39
Articles
of Religion, Anglican Belief
1571
A Table of
the
Articles
1.
Of
Faith in the Holy Trinity.
2. Of
Christ the Son of God.
3. Of
his going
down into Hell.
4. Of
his Resurrection.
5. Of
the Holy
Ghost.
6. Of
the Sufficiency
of the Scripture.
7. Of
the Old Testament.
8. Of
the Three
Creeds.
9. Of
Original
or Birth-sin.
10. Of
Free-Will.
11. Of
Justification.
12. Of
Good Works.
13. Of
Works before
Justification.
14. Of
Works of
Supererogation.
15. Of
Christ alone
without Sin.
16. Of
Sin after
Baptism.
17. Of
Predestination
and Election.
18. Of
obtaining
Salvation by Christ.
19. Of
the Church.
20. Of
the Authority
of the Church. |
21.
Of
the Authority of General Councils.
22. Of
Purgatory.
23. Of
Ministering
in the Congregation.
24. Of
speaking
in the Congregation.
25. Of
the Sacraments.
26. Of
the Unworthiness
of Ministers.
27. Of
Baptism.
28. Of
the Lord's
Supper.
29. Of
the Wicked
which eat not the Body of Christ.
30. Of
both kinds.
31. Of
Christ's
one Oblation.
32. Of
the Marriage
of Priests.
33. Of
Excommunicate
Persons.
34. Of
the Traditions
of the Church.
35. Of
the Homilies.
36. Of
Consecrating
of Ministers.
37. Of
Civil Magistrates.
38. Of
Christian
men's Goods.
39. Of
a Christian
man's Oath.
The
Ratification. |
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, the Son, and the
Holy
Ghost.
II. Of
the Word, or 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, and 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 joined
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 for all actual 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, wherefore He ascended
into
heaven, and there sitteth until He return to judge all men at the last
day.
V. Of
the Holy Ghost.
 HE
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
Scriptures
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 of the faith, or be thought requisite or necessary to
salvation. In the name of 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 the 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.
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 and man, being both God and man. Wherefore there are not to be
heard
which feign that the old fathers did look only for transitory promises.
Although 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 commonwealth; 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, Nicene
Creed, Athanasius' Creed, and that which is commonly called the
Apostles'
Creed, ought thoroughly to be received and believed; for they may be
proved
by most certain warrants of Holy Scripture.
IX. Of
Original or Birth 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
engendered 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 although
there
is no condemnation for them that believe and are baptized, yet the
Apostle
doth confess that concupiscence and lust hath itself the nature of sin.
X. Of
Free Will.
THE
condition
of man
after the fall of Adam is such, that he cannot turn and prepare
himself,
by his own natural strength and 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.
WE are
accounted righteous
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 wholesome 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 judgement, 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.
WORKS
done
before the
grace of Christ and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, are not
pleasant
to God, forasmuch as they spring not of faith in Jesus 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 do,
say,
We be 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 His spirit. He came to be
the lamb without spot, Who by sacrifice of Himself once made, should
take
away the sins of the world: and sin, as S. John saith, was not in Him.
But all we the rest, although baptized and born again in Christ, yet
offend
in many things: and if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, 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 and amend our lives. And therefore they are to be condemned,
which
say they can no more sin as long as they live here, or 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
feeling 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
and confirm their faith of eternal salvation to be enjoyed through
Christ,
as because it doth fervently 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
downfall,
whereby the devil doth thrust them either into desperation or into
wretchlessness
of most unclean living no less perilous than desperation.
Furthermore,
we must receive God's promises in such wise as they be generally set
forth
in Holy Scripture; and in our doings that will of God is to be followed
which we have expressly 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 to
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 ministered according to
Christ's
ordinance in all those things that of necessity are requisite to the
same.
As the Church of Jerusalem, 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 anything 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 Writ: yet, as it ought not to decree anything
against
the same, so besides the same ought it not to enforce anything to be
believed
for necessity of salvation.
XXI. Of
the authority of General Councils.
GENERAL
Councils 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
and sometime have erred, even in things pertaining to 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
Relics,
and also Invocation of Saint, is a fond thing vainly invented, and
grounded
upon no warranty of Scripture; but rather repugnant to the word of God.
XXIII. Of
Ministering in the Congregation.
IT is not
lawful for
any man to take upon him the office of public preaching or ministering
the sacraments in the congregation, before he be lawfully called and
sent
to execute the same. And those we ought to judge lawfully called and
sent,
which be chosen and called to this work by men who have public
authority
given unto them in the congregation to call and send ministers into the
Lord's 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 and the custom of the primitive Church, to
have public prayer in the Church, or to minister the sacraments in a
tongue
not understanded of the people.
XXV. Of
the Sacraments.
