The Phraseology of this Article. 1. As compared with its correspondent (No. 5) of the Articles of 1552. Title. The doctrine of Holy Scripture is sufficient to salvation. Clause. Although it be sometime received of the faithful as godly, and profitable for an order and comeliness; yet no man ought to be constrained to believe it as an article of the faith, or repute it requisite to the necessity of salvation. The Article terminates at "necessity of salvation." quod sufficiant ad salutem. ad salutem sunt. Clause omitted. aut ad salutis. The rest of the Article added. Of the sufficiency of the Holy Scripture for sal vation. The clause from "although... comeliness" is omitted, and the remainder is read thus: "is not to be required of any man that it should be believed as an article of the faith, or be thought requisite or necessary to salvation." The rest of the Article is added. 2. When the Latin and English (of 1562, 1571) are compared with each other. Latin. English. De divinis Scripturis, quod Of the sufficiency of the Holy sufficiant ad salutem divinis Scriptures for salvation. holy. aut ad salutis necessitatem re- De nominibus, et numero li- ad exempla vitæ, et formandos mores ad dogmata confirmanda 3. Various Readings. or be thought requisite or necessary to salvation. Of the names and number of the Canonical Books. quidem unrepresented. for example of life and instruc- to establish any doctrine. The Prayer of Manasses. Of the faith. Jugge and Ca- Of faith. Burn, &c. for Canonical. Jugge and Ca- omit for. Burn, Toml. &c. Seven PROPOSITIONS. I. Scripture is holy' (divine). II. Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary for salvation. III. Whatsoever is not read in Holy Scripture, nor may be proved thereby, is not to be required of any man, that it should be believed as an article of the faith, or be thought requisite or necessary to salvation. IV. 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. V. The Names of the Canonical Books of the Old Testament are, 1 The words "divinis," "sacra" denote the inspiration of Scripture. See Articles VIII., XX., XXI. VI. The other Books (as Hierome saith) the Church doth read for example of life, and instruction of manners, but yet doth it 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 Hester. The Book of Wisdom. Jesus the Son of Sirach. Baruch the Prophet. The Song of the Three Children. The Story of Susanna. Of Bel and the Dragon. The Prayer of Manasses. The First Book of Maccabees. The Second Book of Maccabees. VII. All the Books of the New Testament, as they are commonly received, we do receive and count them for Canonical. PROP. I. The Scripture is holy (Divine): i.e. is of Divine Authority, and its Authors were divinely inspired. 1. The Testimony of Reason. It is reasonable that the sentiments and doctrines delivered in the Scripture should be suggested to the minds of the writers by the Supreme Being Himself; since they relate to matters, concerning which the communication of information to men is worthy of GOD. Evidences. Miracles. Prophecies. Majesty of its style. Sublime doctrines and precepts. Enlightening power. Harmony and connexion subsisting between its various parts. Its miraculous preservation. Its tendency to promote the good of mankind. The character of the penmen. 2. Divine Testimony. A. Old Testament. Isa. xxxiv. 16. "Seek ye out of the book of the LORD, and read; for no one of these shall fail, none shall want her mate; for my mouth it hath commanded, and His Spirit it hath gathered them." a. Declarations. 2 Sam. xxiii. 1, 2. Ps. i. 2; xii. 6. Prov. viii. 6-8. Isa. i. 2; xxx. 9; lxvi. 1. Dan. x. 21. I b. Fulfilment of prophecies attests. Isa. xli. 21-23, Jer. Deut. xxviii. 37, compared with Dan. ix. 16. c. Miracles attest. Numb. xvi. 28-33. B. New Testament. 2 Pet. i. 21. "Prophecy came not in old time by the will of man; but holy men of GOD spake as they were moved by the HOLY GHOST." 2 Tim. iii. 16. "All Scripture is given by inspiration of GOD" (GOD-inspired). a. Declarations. Luke i. 67–70; xi. 28; xix. 35; xxi. 24. Acts i. 16. Rom. i. 1, 2; iii. 2. 1 Cor. vii. 40. Gal. i. 11, 12. 1 Thess. ii. 13. 1 Tim. iii. 14, 15. Heb. i. 1, 2; iii. 7; iv. 12. 1 Pet. i. 10, 11; iv. 11; 2 Pet. i. 19, 20. b. Fulfilment of Prophecy. 41-44; xxiv. 17-24. Matt. xxv. Luke xix. John ii. 18-21. c. Miracles. John iii. 1, 2; vi. 2; ix. 1-7, 18-32; xi. 33-45. 