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01 - The Westminster Confession of Faith · Philosophy and Faith

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  Speaker 1: Chapter one of the Holy Scripture. One. Although the light
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  Speaker 1: of nature and the works of creation and Providence do
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  Speaker 1: so far manifest the goodness, wisdom, and power of God
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  Speaker 1: as to leave men unexcusable, yet are they not sufficient
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  Speaker 1: to give that knowledge of God and of His Will,
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  Speaker 1: which is necessary unto salvation. Therefore it pleased the Lord,
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  Speaker 1: at sundry times and in diverse manners, to reveal himself
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  Speaker 1: and to declare that his will unto his Church, and afterwards,
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  Speaker 1: for the better preserving and propagating of the truth, and
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  Speaker 1: for the more sure establishment and comfort of the Church
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  Speaker 1: against the corruption of the flesh and the malice of
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  Speaker 1: Satan and of the world, to commit the same wholly
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  Speaker 1: unto writing, which makes the Holy Scripture to be most necessary.
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  Speaker 1: Those former ways of God's revealing his will unto his
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  Speaker 1: people being now ceased. Two under the name of Holy
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  Speaker 1: Scripture or the Word of God written, are now contained
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  Speaker 1: all the books of the Old and New Testament, which
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  Speaker 1: are these of the Old Testament Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth,
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  Speaker 1: First Samuel, Second Samuel, First Kings, Second Kings, First Chronicles,
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  Speaker 1: Second Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther job Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, the
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  Speaker 1: Song of Songs, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Josiah, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahom, Habit, Zephaniah, Hagai, Zechariah,
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  Speaker 1: Malachi of the New Testament. The Gospels according to Matthew
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  Speaker 1: Mark Luke John, the Acts of the Apostles, Paul's Epistles two,
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  Speaker 1: the Romans, Corinthians one, Corinthians two, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians,
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  Speaker 1: Thessalonians one, Thessalonians two, to Timothy, one to Timothy two
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  Speaker 1: to Titus, to Philammon, the Epistle to the Hebrews, the
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  Speaker 1: Epistle of James, the First and second Epistles of Peter,
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  Speaker 1: the First, second, and third Epistles of John, the Epistle
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  Speaker 1: of Jude, the Revelation of John, all which are given
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  Speaker 1: by inspiration of God to be the rule of faith
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  Speaker 1: and life. Three the books commonly called apocrypha, not being
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  Speaker 1: of divine inspiration, are no part of the canon of
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  Speaker 1: the Scripture, and therefore are of no authority in the
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  Speaker 1: Church of God, nor to be any otherwise approved or
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  Speaker 1: made use of than other human writings. Four. The authority
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  Speaker 1: of the Holy Scripture, for which it ought to be
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  Speaker 1: believed and obeyed, depends not upon the testimony of any
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  Speaker 1: man or church, but wholly upon God, who is truth itself,
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  Speaker 1: the author thereof, and therefore it is to be received
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  Speaker 1: because it is the Word of God. Five. We may
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  Speaker 1: be moved and induced by the testimony of the Church
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  Speaker 1: to an high and reverent esteem of the Holy Scripture
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  Speaker 1: and the heavenliness of the matter, the efficacy of the doctrine,
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  Speaker 1: the majesty of the style, the consent of all the parts,
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  Speaker 1: the scope of the whole, which is to give all
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  Speaker 1: glory to God, the full discusver it makes of the
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  Speaker 1: only way of man's salvation, the many other incomparable excellencies,
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  Speaker 1: and the entire perfection. Thereof are arguments whereby it does
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  Speaker 1: abundantly evidence itself to be the Word of God. Yet
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  Speaker 1: notwithstanding our full persuasion and assurance of the infallible truth
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  Speaker 1: and divine authority thereof is from the inward work of
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  Speaker 1: the Holy Spirit, bearing witness by and with the Word
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  Speaker 1: in our hearts. Six. The whole counsel of God concerning
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  Speaker 1: all things necessary for His own glory. Man's salvation, faith,
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  Speaker 1: and life is either expressly set down in scripture, or
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  Speaker 1: by good and necessary consequence, may be deduced from scripture,
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  Speaker 1: unto which nothing at any time is to be added,
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  Speaker 1: whether by new revelations of the Spirit or traditions of men. Nevertheless,
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  Speaker 1: we acknowledge the inward illumination of the Spirit of God
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  Speaker 1: to be necessary for the saving understanding of such things
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  Speaker 1: as are revealed in the Word, and that there are
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  Speaker 1: some circumstances concerning the worship of God and government of
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  Speaker 1: the Church, common to human actions and societies, which are
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  Speaker 1: to be ordered by the light of nature and Christian prudence,
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  Speaker 1: according to the general rules of the Word, which are
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  Speaker 1: always to be observed. Seven. All things in Scripture are
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  Speaker 1: not alike plain in themselves, nor alike clear unto all.
