The Irish Protestant Convocation, A.D. 1615, declares, "the ground of our religion and the rule of faith and all-saving truth is the word of God. The Holy Scriptures contain all things necessary to salvation, and are able to instruct sufficiently in all points of faith that we are bound to believe."

The Westminster Confession, A.D. 1647, teaches that "the Scriptures are given by inspiration of God, to be the rule of faith and life." "The infallible rule of interpretation of Scripture is the Scripture itself." The same doctrine is contained in the Westminster Catechism: "The word of God which is contained in the scriptures of the Old and the New Testament is the only rule to direct us how we may enjoy and glorify Him."

To come to still more recent times, the declaration of the Congregational Churches of England and Wales sets forth that "the Scriptures of the Old Testament, as received by the Jews; and the books of the New Testament, as received by the primitive Christians, are divinely inspired and of supreme authority.”

The National Congregational Council of the United States, at Oberlin, A.D. 1871, teaches that "the Holy Scriptures are the sufficient and only infallible rule of religious faith and practice.'

The Baptist Confession, at New Hampshire, a.d. 1833, proposes "the Holy Bible, written by men di

vinely inspired, as the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and opinions should be tried." The same doctrine is asserted, and in nearly the same words, by the Free-will Baptists, A.D. 1834.

The Evangelical Free Church of Geneva, A.D. 1848, has this first article: "We believe that the Holy Scriptures are entirely inspired of God in all their parts, and that they are the only and infallible rule of faith."

The Methodist Articles of Religion, A.D. 1784, contain in regard to the Scriptures the exact words of the Church of England which we have already quoted.

The Reformed Episcopal Church, A.D. 1875, reasserts the same doctrine, and adds that "the Scripture not only contains the oracles of God, but it is itself the very oracles of God."

The doctrinal basis of the Evangelical Alliance, A.D. 1846, adopted in the American branch A.D. 1867, sets forth "the divine inspiration, authority, and sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures."

These quotations are sufficient to demonstrate that it is the Protestant doctrine that the Holy Scriptures are the sole rule of faith.

That, according to this doctrine, they are to be interpreted by the individual, and not by any authority external to himself, appears to be abundantly manifest.

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First, Protestants admit no authority which is infallible except the Scriptures; and no fallible authority can dictate to the conscience of any one. In this point all men are equal, and God only can reveal His will to any man. Every one may gather what assistthe interpretation of the inspired word, but he only can decide for himself the meaning of the sacred text. This proposition needs no demonstration. "The Bible is an infallible authority, and speaks for itself. There is no other infallible voice to which man may listen." This doctrine is directly asserted in all the Confessions, which declare the Bible to be the only rule of faith. But these Confessions go so far as to expressly charge the Church with error, to deny her authority, and to reject the weight of tradition. The Form of Concord expresses its view of tradition when it declares that the "Holy Scriptures are the only judge, norm, and rule according to which, as by the only touchstone, all doctrines are to be examined. But the other symbols (creeds) and writings of the fathers do not possess the authority of a judge."

The Second Helvetic Confession "rejects human traditions which, although clothed with specious titles, as if they were divine and apostolical, yet differ from the word written." The Scotch Confession denies the authority of the Church in regard to the

Scriptures, and asserts that all councils are to be tried by the plain word of God. It also declares that some of the General Councils have erred in matters of great weight and importance. The Church of England charges the whole Church of Christ with error when it asserts that "the church of Jerusalem, Alexandria, Antioch, and Rome has erred in matters of faith," and propounds the doctrine that "the Church cannot decree anything contrary to the written word of God, or so expound one place of Scripture that it be repugnant to another." This article, which expresses the general belief of Protestants, assumes that the whole Church may fall into error, and that its interpretation of Scripture, if such be attempted, is to be subjected to the individual, who will receive or reject it, according as he finds it consonant or discordant with his sense of the inspired text. There is no other arbiter but the judgment of every individual man. According to the same Church of England, General Councils are subjected to the will of princes, and, while they have erred in things pertaining to God, are also liable to err, so that "the things ordained by them have neither strength nor authority, unless it be declared that they be taken out of Holy Scripture."

It is hardly necessary to multiply testimonies upon this point, since all Protestants will agree that the

Church has no authority to interpret Scripture for any one, and that councils and tradition are only human in their character, and therefore liable to err and exposed to change. There then remains for mankind but one infallible authority, namely, that of the Bible, which is to be given to every one, that he may read and judge for himself the voice of inspiration.

But, secondly, the Protestant Confessions directly assert the right and duty of private judgment, and declare that the reading of the Scriptures is the one way of the revelation of divine truth.

Thus the Belgic Confession, already quoted, founds the belief in the inspiration of God's word on the internal evidence of the books and the witness of the Holy Ghost in the individual heart. This evidence is wholly subjective, and peculiar to each one, who, if he receive the Bible as divine, must do so on such testimony of the Holy Ghost to himself. If this be true of the inspiration of the sacred books, it is à fortiori much more true of their meaning. The whole question of Scripture, the only infallible rule, is submitted to the judgment of each individual man.

The Westminster Confession speaks in plain words: "The infallible rule of interpretation of Scripture is the Scripture itself." "The supreme judge by which all controversies of religion are to be determined, and all decrees of councils, opinions of ancient writers,