한
그리고 우리, 곧 스코틀랜드 왕국의 주민이며 그리스도 예수를 고백하는 자들은 우리의 개혁된 도시와 마을과 여러 곳에 그러한 교회들이 있음을 고백한다. 우리 교회들에서 가르치는 교리는 기록된 하나님의 말씀, 곧 신구약 성경에 들어 있다. 우리는 고대부터 정경으로 여겨진 책들 안에서 인류의 구원을 위해 믿어야 할 모든 것이 충분히 표현되어 있다고 확언한다. 그 해석은 어떤 사적 개인이나 공적 인물에게 속하지 않고, 또한 어떤 교회가 다른 교회보다 가지는 개인적 또는 지역적 우월성이나 특권 때문에 어떤 교회에 속하는 것도 아니다. 그것은 성경을 기록하신 바로 그 하나님의 영께 속한다. 그러므로 성경의 어떤 구절이나 문장의 바른 이해, 또는 하나님의 교회 안의 어떤 폐단을 개혁하는 문제로 논쟁이 생길 때, 우리는 우리보다 앞선 사람들이 무엇을 말했거나 행했는가를 보기보다, 성령께서 성경 전체 안에서 일관되게 무엇을 말씀하시는가와 그리스도 예수께서 친히 무엇을 행하시고 명령하셨는가를 보아야 한다. 이는 보편적으로 인정되는 일이다. 하나님의 영, 곧 일치의 영은 어떤 일에서도 자신과 반대되지 않으신다. 그러므로 어떤 박사나 교회나 공의회의 해석이나 결정이나 판결이 다른 성경 구절에 기록된 하나님의 명백한 말씀과 어긋난다면, 비록 공의회들과 나라들과 민족들이 그것을 승인하고 받아들였다 하더라도, 거기에는 성령의 참 이해와 의미가 없다는 것이 지극히 확실하다. 우리는 우리의 믿음의 주요 조항이나 다른 명백한 성경 본문, 또는 사랑의 규칙에 직접 어긋나는 어떤 해석도 받아들이거나 인정할 수 없다.
영
Because that Satan from the beginning has laboured to deck his pestilent synagogue with the title of the kirk of God, and has inflamed the hearts of cruel murderers to persecute, trouble, and molest the true kirk and members thereof - as Cain did Abel; Ishmael, Isaac; Esau, Jacob; and the whole priesthood of the Jews, Christ Jesus himself, and his apostles after him; it is a thing most requisite that the true kirk be discerned from the filthy synagogue, by clear and perfect notes, lest we, being deceived, receive and embrace to our own condemnation the one for the other. The notes, signs, and assured tokens whereby the immaculate spouse of Christ Jesus is known from that horrible harlot, the kirk malignant; we affirm are neither antiquity, title usurped, lineal descent, place appointed, nor multitude of men approving an error for Cain in age and title was preferred to Abel and Seth; Jerusalem had prerogative above all places of the earth, where also were the priests lineally descended from Aaron; and greater multitude followed the scribes, Pharisees, and priests, than unfeignedly believed and approved Christ Jesus and his doctrine; and yet, as we suppose, no man (of whole judgment) will grant that any of the forenamed were the kirk of God.
The notes, therefore, of the true kirk of God we believe, confess, and avow to be: first, the true preaching of the word of God, into the which God has revealed himself to us, as the writings of the prophets and apostles do declare; secondly, the right administration of the sacraments of Christ Jesus, which must be annexed unto the word and promise of God, to seal and confirm the same in our hearts; last, ecclesiastical discipline uprightly ministered, as God's word prescribes, whereby vice is repressed, and virtue nourished. Wheresoever then these former notes are seen, and of any time continue (be the number [of persons] never so few, about two or three) there, without all doubt, is the true kirk of Christ: who, according to his promise is in the midst of them: not that universal [kirk] (of which we have before spoken) but particular; such as were in Corinth, Galatia, Ephesus, and other places in which the ministry was planted by Paul, and were of himself named the kirks of God.
And such kirks we, the inhabitants of the realm of Scotland, professors of Christ Jesus, confess ourselves to have in our cities, towns, and places reformed; for the doctrine taught in our kirks 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 the ancient have been reputed canonical, in the which we affirm that all things necessary to be believed for the salvation of mankind are sufficiently expressed. The interpretation whereof, we confess, neither appertains to private nor public person, neither yet to any kirk for any preeminence or prerogative, personal or local, which one has above another; but appertains to the Spirit of God, by the which also the scripture was written.
When controversy then happens, for the right understanding of any place or sentence of scripture, or for the reformation of any abuse within the kirk of God, we ought not so much to look what men before us have said or done, as unto that which the Holy Ghost uniformly speaks 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 unto himself. If then the interpretation, determination, or sentence of any doctor, kirk, 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 councils, realms, and nations have approved and received the same. For we dare not receive and admit any interpretation which directly repugns to any principal point of our faith, or to any other plain text of scripture, or yet unto the rule of charity.