Guanabara Confession

As I mentioned last year, the (French Huguenot) Guanabara Confession, the first Protestant confession of faith drawn up in the New World (Brazil, 1558), is among the confessions translated and published the series of Reformed Confessions edited by James T. Dennison, Jr. I am very thankful for this new translation done by Dr. Dennison himself, which helps to bring attention to a chapter of history that is little-known by New World Protestants today, that of the first Protestant missionaries, who were sent by the Church of Geneva to the land of Brazil, who engaged the Indians and Portuguese, and were ultimately betrayed by the "Cain of America," who made martyrs of some of the authors of the Guanabara Confession within 12 hours of their writing it.

There are many other worthy creeds, catechisms and confessions that have been translated and published, some for the first time in English -- all listed here -- in the newly-released Reformed Confessions of the 16th and 17th Centuries in English Translation, Volume 2 (1552-1566). This series has been and continues to be a blessing to the church by which long-neglected worthy products of an earlier age are brought once again to our attention for our edification.

We often speak of standing on the shoulders of those men and women of faith who have gone before us, and this very useful labor helps us towards that end. I recommend this book, and this series, very highly, and wish to thank Dr. Dennison and his team of translators, as well as Reformation Heritage Books, for their invaluable service to the church.