This Section consisteth of eight Confessions: to wit,- This Section consisteth of nine Confessions: to wit,- This Section consisteth of eleven Confessions: to wit,- THE NINETEENTH SECTION. Of the Civil Magistrate. This Section consisteth of eleven Confessions: to wit,- THE HARMONY OF PROTESTANT CONFESSIONS. THE FIRST SECTION. OF THE HOLY SCRIPTURE. I. FROM THE LATTER CONFESSION OF HELVETIA. Chapter 1. Of the Holy Scripture being the true Word of God. of men. : WE believe and confess the Canonical Scriptures of the holy prophets and apostles of both Testaments to be the very true Word of God, and to have sufficient authority of themselves, not For God himself spake to the fathers, prophets, apostles, and speaketh yet unto us by the Holy Scriptures. And in this Holy Scripture, the universal Church of Christ hath all things. fully expounded, whatsoever belong both to a saving faith, and also to the framing of a life acceptable to God in which respect it is expressly commanded of God, that nothing be either put to, or taken from, the same. We judge therefore, that from these Scriptures is to be taken true wisdom and godliness, the reformation and government of churches; as also instruction in all duties of piety and to be short, the confirmation of opinions, and the confutation of errors, with all exhortations; according to that of the Apostle, "All Scripture inspired of God is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, &c." 2 Tim. iii. 16, 17. Again, "These things I write unto thee," saith the Apostle to Timothy, "that thou mayest know how it behoveth thee to be conversant in the house of God, &c." 1 Tim. iii. 14, 15. Again, the self-same Apostle to the Thessalonians; When," saith he, "ye received the word or us, ye received not the word of men, but, as it was indeed, the Word of God, &c." 1 Thess. ii. 13. For the Lord himself hath B : said in the Gospel, "It is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of my Father speaketh in you: Matt. x. 20. therefore " I he that heareth you, heareth me; and he that despiseth you, despiseth me." Luke x. 16. Wherefore, when this Word of God is now preached in the church by preachers lawfully called, we believe that the very Word of God is preached, and received of the faithful; and that neither any other Word of God is to be feigned, nor to be expected from heaven and that now the Word itself which is preached, is to be regarded, not the minister that preacheth; who although he be evil and a sinner, nevertheless the Word of God abideth true and good. Neither do we think, that therefore the outward preaching is to be thought as fruitless, because the instruction in true religion dependeth on the inward illumination of the Spirit; or because it is written, "No man shall teach his neighbour; for all men shall know me:" Jer. xxxi. 34. and, "He that watereth, or he that planteth, is nothing, but God who giveth the increase." 1 Cor. iii. 7. For albeit, "No man can come to Christ, unless he be drawn by the Heavenly Father," John vi. 34. and be inwardly lightened by the Holy Ghost; yet we know undoubtedly, that it is the will of God, that his word should be preached even outwardly. God could indeed, by his Holy Spirit, or by the ministry of an angel, without the ministry of St. Peter, have taught Cornelius in the Acts; but nevertheless, he referreth him to Peter of whom the angel speaking saith, "He shall tell thee what thou must do." Acts x. 6. For he that illuminateth inwardly by giving men the Holy Ghost, the self-same, by way of commandment, said unto his disciples, "Go ye into the whole world, and preach the Gospel to every creature." Mark xvi. 15. And so Paul preached the word outwardly to Lydia, a purpleseller among the Philippians: but the Lord inwardly opened the woman's heart. Acts xvi. 14. And the same Paul, upon an elegant gradation, fitly placed in the tenth chapter to the Romans, at last inferreth, "Therefore, faith is by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God." Rom. x. 14—17. We know, in the mean time, that God can illuminate whom and when he will, even without the external ministry; which is a thing appertaining to his power but we speak of the usual way of instructing men, delivered unto us of God, both by commandment and examples. We therefore detest all the heresies of Artemon, the Mani. chees, the Valentinians, of Cerdon, and the Marcionites, who denied that the Scriptures proceeded from the Holy Ghost; or else |