2 September 2015 A.D. 6th of 39 Articles, “Sufficiency of Holy Scriptures”—Bishop John Jewel (Salisbury)
2
September 2015 A.D. 6th of 39 Articles,
“Sufficiency of Holy Scriptures”—Bishop John Jewel (Salisbury)
Jones,
Thomas R. “An Exposition of the Thirty-nine Articles.” NewScriptorium. N.d. http://newscriptorium.com/assets/docs/anglican/39-articles/jones39reformers.htm. Accessed 7 Jun 2015.
An
Exposition of the Thirty Nine Articles, By he Reformers: Extracts carefully
and fully selected from the Works of Latimer, Ridley, Cranmer, Hooper, Jewel,
Philpot, Pilkington, Coverdale, Becon, Bradford, Sandys, Grindal, Whitgift, Etc.
Bishop Jewel – “The
Scriptures are the word of God. What title can there be of greater value?
What may be said of them to make them of greater authority, than to say,
‘the Lord hath spoken by them? that they came not by the will of men, but, holy
men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost ?’ (2 Pet. 1). ... They
may not read them, (say some) they are not able to wield them; the Scriptures
are not for the people. ... But God himself and the ancient fathers of the
Church said otherwise. God saith (Deut. 30) ‘This commandment which I
command thee this day is not hid from thee, neither is it far off. It is
not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, who shall go up for us to heaven and
bring it us, and cause us to learn it, that we may do it? Neither is it
beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, who shall go over the sea for us, and
cause us to learn it, that we may do it? But the word is very near thee,
even in thy mouth, and in thy heart, for to do it.’ But all this,
notwithstanding, some take exception, and say, the Scriptures are dark and
doubtful, the matters are deep, the words are hard, few can understand them.
One taketh them in this sense, another in a sense clean contrary. ... The
prophet David saith, (Psa. 19) ‘The commandment of the Lord is pure and giveth
light unto the eyes. ... Human knowledge is dark and uncertain, philosophy is
dark, astrology is dark, and geometry is dark. ... But the Holy Spirit of God,
like a good teacher, applieth himself to the dullness of our wits; he leadeth
not us by the unknown places of the earth, nor by the air, nor by the clouds;
he astonished’ not our spirits with natural vanities; he writeth his law in our
hearts; he teacheth us to know him and his Christ; he teacheth us (Tit. 2) that
we should ‘deny ungodliness and worldly lusts,’ &c. ... Some things in the
Scriptures are hard, I deny it not. It is very expedient that somewhat
should be covered. But it is true also that they which pervert them unto
their own destruction are unlearned and unstable; that is, they to whom they
are hard have not their eyes opened that they may see the light of the word; or
they be wicked, and turn the truth of God into lies, and abuse the Scriptures
to their own damnation. The owl, it seeth not by the brightness of the
sun, not because the sunbeams are dark, but for that his eyes are weak, and
cannot abide so clear light.” – On the Holy Scriptures.
Article VI—Of the Sufficiency of the Holy
Scriptures 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 article of the Faith, or be thought requisite or
necessary to salvation. 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 Songs of Solomon, Four Prophets the
greater, Twelve Prophets the less.
And 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 Esther, 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.
All the Books of the
New Testament, as they are commonly received, we do receive, and account them
Canonical.
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