Confession of the Christian Religion, Confession · Chapter 1
CHAP. I. Of the holy ſcriptures, the foundation of all chriſtian religion.
I. Concerning god, and matters pertaining to Religion: hovv vve muſt ſimply beleeue in God alone.
TOuching God, and ſuch diuine matters as pertaine to the kingdome of Chriſt, Ambr. epiſt. 31.and our ſaluation, wee hold that wee can be inſtructed better or more certainly of none other then of God himſelfe: vvho can neither deceiue nor be deceiued. No man hath ſeene God at any time. Ioh. 1.18.The ſonne vvhichwhich is in the boſome of his father, he hath ſhewed him vntounto vsus.
II. God himſelfe ſpeaketh in the vvrightings of the Prophets and Apoſtles.
But we know that God, (though he hath not meanly or obſcurely manifeſted the knowledge of himſelfe and his euerlaſting power and deitie, to all men in the world, by ſuch works as are done by him, ſo that as many as hauehave not glorified him as god, are made inexcuſable) yet in a more peculiar forte, he hath reuealed himſelfe and his will to his Church very plainely & perſpicuouſly namely by Prophets and Apoſtles, inſpired by his grace, and by their writinges: and therefore theſe writings of the Prophets and Apoſtles to be the verie true word of God.
III. The Prophets and Apoſtles wrightings to be only Canonicall.
Now we doubt not but theſe writings of the Prophets and Apoſtles are thoſe, which the Church of god hath beene accuſtomed to call by the name of Canonicall bookes, becauſe knowing theſe bookes aſſuredly to be foreign inſpired from aboue, 2. Tim. 3.16.ſhe alwaies acknowledged them onelyonly for the Canon or rule of all chriſtian pietie, by which euerie controuerſie in religion, ought to be auoided: and calling likewiſe the other books (though they be contained in the volume of the holie Bible,) by the name of Apocryphi, becauſe ſhe could not be aſſured they came ſo from the holy Ghoſt as thoſe of the former kinde.
IIII. VVhichWhich be Canonicall bookes and vvhichwhich Apocryphi.
We therfore, Con. Laod. Can. 59.with the whole Church both before, & ſince the comming of Chriſt, without al doubt doe acknowledge and embrace theſe bookes of the old Teſtament for the verie certaine word of God.
Fiue bookes of Moſes:
Of Iehouſuah one:
Of Iudges one:
Of Ruth one:
Of Samuell two:
Of the Kinges two:
Paralip. two:
Of Eſdras the two former:
Of Heſter nine chapters:
And three firſt verſes of the tenth chapters Iob:
The Pſalmes:
The Prouerbes:
Eccleſiaſtes:
Canticum canticorum:
Eſaie:
Ieremie with the Lamentations:
Ezechiell:
Daniell the twelue former chapters, excepting the ſong of the three children:
The twelue ſmale Prophets.
Theſe other vve receiue for not Canonicall.
Iudith:
Tobias:
Of Eſdras the third and fourth:
Daniell chap. 13. and 14:
The ſonge of the three children, which is annexed to the third chapter:
Wiſedome of Solomon:
Wiſedome of Ieſus the ſonne of Zirach, in latin called Eccleſiaſticus:
Baruch:
Epiſtle of Ieremie:
Of Heſter, the reſt from the third verſe of the tenth chapter:
Of the Macchabees both the bookes:
Theſe of the old Teſtament.
Of the new Teſtament we except none: for although there be ſome books of them, wherof ſome hauehave doubted, yet afterward they were acknowledged, yea euen for apoſtolicall no leſſe then the other, to which iudgement we alſo doe ſubſcribe.
Of the former kinde,
The goſpells after Matthew:
Marke:
Luke:
Iohn:
Acts of the Apoſtles:
Epiſtles of Paule:
The firſt of Peter:
The firſt of Iohn:
Of the latter ſorte,
The epiſtle to the Hebrues:
The epiſtle of Iames:
The laſt of Peter:
The 2. and 3. of Iohn:
The epiſtle of Iude:
The Reuelation.
For although they which were neuer doubted of may ſeeme to beate a greater authority then the reſt which hauehave bin doubted of, yet wee as well to the one ſorte as the other doe giuegive vndoubted credit, as to the aſſured word of god: and to the Apocryphi contained in the volume of the Bible, doe we yeeld the chiefe place next vntounto the Canonicall bookes.
V. The rules of faith can be prooued onelyonly by the canonicall bookes.
And therefore wee vſe only the canonicall bookes for proofe of the rules of faith, Hieron. in praef. in lib. Sal. Cypr. in ſym. p. 377. Con. Laod. cap. 59.and with the fathers wee teach that they are to be vſed: but wee thinke the reſt to be of great force to confirme the ſame rules, beeing before ſufficiently prooued.
VI. The canonicall ſcriptures take not their authoritie from the Church.
VVherefore this we hold without all controuerſie, and wee thinke it is to be holden: that although the Church beeing taught of the firſt fathers, namely Prophets and Apoſtles, who receiued their doctrine immediatly from god, and committed the ſame to writing, and beeing alſo inſtructed by the holie ghoſt, hath deliuered to the poſteritie by a continueing and perpetuall tradition, which are canonicall, and which are not canonicall bookes, yea and hath giuen and ſhall alwaies giuegive teſtimonie vntounto them, of the holie and heauenlie truth: yet that theſe writings hauehave not receiued their authoritie from the ſame Church, but of god onelyonly, their onelyonly proper author: and therefore that of themſelues becauſe they are the word of God, they hauehave power ouer all men, and are worthie to bee ſimplie beleeued and obeyed of all.
