This section teaches :

1st. That the Old Tastament having been originally

written in Hebrew and the New Testament in Greek, which were the common languages of the large body of the Church in their respective periods, the Scriptures in those languages are the absolute rule of faith, and ultimate appeal in all controversies. 2d. That the original sacred text has come down to us in a state of essential purity. 3d. That the Scriptures should be translated into the vernacular languages of all people, and copies put into the hands of all capable of reading them.

The true text of the ancient Scriptures is ascertained by means of a careful collation and comparison of the following : 1st. Ancient manuscripts. The oldest existing Hebrew manuscripts date from the ninth or tenth century. The oldest Greek manuscripts date from the fourth to the sixth century. Many hundreds of these have been collated by eminent scholars in forming the text of modern Hebrew and Greek Testaments. The differences are found to be unimportant, and the essential integrity of our text is established. 2d. Quotations from the apostolic Scriptures found in the writings of the early Christians. These are so numerous that the whole New Testament might be gathered from the works of writers dating before the seventh century, and they prove the exact state of the text at the time in which they were made.

3d. Early translations into other languages. The principal of these are the Samaritan Pentateuch, which the Samaritans inherited from the ten tribes ; the Greek Septuagint, B. C. 285 ; the Peshito or ancient Syriac version, A. D. 100 ; the Latin Vulgate of Jerome, A. D. 385 ; the Coptic of the fifth century, and others of less critical value.

There are four heads embraced in these sections. Fhst, That the Scriptures, in the original languages, have come down to us uncorrupted, and are, therefore, authentical. Secondly, That the Scriptures are to be translated into the vulgar language of every nation unto which they come^ Thirdly^ That the infallible rule of the intei-pretation of Scnpture is the Scripture itself. Fourthly, That the Scriptures are the supreme standard of religious triith; and that the Suisreme .Judge, by which all controversies in religion are to be determined, is the Holy Spirit speaking to us in the Scriptures.

1. The Old Testament, except a few passages which were written in Chaldee, was originally written in Hebrew, the language of the Jews, to whom the prophetical oracles were committed. The passages which were written in Chaldee, are the eleventh verse of the tenth chapter of the Prophecies of Jeremiah ; from the second verse of the fourth chapter of Daniel, to the end of the seventh chapter ; and the fourth, fifth, and sixth chapters of Ezra. The New Testament was originally written in Greek, the language which, at the time of writing it, was most universally known. The original language of the Gospel according to Matthew, is indeed a subject of controversy. The ancients, with one voice, affirm that it was written in Hebrew, and this opinion is supported by many modern critics ; othei'S, equally learned, maintain that it was originally composed in Greek. Several of the latest writers on this subject have adopted the opinion that there w^ere two originals, Hebrew and Greek, both written by Matthew himself, — the one for the use of the Jews, the other for tlie use of the Gentiles. Though the autographs of the inspired writings have long since disappeared, yet there is ample evidence that, by the singular care and providence of God, they have been preserved pure in all ages, and that the copies which we now possess generally coincide with the originals. The -purity of the Old Testament Scriptures is confirmed by the general coincidence of the present Hebrew coj)ies with all the early translations, and particularly with the Septuagint version. It may also be obsers'-ed, that although our Lord frequently reproved the rulers and teachers of the Jews for their eiToneous and false doctrines, yet he never accused them of any corruption in their sacred books; and the Apostle Paul reckons it among the privileges of the Jews, that to them " were committed the oracles of God," without ever insinuating that they had been uniaithful to their trust. The animosity which lias ever since

prevailed betAvixt Jews and Christians has rendered it impossible for either of them to vitiate these sacred writings without immediate detection. The corruption of the books of the New Testament is altogether incredible. Had any party entertained a wish to alter them, it would have been impossible for them to succeed. Copies were speedily multiplied ; they were early translated into the different languages of the several nations among which the gospel was planted ; the Christian fathers embodied numerous quotations from them into their writings ; various sects soon arose, keenly opposed to each other, but all receiving the same sacred books, and these became a check upon each other, and rendered corruptions and interpolations impracticable. Every succeeding age increased the difficulty ; and though the comparison of a multitude of ancient manuscripts and copies has discovered a vast number of various readings, occasioned by the inadvertency and inaccuracy of transcribers, yet none of these differences affect any one article of the faith and comfort of Christians.

