THE WESTMINSTER CONFESSION OF FAITH. A.D. 1647.

That this is our faith and decision, we certify by subscribing our names.

Here follow the names, not only of president, assistant president, and secretaries of the Synod, and of the professors of theology in the Dutch Churches, but of all the members who were deputed to the Synod as the Representatives of their respective Churches; that is, of the Delegates from Great Britain, the Electoral Palatinate, Hessia, Switzerland, Wetteraw, the Republic and Church of Geneva, the Republic and Church of Bremen, the Republic and Church of Emden, the Duchy of Gelderland, and of Zutphen, South Holland, North Holland, Zealand, the Province of Utrecht, Friesland, Transisalania, the State of Groningen, and Omland, Drent, and the French Churches.

[841] 'justo Dei judicio'--omitted in the translation of the Reformed Dutch Church.--Ed.

[842] 'ita eosdem in tempore efficaciter vocat'--omitted in the translation.

[843] of the world and Satan (mundi ac Satanæ).--Ed.

[844] by the flesh, the world, and Satan (a carne, mundo, et Satana).

[845] or against the Holy Ghost (sive in Spiritum Sanctum).

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THE WESTMINSTER CONFESSION OF FAITH. A.D. 1647.

Confessio Fidei Westmonasteriensis.

The changes of the American revision, which occur chiefly in Ch. XXIII., relating to the Civil Magistrate, and in Ch. XXXI., relating to Synods and Councils, are inserted in their proper places, and marked by italics. Minor changes are indicated in footnotes.

The Latin translation of the Westminster Confession and Catechisms by G. D. (see Preface) appeared first at Cambridge, 1656 (also 1659); at Edinburgh, 1694, etc.; and at Glasgow, 1660), under the title, 'Confessio Fidei | in Conventu theologorum authoritate | Parliamenti Anglicani indicto | Elaborata; | eidem Parliamento postmodum | Exhibita; | Quin et ab eodem, deindeque ab Ecclesia Scoticana | Cognita et Approbata; | und cum | Catechismo | duplici, Majori, Minorique; | E Sermone Anglicano summa cum fide | in Litinum versa. Cantabrigiæ: excudebat Johannes Field, celeberrimæ Academiæ typographus.']

Confession of Faith. Confessio Fidei. Chapter I. Cap. I. Of the Holy Scripture. De Scriptura Sacrosancta. 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 inexcusable; [846] yet are they not sufficient to give that knowledge of God, and of his will, which is necessary unto salvation; [847] therefore it pleased the Lord, at sundry times, and in divers manners, to reveal himself, and to declare that his will unto his Church; [848] 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 I. Quanquam naturæ lumen, operaque Dei cum Creationis tum Providentiæ, bonitatem ejus, sapientiam, potentiamque eo usque manifestant, ut homines vel inde reddantur inexcusabiles: [849] eam tamen Dei, voluntatisque divinæ cognitionem, quæ porro est ad salutem necessaria, nequeunt nobis ingenerare. [850] Quocirca Domino complacitum est, variis quidem modis vicibusque Ecclesiæ suæ semetipsum revelare, suamque hanc voluntatem patefacere; [851] sed et eandem omnem postea literis consignare, quo et veritati suæ tam conservandæ quam propagandæ melius consuleret, nec Ecclesia sua contra carnis corruptelam, contra malitiam mundi

of Satan and of the world, to commit the same wholly unto writing; [852] which maketh the holy Scripture to be most necessary; [853] those former ways of God's revealing his will unto his people being now ceased. [854] Satanæque, præsidio foret ac solatio destituta. [855] Unde factum est, ut, postquam pristini illi modi, quibus olim populo suo Deus voluntatem suam revelabat, jam desiverint, [856] Scriptura Sacra sit maxime necessaria. [857] 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: II. Sacræ Scripturæ, nomine, seu Verbi Dei scripti continentur hodie omnes illi libri tam Veteris quam Novi Instrumenti, [858] nempe quorum inferius subsequuntur nomina.

