Page:The church manual (Church of the Brethren 1916).djvu/8

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.

CHAPTER I.


DECLARATION OF FAITH.

1. We believe that the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament have their authority from God and were written by divinely-inspired men and that they are a perfect, infallible, and sufficient standard of faith and practice, having truth for their matter and salvation for their end (2 Tim. 3: 15); that they reveal the principles by which God will judge the world, and therefore are and always will remain the only standard by which all human conduct shall be tried (Isa. 8: 20).

2. We believe there is one true and living God. He is an infinite Spirit, self-existent, omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent, good, wise, just and merciful; he is the Creator, Preserver, and Sovereign of the universe; he is inexpressibly glorious in holiness, and worthy of all honor, confidence, and love. In the Godhead there are three persons —