Sivut kuvina
PDF
ePub

which is before our eyes as a most elegant book, wherein all creatures great and small are as fo many characters leading us to contemplate the invisible things of GOD, namely, his eternal power and godhead, as the apostle Paul faith, Rom. i, 20. All which things is fufficient to convince men, and leave them without excufe. Secondly he makes himself more clearly and fully known to us by his holy and divine word; that is to fay, as far as is neceflary for us to know in this life, to his glory and to our falvation.

III.

Of the written word of GOD.

We confefs that this word of GOD, was not fent nor delivered by the will of man, but that holy men of GOD Spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghoft, as the apostle Peter faith. And that afterwards GOD from a fpecial care which he has for us and our falvation, commanded his fervants the prophets and apoftles, to commit his revealed word to writing, and he himself wrote with his own finger, the two tables of the law Therefore we call fuch writings holy and divine fcriptures.

:

IV.

Canonical books of the holy Scriptures.

We believe that the holy fcriptures are contained in two books, namely, the old and new teftament. which are canonicaly against which nothing can be

alledged. These are thus named in the church of God. The books of the old teftament are, the five books of Moses, viz. Genefis, Exodus, Liviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy: the book of Johua, Judges, Ruth, two books of Samuel, and two of the Kings, two books of the Chronicles, commonly called Paralipomenon, the first of Ezra, Nehemiah, Efther, Job, the Pfalms of David, the three books of Solomon, namely, the Proverbs, Ecclefiaftes, and the Song of Songs: the four great prophets, Ifaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel; and the twelve leffer prophets namely, Hofea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi.

Those of the new teftament are the four evangelifts viz. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John; the acts of the apostles: The fourteen epiftles of the apoftle Paul, viz. one to the Romans, two to the Corinthians, one to the Gallatians, one to the Ephefians, one to the Phillippians, one to the Colloffians, two to the Theffalonians, two to Timothy, one to Titus, one to Philemon, and one to the Hebrews; the feven epiftles of the other apostles, namely, one of James, two of Peter, three of John,one of Jude; and the Revelation of the apofle John.

V.

From whence do the holy fcriptures derive their dignity and authority,

We receive all thefe books and thefe only as holy and canonical, for the regulation, foundation, and confirmation of our faith; believing without any doubt all things contained in them, not fo much becaufe the church receives and approves them as fuch, but more especially because the Holy Ghoft witneffeth in our hearts, that they are from God, whereof they carry the evidence in themfelves; for the very blind are able to perceive that the things foretold in them are fulfilling.

VI.

The difference between the canonical and apocryphical books.

We diftinguish thofe facred books from the apocryphical viz. the third and fourth books of Efdras, the books of Tobias, Judith, Wisdom, Jefus Syrach, Baruch, the appendix to the book of Efther, the Song of the three Children in the furnace, the hiftory of Sufannah, of Bell and the Dragon, the prayer of Manaffes and the two books of the Maccabees; All which the church may read and take instruction from fo far as they agree with the canonical books: But they are far from having fuch power and efficacy, that we may from their teftimony confirm any point,

of faith or of the Chriftian religion; much lefs to detract from the authority of the other facred books.

VII,

The fufficiency of the holy fcriptures, to be the only rule of faith.

We believe that thefe holy feriptures, fully contain the will of God, and that whatsoever man ought to believe unto falvation, is fufficiently taught there. in. For fince the whole manner of worship which God requires of us, is writ in them at large, it is un-. lawful for any one, tho' an apostle, to teach other.. wife, than we are now taught in the holy fcriptures:: Nay, though it was an angel from heaven, as the apostle Paul faith. For fince it is forbidden, to add. unto or take away any thing from the word of God, it doth thereby evidently appear, that the doctrine thereof is most perfect and complete in all refpe&ts, neither may we compare any writings of men, tho’› never fo holy, with thofe divine fcriptures, nor ought we to compare cuftom, or the great multitude, or antiquity, or fucceffion of times or perfons, or councils, decrees or ftatutes, with the truth of God, for the truth is above all; for all men are of themfelves. liars, and more vain than vanity itfelf: Therefore we reject with all our hearts, whatfoever doth not agree with this infallible rule, which the apostles, have taught us faying, try the Spirits whether they be of GOD. Likewife, if there come any unto you and bring not this doctrine, receive him net into your house.

B 2.

VIII.

That GOD is one, in effence, yet neverthelefs diftinguished in three perfons.

According to this truth and the word of God, we believe in one only God, who is one fingle effence, in which are three perfons, really, truly, and eternally diftinct, according to their incommunicable properties; namely, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghoft. The Father is the caufe, origin and beginning of all things vifible and invifible; the Son is the word, wifdom, and image of the Father; the Holy Ghost is the eternal power and might, proceeding from the Father and the Son. Nevertheless God is not by this diftinction divided into three; fince the holy fcriptures teach us that the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost, Kath each his perfonality, diftinguished by their properties; but in fuch wife that these three perfons are but only one God. Hence then it is evident, that the Father is not the Son, nor the Son the Father, and likewife the Holy Ghoft is neither the Father nor the Son. Nevertheless thefe perfons thus diftinguished are not divided, nor intermixed: For the Father hath not affumed the flesh, nor hath the Holy Ghost, but the Son only. The Father hath never been without his Son, or without his Holy Ghoft: For they are all three co-eternal and co-effential. There is neither first nor laft, for they are all three, one, in rath, in power, in goodness, and in mercy.

« EdellinenJatka »