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A32928
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Articles agreed upon by the archbishops and bishops of both provinces and the whole clergy in the convocation holden at London in the year MDLXII for the avoiding of diversities of opinions and for the stablishing of consent touching true religion.
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Church of England.; Charles II, King of England, 1630-1685.
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1688
(1688)
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Wing C4007; ESTC W479527
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8,856
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16
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ARTICLES Agreed upon by the ARCHBISHOPS and BISHOPS Of both Provinces and the whole CLERGY In the CONVOCATION holden at LONDON In the Year MDLXII For the avoiding of Diversities of Opinions and for the Stablishing of Consent touching True RELIGION I R HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE DIEV ET MON DROIT Printed in the Year MDCLXXXVIII ARTICLES of RELIGION I. Of Faith in the Holy Trinity THere is but one living and true GOD everlasting without Body Parts or Passions of infinite Power Wisdom and Goodness the Maker and Preserver of all Things both visible and invisible And in Unity of this Godhead there be three Persons of one Substance Power and Eternity the Father Son and the Holy Ghost II. Of the Word or the Son of God which was made very man. THe SON which is the Word of the Father begotten from Everlasting of the Father the very and Eternal GOD of one Substance with the Father took Man's Nature in the Womb of the blessed Virgin of her substance so that two whole and perfect Natures that is to say the Godhead and Manhood were joyned together in one Person never to be divided whereof is one Christ very God and very man who truly suffered was Crucified dead and buried to reconcile His Father to us and to be a Sacrifice not only for Original Guilt but also solactual sins of men III. Of the Going down of Christ into Hell. AS Christ died for us and was buried so also is it to be believed that He went down into Hell. IV. Of the Resurrection of Christ CHrist did truly rise again from Death and took again His body with flesh bones and all things appertaining to the perfection of man's Nature wherewith He ascended into Heaven and there sitteth until He return to judge all men at the last Day V. Of the Holy Ghost THe Holy Ghost proceeding from the father and the Son is of one Substance Majesty and Glory with the Father and the Son Very and Eternal God. 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 Numeri Deuteronomium Joshue Judges Ruth The 1. Book of Samuel The 2. Book of Samuel The 1. Book of Kings The 2. Book of Kings The 1. Book of Chronicles The 2. Book of Chronicles The 1. Book of Esdras The 2. Book of Esdras The Book of Hoster The Book of Job The Psalms The Proverbs Ecclesiastes or Preacher Cantica or Songs of Solomon 4 Prophets the greater 12 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 as are these following The 3. Book of Esdras The 4. Book of Esdras The Book of Tobias The Book of Judeth The rest of the B. of Hester The Book of Wisdom Jesus the son of Syrach Baruck the Prophet The Song of the 3 Childr The Story of Susanna Of Bel and the Dragon The Prayer of Manasses The 1. Book of Maccabees The 2. Book of Maccabees All the Books of the New Testament as they are commonly received we do receive and account them Canonical VII Of the Old Testament THe Old Testament is not contrary to the New for both in the Old and New Testament Everlasting Life is offered to Mankind by Christ who is the only Mediator between God man being both God and Man. Wherefore they are not to be heard which feign that the old fathers did look only for transitory promises Altho' the Law given from God by Moses as touching Ceremonies and Rites do not bind Christian men nor the Civil precepts thereof ought of Necessity to be received in any Common-Wealth yet notwithstanding no Christian man whatsoever is free from the Obedience of the Commandments which are called moral VIII Of the Three Creeds THe three Creeds Nice Creed Athanasius Creed and that which is commonly called the Apostles Creed ought throughly to be received and believed for they may be proved by most certain Warrants of Holy Scripture IX Of original Birth or Sin. ORiginal Sin standeth not in the Following of Adam as the Pelagians do vainly talk but it is the Fault and Corruption of the Nature of every man that naturally is ingendred of the offspring of Adam whereby man is very far gone from original Righteousness and is of his own nature inclined to evil so that the Flesh lusteth always contrary to the Spirit and therefore in every Person born into this world it deserveth GOD's Wrath and Damnation And this infection of nature doth remain yea in them that are regenerated whereby the Lust of the Flesh called in Greek Phronema sarkos which some do expound the wisdom some sensuality some the Affection some the desire of the Flesh is not subject to the Law of God. And altho' there is no Condemnation for them that believe and are Baptized yet the Apostle doth confess that Concupiscence and Lust hath of it self the nature of Sin. X. Of Free-Will THe Condition of man after the Fall of Adam is such That he cannot turn prepare himself by his own natural strength good works to Faith and Calling upon God Wherefore we have no power to do Good Works pleasant and acceptable to God without the Grace of God by Christ preventing us that we may have a good Will and working with us when we have that good Will. XI Of the Justification of man. VVE are accounted rightous before God only for the Merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ by Faith and not for our own works or deservings Wherefore that we are justified by Faith only is a most wholsom Doctrine and very full of comfort as more largely is expressed in the Homily of Justification XII Of Good Works ALbeit that Good works which are the Fruits of Faith and follow after Justification cannot put away our Sins and endure the Severity of God's Judgment yet are they pleasing and acceptable to God in Christ and do spring out necessarily of a true and lively Faith insomuch that by them a lively Faith may be as evidently known as a tree discerned by the Fruit. XIII Of Works before Justification VVOrks done before the Grace of CHRIST and the inspiration of His Spirit are not pleasant to God forasmuch as they spring not of Faith in JESU Christ neither do they make men meet to receive grace or as the School Authors say deserve Grace of Congruity yea rather for that they
