symbolics.dev
The historic creeds, confessions and catechisms of the Christian faith, as data: every paragraph, question and answer, with its Scripture proofs and its relations to the other documents. Read them here, through a free JSON API, or download them whole.
All of it is in the public domain (CC0): use it for anything, without asking and without attribution.
Try it
No key, no sign-up. Any site may call it from the browser.
curl https://symbolics.dev/api/v1/documents/heidelberg/questions/1{
"number": 1,
"question": "What is thy only comfort in life and death?",
"answer": "That I with body and soul, both in life and death, am not my own, but belong unto my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ, who, with his precious blood, hath fully satisfied for all my sins, and delivered me from all the power of the devil; and so preserves me that without the will of my heavenly Father, not a hair can fall from my head; yea, that all things must be subservient to my salvation, and therefore, by his holy spirit, he also assures me of eternal life, and makes me sincerely willing and ready henceforth, to live unto him.",
"segments": [
{
"text": "That I with body and soul,",
"proofs": [
"1 Corinthians 6:19–20"
],
"refs": [
{
"printed": "1 Corinthians 6:19–20",
"osis": [
"1Cor.6.19-1Cor.6.20"
]
}
],
"note": null
},
{
"text": "both in life and death,",
"proofs": [
"Romans 14:7–9"
],
"refs": [
{
"printed": "Romans 14:7–9",
"osis": [
"Rom.14.7-Rom.14.9"
]
}
],
"note": null
},
"… 9 more"
],
"section": 1,
"relations": {
"aoc1680": [
"1"
]
},
"diffs": [
{
"source": "aoc1680",
"type": "later",
"segments": [
{
"text": "I with body and soul,",
"position": null
},
{
"text": "life",
"position": 1
},
"… 17 more"
]
}
]
}Find every paragraph and question that cites a passage (/api/v1/proofs?passage=Romans 8:28), search the texts (/api/v1/search?q=effectual calling), and more: see the API reference. Or take everything at once from the downloads.
Read them side by side
The harmonies set the documents in columns, text by text, marking where their words differ: Westminster, Savoy and the 1689; the Shorter Catechism and the Baptist Catechism. Or start from the Bible: the Scripture index lists, book by book, every passage the proofs cite and what cites it.
Built on it
Three study sites read these downloads, each giving a document a page for every paragraph or question, with its proofs’ verses, its diffs from the documents it comes from, and every commentary on it:
- baptistconfession.svrbc.org: the Second London Baptist Confession (1689), with its harmony with the Westminster and the Savoy;
- baptistcatechism.svrbc.org: the Baptist Catechism (1695), with Beddome’s exposition and the Shorter Catechism’s commentaries;
- anorthodoxcatechism.svrbc.org: An Orthodox Catechism (1680), with the Heidelberg and its commentaries.
Their code is svrbc/symbolics-sites.
Every document, to read here: its contents, and a page for each paragraph or question with its proofs, its related texts and a line to cite it by. Its id links to the same thing as the API answers it, as JSON; the links under its title, to the document whole, as JSON, as CSV (a row for each paragraph, question, clause or entry: its id, text and proofs), or as Markdown, to read or for a corpus (each segment’s proofs after it, in brackets).
Confessions
| Id | Document | Year | Contents |
|---|---|---|---|
| lbcf1689 | Second London Baptist Confession of FaithThe fifth edition, 1720json · csv · md | 1689 | 32 chapters, 160 paragraphs |
| lbcf1689-modernized | Second London Baptist Confession of Faith (modernized)Modern spelling of lbcf1689json · csv · md | 1689 | 32 chapters, 160 paragraphs |
| lbcf1677 | Second London Baptist Confession of Faith (first printing)The first printing, 1677json · csv · md | 1677 | 32 chapters, 160 paragraphs |
| phila1742 | Philadelphia Confession of FaithThe sixth edition, printed by B. Franklin, 1743json · csv · md | 1742 | 34 chapters, 162 paragraphs |
| flcf1644 | First London Baptist Confession of FaithThe printing “in the yeare of our Lord, 1644”, without the printer’s namejson · csv · md | 1644 | 53 chapters, 53 paragraphs |
| flcf1646 | First London Baptist Confession of Faith (second edition)The second impression, corrected and enlarged, 1646json · csv · md | 1646 | 52 chapters, 52 paragraphs |
| articles1571 | Thirty-Nine ArticlesRichard Jugge and John Cawood’s printing, 1571, with the first clause of article 20json · csv · md | 1571 | 39 chapters, 58 paragraphs |
