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nical Books of the Old and New Testament, of whose authority was never any doubt in the

Church.

Of the Names and Number of the Canonical Books.

And the other Books (as Hierome saith) the Church doth read for example of life, and instruction of manners; but yet doth it not apply them to establish any doctrine; such are these following.

All the Books of the New Testament, as they are commonly received, we do receive and account them Canonical.

ARTICLE VII.

Of the Old Testament.

The Old Testament is not contrary to the New ; for both in the Old and New Testament, everlasting life is offered to mankind by Christ, who is the only Mediator between God and Man, being both God and Man. Wherefore they are not to be heard, which feign, that the old Fathers did look only for transitory promises. Although the Law given from God by Moses, as touching Ceremonies and Rites, do not bind Christian men, nor the Civil Precepts thereof ought of necessity to be received in common-wealth; yet notwithstanding, no Christian man whatsoever is free from the obedience of the commandments which are

From the Homilies.

BOOK I.

HOMILY 1. "A faithful Exhortation to the Reading and Knowledge of Holy Scripture." (throughout.)

BOOK II.

HOм. 10. "Of the reverend Estimation of God's Word." (throughout.)

FROM ARCHBISHOP CRANMER'S PREFACE OR PROLOGUE TO THE BIBLE.

In the Scripture be the fat pastures of the soul, therein is no venemous meat, no unwholesome thing; they be the very dainty and pure feeding. He, that is ignorant, shall find there what he should learn. He, that is a perverse sinner, shall there find his damnation to make him to tremble for fear. He, that laboureth to serve God, shall find there his glory, and the promissions of eternal life, exhorting him more diligently to labour. Herein may princes learn, how to govern their subjects; subjects, obedience, love, and dread, to their princes. Husbands, how they should behave them unto their wives, how to educate their children and servants: and contrary, the wives, children, and servants, may know their duty to their husbands, parents, and

masters. Here may all manner of persons, men, women, young, old, learned, unlearned, rich, poor, priests, laymen, lords, ladies, officers, tenants, and mean men; virgins, wives, widows, lawyers, merchants, artificers, husbandmen, and all manner of persons, of what estate or condition soever they be, may in this book learn all things, what they ought to believe, what they ought to do, and what they should not do, as well concerning Almighty God, as also concerning themselves and all others.

FROM KING EDWARD THE SIXTH'S CATECHISM.

Master. That faith, which is conceived by hearing and reading of the word; what doth it teach thee concerning God?

Scholar. This doth it principally teach that there is one certain nature, one substance, one ghost, and heavenly mind, or rather an everlasting spirit, without beginning or ending, which we call God whom all the people of the world ought to worship with sovereign honour, and the highest kind of reverence. Moreover, out of the holy words of God, which by the prophets and the beloved of Almighty God, are in the holy books published, to the eternal glory of his name, I learn the law and the threatenings thereof: then the promises and the Gospel of God. These things, first written by Moses and other men of God, have been preserved whole and uncorrupted,

heaven, preach any other Gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other Gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

SECTION 1x.

2 Pet. i. 16. For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eye-witnesses of his majesty. Luke i. 3. It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus. James i. 27. Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world, Acts iv. 13. Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus. Matt. i. 22, 23. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord, by the prophet, saying, Behold a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted, is God with us. Luke xxiv. 27. And be

ginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. Acts iii. 18. But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled. Exod. vii. 8, 9. And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying, shew a miracle for you: then thou shalt say unto Aaron, take thy rod, and cast it before Pharaoh, and it shall become a serpent. John ii. 23. When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this

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unto them; and they believed the Scripture, and the word which Jesus had said. Acts vi. 8. And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people. Mark xvi. 20. And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen. Heb. ii. 4. God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will. Isaiah xi. 9. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea. Isaiah ix. 7. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end. Acts xvi. 5. And so were the churches established in the faith, and increased in number daily. Heb. iv. 12. For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Acts xiii. 12. Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord. Acts vii. 38. This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us. Hosca viii. 12. I have written to him the great things of my law, but they were counted as a strange thing. Rom. iii. 2. God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.

SECTION X.

2 Peter iii. 16. As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest: as they do also the other Scriptures, unto their own destruction.

2 Peter i. 19. We have also a

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