API reference

The API is at https://symbolics.dev/api/v1. Everything is a GET that answers JSON. There is no key, and any site may call it from the browser (CORS allows every origin). Answers may be cached for an hour, and a 400, 404 or 422 for a minute: the texts change only when the site is released.

The answers’ TypeScript types are in the repository’s api/bindings/, generated from the Rust types that define the API, and its OpenAPI 3.1 description, from the same types, is at /api/v1/openapi.json: give it to a client generator. A change that would break a client comes as a new version, /api/v2, with /api/v1 kept.

Errors

A request the API can’t answer gets an error status and, as JSON, {"error": "…"}:

• 400: a parameter is missing, such as passage or q.
• 422: a parameter can’t be used: a passage with no book of the Bible, an unknown document.
• 404: no such document, chapter, paragraph, question or path. Its body is the site’s page, not JSON: go by the status.

Endpoints

[
  {
    "version": "0.1.71",
    "id": "lbcf1689",
    "kind": "confession",
    "title": "Second London Baptist Confession of Faith",
    "short": "2LCF",
    "aliases": [
      "1689 Confession",
      "… 2 more"
    ],
    "authors": [
      "Elders and brethren of the Particular Baptist churches in London and the country"
    ],
    "tradition": [
      "baptist",
      "… 1 more"
    ],
    "language": "en",
    "translation": null,
    "dates": {
      "written": null,
      "first_published": 1677,
      "adopted": [
        {
          "by": "General Assembly of the Particular Baptist churches",
          "year": 1689
        }
      ]
    },
    "year": 1689,
    "edition": "The fifth edition, 1720",
    "source": "https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qC1y9-G5lVXtup4jw5f2rcXt3F9zgKk2/view",
    "image": null,
    "modernized": null,
    "exposition": null,
    "on": null,
    "commentaries": [],
    "translations": [],
    "related": [
      {
        "document": "lbcf1677",
        "relation": "edition"
      },
      "… 4 more"
    ],
    "provenance": {
      "witness": {
        "title": "A Confession of Faith. Put forth by the Elders and Brethren of many Congregations of Christians (baptized upon Profession of their Faith) in London and the Country",
        "edition": "The fifth edition, 1720",
        "published": 1720,
        "place": "London",
        "catalog": [],
        "original": "https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qC1y9-G5lVXtup4jw5f2rcXt3F9zgKk2/view",
        "pdf": "https://assets.symbolics.dev/30d99f3110eaa5a1cb07c816b087e1f60ab8f3eb19fcc624883e5b69187b8352/second-london-confession-of-faith-1720.pdf",
        "sha256": "30d99f3110eaa5a1cb07c816b087e1f60ab8f3eb19fcc624883e5b69187b8352",
        "pdf_source": null
      },
      "transcription": {
        "from": "unknown",
        "checked": [
          {
            "against": "scan",
            "by": "Claude, for cco3",
            "date": "2026-10-29",
            "scope": "the preface and the General Assembly’s recommendation (`prose/preface`, `prose/recommendation`), word by word"
          },
          "… 1 more"
        ]
      },
      "license": "public-domain",
      "notes": "First printed in 1677, and owned by the General Assembly of 1689. The text has been corrected against this scan (“Correct lbcf1689 from fifth edition”); the corrections are in its commit history. The scan is Google’s, of the copy at [Google Books](https://books.google.com/books?id=AjNWAAAAcAAJ); archive.org has the fourth edition (1719) but not this one. Its front matter is in `prose/`: the General Assembly’s recommendation of 1689 with its thirty-seven names (`prose/recommendation`; the churches and counties some modern lists give beside the names are not in this printing), and the preface “To the Judicious and Impartial Reader” (`prose/preface`), both as this printing has them, made from `phila1742`’s, which follows it closely, and read against the scan word by word. The first printing, with its preface as printed in 1677 and its appendix on baptism, is `lbcf1677`. `prose/spurgeon` is not this printing’s: it is C. H. Spurgeon’s two prefatory notes to his reprint of the confession for the church at New Park Street (London, 1855), one to the household of faith, the other to his church. No scan of the 1855 printing has been found, so they follow his *Autobiography*, volume 2 (Chicago: Revell, 1899), pages 160–161, which quotes them in full ([archive.org](https://archive.org/details/autobiographyofc02spur)); they are kept here as the best-known commendation of this confession, which SVRBC’s baptistconfession.org printed with it. No public-domain transcription of the 1688 printing is known (EEBO-TCP has none)."
    },
    "chapter_count": 32,
    "paragraph_count": 160,
    "question_count": 0,
    "clause_count": 0,
    "entry_count": 0,
    "url": "/api/v1/documents/lbcf1689"
  },
  "… 45 more"
]

