of flesh at certaine times and daies appointed they are no waies meant to be religious fasts nor intended for the maintenance of any superstition in the choice of meates but are grounded meerly vpon politicke considerations for prouision of things tending to the better preseruation of the Common-wealth article 51 We must not fast with this perswasion of mind that our fasting can bring vs to heauen or ascribe holinesse to the outward work wrought For God alloweth not our fast for the work sake which of it selfe is a thing meerly indifferent but chiefly respecteth the heart how it is affected therein It is therfore requisit that first before all things we cleanse our hearts from sin and then direct our fast to such ends as God will allow to be good that the flesh may therby be chastised the spirit may be more feruent in prayer that our fasting may be a testimonie of our humble submission to Gods Maiestie when we acknowledge our sins vnto him and are inwardly touched with sorrowfulnesse of heart bewailing the same in the affliction of our bodies article 52 All worship deuised by mans phantasie besides or contrary to the Scriptures as wandring on Pilgrimages setting vp of Candles Stations and Iubilies Pharisaicall sects and fained Religions praying vpon Beades and such like superstition hath not onely no promise of reward in Scripture but contrariwise threatnings and maledictions article 53 All manner of expressing God the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost in an outward forme is vtterly vnlawfull As also all other Images deuised or made by man to the vse of Religion article 54 All religious worship ought to bee giuen to God alone from whom all goodnesse health and grace ought to be both asked and looked for as from the very author and giuer of the same and from none other article 55 The name of God is to be vsed with all reuerēce and holy respect and therefore all vaine and rash swearing is vtterly to bee condemned Yet notwithstanding vpon lawfull occasions an oath may bee giuen and taken according to the Word of God iustice iudgement and truth article 56 The first day of the weeke which is the Lords day is wholly to bee dedicated to the seruice of God and therefore we are bound therein to rest from our common and daily businesse and to bestow that leisure vpon holy exercises both publicke and priuate Of the ciuill Magistrate article 57 THe Kings Maiestie vnder God hath the Soueraigne and chiefe power within his Realmes and Dominions ouer all manner persons of what estate eyther Ecclesiasticall or Ciuill soeuer they bee so as no other forraine power hath or ought to haue any superiority ouer them article 58 Wee doe professe that the supreame gouernement of all estates within the said Realmes and Dominions in all causes as well Ecclesiasticall as Temporall doth of right appertaine to the kings highnesse Neither do we giue vnto him hereby the administration of the Word Sacraments or the power of the Keyes but that prerogatiue only which we see to haue beene alwaies giuen vnto all godly Princes in holy Scripture by God himselfe that is that hee should containe all estates and degrees committed to his charge by God whether they be Ecclesiasticall or Ciuill within their duety and restraine the stubborne and euill doers with the power of the Ciuill sword article 59 The Pope neither of himselfe nor by any authority of the Church or See of Rome or by any other meanes with any other hath any power or authority to depose the King or dispose any of his Kingdomes or Dominions or to authorise any other Prince to inuade or annoy him or his Countries or to discharge any of his subiects of their allegeance and obedience to his Maiestie or to giue licence or leaue to any of them to beare armes raise tumult or to offer any violence or hurt to his Royall person state or gouernment or to any of his subiects within his Maiesties Dominions article 60 That Princes which be excommunicated or depriued by the Pope may be deposed or murthered by their subiects or any other whatsoeuer is impious doctrine article 61 The lawes of the Realme may punish Christian men with death for heynous and grieuous offences article 62 It is lawfull for Christian men at the commandement of the Magistrate to beare armes and to serue in iust wars Of our duty towards our Neighbours article 63 OVr duety towards our neighbours is to loue them as our selues and to doe to all men as we would they should doe to vs to honour obey our Superiors to preserue the safetie of mens persons as also their chastity goods and good names to beare no malice nor hatred in our hearts to keep our bodies in temperance sobernesse chastity to be true and iust in all our doings not to couet other mens goods but labour truely to get our owne liuing and to doe our duety in that estate of life vnto which it pleaseth God to call vs. article 64 For the preseruation of the chastity of mens persons wedlocke is commanded vnto all men that stand in need thereof Neither is there any prohibition by the Word of God but that the Ministers of the Church may enter into the state of Matrimony they