V. his being God, that those who deny that, are well aware ART. of this, that if it is once proved that he is a Perfon, it will follow that he must be God; therefore all that was faid to prove him a Perfon, is here to be remembered as a proof that he is truly God. So that though there is not fuch a variety of proofs for this, as there was for the Divinity of the Son, yet the proof of it is plain and clear. And from what was faid upon the first Article concerning the Unity of God, it is alfo certain, that if he is God, he must be of one Subflance, Majefty, and Glory, with the Father and the Son. ARTICLE ARTICLE VI. Of the Sufficiency of Holy Scriptures for Salvation. Holy Scripture containeth all things necellary to Salvation: fo that whatsoever is not read therein, nor may be proved thereby, is not to be required of any Man, that it should be believed as an Azticle of Faith, or to be thought requisite or necellary to Salvation. In the name of the Holy Scriptuze we do undezßand thofe Canonical Books of the Old and New Testament, of whole Authozity was nevez anp doubt in the Church. Of the Names and Number of the Canonical Books. Genefis Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy Jofbua Judges The First Book of Samuel And the other Books (as The Third Book of Efdras The reft of the Book of Eftber Jefus the Son of Syrach The First Book of Chronicles The Book of Job Hierom faith) the Church Baruch the Prophet The Firft Book of Maccabees All the Books of the New Teftament as thep aze commonly received, we do receive, and account them Canonical. VI. N this Article there are two important heads, and to ART each of them a proper confequence does belong. The firft is, that the holy Scriptures do contain all things necellary to falvation: the negative confequence that arifeth out of that is, that no article that is not either read in it, or that may not be proved by it, is to be required to be believed as an article of faith, or to be thought neceffary to falvation. The fecond is, the fettling the canon of the Scripture both of the Old and New Teftament; and the confequence that arifes out of that is, the rejecting the books commonly called Apocryphal, which though they may be read by the Church for example of life, and inftruction of manners; yet are no part of the canon, nor is any doctrine to be eftablifhed by them. After the main foundations of religion in general, in the belief of a God, or more fpecially of the Chriftian religion in the doctrine of the Trinity, and of the Death, Refurrection, and Afcenfion of Chrift, are laid down; the next point to be fettled is, what is the rule of this faith, where is it to be found, and with whom is it lodged? The Church of Rome and we do both agree, that the Scriptures are of divine inspiration: those of that communion acknowledge, that every thing which is contained in Scripture is true, and comes from God; but they add to this, that the books of the New Testament were occafionally written, and not with the defign of making them the full rule of faith, but many things were delivered orally by the Apoftles, which, if they are faithfully transmitted to us, are to be received by us with the fame fubmiffion and refpect that we pay to their writings: and they alfo believe, that thefe traditions are conveyed down infallibly to us, and that to diftinguish betwixt true and falfe doctrines and traditions, there must be an infallible authority lodged by Chrift with his Church. We on the contrary affirm, that the Scriptures are a complete rule of faith, and that the whole Chriftian religion is contained in them, and no where elfe; and although we make great ufe of tradition, especially that which is moft ancient and nearest the fource, to help us to a clear understanding of the Scriptures; yet as to matters of faith we reject all oral tradition, as an incompetent mean of conveying down doctrines to us, and we refufe to receive any doctrine, that is not either exprefsly contained in Scripture, or clearly proved from it. In order to the opening and proving of this, it is to be confidered, what God's defign, in first ordering Mofes, and VI. ART. and after him all inspired perfons, to put things in writing, could be it could be no other than to free the worlá from the uncertainties and impoftures of oral tradition. All mankind being derived from one common fource, it feems it was much easier in the firft ages of the world to preferve the tradition pure, than it could poffibly be afterwards: there were only a few things then to be delivered concerning God; as, That he was one fpiritual Being, that he had created all things, that he alone was to be worshipped and ferved; the reft relating to the history of the world, and chiefly of the first man that was made in it. There were alfo great advantages on the fide of oral tradition, the firft men were very long-lived, and they faw their own families fpread extremely, fo that they had on their fide both the authority which long life always has, particularly concerning matters of fact, and the credit that parents have naturally with their own children, to fecure tradition. Two perfons might have conveyed it down from Adam to Abraham; Methuselah lived above three hundred years while Adam was yet alive, and Sem was almost an hundred when he died, and he lived much above an hundred years in the fame time with Abraham, according to the Hebrew. Here is a great period of time filled up by two or three perfons: and yet in that time the tradition of thofe very few things, in which religion was then comprehended, was fo univerfally and entirely corrupted, that it was neceffary to correct it by immedi ate revelation to Abraham: God intending to have a peculiar people to himself out of his pofterity, commanded him to forfake his kindred and country, that he might not be corrupted with an idolatry, that we have reafon to believe was then but beginning among them. We are fure his nephew Laban was an idolater: and the danger of mixing with the reft of mankind was then fo great, that God ordered a mark to be made on the bodies of all defcended from him, to be the feal of the Covenant, and the badge and cognizance of his posterity: by that diftinction, and by their living in a wandering and unfixed manner, they were preferved for fome time from idolatry; God intending afterwards to fettle them in an inftituted religion. But though the beginnings of it, I mean the promulgation of the law on Mount Sinai, was one of the most amazing things that ever happened, and the fitteft to be orally conveyed down, the law being very short, and the circumftances in the delivery of it most aftonishing; and though there were many rites, and feveral feftivities, appointed chiefly for the carrying down the me mory VI. mory of it; though there was alfo in that difpenfation ART. the greatest advantage imaginable for fecuring this tradition, all the main acts of their religion being to be performed in one place, and by men of one tribe and family; as they were alfo all the inhabitants of a fmall tract of ground, of one language, and by their conftitutions obliged to maintain a conftant commerce among themfelves: they having further a continuance of fignal characters of God's miraculous prefence among them, fuch as the operation of the water of jealoufy, the plenty of the fixth year to fupply them all the Sabbatical year, and till the harvest of the following year: together with a fucceffion of Prophets that followed one another, either in a conftant courfe, or at least foon after one another; but above all, the prefence of God which appeared in the cloud of glory, and in those answers that were given by the Urim and Thummim; all which must be confeffed to be advantages on the fide of tradition, vaftly beyond any that can be pretended to have been in the Chriftian Church: yet notwithstanding all thefe, God commanded Mofes to write all their Law, as the Ten Commandments were, by the immediate power or finger of God, writ on tables of ftone. When all this is laid together and well confidered, it will appear, that God by a particular economy intended then to fecure revealed religion from the doubtful nefs and uncertainties of oral tradition. It is much more reasonable to believe, that the Chrif tian religion, which was to be spread to many remote regions, among whom there could be little communication, thould have been fixed in its first beginnings by putting it in writing, and not left to the loofenefs of reports and ftories. We do plainly fee, that though the methods of knowing and communicating truth are now furer and better fixed than they have been in moft of the ages which have paffed fince the beginnings of this religion; yet in every matter of fact fuch additions are daily made, as it happens to be reported, and every point of doctrine is fo variously stated, that if religion had not a more affured bottom than tradition, it could not have that credit paid to it that it ought to have. If we had no greater certainty for religion than report, we could not believe it very firmly, nor venture upon it: fo in order to the giving this doctrine fuch authority as is neceffary for attaining the great ends propofed in it, the conveyance of it muft be clear and unquestionable; otherwife as it would grow to be much mixed with fable, fo it would come to be looked on as all a fable. Since then oral tradition, when |