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  Speaker 1: Yet those things which are necessary to be known, believed,
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  Speaker 1: and observed for salvation are so clearly propounded and opened
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  Speaker 1: in some place of scripture or other, that not only
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  Speaker 1: the learned, but the unlearned, in a due use of
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  Speaker 1: the ordinary mind, means may attain unto a sufficient understanding
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  Speaker 1: of them. Eight. The Old Testament in Hebrew, which was
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  Speaker 1: the native language of the people of God of old,
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  Speaker 1: and the New Testament in Greek, which at the time
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  Speaker 1: of the writing of it was most generally known to
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  Speaker 1: the nations, being immediately inspired by God and by His
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  Speaker 1: singular care and providence kept pure in all ages, are
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  Speaker 1: therefore authentical, so as in all controversies of religion, the
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  Speaker 1: Church is finally to appeal unto them. But because these
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  Speaker 1: original tongues are not known to all the people of God,
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  Speaker 1: who have write unto and interest in the scriptures, and
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  Speaker 1: are commanded in the fear of God to read and
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  Speaker 1: search them, therefore they are to be translated into the
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  Speaker 1: vulgar language of every nation unto which they come, that
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  Speaker 1: the Word of God, dwelling plentifully in all they may
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  Speaker 1: worship Him in an acceptable manner, and through patience and
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  Speaker 1: comfort of the scriptures, may have hope. Nine. The infallible
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  Speaker 1: rule of interpretation of scripture is the scripture itself, And
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  Speaker 1: therefore when there is a question about the true and
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  Speaker 1: full sense of any scripture which is not manifold but one,
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  Speaker 1: it must be searched and known by other places that
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  Speaker 1: speak more clearly. Ten. The supreme judge by which all
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  Speaker 1: controversies of religion are to be determined, and all decrees
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  Speaker 1: of counsels, opinions of ancient writers, doctrines of men, and
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  Speaker 1: private spirits are to be examined. And in whose sentence
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  Speaker 1: we are to rest. Can be no other but the
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  Speaker 1: Holy Spirit speaking in the Scripture Chapter two. Of God
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  Speaker 1: and of the Holy Trinity one. There is but one, only,
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  Speaker 1: living and true God, who is infinite in being and perfection,
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  Speaker 1: a most pure spirit, invisible, without body parts or passions, immutable, immense, eternal, incomprehensible, almighty,
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  Speaker 1: most wise, most wholly, most free, most absolute, working all
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  Speaker 1: things according to the counsel of his own immutable and
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  Speaker 1: most righteous will for his own glory, most loving, gracious, merciful,
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  Speaker 1: long suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity, transgression
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  Speaker 1: and sin, the rewarder of them that diligently seek him,
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  Speaker 1: and with all most just and terrible in his judgment,
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  Speaker 1: hating all sin, and who will by no means clear
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  Speaker 1: the guilty. Two. God has all life, glory, goodness, blessedness
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  Speaker 1: in and of himself, and is alone in and unto himself,
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  Speaker 1: all sufficient, not standing in need of any creatures which
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  Speaker 1: he has made, nor deriving any glory from them, but
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  Speaker 1: only manifesting his own glory in by unto and upon them.
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  Speaker 1: He is the alone fountain of all being, of whom,
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  Speaker 1: through whom and to whom are all things, and has
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  Speaker 1: most sovereign dominion over them, to do by them, for them,
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  Speaker 1: or upon them, whatsoever himself pleases. In his sight, all
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  Speaker 1: things are open and manifest. His knowledge is infinite, infallible,
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  Speaker 1: and independent upon the creature, so as nothing is to
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  Speaker 1: him contingent or uncertain. He is most holy in all
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  Speaker 1: his counsels, in all his works, and in all his commands.