being no where commanded by Gods Law either to vow the estate of single life or to abstaine from marriage Therefore it is lawfull also for them as well as for all other Christian men to marry at their owne discretion as they shall iudge the same to serue better to godlinesse article 65 The riches and goods of Christians are not common as touching the right title and possession of the same as certaine Anabaptists falsly affirme Notwithstanding euery man ought of such things as hee possesseth liberally to giue almes to the poore according to his ability article 66 Faith giuen is to be kept euen with Hereticks and Infidels article 67 The Popish doctrine of Equiuocation mentall Reseruation is most vngodly and tendeth plainly to the subuersion of all humane society Of the Church and outward Ministry of the Gospell article 68 THere is but one Catholike Church out of which there is no saluation containing the vniuersall company of all the Saints that euer were are or shall be gathered together in one body vnder one head Christ Iesus part whereof is already in Heauen triumphant part as yet militant here vpon earth And because this Church consisteth of all those and those alone which are elected by God vnto saluation regenerated by the power of his spirit the number of whom is knowne only vnto God himselfe therefore it is called the Catholike or vniuersall and the Inuisible Church article 69 But particular visible Churches consisting of those who make profession of the faith of Christ liue vnder the outward means of saluation be many in number wherein the more or lesse sincerely according to Christs institution the Word of God is taught the Sacraments
ARTICLES OF RELIGION AGREED VPON BY The Archbishops and Bishops and the rest of the Clergie of Ireland in the Conuocation HOLDEN AT DVBLIN IN The yeare of our Lord God 1615. for the auoyding of Diuersities of Opinions And the establishing of Concent touching true RELIGION LONDON Printed by R.Y. for T. Downes and are to be sold at the great North doore of Paules 1628. C R HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE COR VNVM VIA VNA Articles of Religion agreed vpon by the Archbishops and Bishops and the rest of the Clergie of Ireland in the Conuocation holden at Dublin in the yeare of our Lord God 1615. for the auoyding of Diuersities of Opinions and the establishing of Consent touching true RELIGION Of the holy Scripture and the three Creeds article 1 THe ground of our Religion and the Rule of Faith and all sauing Truth is the Word of God contained in the holy Scripture article 2 By the name of holy Scripture we vnderstand all the Canonicall Bookes of the Old and New Testament viz. Of the Old Testament The 5. Bookes of Moses Iosua Iudges Ruth The first and second of Samuel The first and second of Kings The first and second of Chronicles Esra Nehemiah Esther Iob. Psalmes Prouerbs Ecclesiastes The song of Salomon Isaiah Ieremiah his prophesie and Lamentation Ezechiel Daniel The 12. lesse Prophets Of the New Testament The Gospels according to Matthew Marke Luke Iohn The Acts of the Apostles The Epistle of S. Paul to the Romanes Corinthians 2. Galathians Ephesians Philippians Colossians Thessalonians 2. Timothie 2. Titus Philemon Hebrewes The Epistle of S. Iames. Saint Peter 2. Saint Iohn 3. Saint Iude. The Reuelation of S. Iohn All which wee acknowledge to bee giuen by the inspiration of God and in that regard to be of most certaine credit and highest authority article 3 The other Bookes commonly called Apocryphall did not proceed from such inspiration and therefore are not of sufficient authoritie to establish any point of Doctrine but the Church doth reade them as Bookes containing many worthy things for example of life and instruction of manners Such are these following The third Book of Esdras The fourth Booke of Esdas The Booke of Tobias The booke of Iudith Additions to the book of Esther The booke of Wisedome The booke of Iesus the Sonne of Sirach called Ecclesiasticus Baruch with the Epistle of Ieremiah The song of the three Children Susanna Bell and the Dragon The Prayer of Manasses The first booke of Macchabees The second booke of Macchabees article 4 The Scriptures ought to be translated out of the originall tongues into all languages for the common vse of all men neither is any person to be discouraged from reading the Bible in such a language as he doth vnderstand but seriously exhorted to reade the same with great humilitie and reuerence as a speciall meanes to bring him to the true knowledge of God and of his own duty article 5 Although there bee some hard things in the Scripture especially such as haue proper relation to the times in which they were first vttered and prophesies of things which were afterwards to bee fulfilled yet all things necessary to be known vnto euerlasting saluation are cleerely deliuered therein and nothing of that kinde is spoken vnder dark mysteries in one place which is not in other places spoken more familiarly and plainly to the capacitie both of learned and vnlearned article 6 The holy Scriptures containe all things necessary to saluation