Arthur C. Cochrane, Reformed Confessions of the Sixteenth Century. Louisville: KY: Westminster/John Knox Press, 2003. 336 pp. Paper. ISBN: 0-664-22694-9. $24.95.
The republication of Cochrane's compilation makes available, once more, this collection of Reformation era confessions. Although several of these are available in other collections (notably volume 3 of Philip Schaff's The Creeds of Christendom), five are not: The Tetrapolitan Confession (1530); The First Confession of Basel (1534); The Lausanne Articles (1536); The Geneva Confession (1536); and the Confession of the English Congregation at Geneva (1556). Each creedal statement is introduced with a short narrative of origin, author(s) and context. A bibliography is attached for further research. Since the original edition of this work appeared in 1966, the latter area (bibliographies) is somewhat dated. Nevertheless, Cochrane provides an excellent overview of each document so that we get the flavor of the theological issues in those turbulent and exciting times. B. B. Warfield once noted that the reading of the Reformed confessions is wonderfully edifying. In an era of shoddy Reformed theology, these confessions take us back to our roots (ad fontes). Perhaps this reprint can be of use in reminding us of our glorious confessional tradition and assisting us in reclaiming it.
James T. Dennison, Jr.