of Basle. An outline of it was drawn up by Heidegger under the title: Formula Consensus Ecclesiarum Helveticarum reformatarum circa doctrinam de gratia universali et connexa, aliaque nonnulla capita. It consists of 26 articles. Concerning its history, and the controversies to which it gave rise, as well as concerning |