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.
(
2
Timothy 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.
(
Luke
24:27, 44; Romans
3:2 )
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.
(
2
Peter 1:19-21; 2
Timothy 3:16; 2
Thessalonians 2:13; 1
John 5:9 )
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 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.
(
John
16:13,14; 1
Corinthians 2:10-12; 1
John 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: 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.
(
2
Timothy 3:15-17; Galatians
1:8,9; John
6:45; 1
Corinthians 2:9-12; 1
Corinthians 11:13, 14; 1
Corinthians 14:26,40)
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.
(
2
Peter 3:16; Psalms
19:7; Psalms
119:130)
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.
(
Romans
3:2; Isaiah
8:20; Acts
15:15; John
5:39; 1
Corinthians 14:6, 9, 11, 12, 24, 28; Colossians
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.
( 2
Peter 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.
(
Matthew
22:29, 31, 32; Ephesians
2:20; Acts
28:23)