Confessional Lineage: Westminster to Baptist

Compare the Westminster Confession of Faith (1646), the Savoy Declaration (1658), and the 1689 London Baptist Confession side-by-side, tracing the evolution of Reformed confessional theology from Presbyterian to Congregationalist to Baptist polity.

Read doctrinally, then drill into the text.
Each theme gathers the relevant standards side by side. Use the linked entries to move from summary comparison back into full section context.
Prolegomena
Of the Holy Scriptures
1
The authority, sufficiency, and perspicuity of Holy Scripture as the rule of faith and life.
Theology Proper
Of God and of the Holy Trinity
1
The being, attributes, and tri-personal nature of God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Of God's Eternal Decree
1
The eternal, wise, and holy counsel of God's will, including predestination and election.
Creation and Providence
Of Creation
1
God's work of creating the world and all things therein, especially man in His own image.
Of Providence
1
God's most holy, wise, and powerful preserving and governing all His creatures and all their actions.
Hamartiology
Of the Fall, Sin, and Punishment
1
The fall of man, original sin, and the punishment thereof.
Christology and Covenant
Of God's Covenant
1
The covenant of works and the covenant of grace. Note: the 1689 teaches one covenant of grace, while the WCF distinguishes two administrations.
Of Christ the Mediator
1
The person, natures, offices, and states of the Lord Jesus Christ as the only Mediator between God and man.
Soteriology
Of Free Will
1
The state of man's will in its various conditions: creation, fall, grace, and glory.
Of Effectual Calling
1
The work of God's Spirit in effectually calling sinners and uniting them to Christ by faith.
Of Justification
1
God's free pardon of sin and acceptance of sinners as righteous through the imputed righteousness of Christ, received by faith alone.
Of Adoption
1
The privilege of being received into the number and enjoying the liberties of the sons of God.
Of Sanctification
1
The renewal of the whole person after the image of God, enabling believers to die more unto sin and live more unto righteousness.
Of Saving Faith
1
The nature of saving faith as receiving and resting on Christ for salvation.
Of Repentance unto Life
1
The evangelical grace of repentance unto life and the forgiveness of sins.
Of Good Works
1
Good works as the fruit of faith and obedience to God's commands.
Of Perseverance of the Saints
1
The perseverance of true believers in the state of grace to the end.
Of Assurance of Grace and Salvation
1
The grounds and means of assurance of salvation.
The Law of God
Of the Law of God
1
The moral law as the rule of obedience for all men and its uses under the covenant of grace.
Christian Life and Liberty
Of Christian Liberty
1
The freedom of believers under the gospel and liberty of conscience.
Of Religious Worship and the Sabbath
1
The acceptable way of worshipping God and the sanctification of the Lord's Day.
Of Lawful Oaths and Vows
1
The right use of lawful oaths and vows.
Of the Civil Magistrate
1
The authority and duties of the civil magistrate in relation to the church.
Of Marriage
1
The institution, purposes, and regulation of marriage.
Ecclesiology
Of the Church and the Communion of Saints
1
The visible and invisible church, its Head the Lord Jesus Christ, and the fellowship of believers. The 1689 has a significantly expanded ecclesiology.
Of the Sacraments, Baptism, and the Lord's Supper
1
The sacraments, baptism, and the Lord's Supper. Key divergence: the 1689 teaches believer's baptism only, while the WCF includes infant baptism.
Of Church Government
1
Church censures and governance. The WCF teaches presbyterian government with synods and councils; the 1689 omits these chapters (congregationalist polity).
Eschatology
Death, Resurrection, and Last Judgment
1
The state of men after death, the resurrection of the body, and the final judgment at the last day.