and are able to instruct sufficiently in all points of faith that wee are bound to beleeue and all good duties that we are bound to practise article 7 All and euery the Articles contained in the Nicen Creede the Creede of Athanasius and that which is commonly called the Apostles Creede ought firmely to be receiued and beleeued for they may be proued by most certaine warrant of holy Scripture Of faith in the holy Trinity article 8 THere is but one liuing and true God euerlasting without body parts or passions of infinite power wisedome and goodnes the maker and preseruer of all things both visible and inuisible And in vnity of this Godhead there bee three persons of one and the same substance power and eternity the Father the Son and the holy Ghost article 9 The essence of the Father doth not beget the essence of the Son but the person of the Father begetteth the person of the Sonne by communicating his whole essence to the person begotten from eternity article 10 The holy Ghost proceeding from the Father and the Son is of one substance maiestie and glory with the Father and the Sonne very and eternall God Of Gods eternall decree and Predestination article 11 GOD from all eternity did by his vnchangeable counsell ordaine whatsoeuer in time should come to passe yet so as thereby no violence is offered to the wils of the reasonable creatures and neither the liberty nor the contingency of the second causes is taken away but established rather article 12 By the same eternall counsell God hath predestinated some vnto life and reprobated some vnto death of both which there is a certaine number known only to God which can neither be increased nor diminished article 13 Predestination to life is the euerlasting purpose of God wherby before the foundations of the world were layed he hath constantly decreed in his secret counfell to deliuer from curse and damnation those whom he hath chosen in Christ out of mankinde and to bring them by Christ vnto euerlasting saluation as vessels made to honour article 14 The cause mouing God to predestinate vnto life is not the foreseeing of faith or perseuerance or good works or of any thing which is in the person predestinated but onely the good pleasure of God himselfe For all things being ordained for the manifestation of his glory and his glory being to appeare both in the workes of his Mercy and of his Iustice it seemed good to his heauenly Wisedome to choose out a certain number towards whom he would extend his vndeserued mercy leauing the rest to be spectacles of his iustice article 15 Such as are predestinated vnto life be called according vnto Gods purpose his spirit working in due season and through grace they obey the calling they be iustified freely they be made sons of God by adoption they be made like the Image of his only begotten Son Iesus Christ they walke religiously in good workes and at length by Gods mercy they attaine to euerlasting felicity But such as are not predestinated to saluation shall finally be condemned for their sins article 16 The godly consideration of Predestination and our election in Christ is full of sweete pleasant and vnspeakeable comfort to godly persons and such as feele in themselues the working of the spirit of Christ mortifying the works of the flesh and their earthly members and drawing vp their minds to high and heauenly things as well because it doth greatly confirme and establish their
are administred and the authority of the Keyes is vsed the more or lesse pure are such Churches to be accounted article 70 Although in the visible Church the euill be euer mingled with the good and sometimes the euill haue chiefe authority in the ministration of the Word Sacraments yet for as much as they doe not the same in their owne name but in Christs and minister by his commission and authority we may vse their ministery both in hearing the Word and in receiuing the Sacraments Neither is the effect of Christs ordinance taken away by their wickednes nor the grace of Gods gifts diminished from such as by faith rightly do receiue the Sacraments ministred vnto them which are effectuall because of Christs institution and promise although they be ministred by euill men Neuerthelesse it appertaineth to the discipline of the Church that inquiry be made of euill Ministers and that they be accused by those that haue knowledge of their offences and finally being found guilty by iust iudgement be deposed article 71 It is not lawfull for any man to take vpon him the office of publike preaching or ministring the Sacraments in the Church vnlesse hee bee first lawfully called sent to execute the same And those we ought to iudge lawfully called and sent which be chosen and called to this worke by men who haue publike authority giuen them in the Church to call and send Ministers into the Lords Vineyard article 72 To haue publike prayer in the Church or to administer the Sacraments in a tongue not vnderstood of the people is a thing plainly repugnant to the Word of God and the custome of the Primitiue Church article 73 That person which by publike denunciation of the Church is rightly cut