# How to include WCF in Bibliography



## Ben_Ives (Mar 14, 2015)

Hi,

I did search the forum first for an answer to this and found advice on how to cite the WCF in footnotes. But I'd like to include it in a bibliography in a full capacity, with year, author and when it was published. 

That could prove quite challenging, given the amount of Westminster Divines involved. So I thought I would just say something like this, if I wanted to refer to a specific chapter:

"Of the Holy Scripture" THE WESTMINSTER CONFESSION OF FAITH, Chapter 1 (1647), The Westminster Assembly of Divines: Westminster United Kingdom.

I'm not so worried about the format and order of each bit of information, just in getting these facts correct:

Author
Date of Publication
Place of Publication

I'm using a citation program called Zotero and I've entered it in as, Document type: Statute.

Is anyone pretty confident that this information would be correct?


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## Ben_Ives (Mar 14, 2015)

Nevermind people I sorted it out, thanks

So if an admin wants to delete the thread that's fine as I don't know how to do this!

Anyway the answer is if people want to know, is I found a copy of the WCF in a library, so I'm able to reference that book as opposed to the online versions.


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## psycheives (Mar 14, 2015)

Please do share for the rest of us  And what style are you using? Chicago?


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## Ben_Ives (Mar 14, 2015)

Westminster Assembly, _The Westminster Confession of Faith: With Proof Texts. _(Horsham, Pa.: Great Commission Publications, 1992). 

ISBN: 0934688508 9780934688505

So author is simply, "The Westminster Assembly"

Yep that's Chicago


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## Reformed Covenanter (Mar 14, 2015)

Generally speaking, if you just cite something like Westminster Confession, XX:1 in a footnote that will be accepted. You may, however, wish to state which edition you are referring to if you have the option of adding a note on abbreviations.

For a bibliography, I would omit to refer to an author and just write something along the following lines: _The Confession of Faith. Agreed upon by the Assembly of divines at Westminster, with the assistance of commissioners from the Church of Scotland, as a part of the covenanted uniformity in religion betwixt the churches of Christ in the kingdoms of Scotland, England, and Ireland. Approved by the General Assembly 1647, and ratified and established by Acts of Parliament 1649 and 1690, as the public and avowed confession of the Church of Scotland, with the proofs from the Scripture_ (1646; Glasgow, 1995)

BTW, if I were you, I would be more worried about the mysterious town of "Ba*m*bridge" that you refer to in your signature.


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## Jake (Mar 14, 2015)

Ben, it looks like you are citing the American revision used by the OPC/PCA. Even if you are not citing part that has been revised, you might not want to cite a revision where it doesn't matter, especially if you are not writing in an American context. I have the Free Presbyterian version, which is generally what I cite.


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## NaphtaliPress (Mar 14, 2015)

If I'm not citing early texts for historical purposes, I usually site one of the historical editions such as the Lumisden and Robertson text or more specifically the later version of that by Johstone and Hunter which is the edition the FPP reprint with some of the text updated. Depending on the nature of the writing it may not be necessary to put in the bibliography since it may be considered a common source like Webster's or the OED. It may depend upon institutional "druthers" also.


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## Ben_Ives (Mar 15, 2015)

NaphtaliPress said:


> If I'm not citing early texts for historical purposes, I usually site one of the historical editions such as the Lumisden and Robertson text or more specifically the later version of that by Johstone and Hunter which is the edition the FPP reprint with some of the text updated. Depending on the nature of the writing it may not be necessary to put in the bibliography since it may be considered a common source like Webster's or the OED. It may depend upon institutional "druthers" also.



OK so just to be safe, I'm citing a website which is the document I've been using anyway. It was helpful though to make sure I got the author right. I'm using the WCF as a secondary source on the origins of the papacy.

Westminster Assembly, "Chapter XXV, Of the Church: VI" In: _The Westminster Confession of Faith: With Proof Texts_., 1646, Westminster Confession of Faith.

Strictly speaking this may not be completely correct, as obviously the website wasn't published in 1646, but I can't see myself losing marks for that surely?


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## NaphtaliPress (Mar 15, 2015)

I recall when I collated my text for an edition of the WCF and catechisms which never materialized (not the full thing at least), that reformed.org introduced some errors; they worked from the FPP reprint of the 1855 Johnstone and Hunter. I don't know what the grading rules are but if it were me I'd find an online copy of a real edition rather than one that was not formally published. I use reformed.org all the time for informal citing; I would not use it for formal work. The 1855 Johstone and Hunter is online at the link below. Because of the ubiquitous green FPP reprint it is as much a standard text as any, though it has errors. https://archive.org/stream/confessionoffait00chur_0#page/n3/mode/2up


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## Ben_Ives (Mar 15, 2015)

NaphtaliPress said:


> I recall when I collated my text for an edition of the WCF and catechisms which never materialized (not the full thing at least), that reformed.org introduced some errors; they worked from the FPP reprint of the 1855 Johnstone and Hunter. I don't know what the grading rules are but if it were me I'd find an online copy of a real edition rather than one that was not formally published. I use reformed.org all the time for informal citing; I would not use it for formal work. The 1855 Johstone and Hunter is online at the link below. Because of the ubiquitous green FPP reprint it is as much a standard text as any, though it has errors. https://archive.org/stream/confessionoffait00chur_0#page/n3/mode/2up



That's brilliant Chris thankyou.


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