The Second Helvetic Confession (Second Helvetic Confession, Introduction)
This introductory article by Ronald Cammenga provides historical background on Heinrich Bullinger's Second Helvetic Confession (1562), explaining its origins, rapid dissemination, and widespread adoption as the first international Reformed confession. The piece traces how this influential confessional document became the official standard for Reformed and Presbyterian churches throughout Europe and beyond, making it essential context for understanding Reformed ecclesiology and doctrinal identity.
Previous article in this series: January 1, 2015, p. 158. Background The Second Helvetic Confession was written in 1562 by Heinrich Bullinger (1504-1575), whose life we considered in our previous article. It was intended by Bullinger to be buried with him as a testimony to the faith for which he had lived and which he had defended to his dying day. But despite his intentions, before he died Bullinger's confession came to light and was widely disseminated. This was due to a request from the...
Full article available on sb.rfpa.org