off from the vnity of the Church and excommunicate ought to be taken of the whole multitude of the faithfull as a Heathen and Publican vntill by Repentance hee be openly reconciled and receiued into the Church by the iudgement of such as haue authority in that behalfe article 74 God hath giuen power to his Ministers not simply to forgiue sinnes which prerogatiue he hath reserued onely to himselfe but in his name to declare and pronounce vnto such as truely repent and vnfainedly beleeue his holy Gospell the absolution and forgiuenesse of sins Neither is it Gods pleasure that his people should be tyed to make a particular confession of all their knowne sinnes vnto any mortall man howsoeuer any person grieued in his conscience vpon any speciall cause may well resort vnto any godly and learned Minister to receiue aduice and comfort at his hands Of the authority of the Church generall Councels and Bishop of Rome article 75 IT is not lawfull for the Church to ordain any thing that is contrary to Gods Word neither may it so expound one place of Scripture that it be repugnant to another Wherefore although the Church bee a witnesse and a keeper of holy Writ yet as it ought not to decree any thing against the same so besides the same ought it not enforce any thing to be beleeued vpon necessitie of saluation article 76 Generall Councels may not be gathered together without the commandement and will of Princes and when they be gathered together for as much as they be an assembly of men not alwaies gouerned with the Spirit and Word of God they may erre and sometimes haue erred euen in things pertaining to the rule of piety Wherfore things ordained by them as necessary to saluation haue neither strength nor authority vnlesse it may be shewed that they be taken out of holy Scriptures article 77 Euery particular Church hath authority to institute to change and cleane to put away ceremonies and other Ecclesiasticall rites as they be superfluous or be abused and to constitute other making more to seemlinesse to order or edification article 78 As the Churches of Ierusalem Alexandria and Antioch haue erred so also the Church of Rome hath erred not onely in those things which concern matter of practice and point of ceremonies but also in matters of faith article 79 The power which the Bishop of Rome now challengeth to be the Supreme head of the vniuersall Church of Christ to be aboue all Emperours Kings and Princes is an vsurped power contrary to the Scriptures and Word of God and contrary to the example of the Primitiue Church and therefore is for most iust causes taken away and abolished within the Kings Maiesties Realmes and Dominions article 80 The Bishop of Rome is so farre from being the Supreme head of the vniuersall Church of Christ that his workes and doctrine do plainly discouer him to bee that man of sinne foretold in the holy Scriptures whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth and abolish with the brightnesse of his comming Of the state of the Old and New Testament article 81 IN the Old Testament the Commandements of the Law were more largely and the promises of Christ more sparingly and darkly propounded shadowed with a multitude of types and figures and so much the more generally and obscurely deliuered as the manifesting of them was further off article 82 The Old Testament is not contrary to the New For both in the Old and New Testament euerlasting life is offered to mankind by Christ who is the onely Mediatour betweene God and man being both God and man Wherefore they are not to bee heard which faigne that the old Fathers did looke onely for transitory promises For they looked for all benefits of God the Father through the merits of his Sonne Iesus Christ as we now doe onely they beleeued in Christ which should come we in Christ already come article 83 The New Testament is full of grace and truth bringing ioyfull tidings vnto mankinde that whatsoeuer formerly was promised of Christ is now accomplished and so in stead of the ancient types and ceremonies exhibiteth the things themselues with a large and cleare declaration of all the benefits of the Gospell Neither is the ministery thereof restrained any longer to one circumcised Nation but is indifferently propounded vnto all people whether they be Iewes or Gentiles So that there is now no Nation which can truely complaine that they be shut forth from the communion of Saints and the liberties of the people of God article 84 Although the Law giuen from God by Moses as touching ceremonies and rites bee abolished and the Ciuill precepts thereof be not of necessity to be receiued in any Common-wealth yet notwithstanding no Christian man whatsoeuer is freed from the obedience of the Commandements which are called Morall Of the Sacraments of the New Testament article 85 THe Sacraments ordained by Christ be not onely badges or tokens of Christian mens profession but rather certaine sure witnesses and effectuall or powerfull signes of grace and Gods good will towards vs by which hee doth worke inuisibly in vs and not onely quicken but also strengthen and confirme our faith in