2. As the Scriptures Avere originally written in the languages which, at the time of writing them, were most generally understood, God has hereby intimated his will, that they should be translated into the vernacular language of different nations, that every one may read and understand them. This we maintain in opposition to the Church of Rome, which forbids the translation of the Scriptures into the vulgar languages, and declares the indiscriminate reading of them to be highly dangerous. Though the free use of the Scriptures be prohibited by that Church, they were certainly intended by God for all ranks and classes of mankind. All are enjoined to read the Scriptures (John v. 39); and the laity are commended not only for searching them, but for trying the doctrines of their public teachers by them. — Acts xvii. 11. It is, therefore, necessaiy that the Scriptures should be translated into the language of every nation; and the use of translations is sanctioned by the apostles, who frequently quoted passages of the Old Testament from the Septuagint.

3. The best and only infallible rule of interj^retation of Scripture, is the Scripture itself. Some things that are briefly and obscurely handled in one place, ai-e more fully and clearly explained in other places ; and, therefore, when we would find out the true sense of Scripture, Ave must compare one passage Avith another, that they may illustrate one another; and Ave must never affix a sense io any particulai* text, but such as is agreeable to " the analogy of faith," or

22 CONFESSION OF FAITH. [[c'lIAP. I.

the general scheme of divine truth. The compilers of the Confession affirm, that the sense of Scripture is not manifold, but one. No doubt, many passages of Scripture have a complex meaning, — as some prophecies have several steps of fulfilment, in the Jewish nation, the Christian Church, and the heavenly state, and some passages have one thing that is t}T)ical of another. Yet these only make up that one and entire sense intended by the Holy Ghost. No Scripture can have two or more meanings properly different, and nowise subordinate one to another, because of the unity of truth, and because of the perspicuity of the Scripture.

4. That the Scriptures are the supreme standard of religious truth, is asserted in opposition to the Socinians, who maintain that reason is the standard by which we are to judge of the doctrines of revelation, and that we are bound to receive nothing as time which reason does not comprehend. There is, no doubt, much use for the exercise of reason in matters of religion; but, it may be remarked, "that the office of reason, in reference to a revelation, is not to discuss its contents, to try them by its own standard, and to approve or disapprove, as they agree or disagree with it ; for this would be to treat it as if it were not a levelation, at the moment when we acknowledge it to be such ; or to insinuate that the Word of God, although known to be his Word, is not entitled to credit, unless it be supported by independent proof. The sole province of reason is to examine the evidence exhibited to show that it is his Word, and to investigate its meaning by rules which are used in determining the sense of any other book. These preliminaries being settled, the state of mind which a revelation demands is faith, implicit faith, to the exclusion of doubts and objections ; the subjection of our understanding to the authority of God, — entire submission to the dictates of infinite wisdom. The reason is, that his testimony supplies the place of all other evidence." *

That the Supreme Judge, by which all controversies in religion are to be determined, is no other but the Holy Spirit speaking in the Scripture, is asserted in opposition to the Papists, who maintain that the Church is an infallible judge in religious controversies ; though they do not agree among themselves whether this infallible authority resides in the Pope, or in a council, or in both together. Now, the Scripture never mentions such an infallible judge on earth. Neither Pope, nor councils, possess the properties requisite to constitute a supreme judge in controversies of religion; for * Dick's Lectures on Theology, vol. ii., p. 5.

they are fallible, and have often erred, and contradicted one another. Althongh the Church or her ministers are the official guardians of the Scriptures, and although it belongs to them to explain and enforce the doctrines and laws contained in the Word of God, yet their authority is only ministerial, and their interpretations and decisions are binding on the conscience only in so far as they accord with the mind of the Spirit in the Scriptures. By this test, the decisions of councils, the opinions of ancient writers, and the doctrines of men at the present time, are to be tried, and by this rule all controversies in religion must be determined. — Isa. viii. 20 ; Matt. xxii. 29.