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The Bible
The Holy Scripture is the only sufficient, certain, and infallible rule of all saving
knowledge, faith, and obedience, 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 they are not sufficient to give that knowledge of God and His
will which is necessary unto salvation. Therefore it pleased the Lord at sundry
times and in diversified manners to reveal Himself, and to declare His will unto
His church; and afterward 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 makes the Holy Scriptures to be most necessary, those former
ways of God's revealing His will unto His people being now completed.
The books commonly called Apocrypha, not being of divine inspiration, are no part
of the canon or rule of the Scripture, and, therefore, are of no authority to the
church of God, nor to be any otherwise approved or made use of than other human writings.
The authority of the Holy Scripture, for which it ought to be believed, depends not
upon the testimony of any man or church, but wholly upon God (who is truth itself),
the author thereof; therefore it is to be received because it is the Word of God.
We may be moved and induced by the testimony of the church of God to a high an
d reverent
esteem of the Holy Scriptures; and the heavenliness of the matter, the efficacy of
the doctrine, and 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, and many other incomparable excellencies, and entire
perfections thereof, are arguments whereby it does 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.
The whole counsel of God
concerning all things necessary for His own glory, man's salvation, faith and life,
is either expressly set down or necessarily contained in the Holy Scripture: unto
which nothing at any time is to be added, whether by new revelation 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.
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 ordinary means, may attain to
a sufficient understanding of them.
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 authentic; so as
in all controversies of religion, the church is finally to appeal to them. But because
these original tongues are not known to all the people of God, who have a 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 vulgar language of every
nation 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.
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 are
not many, but one), it must be searched by other places that speak more clearly.
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 Scripture delivered by the Spirit, into which Scripture so delivered, our faith is finally resolved.
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