| belgic1561 | Belgic ConfessionThe Reformed Dutch Church’s English, “Revised in the National Synod held at Dordrecht, in the years, 1618, and 1619”, as in its Constitution, 1840json · csv · md | 1561 | 37 chapters, 40 paragraphs |
| dort1619 | Canons of DortThe Reformed Dutch Church’s English, “Canons, ratified in the National Synod of the Reformed Church, held at Dordrecht, in the years 1618 and 1619”, as in its Constitution, 1840json · csv · md | 1619 | 4 chapters, 59 paragraphs |
| wcf1646 | Westminster Confession of FaithThe third edition, 1647, “Printed for the Company of Stationers”, with the Scripture proofsjson · csv · md | 1646 | 33 chapters, 172 paragraphs |
| wcf1646-modernized | Westminster Confession of Faith (modernized)Modern spelling of wcf1646json · csv · md | 1646 | 33 chapters, 172 paragraphs |
| savoy1658 | Savoy Declaration of Faith and OrderJohn Field’s printing, 1659json · csv · md | 1658 | 33 chapters, 189 paragraphs |
| savoy1658-modernized | Savoy Declaration of Faith and Order (modernized)Modern spelling of savoy1658json · csv · md | 1658 | 33 chapters, 189 paragraphs |
| standard1660 | Standard ConfessionPrinted by G. D. for F. Smith, at the Elephant and Castle, 1660 (12 pp.; British Library, Thomason E.1017[14])json · csv · md | 1660 | 25 chapters, 25 paragraphs |
| orthodox1679 | Orthodox CreedThe first edition, “Printed in the Year, 1679”, without the printer’s name (Cambridge University Library)json · csv · md | 1679 | 50 chapters, 82 paragraphs |
Catechisms
| Id | Document | Year | Contents |
|---|---|---|---|
| aoc1680 | An Orthodox CatechismThe first edition, 1680json · csv · md | 1680 | 152 questions |
| aoc1680-modernized | An Orthodox Catechism (modernized)Modern spelling of aoc1680json · csv · md | 1680 | 152 questions |
| bc1695 | The Baptist CatechismThe fifth edition, 1695json · csv · md | 1695 | 114 questions |
| bc1695-modernized | The Baptist Catechism (modernized)Modern spelling of bc1695json · csv · md | 1695 | 114 questions |
| heidelberg | Heidelberg CatechismThe Reformed Dutch Church’s English translation, as in its Constitution, 1840json · csv · md | 1563 | 129 questions |
| wlc | Westminster Larger CatechismRobert Bostock’s printing, [1649] (British Library, Thomason E.1419[1])json · csv · md | 1647 | 196 questions |
| wlc-modernized | Westminster Larger Catechism (modernized)Modern spelling of wlcjson · csv · md | 1647 | 196 questions |
| wsc | Westminster Shorter CatechismRobert Bostock’s printing, [1649] (British Library, Thomason E.1419[1])json · csv · md | 1647 | 107 questions |
| wsc-modernized | Westminster Shorter Catechism (modernized)Modern spelling of wscjson · csv · md | 1647 | 107 questions |
Creeds
| Id | Document | Year | Contents |
|---|---|---|---|
| apostles | Apostles’ CreedThe King’s printers’ folio, 1662json · csv · md | — | 12 clauses |
| athanasian | Athanasian CreedAs printed in An Orthodox Catechism, 1680json · csv · md | — | 42 clauses |
| nicene | Creed of NicaeaAs printed in An Orthodox Catechism, 1680json · csv · md | 325 | one text |
| nicene381 | Nicene CreedThe King’s printers’ folio, 1662json · csv · md | 381 | one text |
| chalcedon451 | Chalcedonian DefinitionPhilip Schaff’s translation, 1877json · csv · md | 451 | one text |
Commentaries
| Id | Document | Year | Contents |
|---|---|---|---|
| explicatory1675 | An Explicatory CatechismHenry Mortlock’s printing, 1675json · csv · md | 1675 | 107 entries |
| flavel1692 | An Exposition of the Assembly’s CatechismThomas Cockerill’s printing, 1692json · csv · md | 1692 | 100 entries |
| vincent1673 | An Explicatory CatechismThe first edition, printed for George Calvert, Thomas Parkhurst, Samuel Sprint and D. Newman, 1673 (Burke Library, Union Theological Seminary)json · csv · md | 1673 | 107 entries |
| alleine1672 | A Most Familiar Explanation of the Assemblies Shorter CatechismThe last edition, corrected and much amended, printed for Edward Brewster, 1674json · csv · md | 1672 | 107 entries |
| lye1672 | The Assemblies Shorter Catechism Drawn out into Distinct PropositionsThe printing of 1674json · csv · md | 1672 | 107 entries |
| whyte1883 | A Commentary on the Shorter CatechismT. & T. Clark’s printing, [1883], in the Handbooks for Bible Classes and Private Students (Princeton Theological Seminary Library’s copy)json · csv · md | 1883 | 82 entries |
| henry1703 | A Scripture CatechismPrinted by R. J. for Thomas Parkhurst, 1703json · csv · md | 1703 | 107 entries |