3. Human Testimony. A. Fathers. Clement of Rome, Epistle to the Corinthians, c. xlv. "Search diligently the Scriptures, which are the true oracles of the HOLY GHOST." See also ibid. cc. viii. xiii. xvi. xxi. Just. Mart. Cohort. ad Græc. c. viii. Apol. 1, cc. xxxiii. xxxv. xxxvi. Dial. c. Tryph. c. vii. &c. Tertull. Apol. c. xxi. xxxi. De Anim. c. xxviii. De Exhort. Cast. c. iv. De Coron. Milit. c. iv. Orig. c. Cels. i. 49; ii. 28; viii. 47. B. Confessions. 1 Helvetic, Art. i. 2 Helvetic, c. i. Bohemia, c. i. Gallican, Art. ii. Belgic, Art. ii. iii. Westminster, c. i. PROP. II. Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary for Salvation. 2 Compare with this Proposition the decision of the Council of Trent, 4th Session, 8th April, 1546, the Tridentine Catechism, and the Creed of Pope Pius IV. 1. The Testimony of Reason. GOD is the only judge of what most conduces to His own glory. "This sacred, œcumenical, and general Synod of Trent, lawfully assembled in the HOLY SPIRIT, and presided over by the three legates of the Apostolic see, having this object perpetually in view, that, errors being removed, the real purity of the Gospel may be preserved in the Church; which promised aforetime by the Prophets in the Holy Scriptures, our LORD JESUS CHRIST, the Son of GOD, first promulgated by his own mouth, and afterwards ordained to be preached to every creature by the Apostles, as being a fountain both of saving truth, and instruction of manners; knowing further, that this truth and instruction is contained in the written books, and in the unwritten traditions, which, having been received by the Apostles, either from the mouth of CHRIST Himself, or from the dictates of the HOLY SPIRIT, were handed down, and transmitted even to us; following the example of the orthodox Fathers, receives and venerates, with sentiments of equal piety and reverence (pari pietatis affectu ac reverentiâ), all the books as well of the Old as of the New Testament, since one GOD was the author of them both, and also the TRADITIONS, relating as well to faith as to morals, inasmuch as, coming either from the mouth of CHRIST Himself or dictated by the HOLY SPIRIT, they have been preserved in the Catholic Church in uninterrupted succession. The books received by this Council are, of the Old Testament, the five books of Moses-Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy; Joshua, Judges, Ruth, four of Kings, two of Chronicles, first and second of Esdras, Tobias, Judith, Esther, Job, Psalms of David (in all 150), Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Cantica, Wisdom, Ecclesiasticus, Isaiah, Jeremiah, with Baruch, Ezekiel, Daniel, twelve minor Prophets, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Abdias, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Sophonias, Haggai, Zachariah, Malachi, two of Maccabees, first and second. Of the New Testament, the four Gospels, &c. as they are commonly received. Whosoever shall not receive these books, entire with all their parts, as they are used in the Catholic Church, and are contained in the ancient Vulgate Latin edition, for sacred and canonical, and shall knowingly and wilfully contemn the aforesaid TRADITIONS, let him be accursed. Let all men therefore understand in what order and method this Synod, after laying the foundation of a confession of faith, is about to proceed, and what testimonies and authorities it chiefly intends to use for the confirmation of doctrines, and the establishment of morals in the Church (in confirmandis dogmatibus, et instaurandis in Ecclesia moribus)." See also the Preface to the Roman Catechism, or Catechismus Romanus, ex Decreto Concilii Tridentini, et Pii V. Pontificis Maximi jussu primum editus. The Douay Catechism (chap. ii.) published, "with permission," Lond. 1809. Marginal note on 2 Tim. iii. 16, Douay. Encyclical Letter of Pope Leo XII. pp. 16, 54, 57. Creed of Pope Pius IV., A. D. 1564. "I most firmly admit and embrace the Apostolic and Ecclesiastical Traditions, and the rest of the observances and constitutions of the same Church." In the fourth Session the Council of Trent ordained, that "the Vulgate alone should be deemed authentic in the public reading of the Scriptures, in preaching and in expounding, and that no one should dare to reject it upon any pretence whatsoever." Pope Sixtus V. published an edition of the Vulgate, A. D. 1590, and commanded it to be received as "the authentic version," sanctioned by the Council of Trent. Two years afterwards Pope Clement VIII. published a corrected edition, which contains more than two thousand variations from the text of the Sixtine. See Dr. James's Bellum Papale. Townley's Illustrations of Biblical Literature, vol. 11. pp. 487-495. |