{
  "version": "0.1.71",
  "id": "wsc",
  "kind": "catechism",
  "title": "Westminster Shorter Catechism",
  "short": "WSC",
  "aliases": [
    "Shorter Catechism"
  ],
  "authors": [
    "Westminster Assembly"
  ],
  "tradition": [
    "reformed",
    "… 1 more"
  ],
  "language": "en",
  "translation": null,
  "dates": {
    "written": 1647,
    "first_published": 1648,
    "adopted": [
      {
        "by": "Church of Scotland",
        "year": 1648
      }
    ]
  },
  "year": 1647,
  "edition": "Robert Bostock’s printing, [1649] (British Library, Thomason E.1419[1])",
  "source": "https://www.proquest.com/docview/2240926909",
  "image": null,
  "modernized": null,
  "exposition": null,
  "on": null,
  "commentaries": [
    "explicatory1675",
    "… 8 more"
  ],
  "translations": [],
  "related": [
    {
      "document": "bc1695",
      "relation": "adapted-by"
    },
    "… 2 more"
  ],
  "provenance": {
    "witness": {
      "title": "The Confession of Faith and Catechisms, Agreed upon by the Assembly of Divines at Westminster, together with their Humble Advice concerning Church Government and Ordination of Ministers",
      "edition": "Robert Bostock’s printing, [1649] (British Library, Thomason E.1419[1])",
      "published": 1649,
      "place": "London",
      "catalog": [
        "Wing C5760",
        "… 1 more"
      ],
      "original": "https://www.proquest.com/docview/2240926909",
      "pdf": "https://assets.symbolics.dev/68b4bcd38e64532c75e21970d9866db3a0d0611b2c49b0e2e0d34c4327e2ad28/westminster-assembly-confession-of-faith-and-catechisms-1649.pdf",
      "sha256": "68b4bcd38e64532c75e21970d9866db3a0d0611b2c49b0e2e0d34c4327e2ad28",
      "pdf_source": null
    },
    "transcription": {
      "from": "unknown",
      "checked": [
        {
          "against": "eebo-tcp:A80320",
          "by": "Claude, for cco3",
          "date": "2026-10-28",
          "scope": "the proofs of questions 42–107, and 26 and 38"
        },
        "… 2 more"
      ]
    },
    "license": "public-domain",
    "notes": "The text is not the 1649 printing’s respelled but the modern one American Presbyterian churches print, word for word the Orthodox Presbyterian Church’s (https://opc.org/sc.html) but in “reverend” (54, the 1658 printing’s word) and “all miseries” (19, every printing’s); who made it, and from what, is unknown. Against the 1649 printing (*The Confession of Faith and Catechisms*, London, Robert Bostock, 1649; Wing C5760; EEBO-TCP A80320), 92 of the 107 questions have the same words, spelling, capitals and punctuation aside; in 7 ours has another printing’s reading (54 “reverend … Word”, 55 “maketh”, 57 “thy stranger”, 61 “our worldly”, 69 “or whatsoever”, 98 “unto God”, 103 “in earth”), in 7 the modern text’s (2 “Scriptures … Testaments”, 12 “the knowledge”, 32 “and sanctification”, 38 “the full enjoying”, 47 “giving of”, 58 “set times”, and “and ordinary” in 88’s question), and in 67 the 1649 misprints “shall”. On 2026-10-28 two slips of ours that no printing has were corrected (“Wherein” in 41’s question, “for the worthy receiving” in 97’s), and Ephesians 1:11 restored to 7. The proofs are the Assembly’s, under the 1649 printing’s letters: 1–41 as they came, 42–107 set from A80320 and corrected from the 1658 (A74916) where the transcription is garbled, as the commit that added them lists. Ours differs from the 1649 margin where it misprints (in 13 questions, a verse that doesn’t exist or the wrong book), and in 1 (Psalm 73:25–28, 1649 73:24–28), 27 (1 Corinthians 15:3–4, 1649 15:3), 56 (1 Samuel 2:24, 1649 2:29) and 74–75 (four references under 74, as in 1658, where 1649 has them under 75). `catechisms/wsc/WITNESSES.md` has it all. The witness is that printing, the nearest known, though not the text’s source. The PDF is EEBO’s film of Thomason’s copy (E.1419[1]), from ProQuest’s Early Modern Collection, with ProQuest’s credit line taken off each page, on which the text was checked; archive.org’s films of 1649 are other printings (Amsterdam, for Andrew Wilson of Edinburgh, Wing C5760A; Edinburgh, Gideon Lithgow, C5760C)."
  },
  "chapter_count": 0,
  "paragraph_count": 0,
  "question_count": 107,
  "clause_count": 0,
  "entry_count": 0,
  "url": "/api/v1/documents/wsc",
  "chapters": [],
  "sections": [],
  "questions": [
    {
      "number": 1,
      "question": "What is the chief end of man?",
      "answer": "Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him for ever.",
      "segments": [
        {
          "text": "Man’s chief end is to glorify God,",
          "proofs": [
            "1 Corinthians 10:31",
            "… 1 more"
          ],
          "refs": [
            {
              "printed": "1 Corinthians 10:31",
              "osis": [
                "1Cor.10.31"
              ]
            },
            "… 1 more"
          ],
          "note": null
        },
        "… 1 more"
      ],
      "section": null,
      "relations": {
        "wlc": [
          "1"
        ],
        "wsc-modernized": [
          "1"
        ]
      },
      "diffs": [],
      "page": "153",
      "leaf": 77
    }
  ],
  "expositions": [],
  "prose": [],
  "clauses": [],
  "entries": [],
  "text": null
}

