distinguish those that are true from those which are false.

In addition to the proofs annexed in support of this Article, it may be remarked that St. John seems to declare, that a belief of what he alone had written was sufficient to ensure eternal life, John xx. 31. And St. Luke tells Theophilus, that he wrote his Gospel that he might know the certainty of those things in which he had been instructed.

By a canonical book of Scripture is meant a book which, being written by Divine inspiration, is to be received by us as part of the (xavav) canon or rule of Christian faith and practice.

The Apocrypha (from ToxguT) contains no prophecy or authentic mark of inspiration; was all written subsequent to the cessation of prophecy, but before the promulgation of the Gospel; was not included in the Jewish canon, and therefore received no sanction from our Saviour; nor is it ever cited or alluded to in any part of the New Testament; and is therefore not admitted into our canon of Scripture. The Papists first received it into their canon at the Council of Trent; and this still continues one of the many points of difference between the Churches of Rome and England.

a

ARTICLE VII.

Of the Old Testament.

THE Old Testament is not contrary to the New; for both in the Old and New Testament, everlasting life is offered to mankind by Christ, who is the only Mediator between God and man, being both God and Man; wherefore they are

d

b

a Heb. i. 1. God, who at sundry times, and in divers manners, spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken to us by his Son. Acts iii. 25. Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.-Gal. iii. 16. To Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many, but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.-John v. 46. For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed Me; for he wrote of Me.-Luke xxiv. 44. These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things might be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses, and in the Prophets, and in the Psalms, concerning Me.

b 1 Tim. ii. 5. For there is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus. c See Article II. ref. d, e.

d Heb. xi. 13-17. These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things, declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they had

C

not to be heard, which feign that the old fathers did look only for transitory pro

e

mises. Although the law given from God by Moses, as touching ceremonies and rites, do not bind Christian men, fnor the civil precepts thereof ought of necessity to be received into any commonwealth: Yet, notwithstanding, no Christian man whatsoever is free from the obedience of the commandments which are called moral.

been mindful of that country, from whence they came out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for he hath prepared for them a city.-Ver. 35. Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection.-1 Cor. x. 1, 2, 3, 4. See Homily on Faith, Part II.

e Gal. v. 1. Stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.-Col. ii. 16, 17. Heb. vii. 12. For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law*.

f Rom. xiii. 7. Let every soul be subject to the higher powers.-1 Pet. ii. 13, 14.

g Rom. iii. 31. Do we then make void the law t through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the lawt. -1 Cor. vii. 19. James ii. 8, 9, 10, 11.

*The ceremonial law.

The moral law.

This Article was directed against the opinion of certain persons, who thought that the Old Testament after the promulgation of the New, was no longer of any use and also against the Anabaptists and other Enthusiasts, who, mistaking some expressions in the Epistles concerning justification by Christ without the works of the law, maintained that Christians were under no obligation to obey the moral precepts of the Mosaic dispensation.

The Article therefore first states the agreement of the Old and New Testament, and with reason, for the first promise of our Saviour was given in the Old Testament. And our Saviour was so far from dissolving the moral law, that he even improved it, and made it extend to our very thoughts, as well as our outward actions. See Matt. v. 27, 28. It next asserts, that though free from the ceremonial, we are still bound to observe the moral, law: to which we would add the strong declaration of Christ himself, "Search the Scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal life and they are they which testify of me.' See the proofs.

ARTICLE VIII.

Of the Three Creeds.

THE three Creeds, Nicene Creed, Athanasius's Creed, and that which is com

monly called the Apostles' Creed, ought thoroughly to be received and believed, for they may be proved by most certain warrants of holy Scripture.

As the doctrines of the Thirty-nine Articles accord with the three Creeds, the Scriptures here produced as proofs are equally applicable to the Articles and the Creeds.

We learn from the New Testament, that those who first embraced the Gospel, declared their faith in Jesus, as the promised Messiah, in simple and general terms. See Acts viii. 37. And there is no ground for supposing that the Apostle required this declaration to be made in any particular form of words.

No such formulary is transmitted to us. Every Bishop was authorized to prescribe a formulary for the use of his own Church: and there are still extant, in writers who lived near to the Apostolic age, several abstracts of the Christian faith, which agree in substance but vary in expression. But when heresies gained ground, it became necessary to have a " public standard of faith;" and to this cause we are to attribute the origin of Creeds.

By the word Creed is meant the substance of a Christian's belief. The Latin word for it is Symbolum, which also signifies a watchword, or signal in war. For as there are cer