are not done as God hath willed and commanded them to be done we doubt not but they have the nature of Sin. XIV Of Works of Supererogation VOluntary Works besides over and above God's Commandments which they call Works of Supererogation cannot be taught without Arrogancy and Impiety For by them men do declare that they do not only render unto God as much as they are bound to do but that they do more for his sake than of bounden duty is required whereas Christ saith plainly When ye have done all that are commanded to you say we are unprofitable servants XV. Of CHRIST alone without Sin. CHRIST in the truth of our nature was made like unto us in all things Sin only except from which He was clearly void both in His flesh and in Spirit He came to be a Lamb without spot who by Sacrifice of Himself once made should take away the sins of the World and Sin as St. John saith was not in Him. But all we the rest altho' Baptized and born again in Christ yet offend in many things and if we say we have no sâ—â— we deceive our selves and the Truth is not in us XVI Of Sin after Baptism NOt every deadly Sin willingly committed after Baptism is Sin against the Holy Ghost and unpardonable Wherefore the Grant of Repentance is not to be denied to such as fall into sin after Baptism After we have received the Holy Ghost we may depart from Grace given and fall into sin and by the Grace of God we may arise again amend our Lives And therefore they are to be condemned which say they can no more sin as long as they live here to deny the place of Forgiveness to such as truly repent XVII Of Predestination and Election PRedestination to Life is the everlasting purpose of GOD whereby before the Foundations of the world were laid He hath constantly Decreed by His Counsel secret to us to deliver from Curse and Damnation those whom He hath chosen in Christ out of Mankind and to bring them by Christ to everlasting Salvation as vessels made to Honour Wherefore they which be endued with so excellent a Benefit of God be called according to God's purpose by His Spirit working in due season they through Grace obey the Calling they be justified freely they be made sons of God by Adoption they be made like the Image of His only begotten Son JESUS CHRIST they walk religiously in Good Works and at length by GOD's Mercy they attain to everlasting Felicity As the godly Consideration of predestination and our Election in Christ is full of sweet pleasant and unspeakable Comfort to godly persons and such as feel in themselves the working of the Spirit of Christ mortifying the works of the Flesh and their earthly Members and drawing up their mind to high and heavenly things as well because it doth greatly establish confirm their Faith of eternal Salvation to be enjoyed through Christ as because it doth frequently kindle their Love towards God So for curious and carnal persons lacking the Spirit of Christ to have continually before their eyes the sentence of God's Predestination is a most dangerous down-fall whereby the devil doth thrust them either into desperation or into wretchlesness of unclean Living no less perilous than Desperation Furthermore we must receive God's Promises in such wise as they be generally set forth to us in Holy Scripture and in our Doings that Will of God is to be followed which we have expresly declared unto us in the word of God. XVIII Of obtaining eternal Salvation only by the name of Christ THey also are to be had accursed that presume to say That every man shall be saved by the Law or Sect which he professeth so that he be diligent to frame his life according to that Law and the light of nature For holy Scripture doth set out unto us only the Name of Jesus Christ whereby men must be saved XIX Of the Church THe visible Church of Christ is a Congregation of Faithful men in the which the pure Word of God is preached and the Sacraments be duly Ministred according to Christ's Ordinance in all those things that of necessity are requisite to the same As the Church of Hierusalem Alexandria and Antioch have erred So also the Church of Rome hath erred not only in their living and manner of Ceremonies but also in matters of Faith. XX. Of the Authority of the Church THe Church hath Power to decree Rites or Ceremonies and Authority in Controversies of Faith And yet it is not lawful for the Church to ordain any thing that is contrary to God's Word written neither may it so expound one place of Scripture that it be repugnant to another Wherefore although the Church be a Witness and a Keeper of Holy Writt yet as it ought not to decree any thing against the same so besides the same ought it not to enforce any thing to believed for necessity of Salvation XXI Of the Authority of General Councils GEneral Councels may not be gathered together without the Commandment and Will of Princes and when they be gathered together forasmuch as they be an assembly of men whereof all be not governed with the Spirit and Word of GOD they may err sometime have erred even in things pertaining unto God. Wherefore things ordained by them as necessary to Salvation have neither Strength nor Authority unless it may be declared that they be taken out of holy Scripture XXII Of Purgatory THe Romish Doctrine concerning Purgatory Pardons Worshipping and Adoration as well of Images as of Reliques and also Invocation of Saints is a fond thing vainly invented grounded upon no Warranty of Scripture but rather Repugnant to the Word of God. XXIII Of Ministring in the Congregation IT is not lawful for any man to take upon him the Office of publick Preaching or Ministring the Sacraments in the Congregation before he be lawfully Called and sent to execute the same and those we ought to judge lawfully called sent which be chosen called to this work by men who have publick Authority given unto them in the Congregation to call and send Ministers into the Lords Vineyard XXIV Of Speaking in the Congregation in such a Tongue as the People understandeth IT is a thing plainly repugnant to the Word of God the Custom of the primitive Church to have publick prayer in the Church or to Minister the Sacraments in a Tongue not understood by the People XXV Of the Sacrament SAcraments ordained of Christ be not only Badges or tokens of Christian mens Profession but rather they be certain sure Witnesses and effectual Signs of Grace and God's Good Will towards us by the which He doth work invisibly in us and doth not only quicken but also strengthen and confirm our Faith in Him. There are two Sacraments ordained of Christ our Lord in the Gospel that is to say Baptism and the Supper of the Lord. Those five commonly called