{
  "number": 1,
  "title": "Of The Holy Scriptures",
  "paragraphs": [
    {
      "id": "1.1",
      "chapter": 1,
      "number": 1,
      "text": "The Holy Scripture is the only sufficient, certain, and infallible Rule of all Saving Knowledge, Faith, and Obedience; although the light of Nature, and the works of Creation and Providence do so far manifest the Goodness, Wisdom and Power of God, as to leave Men unexcusable; yet are they not sufficient to give that Knowledge of God and his Will, which is necessary unto Salvation. Therefore it pleased the Lord at sundry times, and in divers manners, to reveal himself, and to declare That his Will unto his Church; and afterward for the better preserving, and propagating of the Truth, and for the more sure Establishment, and Comfort of the Church against the corruption of the Flesh, and the malice of Satan, and of the World, to commit the same wholly unto Writing; which maketh the Holy Scriptures to be most necessary, those former ways of God’s revealing his Will unto his People being now ceased.",
      "segments": [
        {
          "text": "The Holy Scripture is the only sufficient, certain, and infallible Rule of all Saving Knowledge, Faith, and Obedience; although the",
          "proofs": [
            "2 Timothy 3:15–17",
            "… 3 more"
          ],
          "refs": [
            {
              "printed": "2 Timothy 3:15–17",
              "osis": [
                "2Tim.3.15-2Tim.3.17"
              ]
            },
            "… 3 more"
          ],
          "note": null
        },
        "… 3 more"
      ],
      "relations": {
        "lbcf1677": [
          "1.1"
        ],
        "lbcf1689-modernized": [
          "1.1"
        ],
        "phila1742": [
          "1.1"
        ],
        "savoy1658": [
          "1.1"
        ],
        "wcf1646": [
          "1.1"
        ]
      },
      "diffs": [
        {
          "source": "wcf1646",
          "type": "earlier",
          "segments": [
            {
              "text": "The Holy Scripture is the only sufficient, certain, and infallible Rule of all Saving Knowledge, Faith, and Obedience;",
              "position": null
            },
            "… 1 more"
          ]
        },
        "… 1 more"
      ],
      "page": null,
      "leaf": null
    }
  ]
}