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  Speaker 1: To him is due from angels and men and every
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  Speaker 1: other creature, whatsoever worship, service, or obedience he is pleased
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  Speaker 1: to require of them. Three. In the unity of the Godhead,
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  Speaker 1: there be three persons of one substance, power and eternity,
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  Speaker 1: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost.
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  Speaker 1: The Father is of none, neither begotten nor proceeding. The
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  Speaker 1: Son is eternally begotten of the Father, the Holy Ghost
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  Speaker 1: eternally proceeding from the Father and the Son. Chapter three
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  Speaker 1: of God's Eternal Decree. One God from all eternity did
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  Speaker 1: by the most wise and holy counsel of his own
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  Speaker 1: will freely and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass. Yet,
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  Speaker 1: so as thereby neither is God the author of sin,
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  Speaker 1: nor is violence offered to the will of the creatures.
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  Speaker 1: Nor is the liberty or contingency of second causes taken away,
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  Speaker 1: but rather established. Two. Although God knows whatsoever may or
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  Speaker 1: can come to pass upon all supposed conditions, yet has
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  Speaker 1: he not decreed anything because he foresaw it as future,
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  Speaker 1: or as that which would come to pass upon such conditions. Three.
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  Speaker 1: By the decree of God for the manifestation of his glory,
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  Speaker 1: some men and angels are predestinated unto everlasting life, and
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  Speaker 1: others foreordained to everlasting death. Four. These angels and men,
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  Speaker 1: thus predestinated and foreordained are particularly and unchangeably designed, and
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  Speaker 1: their number so certain and definite that it cannot be
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  Speaker 1: either increased or diminished. Five Those of mankind that are
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  Speaker 1: predestinated unto life. God, before the foundation of the world
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  Speaker 1: was laid, according to his eternal and immutable purpose and
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  Speaker 1: the secret counsel and good pleasure of his will, has
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  Speaker 1: chosen in Christ unto everlasting glory, out of his mere
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  Speaker 1: free grace and love, without any foresight of faith, or
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  Speaker 1: good works, or perseverance in either of them, or any
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  Speaker 1: other thing in the creature, as conditions or causes, moving
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  Speaker 1: him thereunto and all to the praise of His glorious grace. Six.
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  Speaker 1: As God has appointed the elect unto glory, so has he,
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  Speaker 1: by the eternal and most free purpose of his will,
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  Speaker 1: fore ordained all the means thereunto. Wherefore they who are elected,
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  Speaker 1: being fallen in adam, are redeemed by Christ, are effectually
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  Speaker 1: called unto faith. In Christ, by his spirit working in
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  Speaker 1: due season, are justified, adopted, sanctified, and kept by His
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  Speaker 1: power through faith unto salvation. Neither are any other redeemed
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  Speaker 1: by Christ effectually called justified, adopted, sanctified, and saved. But
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  Speaker 1: the elect only. Seven the rest of mankind. God was
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  Speaker 1: pleased according to the unsearchable counsel of his own will,
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  Speaker 1: whereby he extends or withholds mercy as he pleases, for
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  Speaker 1: the glory of his sovereign power over his creatures to
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  Speaker 1: pass by, and to ordain them to dishonor and wrath
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  Speaker 1: for their sin, to the praise of His glorious justice. Eight.
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  Speaker 1: The doctrine of this high mystery of predestination is to
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  Speaker 1: be handled with special prudence and care, that men attending
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  Speaker 1: the will of God revealed in His Word, and yielding
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  Speaker 1: obedience thereunto, may from the certainty of their effectual vocation,
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  Speaker 1: be assured of their eternal election. So shall the this
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  Speaker 1: doctrine afford matter of praise, reverence, and admiration of God,
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  Speaker 1: and of humility, diligence, and abundant consolation to all that
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  Speaker 1: sincerely obey. The Gospel, Chapter four of creationc. One. It
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  Speaker 1: pleased God, the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, for the
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  Speaker 1: manifestation of the glory of His eternal power, wisdom, and
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  Speaker 1: goodness in the beginning to create or make of nothing
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  Speaker 1: the world and all things therein, whether visible or invisible,
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  Speaker 1: in the space of six days, and all very good.
