Chapter 1:
Of the Holy Scriptures
1. 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 are they 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 divers manners to reveal himself, and to declare that 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 maketh the Holy Scriptures 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, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, I Samuel, II Samuel, I Kings, II Kings, I Chronicles, II Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, The Song of Solomen, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations,Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi
Of the New Testament.
Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, The Acts of the Apostles, Paul's Epistle to the Romans, I Corinthians, II Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, I Thessalonians, II Thessalonians, I Timothy, II Timothy, To Titus, To Philemon, The Epistle to the Hebrews, Epistle of James, The first and second Epistles of Peter, The first, second, and third Epistles of John, The Epistle of Jude, The Revelation. All of which are given by the 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 (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.
4. The authority of the Holy Scripture, for which it ought to be believed, dependeth 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.
5. We may be moved and induced by the testimony of the church of God to an high and
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 doth abundantly evidence itself to be the Word of God;
yet not withstanding, 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 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.
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 ordinary means, may
attain to 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
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.
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 must be searched 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 Scripture delivered by the Spirit, into which Scripture so delivered,
our faith is finally resolved.