{
  "id": "32.3",
  "chapter": 32,
  "number": 3,
  "text": "As Christ would have us to be certainly perswaded, that there shall be a Day of Judgment, both to deter all Men from Sin, and for the greater Consolation of the Godly, in their Adversity, so will he have that Day unknown to Men, that they may shake off all carnal Security, and be always watchful, because they know not at what Hour the Lord will come, and may ever be prepared to say, Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly. Amen.",
  "segments": [
    {
      "text": "As Christ would have us to be certainly perswaded, that there shall be a Day of Judgment, both to deter all Men from Sin, and for the greater",
      "proofs": [
        "2 Corinthians 5:10–11"
      ],
      "refs": [
        {
          "printed": "2 Corinthians 5:10–11",
          "osis": [
            "2Cor.5.10-2Cor.5.11"
          ]
        }
      ],
      "note": null
    },
    {
      "text": "Consolation of the Godly, in their Adversity, so will he have that Day unknown to Men, that they may shake off all carnal Security, and be always watchful, because they know not at what Hour the",
      "proofs": [
        "2 Thessalonians 1:5–7"
      ],
      "refs": [
        {
          "printed": "2 Thessalonians 1:5–7",
          "osis": [
            "2Thess.1.5-2Thess.1.7"
          ]
        }
      ],
      "note": null
    },
    {
      "text": "Lord will come, and may ever be prepared to say,",
      "proofs": [
        "Mark 13:35–37",
        "Luke 12:35–36"
      ],
      "refs": [
        {
          "printed": "Mark 13:35–37",
          "osis": [
            "Mark.13.35-Mark.13.37"
          ]
        },
        {
          "printed": "Luke 12:35–36",
          "osis": [
            "Luke.12.35-Luke.12.36"
          ]
        }
      ],
      "note": null
    },
    {
      "text": "Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly. Amen.",
      "proofs": [
        "Revelation 22:20"
      ],
      "refs": [
        {
          "printed": "Revelation 22:20",
          "osis": [
            "Rev.22.20"
          ]
        }
      ],
      "note": null
    }
  ],
  "relations": {
    "lbcf1677": [
      "32.3"
    ],
    "lbcf1689-modernized": [
      "32.3"
    ],
    "phila1742": [
      "34.3"
    ],
    "savoy1658": [
      "32.3"
    ],
    "wcf1646": [
      "33.3"
    ]
  },
  "diffs": [
    {
      "source": "wcf1646",
      "type": "earlier",
      "segments": [
        {
          "text": "ever be",
          "position": null
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "source": "savoy1658",
      "type": "earlier",
      "segments": [
        {
          "text": "Day of",
          "position": null
        },
        {
          "text": "ever be",
          "position": null
        }
      ]
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  ],
  "page": null,
  "leaf": null
}

{
  "number": 1,
  "question": "What is the chief end of man?",
  "answer": "Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy him for ever.",
  "segments": [
    {
      "text": "Man’s chief end is to glorify God,",
      "proofs": [
        "1 Corinthians 10:31",
        "Romans 11:36"
      ],
      "refs": [
        {
          "printed": "1 Corinthians 10:31",
          "osis": [
            "1Cor.10.31"
          ]
        },
        {
          "printed": "Romans 11:36",
          "osis": [
            "Rom.11.36"
          ]
        }
      ],
      "note": null
    },
    {
      "text": "and to enjoy him for ever.",
      "proofs": [
        "Psalm 73:25–28"
      ],
      "refs": [
        {
          "printed": "Psalm 73:25–28",
          "osis": [
            "Ps.73.25-Ps.73.28"
          ]
        }
      ],
      "note": null
    }
  ],
  "section": null,
  "relations": {
    "wlc": [
      "1"
    ],
    "wsc-modernized": [
      "1"
    ]
  },
  "diffs": [],
  "page": "153",
  "leaf": 77
}

{
  "name": "appendix_singing",
  "title": "An Appendix concerning the Ordinance of Singing",
  "text": "My dearly Beloved, whether Churches in general, or Christians in particular, wherever this *Appendix* may come: Forasmuch as Singing is generally owned to be a …"
}

{
  "number": 1,
  "title": "Introduction",
  "questions": [
    {
      "number": 1,
      "question": "What is thy only comfort in Life and Death?",
      "answer": "That both in Soul and Body, whether I live or dye, I am not mine own, but belong wholly unto my most faithful Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ: who by his most precious Blood fully satisfying for all my Sins, hath delivered me from all the power of the Devil, and so preserveth me, that without the will of my Heavenly Father not so much as an Hair may fall from my Head; yea all things must serve for my safety: wherefore by his Spirit also he assureth me of everlasting Life, and maketh me ready and prepared, that henceforth I may live to him.",
      "segments": [
        {
          "text": "That both in Soul and",
          "proofs": [
            "1 Corinthians 6:19",
            "… 1 more"
          ],
          "refs": [
            {
              "printed": "1 Corinthians 6:19",
              "osis": [
                "1Cor.6.19"
              ]
            },
            "… 1 more"
          ],
          "note": null
        },
        "… 10 more"
      ],
      "section": 1,
      "relations": {
        "aoc1680-modernized": [
          "1"
        ],
        "heidelberg": [
          "1"
        ]
      },
      "diffs": [
        {
          "source": "heidelberg",
          "type": "earlier",
          "segments": [
            {
              "text": "Soul",
              "position": null
            },
            "… 18 more"
          ]
        }
      ],
      "page": null,
      "leaf": null
    }
  ]
}

{
  "number": 28,
  "text": "He therefore that will be saved, must thus think of the Trinity.",
  "segments": [
    {
      "text": "He therefore that will be saved, must thus think of the Trinity.",
      "proofs": [],
      "refs": [],
      "note": null
    }
  ],
  "relations": {
    "orthodox1679": [
      "38.21"
    ]
  },
  "diffs": [],
  "page": null,
  "leaf": null
}

