The History of the Reformation of the Church of Scotland

not of that universal (of which we have before spoken) but particular, such as was in Corinthus, Galatia, Ephesus, and other places in which the Ministry was planted by Paul, and were of himself named the Churches of God: and such Churches we the Inhabitants of the Realm of Scotland, professors of Christ Jesus, confess us to have in our Cities, Townes, and places reformed: For the Doctrine taught in our Churches, is contained in the written Word of God, to wit, in the Books of the New and Old Testaments; in those Books we mean, which of ancient have been reputed Canonical, in the which we affirm that all things necessary to be believed for the salvation of mankind is sufficiently expressed.¹ The interpretation whereof, we confess, neither appertaineth unto any private nor public person; neither yet to any Church for any preeminence or prerogative personal or local, which one hath above another, but appertaineth to the Spirit of God,² by the which also the Scripture was written. When controversy then happeneth for the right understanding of any place or sentence of Scripture, or for the reformation of any abuse within the Church of God, we ought not so much to look what men before us have said and done, as unto that which the Holy Ghost uniformly speaketh within the body of the Scriptures, and unto that which Christ Jesus himself did, and commanded to be done. For this is a thing universally granted, That the Spirit of God, which is the Spirit of unity, is in nothing contrary to himself. If then the interpretation, determination or sentence of any Doctor, Church or Council, repugn to the plain Word of God, written in any other place of Scripture, it is a thing most certain that there is not the true understanding and meaning of the Holy Ghost; supposing that Counsels, Realms, and Nations have approved and received the same. For we dare not receive and admit any Interpretation, which directly oppugneth to any principal point of our faith, to any other plain text of Scripture, or yet to the rule of charity. XIX. The Authority of the Scriptures. And we believe and confess the Scriptures of God sufficient to instruct, and make the man of God perfect,³ so do we affirm and avow the Authority of the same to be of God, and neither to depend on ⟨p. 267⟩