Instructions

At a glance

• Where to start. On the reader page a ★ marks the editions the editors recommend as a good starting point in each language; registered readers can also keep their own ♥ favourites.
• Parallel reading. Pick a confession and any number of its language editions; they are aligned unit by unit — part, Lord’s Day, article, question and answer, rejection of errors — and shown in columns.
• Compare two editions. When two editions of the same language are open, a Compare view marks every wording difference between them, ignoring changes of spelling, capitalisation and punctuation.
• Proof-texts on demand. A toggle shows or hides the Scripture references under each unit.
• The printed page. For editions transcribed from a historical print, a toggle shows the original page numbers and, where available, scans of those pages, so you can find the place in a physical copy.
• Edition provenance. The “i” beside an edition’s name gives its source, translator and a scan of the title page.
• Search. Full-text search across every confession and edition, with phrase ("…"), required-word (+), exclude (-) and prefix (*) operators.
• Shareable views. The confession, the chosen editions and a specific unit are all in the address bar, so any view can be bookmarked or linked — …#HC.Q1 jumps straight to Heidelberg Q&A 1.

Reading in parallel

1. Open the Parallel reader and choose a confession.
2. Tick the language editions you want to see beside each other, then Read in parallel. Not sure which to choose? Start with the editions marked ★ (see below).
3. The reader keeps every column on the same unit as you scroll, so a question or article always sits next to its counterpart in the other editions — even where an edition numbers or divides things differently.
4. Use Change editions at the top to add or remove columns.
5. Columns appear in each edition’s set order. To force a particular order for one view, list the editions in that order in the address bar (?tr=12,7,3).

Recommended editions

Many confessions are available in several editions per language — from the first prints of the sixteenth century to modern revisions. To help you choose, the editors mark some editions as recommended: on the reader page they carry a ★ and a lightly tinted background. A recommendation is only a guide; the other editions are just as complete. Untick Highlight recommended editions to show all editions alike; your choice is remembered on this device.

Favourite editions

If you are signed in, a ♡ appears beside every edition on the reader page. Click it to make the edition a favourite (♥); click again to remove it. Tick Show only my favourites to hide all other editions; this choice is saved with your account too. Your favourites are stored with your account, so they are available on any device, and they are listed under My account, with a link to read them in parallel.

Proof-texts

Tick Show proof-texts to reveal the Scripture references beneath each unit; untick to hide them. Within a unit, a small superscript letter or number marks where a reference belongs — click it to jump to that reference. Your choice is remembered on this device.

The printed page

Editions transcribed from a historical print carry page markers keyed to that print. Tick Show printed pages and a small bracketed page number appears in that column wherever a page of the original begins; where a scan is available, click it to see that page, so you can check the transcription or locate the passage in a physical book.

Comparing two editions

When exactly two editions of the same language are open, a Compare these two link appears at the top of the reader. It lays the two texts side by side and marks every difference in wording: words found only in the left edition are struck through, words only in the right are underlined. Differences of spelling, capitalisation, punctuation and Scripture references are ignored, so only real changes of wording show — even where the two editions have little in common.

Edition information

An “i” appears next to an edition’s name — in the column headers and in the edition picker — wherever there is background to show. Click it for the source, the translator or reviser, and a scan of the title or first page.

Searching the text

The Search page runs a full-text search over every confession and edition. A plain query returns the units that contain all of its words. For finer control:

• "exact phrase" — those words in that order
• +word must appear · -word must not appear
• word* matches any ending (sacrament* → sacrament, sacraments, sacramental…)
• (faith works) -law — grouping

Words shorter than three letters are ignored. Each result links into the reader at that reference with the editions that matched already selected.

Accounts

Reading, comparing and searching are open to everyone, without an account. A free account — register with a name, email and password; it is instant, with no email verification — adds a few conveniences:

• Favourite editions, kept with your account on any device (see above);
• your last reading is remembered: the reader reopens the confession and the editions you used last time;
• more features for registered readers are being prepared.

Your profile and favourites are at My account.

Linking and sharing

Every reader view is fully described by its web address: the confession, the chosen editions (?tr=…), and — after you click a unit or arrive from a search result or a citation — a specific reference (#HC.Q1, #BC.ART.1). Copy the address to share exactly what you are looking at.