VII. Yet that the Churches authoritie doth much auaile, to make men beleeue the holie Scriptures.
Although wee denie not by the waie, but that the authoritie of the church hath an eſpeciall force to mooue men to the hearing and reading of the holie Scriptures, as the word of god: according to that of Auguſtine I had not beleeued the goſpell (for ſo he meant) vnleſſe the authoritie of the church had mooued me. Tom. 6. cont. Epi. Fund. ca. 5.Yet the ſame Auguſtine notwithſtanding in all places pronounceth, that his beleefe came not from the church, but from the bolie ſpirite, whoſe gift faith is.
VIII. That the church hath nopovver ouer the holie ſcriptures.
But to diſpute whether the authoritie of the church be greater then that of the holie ſcriptures, yea and much more to ſet downe the affirmatiue part, as though the church ouer and aboue the gift of knowing the ſpirits, and of diſcerning canonicall ſcriptures from others, and of teſtifying of them and of interpreting of them, ſhould hauehave alſo authoritie either of adding too or diminiſhing anie thing from them, and of diſpenſing with thē: we iudge it more then ſacriledge. Deut. 4.2. & 5.31. & 12.32. Apoc. 22.18. & 19.For God commandeth, that no man ſhall add, or diminiſh, nor anie one ſhall decline to the right hand or to the left, but all together ſhall ſimplie obeye him ſpeaking vntounto them in the holie ſcriptures, in all manner of thinges.
IX. The holie ſcriptures are ſo perfect, that nothing may be added to or taken from them.
For the ſcriptures are ſo holie and meerlie perfect, plentifully containing whatſoeuer is neceſſarie to ſaluation, that nothing can bee added vntounto them: & written with ſuch perfection and wiſedome, that nothing may bee taken from them.
X. And therefore men ought to reſt vppon them.
VVherefore wee, euen as all godlie men ought to doe, doe reſt our ſelues vppon the doctrine of thoſe holie writinges: holding that ſame ſpoken by the Apoſtle, 2. Tim. 3.16.all Scripture inſpired from aboue, is profitable to doctrine &c.
XI. Nothing muſt be eſtabliſhed concerning religion vvithout the vvord af god, but all things to be reformed by it.
VVe hold therefore, Diſt. 9.that nothing muſt be determined cōcerning religion in the church of god, which hath not apparent teſtimonie in the canonicall bookes, or may out of them be conuinced by manifeſt and neceſſarie conſequence. And if at anie time there hath crept into the church anie thing either concerning doctrine or the ſeruice of god, which is not agreeable to the holie ſcriptures: the ſame ought by ſome lawfull meanes either quite to be taken away, or els to be reformed by the rule of gods word: and that all controuerſies in religion ought lawfully to be iudged and decided out of the ſame holie ſcriptures.
XII. Traditions truely apoſtolicall and catholicke are to be retained in the church.
And the traditiōs in meane while which it is manifeſtlie knowne hauehave come from the Apoſtles, Aug. tom. 7. con. Donat. lib. 4. ca. 24. & tom. 2. 2d Ian. ep. 118. D. 11. c. 8.to hauehave beene euer obſerued in all churches, as that of hallowing the Lords daie in place of the Sabaoth, and ſuch like: and allthough there be no expreſſe commandement in the ſcriptures for the obſeruing of them, yet wee iudge that they are to be retained in the church.
XIII. The ſcripture is verie perſpicuous in ſuch things as be neceſſarie to ſaluation: and therefore ought to bee read of all.
Yea wee thinke and knowe the whole doctrine of ſaluation not onelyonly plentifully but plainelie and perſpicuouſlie to bee deliuered in the holie ſcriptures: and ſith God neuer ſpake vntounto his people but in their natural language, which might bee vnderſtood of all, that it is a great iniuſtice and tirannie to forbidd the reading of them to anie men, & conſequentlie the turning of them into the proper tongue of anie nation, which the Lord hath willed and commaunded ſhould be read of all men for their owne ſaluations ſake, yea & ſhould be continuallie borne about in their hands daie and night.
XIIII. The faithfull interpretations by learned godlie men are not to be contemned.
Although the holie ſcriptures, in thoſe matters which are neceſſarie to ſaluation, be plaine and eaſie: yet wee diſſolue not the interpretations and expoſitions of skillful and learned godlie men, 1. Theſſ. 5.21.aſwell aimcient as later, namely ſuch as are grounded vppon the ſame ſcriptures, and ſo farre forth as ſcriptures are expounded by ſcriptures, and that in correſpondence to the chiefe principles of faith: the ſumme whereof is contained both in the Apoſtles Creede, and alſo in the Creedes of the true, generall, and of the auncient holie councells gathered together againſt thoſe which were notorious heretikes.
XV. The onelyonly word of god to be the piller of faith and foundation of religion.
For our faith nether cā nor ought to groūded vppon anie other thing, Rom. 10.17.then the word of god deliuered in the holy ſcriptures: that faith may be allwaies of hearing, and hearing by the vvord of god: wherunto whatſoeuer in any mens works is repugnāt, we reiect it: whatſoeuer is agreeable, we embrace it: but that which ſtandeth in a newtralitie, as it ſhall be expedient or not expedient to the church, we allow or diſallow it, and ſo we teach that it is to be allowed or diſallowed.