Of fayth in the holy
Trinitie.

THERE is but one lyuing
and true GOD,
euerlastyng, without
bodye, partes, or passions,
of infinite power,
wisedome, & goodnesse,
the maker and
preseruer of al thynges
both visible and inuisible.
And in vnitie of
this Godhead, there be
three persons, of one
substaunce, power, and eternitie, the father, the
sonne, and the holy ghost.

Of the worde or sonne of God,
whiche was made very man.

THE sonne whiche is the worde of the Father,
begotten from euerlastyng of the Father,
the very and eternall GOD, of one
substaunce with the father, tooke mans nature

A ii

in the wombe of the blessed Virgin, of her substaunce:
so that two whole and perfect natures,
that is to say, the Godhead and manhood, were
ioyned together in one person, neuer to be diuided,
whereof is one Christ, very GOD and very
man, who truely suffered, was crucified, dead, and
buryed, to reconcile his father to vs, and to be a sacrifice,
not onely for originall gylte, but also for all
actuall sinnes of men.

Of the goyng downe of
Christ into hell.

AS Christe dyed for vs, and was buryed: so
also it is to be beleued that he went downe
into hell.

Of the resurrection
of Christe.

Christ did truely aryse agayne from death, and
toke agayne his body, with fleshe, bones, and
all thinges apparteyning to the perfection of
mans nature, wherewith he ascended into heauen,
and there sitteth, vntyl he returne to iudge al
men at the last day.

Of the holy ghost.

THE holy ghost, proceedyng from the father
and the sonne, is of one substaunce, maiestie,
and glory, with the father and the sonne, very
and eternall God.

Of the sufficiencie of the holy
Scriptures for saluation.

HOly Scripture conteyneth all thynges necessarie
to saluation: so that whatsoeuer is
not read therein, nor may be proued thereby,
is not to be required of any man, that it should be
beleued as an article of the fayth, or be thought
requisite necessarie to saluation. In the name of
holy Scripture, we do vnderstande those Canonicall
bookes of the olde and newe Testament, of
whole aucthoritie was neuer anye doubte in the
Churche.

Of the names and number of the
Canonicall Bookes.

Genesis.
Exodus.
Leuiticus.
Numerie.
Deuteronomium.
Iosue.
Iudges.
Ruth.
The. 1. booke of Samuel.
The. 2. booke of Samuel.
The. 1. booke of Kynges.
The. 2. booke of Kinges.
The. 1. booke of Chroni.
The. 2. booke of Chroni.
The. 1. booke of Esdras.
The. 2. booke of Esdras.
The booke of Hester.
The booke of Iob.
The Psalmes.
The Prouerbes.
Ecclesia. or preacher.
Cantica, or songes of Sa.
4. Prophetes the greater.
12. Prophetes the lesse.

A iii

And the other bookes as (Hierome sayth) the
Church doth reade for example of lyfe and instruction
of maners: but yet doth it not applie them
to establishe anye doctrine. Suche are these folowyng.

The third boke of Esdras.
The fourth boke of Esdras
The booke of Tobias.
The booke of Iudith.
The rest of the booke of
Hester.
The booke of Wisdome.
Iesus the sonne of Sirach.
Baruch, the Prophet.
The song of the three
children.
The storie of Susanna.
Of Bel and the Dragon.
The prayer of Manasses.
The. 1. booke of Macha.
The. 2. booke of Macha.

All the bookes of the newe Testament, as they are
commonly receaued, we do receaue and accompt
them for Canonicall.

Of the olde Testament.

THE olde Testament is not contrarye to the
newe, for both in the olde and newe Testamente,
euerlastyng lyfe is offered to mankynde
by Christe, who is the onlye mediatour betweene
God and man, beyng both God and man.
Wherefore they are not to be hearde, whiche
faigne that the olde fathers dyd looke onlye for
transitorie promises. Although the lawe geuen

from God by Moyses, as touchyng ceremonies
and rites, do not bynde Christian men, nor the
Ciuile preceptes therof, ought of necessitie to be receaued
in any common wealth: yet notwithstandyng,
no Christian man whatsoeuer, is free from
the obedience of the commaundementes, whiche
are called morall.

Of the three Creedes.

THE three Credes, Nicene Crede, Athanasius
Crede, and that whiche is commonlye
called the Apostles Crede, ought throughlye
to be receaued and beleued: for they may be proued
by most certayne warrauntes of holy Scripture.

