Confession - Chapter One
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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. 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 they are not sufficient to give that knowledge of God and His will,
which is necessary for salvation. 2
Therefore it pleased the Lord
'in many portions and in many ways'
to reveal Himself,
and to declare that His will to His Church; 3
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 to writing;
which makes the Holy Scriptures to be most necessary,
those former ways of God's revealing His will to His people being now ceased. 4
1 1Ti. 3:15-17; Is. 8:20; Luke 16:29-31; Eph. 2:20 2 Rom. 1:19-21; 2:14-15;
Ps. 19:1-3 3 Heb. 1:1 4 Prov. 22:19-21; Rom. 15:4; 2Pe. 1:19-20.
2. Under the name of Holy Scripture, or the Word of God written, are now contained all the books of the Old and New Testament, which are these:
of the Old Testament
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth,
1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, The Song of Songs, 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, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, to Titus, to Philemon, the Epistle to the Hebrews, the 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 which are given, by the inspiration of God, to be the rule of faith and life. 5
5 1Ti. 3:16
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. 6
6 2Pe. 1:19-21; 1Ti. 3:16; 2Th. 2:13; 1 John 5:9
4. The authority of the Holy Scripture,
for which it ought to be believed,
does not depend upon the testimony of any man or church;
but wholly upon God (who is truth itself), the Author of it;
therefore it is to be received because it is the Word of God. 7
7 Luke 24:27, 44; Rom. 3:2
5. We may be moved and induced
by the testimony of the Church of God,
to a 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 agreement of all the parts,
the scope of the whole (which is to give all glory to God)
the full revelation it makes of the only way of man's salvation,
and many other incomparable excellencies, and entire perfections of it,
are arguments whereby it does abundantly evidence itself to be the Word of God;
nevertheless,
our full persuasion
and assurance of the infallible truth,
and divine authority of it,
is from the inward work of the Holy Spirit
bearing witness by and with the Word in our hearts. 8
8 John 16:13-14; 1 Co. 2:10-12; 1 John 2:2, 20, 27
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;
to which nothing at any time is to be added,
whether by new revelation of the Spirit,
or traditions of men. 9
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, 10
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. 11
9 2Ti. 3:15-17; Gal. 1: 8-9 10 John 6:45; 1Co. 2:9-12 11 2Co. 11:13-14; 14:26, 40
7. All things in Scripture are not alike plain in themselves,
nor alike clear to all; 12
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. 13
12 2Pe. 3:16 13 Ps. 19:7; 119:130
8. The Old Testament in Hebrew,
(which was the native language of the people of God of old), 14
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. 15
But
because the original tongues are not known to all the people of God,
who have a right to,
and interest in the Scriptures,
and are commanded in the fear of God to read 16 and search them, 17
therefore they are to be translated into the common language of every nation to which they come, 18
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. 19
14 Rom. 3:2 15 Is. 8:20 16 Acts 15:15 17 John 5:39 18 1Co. 14:6; 9:11-12, 24, 28 19 Col. 3:16
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. 20
20 2Pe. 1:20-21; Acts 15:15-16
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. 21
21 Mt. 2:29-31; Eph. 2:20; Acts 28:23
Since it was originally, 'sundry times and in divers manners,' a direct quote of the King James at Hebrews 1:1, we have updated it with a modern translation (NASB).
Originally, 'consent.'
Originally, 'vulgar.'
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