| watson1692 | A Body of Practical DivinityThomas Parkhurst’s printing, 1692 (Burke Library, Union Theological Seminary)json · csv · md | 1692 | 101 entries |
| beddome1752 | A Scriptural Exposition of the Baptist CatechismHarrold & Murray’s printing, 1849 (University of Virginia Library’s copy, digitized by Google)json · csv · md | 1752 | 114 entries |
| dickson1684 | Truths Victory over ErrorJohn Reid’s printing, Edinburgh, 1684json · csv · md | 1684 | 33 entries |
| bastingius1591 | A Catechisme of Christian Religion, with the Arguments and UsePrinted by Robert Waldegrave, printer to the King’s Majesty, 1591 (Folger Shakespeare Library’s copy)json · csv · md | 1591 | 129 entries |
| burnet1699 | An Exposition of the Thirty-Nine Articles of the Church of EnglandThe Second Edition Corrected, R. Roberts for Ri. Chiswell, London, 1700json · csv · md | 1699 | 39 entries |
| rogers1607 | The Faith, Doctrine, and Religion, Professed, and Protected in the Realm of England, Expressed in Thirty-Nine ArticlesJohn Legatt’s printing, 1607json · csv · md | 1607 | 39 entries |
| perkins1595 | An Exposition of the Symbole or Creed of the ApostlesJohn Legatt’s first printing, Cambridge, 1595 (Huntington Library’s copy)json · csv · md | 1595 | 12 entries |
| binning1659 | The Common Principles of the Christian ReligionThe fifth impression, “carefully corrected & amended”, printed by Robert Sanders, Glasgow, its title page dated 1666 and its colophon 1667json · csv · md | 1659 | 25 entries |
| olevianus1581 | An Exposition of the Symbole of the ApostlesPrinted by H. Middleton, for Thomas Man, and Tobie Smith, 1581 (Henry E. Huntington Library’s copy)json · csv · md | 1581 | 25 entries |
| ursinus1587 | The Summe of Christian ReligionThe first edition of Parry’s translation, printed by Joseph Barnes, sold in Paul’s Churchyard at the sign of the Tiger’s Head, 1587 (Huntington Library)json · csv · md | 1587 | 207 entries |
Downloads
Everything the API serves, as files: the same JSON, made from the same release. Take these when you need all of a document, or all of them, rather than asking for it piece by piece.
To fetch them from a program or a site’s build, use https://symbolics.dev/downloads/v1/ and the file’s name (/downloads/v1/symbolics.json): that address keeps /api/v1’s promise. Fields may be added; a change you’d notice comes as /downloads/v2/, with v1 kept. Read these, not the repository’s YAML, whose layout may change.
Every file is the live release’s, and each document says which in its version. A site should keep a copy of the release it was built and checked against, rather than fetch them as it builds, so that a new release changes it only when someone takes it: SVRBC’s sites keep theirs in symbolics/, written by a script that fails if the documents it fetched aren’t all from one release. Their TypeScript types are the API’s own, generated from its Rust types: take them from the same release’s tag, as this one’s api/bindings/ at v0.1.71, so they describe the JSON you have.
JSON
symbolics.json · every document · 24.6 MB
{"documents": [...]}, each document as /api/v1/documents/{id} answers it, described by its JSON Schema, symbolics.schema.json.
SQLite
symbolics.sqlite · every document · 47.6 MB
For analysis: documents (each one’s facts), units (every paragraph, question, clause and commentary entry, its text, and its JSON), proofs (each proof, printed and as an OSIS reference, indexed), and units_fts, an FTS5 index of the texts:
SELECT u.document, u.id, u.text FROM units_fts f JOIN units u ON u.rowid = f.rowid
WHERE units_fts MATCH 'effectual calling';
SELECT document, unit FROM proofs WHERE osis = 'Rom.8.28';The source
The documents are kept as YAML in svrbc/symbolics.dev on GitLab, one file per paragraph or question, where the JSON is made from. Clone it to work with the source itself; to build on the texts, use the files above, since the YAML’s layout changes as the project needs:
git clone https://gitlab.com/svrbc/symbolics.dev.gitdocuments.yml: every document’s id, title and year.confessions/<id>/:chapters/andparagraphs/, one YAML file each.catechisms/<id>/:questions/, one YAML file each, andsections/where a catechism has them.creeds/<id>/: the creed, in Markdown.prose/in any of them: prefaces and appendices, in Markdown..schemas/: JSON Schemas for the YAML.
Corrections and new documents are welcome as merge requests: see CONTRIBUTING.md. Changes go through the project’s fork, svrbc/forks/symbolics.dev; a release then puts them in the API and these downloads. See a problem? Send a message to info@symbolics.dev.