Question 3

What Books do you call Sacred Scripture ?

ANSWER.

By Sacred Scripture we mean all the Canonical Books, which as a rule* of our Faith and salvation we have received and do hold; especially, because they being divinely inspired, teach us doctrine, and are of themselves sufficient to instruct, enlighten, and perfect him that cometh to the Faith. And these Canonical Books we believe to be of the number which the Synod of Laodicea pronounced, and which the Catholic and Orthodox Church of Christ, enlightened by the All-holy Spirit, until our time, prescribeth. But those which we call Apocrypha, we distinguished by this name, because they have not the like authority from the All-holy Spirit, as have the properly and

undoubtedly Canonical Books; among which are the Pentateuch of Moses, and the Hagiographa, and the Prophets; which the Synod of Laodicea decreed to be read,—from the Old Testament twenty-two Books; and of the New, we possess the four Evangelists, the Acts, the Epistles of blessed Paul, and the Catholic [Epistles]; to which we add also the Apocalypse of the beloved [Disciple]. And these we hold to be the Canonical Books, and these we acknowledge to be Sacred

Scripture.

ης δη a, 1 John ν., 5.

Rom. i), 1, 5. Acts iil. 245 xxviy ο, rior αν, 5 Ἡ, Acts στη, στ.

Matt, κα, 20: Mark vii., 27. Boho, 20. ου ΜΗ TO αι ee: Του, xxiit,; 28. John iii., 30.

Pieter ty.) 11, Prov. xxx., 5.

Eccles. xii., 10. Galli; νε FO tings: rior 17.43%. Deut. κή., 32.

A poc. xxi, 18, 19.