# Westminster Standards vs 3 forms of Unity



## ReformedChapin (Jan 31, 2009)

I saw another thread on this but it didnt really cover the same topic as mine below.



I do want to add if anyone can tell me the major differences between both? Is there a church government difference? From what I was told the URCNA does not have a presbytery.


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## Guido's Brother (Jan 31, 2009)

No, Reformed church polity (derived from the Church Order of Dort) does not have presbyteries. Our closest analogy would be the classis. However, there are at least a couple of important differences:

1) A classis is not a permanent body. It only exists when it is meeting. So, for instance, we speak about the Classis Pacific West of November 5, 2008. But there is no continuing body which goes by the term "Classis Pacific West." The only continuing body in classical Reformed church polity is the consistory.

2) The ministers are members of their congregations, not of the classis. In Presbyterian polity, the ministers are members of the presbytery.

Here's a helpful on-line resource on one version of the Church Order of Dort:

With Common Consent, W.W.J. VanOene


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## ReformedChapin (Feb 2, 2009)

Anyone else?


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## beej6 (Feb 3, 2009)

This article by Herman Hanko might be up your alley:

A Comparison of the Westminster and the Reformed Confessions

It does not cover polity but is more generally theological. It concludes that there are no essential differences.


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## discipulo (Feb 3, 2009)

I find very helpful the book

Reformed Confessions Harmonized

A harmony of 7 Church documents in a systematic way.
It is so practical to have the confessions and catechisms

side by side in columns, and arranged by doctrine

It includes:

the Belgic Confession of Faith (1561), 
the Heidelberg Catechism (1563), 
the Canons of Dort (1618-19). 
Second Helvetic Confession (1566).
the Westminster Confession of Faith (1646-47) 
Larger and Shorter Westminster Catechisms (1647). 

Title : Reformed Confessions Harmonized

Paperback: 304 pages 
Publisher: Baker Books (August 1, 1999) 
ISBN-10: 080105222X

Editors
Joel R. Beeke (Reformed Church)
Sinclair B. Ferguson (Presbyterian Church)

It is also a blessing to see such a fruitful cooperation between brothers 
in Christ from a Reformed and Presbyterian background

you can also take a look inside
Amazon.com: Reformed Confessions Harmonized: Joel R. Beeke, Sinclair B. Ferguson: Books


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## Scott1 (Feb 3, 2009)

I have not studied the "3 forms of unity" in-depth. 

A Teaching Elder (Pastor) recently told me, "they are the same theology." 

As our denomination, which holds to the Westminster standards, occasionally quotes from them (e.g. the Heidelberg Catechism), I have implicitly understood them to be very close in agreement and thus another remarkable (Providential) concurrence of the doctrine of Scripture coming from the reformers.


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