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Having been duly humbled
by the grace of God to see the bane and worthlessness of human
wisdom in this present world, and in reaction to the current
indifference towards God’s clear and unchanging Word as the divine
guide of the visible Church; and called to be found in submission to
His will, we account it as incumbent upon us to make a declaration,
to the honor of Christ and the glory of His Name, to affirm anew to
our fellow Christians the sufficiency and authority of Scripture, as
being the sole rule of faith and practice, and the clear remedy for
the folly and error of the postmodern church; which declaration is
as follows, viz.
Let it be known that we,
the League of Tyndale, look upon ourselves under the greatest
obligation to embrace, maintain, and defend the authority and
sufficiency of God’s Holy Writ as should befit the humble submission
of all believers; deeming it to be our duty to impress upon our
brothers and sisters in Christ to do likewise, by acknowledging and
upholding these truths, as cogently expressed in the 1689 Baptist
Confession:
1. The Holy Scripture is
the only sufficient, certain, and infallible rule of all saving
knowledge, faith, and obedience, 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; yet
are they not sufficient to give that knowledge of God and his will
which is necessary unto salvation. Therefore it pleased the Lord at
sundry times and in divers manners to reveal himself, and to declare
that his will unto his church; and afterward 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; which maketh the Holy Scriptures to be
most necessary, those former ways of God's revealing his will unto
his people being now ceased. (
2 Timothy 3:15-17;
Isaiah 8:20;
Luke 16:29, 31;
Ephesians 2:20;
Romans 1:19-21;
Romans 2:14,15;
Psalms 19:1-3;
Hebrews 1:1;
Proverbs 22:19-21;
Romans 15:4;
2 Peter 1:19, 20 )
2. Under the name of
Holy Scripture, or the Word of God written, are now contained all
the books of the Old and New Testaments, 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 Solomon, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations,
Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum,
Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi
OF THE NEW TESTAMENT:
Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, The Acts of the Apostles, Paul's Epistle
to the Romans, I Corinthians, II Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians,
Philippians, Colossians, I Thessalonians, II Thessalonians, I
Timothy, II Timothy, To Titus, To Philemon, The Epistle to the
Hebrews, Epistle of James, The first and second Epistles of Peter,
The first, second, and third Epistles of John, The Epistle of Jude,
The Revelation
All of which are given
by the inspiration of God, to be the rule of faith and life. (
2 Timothy 3:16 )
3. The books commonly
called Apocrypha, not being of divine inspiration, are no part of
the canon or rule of the Scripture, and, therefore, are of no
authority to the church of God, nor to be any otherwise approved or
made use of than other human writings. (
Luke 24:27, 44;
Romans 3:2 )
4. The authority of the
Holy Scripture, for which it ought to be believed, dependeth not
upon the testimony of any man or church, but wholly upon God (who is
truth itself), the author thereof; therefore it is to be received
because it is the Word of God. (
2 Peter 1:19-21;
2 Timothy 3:16;
2 Thessalonians 2:13;
1 John 5:9 )
5. We may be moved and
induced by the testimony of the church of God to an high and
reverent esteem of the Holy Scriptures; and the heavenliness of the
matter, the efficacy of the doctrine, and 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, and many other incomparable excellencies, and
entire perfections 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. (
John 16:13,14;
1 Corinthians 2:10-12;
1 John 2:20, 27 )
6. The whole counsel of
God concerning all things necessary for his own glory, man's
salvation, faith and life, is either expressly set down or
necessarily contained in the Holy Scripture: unto which nothing at
any time is to be added, whether by new revelation of the Spirit, or
traditions of men. Nevertheless, we acknowledge the inward
illumination of the Spirit of God to be necessary for the saving
understanding of such things as are revealed in the Word, 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. (
2 Timothy 3:15-17;
Galatians 1:8,9;
John 6:45;
1 Corinthians 2:9-12;
1 Corinthians 11:13, 14;
1 Corinthians 14:26,40 )
7. All things in
Scripture are not alike plain in themselves, nor alike clear unto
all; 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 ordinary means, may attain to a
sufficient understanding of them. (
2 Peter 3:16;
Psalms 19:7;
Psalms 119:130 )
8. 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 authentic; so as in all controversies of
religion, the church is finally to appeal to them. But because these
original tongues are not known to all the people of God, who have a
right unto, and interest in the Scriptures, and are commanded in the
fear of God to read and search them, therefore they are to be
translated into the vulgar language of every nation unto which they
come, that the Word of God dwelling plentifully in all, they may
worship him in an acceptable manner, and through patience and
comfort of the Scriptures may have hope. (
Romans 3:2;
Isaiah 8:20;
Acts 15:15;
John 5:39;
1 Corinthians 14:6, 9, 11, 12, 24, 28;
Colossians 3:16 )
9. 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 be searched
by other places that speak more clearly. (
2 Peter 1:20, 21;
Acts 15:15, 16 )
10. 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 be no other but the Holy Scripture delivered by the
Spirit, into which Scripture so delivered, our faith is finally
resolved. (
Matthew 22:29, 31, 32;
Ephesians 2:20;
Acts 28:23 )
Whereas it is our
sincere desire that we proclaim “sola Scriptura” in humility for the
sake of the Church, through gentleness and reverence, we are
eminently aware that our conversation, both in the world and in the
church, ought to be as becomes the Gospel of Christ (Phil. 1:27).
Therefore, we judge it our incumbent duty, to (Col. 4:5) walk in
wisdom towards them that are without, to exercise a conscience (Acts
24:16) void of offense towards God and men, by living (Titus 2:12)
soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world.
Nonetheless, within the
bounds of our stated purpose to defend the integrity of God’s Word,
along with its clear doctrines and teachings, we will not hesitate
when the case requires, to warn, (1 Thessalonians 5:14; Romans
15:14; Lev. 19:17; Matthew 18:15-17) rebuke, and admonish one
another, according to the rules of the Gospel.
All which duties we
desire to be found in the performance of, through the gracious
assistance of the Holy Spirit, for the glory of God alone. |
