The Westminster Confession of Faith is a Reformed confessional document composed in the 17th century, serving as a primary theological standard for many Presbyterian churches to summarize biblical doctrine. While it deeply informs Reformed theology, traditions such as Particular Baptists developed their own confessions—most notably the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith—which share much of the Westminster theology while diverging on matters of church polity and the administration of the ordinances.
The Westminster Confession of Faith was produced by the Westminster Assembly (1643–1653) to provide a clear, systematic exposition of the Christian faith as understood within the Reformed tradition. It affirms that the Holy Scriptures are the only rule of faith and obedience, a principle central to all confessional Reformed churches as noted in the Westminster Larger Catechism — Question 3. It covers fundamental doctrines such as the Trinity, the decrees of God, original sin, and the way of salvation through grace alone in Christ.
Confessions like the Westminster standard serve as a ministerial authority in the life of the church. They provide a common language for believers to defend the truth and resolve controversies of faith, as outlined in the Westminster Confession of Faith — Chapter 31: Of Synods and Councils, Section 3. While the Westminster Confession is the bedrock for Presbyterianism, the Reformed tradition is also expressed in other documents, such as the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith, which the Particular Baptist tradition maintains as its primary standard. These documents collectively witness to the gospel—that we are more sinful than we dared believe, yet more loved in Christ than we dared hope.