A confession of faith made by common consent of divers reformed churches beyond the…A confession of fayth made by common consent of diuers reformed churches beyonde the…

The Apostle Peter said, that the ¹holy Scriptures are not of any private interpretation. Wherefore ⟨image 49⟩we do not allow all kind of interpretations, neither do we acknowledge that sense of yt Romaine Church, as they call it, which simply, God wot, the defenders of the Church of Rome would compel every man to receive: but we accept that interpretation only, as true, which is gathered out of the Scriptures themselves, that is, of the propriety of that tongue in the which they were written, and examined according to the circumstance, and so expounded, as they may agree with many other like and unlike places, not swerving from the rule of Faith and charity; but may most advance Gods glory and mans salvation. Therefore we despise not the holy Fathers expositions Greek or Latin, neither do we ²reject their disputations or treatises of holy things, as long as they agree with the Scriptures. Howbeit we disallow (after a modest sort) their judgements, when they are espied to write things not agreeing or contrary to the Scriptures. Neither think we that we do them any injury in so doing, ⟨p. 7⟩seeing they all with one consent are of this mind, that they would not have their writings to be of equal authority with the Canonical Scriptures, but will us so far forth to allow them, as they consent with the Scriptures, bidding us to receive those things which agree with Gods word, & leave that which swerveth from the same. In like manner ought we to esteem the decrees or Canons of Councils. Wherefore