Of the Old Testament. Veteris Testamenti. Genesis. Ecclesiastes. Genesis. Ecclesiastes. Exodus. The Song of Songs. Exodus. Canticum Canticorum. Leviticus. Isaiah. Leviticus. Isaias. Numbers. Jeremiah. Numeri. Jeremias. Deuteronomy. Lamentations. Deuteronomium. Lamentationes. Joshua. Ezekiel. Josua. Ezechiel. Judges. Daniel. Judices. Daniel. Ruth. Hosea. Ruth. Hosea. I. Samuel. Joel. Samuelis 1. Joel. II. Samuel. Amos. Samuelis 2. Amos. I. Kings. Obadiah. Regum 1. Obadias. II. Kings. Jonah. Regum 2. Jonas. I. Chronicles. Micah. Chronicorum 1. Micheas. II. Chronicles. Nahum. Chronicorum 2. Nahum. Ezra. Habakkuk. Ezra. Habucuc. Nehemiah. Zephaniah. Nehemias. Zephanias. Esther. Haggai. Esther. Haggæus. Job. Zechariah. Job. Zacharias. Psalms. Malachi. Psalmi. Malachias. Proverbs. Proverbia. Of the New Testament. Novi autem. The Gospels according to Evangelium secundem Matthew, Luke, Matthæum, Lucam, Mark, John. Marcum, Johannem.

The Acts of the To Timothy II. Acta apostolorum. Apostles. To Titus. Titum. Paul's Epistles to the To Philemon. Pauli espistolæ ad Philemonem. Romans. The Epistle to the Romanos. Epist. ad Hebræos. Corinthians I. Hebrews. Corinthios I. II. Corinthians II. The Epistle of James. Jacobi Epistola. Galatians. The First and Second Galatas. Petri Epist. I. II. Ephesians. Epistles of Peter. Ephesios. Philippians. The First, Second, and Philippenses. Johan. Epist. I. II. Colossians. Third Epistles of Collossenses. III. Thessalonians I. John. Thessalonicens I. II. Thessalonians II. The Epistle of Jude. Judæ Epistola. To Timothy I. The Revelation. Timotheum I. II. Apocalypsis.

All which are given by inspiration of God, to be the rule of faith and life. [859] Qui omnes divina inspiratione dati sunt in Fidei vitæque regulam. [860] 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. [861] III. Libri Apocryphi, vulgo dicti, quum non fuerint divinitus inspirati, Canonem Scripturæ nullatenus constituunt; proindeque nullam aliam authoritatem obtinere debent in Ecclesia Dei, nec aliter quam alia humana scripta, sunt aut approbandi aut adhibendi. [862] 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. [863] IV. Authoritas Scripturæ sacræ propter quam ei debetur fides et observantia, non ab ullius aut hominis aut Ecclesiæ pendet testimonio, sed a solo ejus authore Deo, qui est ipsa veritas: eoque est a nobis recipienda, quoniam est Verbum Dei. [864] V. We may be moved and induced by the testimony of the V. Testimonium Ecclesiæ efficere quidem potest ut de Scriptura sacra

Church to an high and reverent esteem of [865] the holy Scripture; [866] and the heavenliness of the matter, the efficacy of the doctrine, the majesty of the style, the consent of all the parts, the scope of the whole (which is to give all glory to God), the full discovery it makes of the only way of man's salvation, the many other incomparable excellencies, and the entire perfection thereof, are arguments whereby it doth abundantly evidence itself to be the Word of God; yet, notwithstanding, our full persuasion and assurance of the infallible truth, and divine authority thereof, is from the inward work of the Holy Spirit, bearing witness by and with the Word in our hearts. [867] quam honorifice sentiamus; [868] materies insuper ejus coelestis, doctrinæ vis et efficacia, styli majestas, partium omnium consensus, totiusque scopus (ut Deo nempe omnis gloria tribuatur), plena denique quam exhibet unicæ ad salutem viæ commonstratio, præter alias ejus virtutes incomparabiles, et perfectionem summam, argumenta sunt quibus abunde se Verbum Dei et luculenter probat; nihilominus tamen plena persuasio et certitudo de ejus tam infallibili veritate, quam authoritate divina non aliunde nascitur quam ab interna operatione Spiritus Sancti, per verbum et cum verbo ipso in cordibus nostris testificantis. [869] VI. The whole counsel of God, concerning all things necessary for his own glory, man's salvation, faith, and life, is either expressly set down in Scripture, or by good and necessary consequence may be deduced from Scripture: unto which nothing at any time is to be added, whether by new revelations of the Spirit, or traditions of men. [870] Nevertheless we acknowledge the inward illumination of the Spirit of God to be necessary for the saving VI. Consilium Dei universum de omnibus quæ ad suam ipsius gloriam, quæque ad hominum salutem, fidem, vitamque sunt necessaria, aut expresse in Scriptura continetur, aut consequentia bona et necessaria derivari potest a Scriptura; cui nihil deinceps addendum est, seu novis a spiritu revelationibus, sive traditionibus hominum. [871] Internam nihilominus illuminationem Spiritus Dei ad salutarem eorum perceptionem, quæ in Verbo Dei