Of originall or byrth synne.

ORiginall sinne standeth not in the folowing
of Adam (as the Pelagians do vaynely
talke) but it is the fault and corruption of
the nature of euerye man, that naturally is engendred
of the ofspryng of Adam, whereby man
is very farre gone from originall ryghteousnesse,
and is of his owne nature enclyned to euyll, so
that the fleshe lusteth alwayes contrarye to the
spirite, and therefore in euery person borne into
this worlde, it deserueth Gods wrath and

damnation. And this infection of nature doth remayne,
yea in them that are regenerated, wherby
the lust of the fleshe, called in the Greke NoValue,
whiche some do expounde the wysedome, some
sensualitie, some the affection, some the desyre of
the fleshe, is not subiect to the lawe of God. And
although there is no condemnation for them that
beleue and are baptized: yet the Apostle doth confesse
that concupiscence and lust hath of it selfe the
nature of synne.

Of free wyll.

THE condition of man after the fall of Adam
is suche, that he can not turne and prepare
hym selfe by his owne naturall strength and
good workes, to fayth and callyng vpon GOD:
Wherefore we haue no power to do good workes
pleasaunt and acceptable to GOD, without the
grace of God by Christe preuentyng vs, that we
may haue a good wyll, & workyng with vs, when
we haue that good wyll.

Of the iustification of man.

WE are accompted ryghteous before God,
only for the merite of our Lord & sauiour
Iesus Christ, by faith, & not for our owne

workes or deseruinges. Wherefore, that we are
iustified by fayth only, is a most wholesome doctrine,
and very full of comfort, as more largely is
expressed in the Homilie of iustification.

Of good workes.

ALbeit that good workes, whiche are the
fruites of fayth, and folowe after iustification,
can not put away our sinnes, and endure
the seueritie of Gods iudgement: yet are they
pleasing and acceptable to God in Christe, and do
spring out necessarilie of a true and liuely faith, in
so much that by them, a liuely faith may be as euidently
knowen, a a tree discerned by the fruite.

Of workes before iustification.

WOrkes done before the grace of Christe,
and the inspiration of his spirite, are not
pleasaunt to God, forasmuche as they
spring not of fayth in Iesu Christ, neyther do they
make men meete to receaue grace, or (as the schole
aucthours say) deserue grace of congruitie: yea
rather for that they are not done as GOD hath
wylled and commaunded them to be done, we
doubt not but they haue the nature of sinne.

B i

Of workes of supererogation.

VOluntarie workes, besides, ouer and aboue
Gods commaundementes, whiche they call
workes of supererogatio~, can not be taught
without arrogancie and impietie. For by them
men do declare that they do not only render vnto
God as much as they are bounde to do, but that
they do more for his sake then of bounden duetie
is required: Wheras Christe sayth plainely, When
ye haue done al that are commaunded to you, say.
We be vnprofitable seruauntes.

Of Christe alone without sinne.

CHriste in the trueth of our nature, was made
lyke vnto vs in al thinges (sinne only except)
from whiche he was clearely voyde, both in
his flesh, & in his spirite. He came to be the lambe
without spot, who by sacrifice of hym selfe once
made, shoulde take away the sinnes of the worlde:
and sinne (as S. Iohn sayth) was not in hym.
But all we the rest (although baptized, and borne
agayne in Christe) yet offende in many thinges:
and yf we say we haue no sinne, we deceaue our
selues, and the trueth is not in vs.

Of sinne after Baptisme.

NOT euery deadly sinne willingly committed
after baptisme, is sinne agaynst the holy
ghost, and vnpardonable. Wherefore, the
graunt of repentaunce is not to be denyed to such
as fal into sinne after baptisme. After we haue receaued
the holy ghost, we may depart from grace
geuen, and fall into sinne, and by the grace of God
(we may) aryse agayne and amend our lyues. And
therefore, they are to be condemned, whiche say
they can no more sinne as long as they lyue here,
or denie the place of forgeuenesse to suche as truely
repent.

Of predestination and election.

