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The Holy Scripture 1.
The Holy Scripture is the all-sufficient, certain and infallible
rule or standard of the knowledge, faith and obedience that constitute
salvation. Although the light of nature, and God's works of creation and
providence, give such clear testimony to His goodness, wisdom and power
that men who spurn them are left inexcusable, yet they are not sufficient
of themselves to give that knowledge of God and His will which is
necessary for salvation. In consequence the merciful Lord from time to
time and in a variety of ways has revealed Himself, and made known His
will to His church. And furthermore, in order to ensure the preservation
and propagation of the truth, and the establishment and comfort of the
church against the corrupt nature of man and the malice of Satan and the
world, He caused this revelation of Himself and His will to be written
down in all its fullness. And as the manner in which God formerly revealed
His will has long ceased, the Holy Scripture becomes absolutely essential
to men. 2.
The Holy Scripture, or the Word of God written, consists of the
following books which together make up the Old and New Testaments: THE
OLD TESTAMENT
THE
NEW TESTAMENT
All
these books are given by the inspiration of God to be the rule or standard
of faith and life. 3.
The books commonly called the Apocrypha were not given by divine
inspiration and are not part of the canon or rule of Scripture. Therefore
they do not possess any authority in the church of God, and are to be
regarded and used in the same way as other writings of men. 4.
The Scripture is self-authenticating. Its authority does not depend
upon the testimony of any man or church, but entirely upon God, its
author, who is truth itself. It is to be received because it is the Word
of God. 5.
The testimony of the church of God may influence and persuade us to
hold the Scripture in the highest esteem. The heavenliness of its
contents, the efficacy of its doctrine, the majesty of its style, the
agreement between all its parts from first to last, the fact that
throughout it gives all glory to God, the full revelation it gives of the
only way of salvation-these, together with many other incomparably high
qualities and full perfections, supply abundant evidence that it is the
Word of God. At the same time, however, we recognize that our full
persuasion and assurance of its infallible truth and divine authority is
the outcome of the inward work of the Holy Spirit bearing witness by and
with the Word in our hearts. 6.
The sum total of God's revelation concerning all things essential
to His own glory, and to the salvation and faith and life of men, is
either explicitly set down or implicitly contained in the Holy Scripture.
Nothing, whether a supposed revelation of the Spirit or man's traditions,
is ever to be added to Scripture.
At the same time, however, we acknowledge that inward enlightenment
from the Spirit of God is necessary for the right understanding of what
Scripture reveals. We also accept that certain aspects of the worship of
God and of church government, which are matters of common usage, are to be
determined by the light of nature and Christian common sense, in line with
the general rules of God's Word from which there must be no departure. 7.
The contents of the Scripture vary in their degree of clarity, and
some men have a better understanding of them than others. Yet those things
which are essential to man's salvation and which must be known, believed
and obeyed, are so clearly propounded and explained in one place or
another, that men educated or uneducated may attain to a sufficient
understanding of them if they but use the ordinary means. 8.
The Old Testament in Hebrew and the New Testament in Greek (that is
to say, in their original languages before translation) were inspired by
God at first hand, and ever since, by His particular care and providence,
they have been kept pure. They are therefore authentic and, for the
church, constitute the final court of appeal in all religious
controversies. All God's people have a right to, and an interest in, the
Scripture, and they are commanded in the fear of God to read and search
it. But as the Hebrew and Greek are not known to all such readers,
Scripture is to be translated into every human language, so that as men
thus acquire knowledge of God they may worship Him in an acceptable
manner, and 'through patience and comfort of the Scriptures may have
hope'. 9.
It is an infallible rule that Scripture is to be interpreted by
Scripture, that is to say, one part by another. Hence any dispute as to
the true, full and evident meaning of a particular passage must be
determined in the light of clearer, comparable passages.
All religious controversies
are to be settled by Scripture, and by Scripture alone. All decrees of
Councils, opinions of ancient writers, and doctrines of men collectively
or individually, are similarly to be accepted or rejected according to the
verdict of the Scripture given to us by the Holy Spirit. In that verdict
faith finds its final rest.
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