{
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    "wcf1646",
    "lbcf1689"
  ],
  "rows": [
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      "cells": [
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            "document": "wcf1646",
            "id": "1.1",
            "url": "/api/v1/documents/wcf1646/paragraphs/1.1",
            "…": "…"
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{
  "passage": [
    "Romans 8:28"
  ],
  "results": [
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      "document": "lbcf1689",
      "id": "5.5",
      "url": "/api/v1/documents/lbcf1689/paragraphs/5.5",
      "segments": [
        {
          "text": "and their good.",
          "proofs": [
            "Romans 8:28"
          ]
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "document": "lbcf1689",
      "id": "21.1",
      "url": "/api/v1/documents/lbcf1689/paragraphs/21.1",
      "segments": [
        {
          "text": "Evil of Afflictions, the Fear, and Sting",
          "proofs": [
            "Romans 8:28"
          ]
        }
      ]
    },
    "… 20 more"
  ]
}

{
  "query": "effectual calling",
  "results": [
    {
      "document": "lye1672",
      "id": "31",
      "kind": "entry",
      "question": "What is Effectual Calling?",
      "score": 12.2794,
      "text": "What is Effectual Calling? Effectual Calling, is the work of Gods Spirit, whereby, convincing us, of our sin, and misery, enlightning our minds in the knowledg of Christ, and renewing our Wills, he doth perswade, and enable us, to embrace Iesus Christ, freely offered to us in the Gospel. 1. Effectual Calling is the work of Gods Spirit 2. In effectual Calling, the Spirit of God convinceth us, of sin, and misery. 3. The Spirit of God enlightneth our minds in the knowledg of Christ. 4. The Spirit of God renews our wills. 5. The Spirit of God perswades, and enables us, to embrace Jesus Christ, freely offered to us in the Gospel.",
      "title": null,
      "url": "/api/v1/documents/lye1672/entries/31"
    },
    {
      "document": "alleine1672",
      "id": "31",
      "kind": "entry",
      "question": "What is Effectual Calling?",
      "score": 12.0143,
      "text": "What is Effectual Calling? Effectual Calling is the work of Gods Spirit, whereby, convincing us of our sin and misery, inlightning our minds in the knowledge of Christ, and renewing our wills, he doth perswade and enable us to embrace Jesus Christ, freely offered to us in the Gospel. What kind of calling is it that is here described, a common, external, and ineffectual calling? No. A saving, internal, and effectual calling? Yes. May men be externally called by the ministry of the Word, and yet not effectually, and savingly called? Yes. Whose work is effectual calling? The work of Gods Spirit. Is effectual vocation then the proper work of the Spirit, as our Redemption is the proper work of Christ? Yes. What is the first thing the Spirit doth for men in effectual calling? He doth convince them. What doth he convince them of? Of their sin, and misery. What do you mean by convincing them of their sin, and misery? Making them feeling to know what a sinful, miserable, and undone condition they are in. Are none effectually called but they that have been some way or other convinced of their sin, and misery? No. What doth the Spirit do for the Elect, after he hath shewed them soundly their sin, and misery? He doth farther enlighten their minds. Have all that be effectually called their minds enlightened with saving knowledge? Yes. Is gross ignorance then a certain sign of one that remains uncalled, and unconverted? Yes. To the knowledge of whom doth the Spirit lead the convinced sinner? To the Knowledg of Christ. Is it sufficient to our effectual calling to have our minds enlightened and changed from ignorance to knowledg? No. Must there be a change upon our wills too? Yes. What then doth the Spirit do farther for the sinner when he hath enlightened his mind? He doth renew his Will. Do the Wills of men remain unchanged, when they are effectually called? No. Are there new inclinations then in the Wills of those that are effectually called, that they love the good that they hated before, and bate the evil that they loved before? Yes. Why doth the Spirit convince us of our Sins, enlighten our Minds, and renew our Wills? That he may perswade and enable us to embrace Jesus Christ. Doth he no more then perswade our Wills? He doth also enable us. Are not we able of our selves to embrace Christ though he be offered to us? No. Are we as unwilling, as unable to embrace Jesus Christ? Yes. Who is it that perswadeth us, and enableth us, and makes us willing? The Spirit. Doth the upshot of our effectual calling consist in answering Christ’s call, and embracing him? Yes. Is Christ offered to us sinners then? Yes. Where? In the Gospel. How is Christ offered to them? Freely.",
      "title": null,
      "url": "/api/v1/documents/alleine1672/entries/31"
    },
    "… 18 more"
  ],
  "total": 83
}