I. Concerning God and matters pertaining to religion; how we must simply believe in God alone.

Touching God, and such divine matters as pertain to the kingdom of Christ and our salvation, we hold that we can be instructed better or more certainly of none other than of God Himself, who can neither deceive nor be deceived. "No man hath seen God at any time; the...Son, which is in the bosom of the Father," He hath showed Him unto us (John 1:18).

II. God Himself speaketh in the writings of the prophets and apostles.

But we know that God (though He hath not meanly or obscurely manifested the knowledge of Himself and His everlasting power and deity to all men in the world, by such works as are done by Him, so that as many as have not glorified Him as God are made inexcusable) yet in a more peculiar sort, He hath revealed Himself and His will to His Church very plainly and perspicuously, namely by prophets and apostles, inspired by His grace and by their writings; and therefore these writings of the prophets and apostles to be the very true Word of God.

III. The prophets and apostles writings to be only canonical.

Now we doubt not but these writings of the prophets and apostles are those which the Church of God hath been accustomed to call by the name of canonical books, because knowing these books assuredly to be inspired from above (2 Tim. 3:16), she always acknowledged them only for the Canon or rule of all Christian piety, by which every controversy in religion ought to be avoided; and calling likewise the other books (though they be contained in the volume of the Holy Bible,) by the name of Apocryphal, because she could not be assured they came so from the Holy Ghost as those of the former kind.

IV. Which be canonical books and which apocryphal.

We therefore, with the whole church both before and since the coming of Christ, without all doubt do acknowledge and embrace these books of the Old Testament for the very certain Word of God.

These of the Old Testament.

Of the New Testament we except none; for although there be some books of them whereof some have doubted, yet afterward they were acknowledged, yea even for apostolical no less than the other, to which judgment we also do subscribe.

For although they which were never doubted of may seem to bear a greater authority than the rest which have been doubted of, yet we as well to the one sort as the other do give undoubted credit as to the assured Word of God; and to the Apocrypha contained in the volume of the Bible do we yield the chief place next unto the canonical books.

V. The rules of faith can be proved only by the canonical books.

And therefore we use only the canonical books for proof of the rules of faith, and with the fathers we teach that they are to be used; but we think the rest to be of great force to confirm the same rules, being before sufficiently proved.

VI. The Canonical Scriptures take not their authority from the church.

Wherefore this we hold without all controversy, and we think it is to be holden that although the church being taught of the first fathers, namely prophets and apostles, who received their doctrine immediately from God, and committed the same to writing and being also instructed by the Holy Ghost, hath delivered to the posterity by a continuing and perpetual tradition which are canonical and which are not canonical books; yea and hath given and shall always give testimony unto them of the holy and heavenly truth. Yet that these writings have not received their authority from the same church, but of God only, their only proper Author, and therefore that of themselves, because they are the Word of God, they have power over all men and are worthy to be simply believed and obeyed of all.

VII. Yet that the church's authority doth much avail to make men believe the Holy Scriptures.

Although we deny not by the way, but that the authority of the church hath an especial force to move men to the hearing and reading of the Holy Scriptures as the Word of God--according to that of Augustine, "I had not believed the gospel (for so he meant) unless the authority of the church had moved me."--Yet the same Augustine, notwithstanding in all places pronounceth that his belief came not from the church, but from the Holy Spirit, whose gift faith is.

VIII. That the church hath no power over the Holy Scriptures.

But to dispute whether the authority of the church be greater than that of the Holy Scriptures--yea and much more to set down the affirmative part, as though the church over and above the gift of knowing the Spirits, and of discerning Canonical Scriptures from others, and of testifying of them and of interpreting of them, should have also authority either of adding to or diminishing anything from them, and of dispensing with them--we judge it more than sacrilege. For God commandeth that no man shall add or diminish, nor anyone shall decline to the right hand or to the left (Deut. 4:2; 5:31; 12:32; Rev. 22:18-19), but all together [altogether] shall simply obey Him speaking unto them in the Holy Scriptures, in all manner of things.

IX. The Holy Scriptures are so perfect that nothing may be added to or taken from them.

For the Scriptures are so holy and merely perfect, plentifully containing whatsoever is necessary to salvation, that nothing can be added unto them; and written with such perfection and wisdom, that nothing may be taken from them.

X. And therefore men ought to rest upon them.

Wherefore we, even as all godly men ought to do, do rest our selves upon the doctrine of those holy writings; holding that same spoken by the apostle--all scripture inspired from above is profitable to doctrine, etc. (2 Tim. 3:16).

XI. Nothing must be established concerning religion without the Word of God, but all things to be reformed by it.

We hold therefore, that nothing must be determined concerning religion in the Church of God which hath not apparent testimony in the canonical books, or may out of them be convinced by manifest and necessary consequence. And if at any time there hath crept into the church anything, either concerning doctrine or the service of God, which is not agreeable to the Holy Scriptures, the same ought by some lawful means either quite to be taken away, or else to be reformed by the rule of God's Word. And that all controversies in religion ought lawfully to be judged and decided out of the same Holy Scriptures.

XII. Traditions truly apostolical and catholic are to be retained in the church.

And the traditions in meanwhile which it is manifestly known have come from the apostles, to have been ever observed in all churches as that of hallowing the Lord's Day in place of the Sabbath and such like; and although there be no express commandment in the Scriptures for the observing of them, yet we judge that they are to be retained in the church.

XIII. The Scripture is very perspicuous in such things as be necessary to salvation; and therefore ought to be read of all.

Yea we think and know the whole doctrine of salvation not only plentifully but plainly and perspicuously to be delivered in the Holy Scriptures; and since God never spake unto His people but in their natural language, which might be understood of all, that it is a great injustice and tyranny to forbid the reading of them to any men; and consequently the turning of them into the proper tongue of any nation which the Lord hath willed and commanded should be read of all men for their own salvation's sake--yea and should be continually borne about in their hands day and night.

XIV. The faithful interpretations by learned, godly men are not to be contemned [condemned].

Although the Holy Scriptures, in those matters which are necessary to salvation, be plain and easy--yet we dissolve [?] not the interpretations and expositions of skillful and learned godly men as well ancient as later (1 Thes. 5:21), namely such as are grounded upon the same Scriptures and so far forth as Scriptures are expounded by Scriptures, and that in correspondence to the chief principles of faith--the sum whereof is contained both in the Apostles' Creed and also in the creeds of the true, general, and of the ancient holy councils gathered together against those which were notorious heretics.

XV. The only Word of God is to be the pillar of faith and foundation of religion.

For our faith neither can nor ought to [be] grounded upon any other thing than the Word of God delivered in the Holy Scriptures; that faith may be always of hearing, and hearing by the Word of God (Rom. 10:17). Whereunto, whatsoever in any mens' works is repugnant, we reject it; whatsoever is agreeable, we embrace it; but that which standeth in a neutrality, as it shall be expedient or not expedient to the church, we allow or disallow it, and so we teach that it is to be allowed or disallowed.