SACRAMENTS
ordained of
Christ be not only badges or tokens of Christian men's 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 Sacraments, that is to say, Confirmation, Penance,
Orders, Matrimony, and Extreme Unction, are not to be counted for
Sacraments
of the Gospel, being such as have grown partly of the corrupt following
of the Apostles, partly are states of life allowed in the Scriptures;
but
yet have not the like nature of Sacraments with Baptism and the Lord's
Supper, for that they have not any visible sign or ceremony ordained of
God.
The
Sacraments
were not ordained of Christ to be gazed upon or to be carried about,
but
that we should duly use them. And in such only as worthily receive the
same, have they a wholesome effect or operation: but they that receive
them unworthily, purchase to themselves damnation, as Saint Paul
saith.
XXVI. Of
the unworthiness of the Ministers, which hinders not the effect of the
Sacraments.
ALTHOUGH
in the
visible
Church the evil be ever mingled with the good, and sometime the evil
have
chief authority in the ministration of the word and sacraments; yet
forasmuch
as they do not the same in their own name, but in Christ's, and do
minister
by His commission and authority, we may use their ministry both in
hearing
the word of God and in the receiving of the sacraments. Neither is the
effect of Christ's ordinance taken away by their wickedness, nor the
grace
of God's gifts diminished from such as by faith and rightly do receive
the sacraments ministered unto them, which be effectual because of
Christ's
institution and promise, although they be ministered by evil men.
Nevertheless
it appertaineth to the discipline of the Church that inquiry be made of
evil ministers, and that they be accused by those that have knowledge
of
their offences; and finally, being found guilty by just judgement, be
deposed.
XXVII. Of
Baptism.
BAPTISM
is not
only a
sign of profession and mark of difference whereby Christian men are
discerned
from other that be not christened, but is also a sign of regeneration
or
new birth, whereby, as by an instrument, they that receive baptism
rightly
are grafted into the Church; the promises of the forgiveness of sin,
and
of our adoption to be the sons of God, by the Holy Ghost are visibly
signed
and sealed; faith is confirmed, and grace increased by virtue of prayer
unto God. The baptism of young children is in any wise to be retained
in
the Church as most agreeable with the institution of Christ.
XXVIII. Of
the Lord's Supper.
THE
Supper of
the Lord
is not only a sign of the love that Christians ought to have among
themselves,
one to another, but rather it is a sacrament of our redemption by
Christ's
death: insomuch that to such as rightly, worthily, and with faith
receive
the same, the bread which we break is a partaking of the body of
Christ,
and likewise the cup of blessing is a partaking of the blood of Christ.
Transubstantiation
(or the change of the substance of bread and wine) in the Supper of the
Lord, cannot be proved by Holy Writ, but is repugnant to the plain
words
of Scripture, overthroweth the nature of a Sacrament, and hath given
occasion
to many superstitions.
The
body
of Christ is given, taken, and eaten in the Supper, only after an
heavenly
and spiritual manner. And the mean whereby the body of Christ is
received
and eaten in the Supper is Faith.
The
Sacrament
of the Lord's Supper was not by Christ's ordinance reserved, carried
about,
lifted up, or worshipped.
XXIX. Of
the wicked which do not eat the body of Christ, in the use of the
Lord's
Supper.
THE
wicked and
such as
be void of a lively faith, although they do carnally and visibly press
with their teeth (as S. Augustine saith) the sacrament of the body and
blood of Christ, yet in no wise are they partakers of Christ, but
rather
to their condemnation do eat and drink the sign or sacrament of so
great
a thing.
XXX. Of
Both Kinds.
THE Cup
of the
Lord is
not to be denied to the lay people; for both parts of the Lord's
sacrament,
by Christ's ordinance and commandment, ought to be ministered to all
Christian
men alike.
XXXI. Of
the one oblation of Christ finished upon the Cross.
THE
offering of
Christ
once made is the perfect redemption, propitiation, and satisfaction for
all the sins of the whole world, both original and actual, and there is
none other satisfaction for sin but that alone. Wherefore the
sacrifices
of Masses, in the which it was commonly said that the priests did offer
Christ for the quick and the dead to have remission of pain or guilt,
were
blasphemous fables and dangerous deceits.
XXXII. Of
the Marriage of Priests.
BISHOPS,
Priests, and
Deacons are not commanded by God's laws either to vow the estate of
single
life or to abstain from marriage. Therefore it is lawful also for them,
as for all other Christian men, to marry at their own discretion, as
they
shall judge the same to serve better to godliness.
XXXIII. Of
Excommunicated Persons, how they are to be avoided.
THAT
persons
which by
open denunciation of the Church is rightly cut off from the unity of
the
Church and excommunicated, ought to be taken of the whole multitude of
the faithful as an heathen and publican, until he be openly reconciled
by penance and received into the Church by a judge that hath authority
thereto.
XXXIV. Of
the Traditions of the Church.
