House of Commons Journal Volume 5: 19 May 1647

Die Mercurii, 19 Maii, 1647.

Prayers.

Leave of Absence.

ORDERED, That Sir William Drake, a Member of this House, shall have Leave to go to the Bathe, for Recovery of his Health.

Consession of Faith.

The House, according to former Order, proceeded to the Consideration of the Humble Advice of the Assembly of Divines, concerning a Consession of Faith, presented by the Assembly of Divines, with the Texts of Scripture in the Margin.

The First Paragraph of the First Chapter, concerning the Holy Scriptures; and likewise, the Sixth Article of the Nine-and-thirty Articles; were read.

The Question was propounded, upon this Part of the First Paragraph of the First Chapter, intituled, "Of the Holy Scripture;" viz. "Although the Light of Nature, and the Works of Creation and Providence, do so far manisest the Goodness, Wisdom, and Power of God, as to leave Men unexcusable; yet are they not sufficient to give that Knowledge of God, and of his Will, which is necessary unto Salvation:"

And the Question being put, Whether this Question shall be now put;

It passed with the Affirmative.

And then, the Question being put;

It is Resolved, &c. That this House doth agree unto the First Part of the First Paragraph of the First Chapter, intituled, "The Holy Scripture;" viz. "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 unexcusable; yet are they not sufficient to give that Knowledge of God, and of 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 afterwards, 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 Scripture to be most necessary; those former Ways of God's revealing his Will unto his People being now ceased."

And the Question being put, Whether these Words, "Those former Ways of God's revealing his Will unto his People . . . . . now ceased," should stand;

It passed with the Affirmative: And then

It is Resolved, &c. That this House doth agree to the Second Part of this First Paragraph, in these Words; viz. "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 afterwards, 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 Scripture to be most necessary; those former Ways of God's revealing his Will unto his People being now ceased."

Resolved, &c. That this House doth agree to the Second Paragraph of the First Chapter, in these Words; viz. "Under the Name of Holy Scripture, or the Word of God written, are now contained all the Books of the Old and New Testament: Which are these;"

"Of the Old Testament;"

"Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, The Song of Songs, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi."

"Of the New Testament;"

"The Gospels according to Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, The Acts of the Apostles, Paul's Epistles to the Romans, Corinthians 1, Corinthians 2, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Thessalonians 1, Thessalonians 2, To Timothy 1, To Timothy 2, To Titus, To Philemon, The Epistle to the Hebrews, The Epistle of James, The First and Second Epistles of Peter, The First, Second, and Third Epistles of John, The Epistle of Jude, The Revelation of John.

"All which are given by Inspiration of God, to be the Rule of Faith and Life."

Resolved, &c. That this House doth agree to the Third Paragraph of the First Chapter, in these Words; viz. "The Books commonly called Apocrypha, not being of Divine Inspiration, are no Part of the Canon of the Scripture; and therefore are of no Authority in the Church of God, nor to be any otherwise approved, or made use of, than other human Writings."

Resolved, &c. That this House doth agree to the Fourth Paragraph of the First Chapter, in these Words; viz. "The Authority of the Holy Scripture, for which it ought to be believed and obeyed, depending not upon the Testimony of any Man or Church, but wholly upon God (who is Truth itself) the Author thereof; and therefore it is to be received, because it is the Word of God."

Consession of Faith.

Resolved, &c. That this House doth agree to the Fifth Paragraph of the First Chapter, in these Words; viz. "We may be moved and induced by the Testimony of the Church, to an high and reverent Esteem of the Holy Scripture: And the Heavenliness of the Matter, the Efficacy of the Doctrine, the Majesty of the Stile, 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, the many other incomparable Excellencies, and the intire Perfection thereof, are arguments, whereby it doth abundantly evidence itself to be the Word of God; Yet, notwithstanding, our full Persuasion and Assurance of the insallible Truth, and divine Authority thereof, is, from the inward Work of the Holy Spirit, bearing Witness by and with the Word in our Hearts."

Resolved, &c. That this House doth agree to the Sixth Paragraph of the First Chapter, in these Words; viz. "The whole Counsel of God, concerning all Things necessary for his own Glory, Man's Salvation, Faith and Life, is either expressly set down in Scripture, or, by good and necessary Consequence, may be deduced from Scripture; unto which nothing, at any time, is to be added, whether by new Revelations 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."

Resolved, &c. That this House doth agree to the Seventh Paragraph of the First Chapter, in these Words; viz. "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 the ordinary Means, may attain unto a sufficient Understanding of them."

Ordered, That the Eighth Paragraph of the First Chapter, now respited, be taken into Consideration on the next Sitting of the House upon this Business.

Resolved, &c. That this House doth agree to the Ninth Paragraph of the First Chapter, in these Words; viz. "The infalliable 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 and known by other Places, that speak more clearly."

Resolved, &c. That this House doth agree to the Tenth Paragraph of the First Chapter, in these Words; viz. "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 Spirit speaking in the Scripture."

Ordered, That Mr. Haake's Ordinance concerning his Translation of Annotations upon the Bible, formerly sent from the Lords, be read on Friday next.

Ordered, That the House do proceed in the Advice of the Assembly of Divines, concerning a Consession of Faith, on Friday next, the first Business; and that nothing else intervene: And that Mr. Speaker do put the House in mind hereof.

Delinquent Ministers.

Ordered, That the Ordinance for preventing Scandalous and Delinquent Ministers to return to their Livings, be reported on Friday next.

Manwaring's Claims.

Ordered, That Colonel Robert Manwaring shall have the Publick Faith, and the Publick Faith is hereby given to the said Colonel Robert Manwaring, for the Sum of Four hundred Seventy-eight Pounds Thirteen Shillings Two-pence; for which Sum he had a Warrant from the Committee of the Safety, dated 18 Julii 1643, directed to Sir Gilbert Gerard Baronet, then Treasurer at Wars; and hath since received nothing thereupon.