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1. Although the light
of nature, and the works of creation and providence, do so far manifest
the goodness, wisdom, and power of God, as to leave men inexcusable; yet
are they not sufficient to give that knowledge of God, and of His will,
which is necessary unto salvation; therefore it pleased the Lord, at
sundry times, and in divers manners, to reveal Himself, and to declare
that His will unto His Church; and afterwards for the better preserving
and propagating of the truth, and for the more sure establishment and
comfort of the Church against the corruption of the flesh, and the
malice of Satan and of the world, to commit the same wholly unto
writing; which maketh the Holy Scripture to be most necessary; those
former ways of God's revealing His will unto His people being now
ceased.
2. Under the name of
Holy Scripture, or the Word of God written, are now contained all the
books of the Old and New Testaments, which are these:
Of the Old Testament
Genesis
Numbers
Judges
Exodus
Deuteronomy
Ruth
Leviticus
Joshua
I Samuel
II Samuel
Proverbs
Amos
I Kings
Ecclesiastes
Obadiah
II Kings
The Song of Songs
Jonah
I Chronicles
Isaiah
Micah
II Chronicles
Jeremiah
Nahum
Ezra
Lamentations
Habakkuk
Nehemiah
Ezekiel
Zephaniah
Esther
Daniel
Haggai
Job
Hosea
Zechariah
Psalms
Joel
Malachi
Of the New
Testament
Matthew
Ephesians
Hebrews
Mark
Philippians
James
Luke
Colossians
I Peter
John
I Thessalonians
II Peter
Acts of the
Apostles II
Thessalonians
I John
Romans
I Timothy
II John
I Corinthians
II Timothy
III John
II Corinthians
Titus
Jude
Galatians
Philemon
Revelation
All which are
given by inspiration of God, to be the rule of faith and life.
3. The
books commonly called Apocrypha, not being of divine inspiration, are no
part of the canon of the Scripture; and therefore are of no authority in
the Church of God, nor to be any otherwise approved, or made us of, than
other human writings.
4. The
authority of the Holy Scripture, for which it ought to be believed and
obeyed, dependeth not upon the testimony of any man or church, but
wholly upon God (who is truth itself), the author thereof; and therefore
it is to be received, because it is the Word of God.
5. We may
be moved and induced by the testimony of the Church to an high and
reverent esteem for the Holy Scripture; and the heavenliness of the
matter, the efficacy of the doctrine, the majesty of the style, the
consent of all the parts, the scope of the whole (which is to give all
glory to God), the full discovery it makes of the only way of man's
salvation, the many other incomparable excellencies, and the entire
perfection thereof, are arguments whereby it doth abundantly evidence
itself to be the Word of God; yet, notwithstanding, our full persuasion
and assurance of the infallible truth and divine authority thereof, is
from the inward work of the Holy Spirit, bearing witness by and with the
Word in our hearts.
6. The
whole counsel of God, concerning all things necessary for His own glory,
man's salvation, faith, and life, is either expressly set down in
Scripture, or by good and necessary consequence may be deduced from
Scripture: unto which nothing at any time is to be added, whether
by new revelations of the Spirit, or traditions of men.
Nevertheless we acknowledge the inward illumination of the Spirit of God
to be necessary for the saving understanding of such things as are
revealed in the Word; and that there are some circumstances concerning
the worship of God, and government of the Church, common to human
actions and societies, which are to be ordered by the light of nature
and Christian prudence, according to the general rules of the Word,
which are always to be observed.
7. All
things in Scripture are not alike plain in themselves, nor alike clear
unto all; yet those things which are necessary to be known, believed,
and observed, for salvation, are so clearly propounded and opened in
some place of Scripture or other, that not only the learned, but the
unlearned, in a due use of the ordinary means, may attain unto a
sufficient understanding of them.
8. The Old
Testament in Hebrew (which was the native language of the people of God
of old), and the New Testament in Greek (which at the time of the
writing of it was most generally known to the nations), being
immediately inspired by God, and by His singular care and providence
kept pure in all ages, are therefore authentical; so as in all
controversies of religion the Church is finally to appeal unto them.
But because these original tongues are not known to all the people of
God who have right unto, and interest in, the Scriptures, and are
commanded, in the fear of God, to read and search them, therefore they
are to be translated into the language of every people unto which they
come, that the Word of God dwelling plentifully in all, they may worship
Him in an acceptable manner, and, through patience and comfort of the
Scriptures, may have hope.
9. The
infallible rule of interpretation of Scripture, is the Scripture itself;
and therefore, when there is a question about the true and full sense of
any scripture (which is not manifold, but one), it may be searched and
known by other places that speak more clearly.
10. The
Supreme Judge, by which all controversies of religion are to be
determined, and all decrees of councils, opinions of ancient writers,
doctrines of men, and private spirits, are to be examined, and in whose
sentence we are to rest, can be no other but the Holy Spirit speaking in
the Scripture. |