IT is not
necessary that
traditions and ceremonies be in all places one or utterly alike; for at
all times they have been diverse, and may be changed according to the
diversity
of countries, times, and men's manners, so that nothing be ordained
against
God's word. Whosoever through his private judgement willingly and
purposely
doth openly break the traditions and ceremonies of the Church which be
not repugnant to the word of God, and be ordained and approved by
common
authority, ought to be rebuked openly that other may fear to do the
like,
as he that offendeth against common order of the Church, and hurteth
the
authority of the magistrate, and woundeth the conscience of the weak
brethren.
Every
particular or national Church hath authority to ordain, change, and
abolish
ceremonies or rites of the Church ordained only by man's authority, so
that all things be done to edifying.
XXXV. Of
Homilies.
THE
second Book
of Homilies,
the several titles whereof we have joined under this Article, doth
contain
a godly and wholesome doctrine and necessary for these times, as doth
the
former Book of Homilies which were set forth in the time of Edward
the Sixth: and therefore we judge them to be read in Churches by the
ministers
diligently and distinctly, that they may be understanded of the people.
Of
the
Names of the Homilies.
- Of
the right Use of the Church.
- Against
peril of Idolatry.
- Of
the repairing and keeping clean of Churches.
- Of
good Works: first of Fasting.
- Against
Gluttony and Drunkenness.
- Against
Excess of Apparel.
- Of
Prayer.
- Of
the Place and Time of Prayer.
- That
Common Prayers and Sacraments ought to be ministered in a known tongue.
- Of
the reverend estimation of God's Word.
- Of
Alms-doing.
- Of
the Nativity of Christ.
- Of
the Passion of Christ.
- Of
the Resurrection of Christ.
- Of
the worthy receiving of the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Christ.
- Of
the Gifts of the Holy Ghost.
- For
the Rogation-days.
- Of
the state of Matrimony.
- Of
Repentance.
- Against
Idleness.
- Against
Rebellion
XXXVI. Of
Consecration of Bishops and Ministers.
THE Book
of
Consecration
of Archbishops and Bishops and ordering of Priests and Deacons, lately
set forth in the time of Edward the Sixth and confirmed at the
same
time by authority of Parliament, doth contain all things necessary to
such
consecration and ordering; neither hath it anything that of itself is
superstitious
or ungodly. And therefore whosoever are consecrate or ordered according
to the rites of that book, since the second year of King Edward
unto this time, or hereafter shall be consecrated or ordered according
to the same rites, we decree all such to be rightly, orderly, and
lawfully
consecrated or ordered.
XXXVII. Of
the Civil Magistrates.
THE
Queen's
Majesty hath
the chief power in this realm of England and other her
dominions,
unto whom the chief government of all estates of this realm, whether
they
be ecclesiastical or civil, in all causes doth appertain, and is not
nor
ought to be subject to any foreign jurisdiction.
Where
we attribute to the Queen's Majesty the chief government, by which
titles
we understand the minds of some slanderous folks to be offended, we
give
not to our princes the ministering either of God's word or of
sacraments,
the which thing the Injunctions also lately set forth by Elizabeth
our Queen doth most plainly testify: but only that prerogative which we
see to have been given always to all godly princes in Holy Scriptures
by
God himself, that is, that they should rule all estates and degrees
committed
to their charge by God, whether they be temporal, and restrain with the
civil sword the stubborn and evil-doers. The Bishop of Rome
hath
no jurisdiction in this realm of England.
The
Laws
of the Realm may punish Christian men with death for heinous and
grievous
offences.
It
is
lawful for Christian men at the commandment of the Magistrate to wear
weapons
and serve in the wars.
XXXVIII. Of
Christian men's good which are not common.
THE riches and
goods
of Christians
are not common, as touching the right, title, and possession of the
same,
as certain Anabaptists do falsely boast; notwithstanding every man
ought
of such things as he possesseth liberally to give alms to the poor,
according
to his ability.
XXXIX. Of
a Christian man's Oath.
As we confess
that
vain and
rash swearing is forbidden Christian men by our Lord Jesus Christ, so
we
judge that Christian religion doth not prohibit but that a man may
swear
when the magistrate requireth in a cause of faith and charity, so it be
done according to the Prophet's teaching in justice, judgement, and
truth.
The
Ratification.
This Book of
Articles
before
rehearsed, is again approved, and allowed to be holden and executed
within
the Realm, by the assent and consent of our Sovereign Lady ELIZABETH,
by the grace of God, of England, France, and Ireland, Queen, Defender
of
the Faith, &c. Which Articles were deliberately read, and confirmed
again by the subscription of the hands of the Archbishop and Bishops of
the Upper-house, and by the subscription of the whole Clergy of the
Nether-house
in their Convocation, in the Year of our Lord 1571.
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