Christians should approach the appeal to Sacred Tradition by holding fast to the principle of Sola Scriptura, recognizing that the Bible alone is the infallible, sufficient, and supreme rule for faith and life. While Reformed traditions hold that historical creeds and church documents are valuable witnesses to the truth, they maintain that any human tradition must be tested by and subordinate to the clear, written Word of God.
The Reformed faith, as articulated in the 1689 LBCF Ch.1 §6, asserts that the whole counsel of God necessary for salvation and life is either expressly set down in Scripture or necessarily contained therein. We hold that the Bible is the only infallible authority. When human traditions are proposed as equal to or necessary alongside the Scriptures, they must be rejected, for as the Second Helvetic Confession notes, we are not to allow anything to be added to or taken from the Word of God, which is sufficient unto godliness.
We do not despise the wisdom of the past, but we follow the example of the early church by proving all things. As the Second Helvetic Confession emphasizes, we may modestly dissent from church fathers or councils when they set down things contrary to the Scriptures. We reject human traditions that hinder the law of God. Our Lord Jesus Christ himself rebuked the religious leaders of his day for elevating the traditions of men above the divine command, stating in Matthew 15:3, "And he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition?" True interpretation is found in Scripture itself, as the infallible rule of interpretation is the Scripture itself (1689 LBCF Ch.1 §9).