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  Speaker 1: Section two. After God had made all other creatures, he
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  Speaker 1: created man, male and female, with reasonable and immortal souls,
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  Speaker 1: endued with knowledge, righteousness, and true holiness after His own image,
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  Speaker 1: having the law of God written in their hearts and
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  Speaker 1: power to fulfill it, and yet under a possibility of transgressing,
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  Speaker 1: being left to the liberty of their own will, which
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  Speaker 1: was subject unto change. Beside this law written in their hearts,
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  Speaker 1: they received a command not to eat of the tree
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  Speaker 1: of the knowledge of good and evil, which while they kept,
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  Speaker 1: they were happy in their communion with God and had
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  Speaker 1: dominion over the creatures. Chapter five of Providence. One, God,
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  Speaker 1: the great creator of all things, does uphold, direct, dispose,
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  Speaker 1: and govern all creatures, actions, and things, from the greatest
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  Speaker 1: even to the least, by his most wise and homely providence,
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  Speaker 1: according to his infallible foreknowledge and the free and immutable
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  Speaker 1: counsel of his own will, to the praise of the
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  Speaker 1: glory of His wisdom, power, justice, goodness, and mercy. Two.
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  Speaker 1: Although in relation to the foreknowledge and decree of God
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  Speaker 1: the first cause, all things come to pass immutably and infallibly,
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  Speaker 1: yet by the same providence he orders them to fall
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  Speaker 1: out according to the nature of second causes, either necessarily,
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  Speaker 1: freely or contingently. Section three. God, in his ordinary providence,
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  Speaker 1: makes use of means, yet is free to work without
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  Speaker 1: above and against them at his pleasure. Section four. The
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  Speaker 1: almighty power, unsearchable wisdom, and infinite goodness of God so
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  Speaker 1: far manifests themselves in his providence that it extends itself
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  Speaker 1: even to the first fall, and all other sins of
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  Speaker 1: angels and men, and that not by a bar permission,
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  Speaker 1: but such as has joined with it a most wise
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  Speaker 1: and powerful bounding and otherwise ordering and governing of them,
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  Speaker 1: in a manifold dispensation to his own holy ends. Yet
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  Speaker 1: so as the sinfulness thereof proceeds only from the creature,
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  Speaker 1: and not from God, who, being most holy and righteous,
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  Speaker 1: neither is nor can be the author or approver of sin. Five,
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  Speaker 1: The most wise, righteous and gracious God does oftentimes leave
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  Speaker 1: for a season his own children to manifold temptations and
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  Speaker 1: the corruption of their own hearts, to chastise them for
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  Speaker 1: their former sins, or to discover unto them the hidden
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  Speaker 1: strength of corruption and deceitfulness of their hearts, that they
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  Speaker 1: may be humbled, and to raise them to a more
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  Speaker 1: close and constant dependence for their support upon Himself, and
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  Speaker 1: to make them more watchful against all future occasions of sin,
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  Speaker 1: and for sundry other just and holy ends. Six. As
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  Speaker 1: for those wicked and ungodly men, whom God, as a
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  Speaker 1: righteous judge for former sins, does blind and harden from them,
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  Speaker 1: he not only withholds his grace, whereby they might have
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  Speaker 1: been enlightened in their understandings and wrought upon in their hearts,
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  Speaker 1: but sometimes also withdraws the gifts which they had, and
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  Speaker 1: exposes them to such objects as their corruption makes occasion
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  Speaker 1: of sin, and withal gives them over to their own lusts,
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  Speaker 1: the temptations of the world, and the power of Satan,
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  Speaker 1: whereby it comes to pass that they harden themselves, even
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  Speaker 1: under those means which God uses for the softening of others. Seven.
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  Speaker 1: As the providence of God does in general reach to
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  Speaker 1: all creatures, so after a most special manner, it takes
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  Speaker 1: care of his church and disposes all things to the
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  Speaker 1: good thereof and of Chapter five