and the way of death; and which teach us what we must do to be saved from the wrath to come, and to inherit eternal life.

1 The way of man is not now in himself; it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. Though we can by nature do many things contained in the law of God; and though we can, in many cases, even of ourselves, judge what is right, our conscience bearing witness to what is good or evil, either by excusing, or else accusing us accordingly, yet we are not a sufficient law unto ourselves. Notwithstanding, therefore, the law written in our hearts, we shall never come to the full knowledge of that good and acceptable and perfect will of God, which is to direct us in this life, but by his word, which he hath in due times manifested to us, from whence we may be fully instructed in all things which belong unto our peace and salvation, even the salvation of our souls.

2 And if any man sin, (as in many things we offend all) there is no other way of being assured that we shall not all likewise perish, but from the Scriptures: which acquaint us that we have an advocate with the Father; and give us an account in what manner, and upon what terms, God is pleased to reconcile us to himself.

3 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that such as desire to serve God truly may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.

4 Whatsoever things were written aforetime by

Rom. ii. 14.

Luke xii. 57.

1 Jer. x. 23. Rom. ii. 13, 14, 15. Rom. xii. 2. Titus i. 3. Luke xix. 42. 1 Peter i. 9.

2 1 John

Rom. xv. 4.

ii. 1. James iii. 2. Luke xiii. 3. 1 John ii. 1. 2 Cor. v. 18. 4 Rom. xv. 4. 2 Peter i. 21.

3 2 Tim. iii. 16, 17.

holy men of God, who spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost, were written for our learning, that we, through patience and comfort of the Scriptures, might have hope.

1

Unto the Jews first were committed the oracles of God; for God spake with them from heaven, and gave them right judgments and true laws, good statutes and commandments, by the hand of Moses his servant, who showed them the way wherein they were to walk, and the work that they were to do.

2

And the same God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in times past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son; and that which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, was confirmed unto us by them that heard him.

3

This is the glorious Gospel of the blessed God, which is not after man, neither was it received of man, neither was any man taught it but by the revelation of Christ; who taught the way of God truly, and enabled his apostles and ministers to declare unto us all the counsel of God.

4 And that we might know the certainty of those things wherein they were instructed, to whom the Gospel was first preached, there is set forth, in order to us, a declaration of those things which were most surely believed among them, even as they were delivered by those which from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the Word, and had perfect understanding of all things; who kept back nothing that was profitable unto us.

1, 2, 3. Acts

1 Tim. i. 12. Acts xx. 27. 4 Luke i. 4. 1. Luke i.

xx. 20.

1We ought therefore to receive with meekness and all readiness of mind the ingrafted word, which is able to save our souls; believing all things which are written in the law and the prophets; and more especially holding fast that form of sound words, and that faith which was once delivered unto the saints in the writings of the New Testament.

2 And that we may not err concerning the faith, let us take care that we do not think of men above that which is written; that we are not curious about the times and seasons, which we have no need to know: that we avoid foolish and unlearned questions, profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science, falsely so called; that we do not give heed to Jewish fables and commandments of men that turn from the truth; and that we strive not about words to no profit; nor suffer ourselves to be misled by philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

3

As in the Epistles of St. Paul, so in the other Scriptures also, there are some things hard to be understood; but we must be both unlearned and unstable, if we wrest those to our own destruction; for generally the holy writers have used great plainness of speech; and they have never handled the Word of God deceitfully; so that whoever will do his will, may know of the doctrine whether it be of God.

4 For all that is needful for us to know of the common salvation, is so plainly set forth to us, that he may run that readeth; but if the Gospel be hid,

* James i. 21. Acts xvii. 11. Acts xxiv. 14. 2 Tim. i. 13. Jude 3. 21 Tim. vi. 21. 1 Cor. iv. 6. 1 Thess. v. 1. 2 Tim. ii. 23.

1 Tim. vi. 20. Titus i. 14. 2 Tim. ii. 14. Col. ii. 8.

3 2 Peter iii. 16. 2 Cor. iii. 12. 2 Cor. iv. 2. John vii. 17. 4 Jude 3. Hab. ii. 2. 2 Cor. iv. 3, 4.

it is hid to them only that are lost, in whom the God of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ should shine unto them.

1

The Scriptures then being plain and easy, so far as is necessary to make us wise unto salvation, through faith which is in Christ Jesus; we ought to read them with the same sincerity with which they were written, not corrupting the Word of God, or perverting the Gospel of Christ, after our own lusts, which make us unwilling to endure sound doctrine.

2 And having consented to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness, we ought to continue in the things which we have learned and have been assured of: without regarding what is said, either by such as teach things that they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake, or by unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, who being puffed up by their fleshly mind, intrude into those things which they have not seen, or by such as make the Word of God of none effect through their tradition.

3

Having therefore received of the apostles, by the Lord Jesus, how we ought to walk, and to please God; let us receive that which we have heard of them, not as the word of men, but (as it is in truth) the word of God, which effectually worketh in them that believe. The power and demonstration of which is such, that, whosoever will not hear Moses and the prophets, Christ and his apostles, yet speaking to us in the Scriptures, neither will he be persuaded any other way of the truth of religion, though one rose from the dead to assure him of it.

1 The Gospel of Jesus Christ, which, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, was made known to all nations for the obedience of faith : this is the Word of God which liveth and abideth for ever; this is that wisdom from above, which all the adversaries of it shall not be able to gainsay or resist; by which also we are saved, if we believe, and obey from the heart, that form of doctrine, which is delivered to us in the holy Scriptures.

2 And as there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved, but the name of Jesus Christ; so neither is there any other doctrine to be taught, but what is declared unto us in the Gospel which we have received, and wherein we stand.

3 If any man preach another Jesus; or if any man, or an angel from heaven, preach any other Gospel unto us than that which the apostles have preached unto us, let him be accursed.

* Ye shall not add unto the word which God commandeth you, neither shall you diminish ought from it.

Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar; for every word of God is pure.

If any man shall add unto the words of this book of the new covenant, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: and if any man shall take away from the words of this book, God shall take away his part out of the Book of Life.

1 Rom. xvi. 25, 26. 1 Pet. i. 23. James iii. 17. 1 Cor. xv. 2. Rom. vi. 17. 2 Acts iv. 12, 10. 3 2 Cor. xi. 4., Gal. i. 9. 8. 5 Prov. xxx. 6. 5.

1 Cor. xv. 1.

Luke xxi. 15.

1 Tim. i. 3.

4 Deut. iv. 2.

6

¶ Rev. xxii. 18, 19.