The
Westminster Confession of Faith
Chapter 1 - Of the Holy Scripture
- 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 of 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 afterwards,
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 Scripture to
be most necessary; those former ways of God's revealing His will
unto His people being now ceased.
- 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,
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:
The Gospels according to Matthew, Mark, Luke, John; The Acts of the Apostles;
Paul's Epistles to the Romans, Corinthians 1, Corinthians 2, Galatians,
Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Thessalonians 1, Thessalonians
2, To Timothy 1, To Timothy 2, 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 Epistles of
Jude The Revelation of John
All which are given by inspiration of God, to be the rule of faith
and life.
- The books commonly called Apocrypha, not being of divine inspiration,
are no part of the canon of the Scripture; and therefore are of no
authority in the Church of God, nor to be any otherwise approved,
or made use of, than other human writings.
- The authority of the Holy Scripture, for which it ought to be
believed and obeyed, dependeth not upon the testimony of any man,
or Church; but wholly upon God (who is truth itself) the author thereof:
and therefore it is to be received because it is the Word of God.
- We may be moved and induced by the testimony of the Church to
a high and reverent esteem of the Holy Scripture. And the heavenliness
of the matter, the efficacy of the doctrine, 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, the many other incomparable excellencies, and
the entire perfection 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.
- The whole counsel of God concerning all things necessary for
His own glory, man's salvation, faith, and life, is either expressly
set down in Scripture, or by good and necessary consequence may be
deduced from Scripture: unto which nothing at any time is to be added,
whether by new revelations 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.
- 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 the ordinary means, may
attain unto a sufficient understanding of them.
- 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 authentical;
so as, in all controversies of religion, the Church is finally to
appeal unto them. But, because these original tongues are not known
to all the people of God, who have 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.
- 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 and known by other places that speak more clearly.
- 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
Spirit speaking in the Scripture.
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