understanding of such things as are revealed in the Word; [872] and that there are some circumstances concerning the worship of God, and government of the Church, common to human actions and societies, which are to be ordered by the light of nature and Christian prudence, according to the general rules of the Word, which are always to be observed. [873] revelantur, agnoscimus esse necessariam: [874] quin etiam nonnullas esse circumstantias cultum Dei spectantes et Ecclesiæ regimen, iis cum humanis actionibus et societatibus communes, quæ naturali lumine ac prudentia Christiana secundum generales verbi regulas (perpetuo quidem illas observandas) sunt regulandæ. [875] VII. All things in Scripture are not alike plain in themselves, nor alike clear unto all; [876] yet those things which are necessary to be known, believed, and observed, for salvation, are so clearly propounded and opened in some place of Scripture or other, that not only the learned, but the unlearned, in a due use of the ordinary means, may attain unto a sufficient understanding of them. [877] VII. Quæ in Scriptura continentur non sunt omnia æque aut in se perspicua, aut omnibus hominibus evidentia, [878] ea tamen omnia quæ ad salutem necessaria sunt cognitu, creditu, observatu, adeo perspicue, alicubi saltem in Scriptura, proponuntur et explicantur, ut eorum non docti solum, verum indocti etiam ordinariorum debito usu mediorum, sufficientem assequi possint intelligentiam. [879] VIII. The Old Testament in Hebrew (which was the native language of the people of God of old), and the New Testament in Greek (which at the time of the writing of it was most generally known to the nations), being immediately inspired by God, and by his singular care and providence kept pure in all ages, are therefore authentical; [880] so as in all controversies VIII. Instrumentum Vetus Hebræa lingua (antiqua Dei populo nempe vernacula) Novum autem Græca (ut quæ apud Gentes maxime omnium tunc temporis, quum scriberetur illud, obtinuerat), immediate a Deo inspirata, ejusque cura et Providentia singulari per omnia huc usque secula pura et intaminata custodita, ea propter sunt authentica. [881] Adeo sane ut ad

of religion the Church is finally to appeal unto them. [882] But because these original tongues are not known to all the people of God who have right unto, and interest in the Scriptures, and are commanded, in the fear of God, to read and search them, [883] therefore they are to be translated into the vulgar language of every nation unto which they come, [884] that the Word of God dwelling plentifully in all, they may worship him in an acceptable manner, [885] and, through patience and comfort of the Scriptures, may have hope. [886] illa ultimo in omnibus de religione controversiis Ecclesia debeat appellare. [887] Quoniam autem Originales istæ linguæ non sunt toti Dei populo intellectæ (Quorum tamen et jus est ut scripturas habeant, et interest plurimum, quique eas in timore Dei legere jubentur et perscrutari) [888] proinde sunt in vulgarem cujusque Gentis, ad quam pervenerint linguam transferendæ, [889] ut omnes, verbo Dei opulenter in ipsis habitante, Deum grato acceptoque modo colant, [890] et per patientiam ac consolationem Scripturarum spem habeant. [891] IX. The infallible rule of interpretation of Scripture is the Scripture itself; and therefore, when there is a question about the true and full sense of any Scripture (which is not manifold, but one), it must [892] be searched and known by other places that speak more clearly. [893] IX. Infallibilis Scripturam interpretandi regula est Scriptura ipsa. Quoties igitur cunque oritur quæstio de. vero plenoque Scripturæ cujusvis sensu (unicus ille est non multiplex), ex aliis locis, qui apertius loquuntur, est indagandus et cognoscendus. [894] X. The Supreme Judge, by which all controversies of religion are to be determined, and all decrees of councils, opinions of ancient writers, doctrines of men, and private spirits, are to be examined, and in whose sentence we are to rest, can X. Supremus judex, a quo omnes de religione controversiæ sunt determinandæ, omnia Conciliorum decreta, opiniones Scriptorum Veterum, doctrinæ denique hominum, et privati quicunque Spiritus sunt examinandi, cujusque sententia tenemur