/lit/ - Literature

>>15204820
>WCF
>Chapter I.
>Of the Holy Scripture.
>I. Although the light of nature and the works of creation and providence do so far manifest the goodness, wisdom, and power of God, as to leave men unexcusable;(a) yet are they not sufficient to give that knowledge of God and of His will, which is necessary unto salvation.(b) Therefore it pleased the Lord, at sundry times, and in divers manners, to reveal Himself, and to declare that His will unto His Church;(c) and afterwards, for the better preserving and propagating of the truth, and for the more sure establishment and comfort of the Church against the corruption of the flesh, and the malice of Satan and of the world, to commit the same wholly unto writing:(d) which maketh the Holy Scripture to be most necessary;(e) those former ways of God’s revealing His will unto His people being now ceased.(f)
>(a) Rom. 2:14, 15; Rom. 1:19, 20; Ps. 19:1, 2, 3; Rom. 1:32, with chap. 2:1.
>(b) I Cor. 1:21; I Cor. 2:13, 14.
>(c) Heb. 1:1.
>(d) Prov. 22:19, 20, 21; Luke 1:3, 4; Rom. 15:4; Matt. 4:4, 7, 10; Isa. 8:19, 20.
>(e) II Tim. 3:15; II Pet. 1:19.
>(f) Heb. 1:1, 2.
>II. Under the name of Holy Scripture, or the Word of God written, are now contained all the books of the Old and New Testament, which are these:
>Of the Old Testament:
>Genesis
>Exodus
>Leviticus
>Numbers
>Deuteronomy
>Joshua
>Judges
>Ruth
>I. Samuel
>II. Samuel
>I. Kings
>II. Kings
>I. Chronicles
>II. Chronicles
>Ezra
>Nehemiah
>Esther
>Job
>Psalms
>Proverbs
>Ecclesiastes
>The Song of Songs
>Isaiah
>Jeremiah
>Lamentations
>Ezekiel
>Daniel
>Hosea
>Joel
>Amos
>Obadiah
>Jonah
>Micah
>Nahum
>Habakkuk
>Zephaniah
>Haggai
>Zechariah
>Malachi
>Of the New Testament:
>The Gospels according to
>Matthew
>Mark
>Luke
>John
>The Acts of the Apostles
>Paul’s Epistles
>To the Romans
>Corinthians I.
>Corinthians II.
>Galatians
>Ephesians
>Philippians
>Colossians
>Thessalonians I.
>Thessalonians II.
>To Timothy I.
>To Timothy II.
>To Titus
>To Philemon
>The Epistle to the Hebrews
>The Epistle of James
>The first and second Epistles of Peter
>The first, second, and third Epistles of John
>The Epistle of Jude
>The Revelation of John
>All which are given by inspiration of God, to be the rule of faith and life.(g)
>(g) Luke 16:29, 31; Eph. 2:20; Rev. 22:18, 19; II Tim. 3:16.
>III. The books commonly called Apocrypha, not being of divine inspiration, are no part of the canon of the Scripture; and therefore are of no authority in the Church of God, nor to be any otherwise approved, or made use of, than other human writings.(h)
>(h) Luke 24:27, 44; Rom. 3:2; II Pet. 1:21.
>IV. The authority of the Holy Scripture, for which it ought to be believed and obeyed, dependeth not upon the testimony of any man, or Church; but wholly upon God (who is truth itself) the author thereof: and therefore it is to be received because it is the Word of God.(i)
>(i) II Pet. 1:19, 21; II Tim. 3:16; I John 5:9; I Thess. 2:13.