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Article VI

Of the Sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures for Salvation.

Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary to salvation: so that whatsoever is not read therein, nor may be proved thereby, is not to be required of any man, that it should be believed as an article of the Faith, or be thought requisite or necessary to salvation. In the name of the Holy Scripture we do understand those canonical 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

Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth,

The First Book of Samuel, The Second Book of Samuel, The First Book of Kings, The Second Book of Kings, The First Book of Chronicles, The Second Book of Chronicles, The First Book of Esdras, The Second Book of Esdras,

The Book of Esther , The Book of Job, The Psalms, The Proverbs, Ecclesiastes or Preacher, Cantica, or Songs of Solomon, Four Prophets the greater, Twelve Prophets the less.

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:

The Third Book of Esdras, The Fourth Book of Esdras, The Book of Tobias, The Book of Judith, The rest of the Book of Esther, The Book of Wisdom, Jesus the Son of Sirach,

Baruch the Prophet, The Song of the Three Children, The Story of Susanna, Of Bel and the Dragon, The Prayer of Manasses, The First Book of Maccabees, The Second Book of Maccabees.

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

We believe that the Holy Writ does have everything in it for salvation and that those book that are in the Bible as we have it today is just bring reaffirmed as correct. The book known as the in Protestant circles as the Apocrypha

1 Esdras
2 Esdras
Tobit
Judith
Additions to Esther
Wisdom of Solomon
Ecclesiasticus
Baruch
Epistle of Jeremiah
Song of the Three Children
Story of Susanna
Bel and the Dragon
Prayer of Manasseh
1 Maccabees
2 Maccabees

These books are not worthless they can be read from in church or personal life they help us see history or help in guiding our lives to live more Godly but we can not make doctrine with them.

Now these books that are called the Apocrypha that are in the Roman Catholic cannon

Tobit
Judith
Additions to Esther
Wisdom of Solomon
Ecclesiasticus
Baruch
Epistle of Jeremiah
Song of the Three Children
Story of Susanna
Bel and the Dragon

1 Maccabees
2 Maccabees

These from the Apocrypha are in the Greek Orthodox Cannon

1 Esdras

Tobit
Judith
Additions to Esther
Wisdom of Solomon
Ecclesiasticus
Baruch
Epistle of Jeremiah
Song of the Three Children
Story of Susanna
Bel and the Dragon
Prayer of Manasseh
1 Maccabees
2 Maccabees
3 Maccabees
4 Maccabees
Psalm 151

Now also let me make a note that these next writing are Apocryphal like for the New Testament and they are

1 and 2 Clement

Shepherd of Hermas

Didache

Epistle of Barnabas

Apocalypse of Peter

The Protevangelium of James

Third Epistle to the Corinthians

These books were accepted as good in the early church but not inspired and some almost made it into the cannon but because of the time they were written or because of uncertainness of content they were left out. I have read most of these and there is nothing unchristian in them. The only two I can not speak for is The Apocalypse of Peter and The Protevangelium of James

We should read those book that are good and do not defy the Holy Writ because they help us our live or show us what they church was doing then. So let these things give flavor to your faith, but the holy writ in its self is complete and good for all things.

By: Allen Bailey aspirant of the Anglican province of America