It

by precisely the same arguments as by Burnet *. will therefore only be necessary here to speak of His influences and operations. These may be divided into extraordinary and ordinary. The former were confined to the times in which Christianity was first promulgated, until its establishment; and the latter are given to all men, in affording them inward and secret assistance to become good. The former enabled the Apostles to "speak with tongues;" 66 to do signs and wonders;" and the success of the Gospel is always ascribed to "the power of the Spirit of God t." The latter is proved by Christ's answer to Nicodemus, "Except a man be born of water and the Spirit, he cannot see the kingdom of God‡;" and from Peter's Sermon, " Repent and be baptized every one of you, and ye shall receive the Holy Ghost; for the promise is to you and to your children, and to all that are afar off, (i. e. distant generations,) even as many as the Lord our God shall call §."

The earliest controversy on this subject was in the fourth century, when Macedonius, Bishop of Constantinople, denied the divinity of the Holy Ghost, and was deposed.

For which see Part III. Article 8. The remainder of this Article is from Tomline.

Rom. xv. 19.

John iii. 5.

§ Acts ii. 38, 39.

CHAPTER II.

On the Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Articles;
concerning the Rule of Faith.

SECT. I.-ART. VI.

OF THE SUFFICIENCY OF HOLY SCRIPTURE FOR SALVATION.

Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary to salvation, so 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 Faith, or be thought requisite or necessary to salvation.

article of the

In the name

of the Holy Scripture, we do understand those Canonical Books of the Old and New Testament, of whose authority was never any doubt in the Church.

Of the names and number of the canonical books, Genesis, Exodus,

Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth; The first book of Samuel, The second book of Samuel; The first book of Kings, The second book of Kings; The first book of Chronicles, The second book of Chronicles; The first book of Esdras*, The second book of Esdras*; The book of Esther; The book of Job; The Psalms; The Proverbs; Ecclesiastes or Preacher; Cantica or Song of Solomon; Four Prophets, the Greater; Twelve Prophets, the Less.

And the other books (as Hierome saith,) the Church doth read for exam

* These books are also styled the books of Ezra and Nehemiah.

CHAP. II. BRIEF EXPOSITION OF ARTICLE VI.

343

ple of life, and instruction of manners, but yet it doth not apply them to establish any doctrine. Such are these following.

The third book of Esdras, The fourth book of Esdras; The book of

Tobias; The book of Judith; The rest of the book of Esther; The book of Wisdom; Jesus the Son of Sirach; Baruch the Prophet; The Song of the three Children; The History of Susannah; Of Bel and the Dragon; The Prayer of Mannases; The first book of Maccabees, The second book of Maccabees.

All the books of the New Testament as they are commonly received, we do receive, and account them canonical.

THE inspiration of the Scriptures is allowed, by the members of the Popish Church as well as our own. The point in question is, do they contain all necessary information for our salvation? The Papists assert the equal validity of oral tradition with that of Scripture. Now it appears that when man's life was extended to such a length as in the first ages, so that Methuselah and Shem could connect Adam and Abraham; yet notwithstanding all the advantages which were thus given to oral tradition, the purity of the primæval religion was corrupted. This happened not only in the days of Noah, but also of Abraham; so that God was obliged to make an especial revelation to him, and to choose himself a people who might preserve his true worship. The Mosaic institution too, though designed but for one nation, had all its rules committed to writing. Is it not improbable that God should make such a provi

sion for a partial religion, and not for the religion designed for the whole world? Besides if some precepts were given us in writing, why not all? the importance of the matter seems to demand it.

The tendency of traditions to corrupt the truth, is shewn in the case of the Jews. They had the whole of their law written; yet they had adopted a number of traditions, to which they attached great importance, but which led them into grievous mistakes. In fact, it was this, that caused them to reject Christ; because through their traditional glosses of Scripture, they had been led to expect the Messias to be a mighty temporal prince.

There is not the slightest intimation in the New Testament, as to any doctrines of faith or practice to be delivered by oral tradition: hence we conclude that Scripture contains all things necessary to salvation. Indeed St. John appears to indicate that his writings alone were sufficient for that purpose. "These things were written that ye might believe, and that believing ye might have life." Christ and His Apostles frequently referred to the written law, but never to the traditions; on the contrary, they condemned them. And we find our Saviour reproving the Jews severely for "making the law of God of none effect through their traditions." The ancient Fathers also placed no reliance on tradition,

but constantly maintained the sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures. Hence we conclude that Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary to salvation, and that what may be fairly proved from it, by strict and lawful deduction, is to be believed as an object of faith, but not otherwise *.

There is no authority for the Apocryphal Books. They contain no prophecy; indeed they were written after the spirit of prophecy ceased; they were not in the Jewish Canon; and they were not once quoted by Christ and his Apostles. They were rejected by the primitive Church, and were not admitted into the Christian canon; till the fourth sitting of the Council of Trent admitted them all, except the prayer of Manasseh and the fourth book of Esdras. This is one of the many points of difference between the English and Romish Churches.

*Burnet here enters into a long dissertation, to prove that only the books which we receive are canonical. He first shews it of the books of the New Testament, by arguments similar to those made use of in Part I. Chap. IV. "On the Authenticity and Inspiration of the New Testament;" and also in Part II. Paley's first Proposition, section 9, which see. He then shews it of the books of the Old Testament, from the sanction of Christ and His Apostles to the Jewish Canon, and other arguments similar to those in Part I. “On the Inspiration of the Old Testament;" particularly from pages 7 to 17, which see also.