PRedestination to lyfe, is the euerlastyng purpose
of God, wherby (before the foundations
of the world were layd) he hath constantly decreed
by his councell secrete to vs, to deliuer from
curse and damnation, those whom he hath
chosen in Christe out of mankynde, and to bryng
them by Christe to euerlastyng saluation, as vessels
made to honour. Wherfore they which be indued
with so excellent a benefite of God, be called
accordyng to Gods purpose by this spirite workyng
in due season: they through grace obey the
callyng: they be iustified freely: they be made
sonnes of God by adoption: they be made lyke

B ii

the image of his onelye begotten sonne Iesus
Christe: they walke religiously in good workes,
and at length by gods mercy, they attaine to euerlastyng
felicitie.
As the godly consyderation of predestination,
and our election in Christe, is full of sweete,
pleasaunt, and vnspeakeable comfort to godly persons,
and such as feele in them selues the working
of the spirite of Christe, mortifying the workes of
the fleshe, & their earthlye members, and drawing
vp their mynde to hygh and heauenly thinges, aswell
because it doth greatly establyshe and confirme
their fayth of eternall saluation to be enioyed
through Christ, as because it doth feruently
kindle their loue towardes God: So, for curious
and carnal persons, lacking the spirite of Christe,
to haue continually before their eyes the sentence
of Gods predestination, is a most daungerous
downefall, whereby the deuyll doth thrust them
either into desperation, or into rechelesnesse of
most vncleane liuing, no lesse perilous then desperation.
Furthermore, we must receaue Gods promises
in such wyse, as they be generally set foorth to vs
in holy scripture: and in our doynges, that wyl of
God is to be folowed, which we haue expreslye
declared vnto vs in the worde of God.

12

Of obtaynyng eternall saluation, only
by the name of Christe.

THey also are to be had accursed, that presume
to say, that euery man shalbe saued by the
lawe or sect which he professeth, so that he be
diligent to frame his lyfe accordyng to that lawe,
and the lyght of nature. For holy scripture doth
set out vnto vs onely the name of Iesus Christe,
whereby men must be saued.

Of the Church.

THe visible Church of Christe, is a congregation
of faythfull men, in the which the pure
worde of God is preached, and the Sacramentes
be duely ministred, accordyng to Christes
ordinaunce in all those thynges that of necessitie
are requisite to the same.
As the Church of Hierusalem, Alexandria, and
Antioche haue erred: so also the Church of Rome
hath erred, not only in their lyuing and maner of
ceremonies, but also in matters of fayth.

Of the aucthoritie of the Church.

THE Church hath power to decree Rites or
Ceremonies, and aucthoritie in controuersies
of fayth: And yet it is not lawfull for the
Church to ordayne any thyng that is contrarie to

B iii

Gods worde written, neyther may it so expounde
one place of scripture, that it be repugnaunt to
another. Wherefore, although the Churche be a
witnesse and a keper of holy writ: yet, as it ought
not to decree anything agaynst the same, so besides
the same, ought it not to enforce any thing
to be beleued for necessitie of saluation.

Of the aucthoritie of generall
Counselles.

GEnerall Counsels may not he gathered together
without the commaundement and
wyll of princes. And when they be gathered
together (forasmuche as they be an assemblie of
men, wherof all be not gouerned with the spirite
& word of God) they may erre, and sometyme haue
erred, euen in thinges parteynyng vnto God.
Wherfore, thinges ordayned by them as necessary
to saluation, haue neyther strength nor aucthoritie,
vnlesse it may be declared that they be taken
out of holy Scripture.

Of Purgatorie.

THE Romishe doctrine concernyng purgatorie,
pardons, worshipping and adoration, aswell
of images, as of reliques, and also inuocation
of Saintes, is a fonde thing, vainly inuented,
and grounded vpon no warrantie of Scripture,
but rather repugnaunt to the worde of God.

Of ministring in the congregation.

IT is not lawfull for any man to take vpon him
the office of publique preaching, or ministryng
the Sacramentes in the congregation, before
he be lawfully called and 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 publique aucthoritie geuen vnto
them in the congregation, to call and sende ministers
in the Lordes vineyarde.

Of speaking in the congregation, in such
a tongue as the people vnderstandeth.

IT is a thing plainely repugnaunt to the worde
of God, & the custome of the primatiue Church,
to haue publique prayer in the Churche, or to
minister the Sacramentes in a tongue not vnderstanded
of the people.

Of the Sacramentes.

SAcramentes ordayned of Christe, be not onlye
badges or tokens of christian mens profession:
but rather they be certaine sure witnesses and
effectuall signes of grace and Gods good wyll towardes
vs, by the which he doth worke inuisibly

in vs, and doth not only quicken, but also strengthen
and confirme our fayth in hym.
There are two Sacramentes ordeyned of
Christe our Lorde in the Gospell, that is to say,
Baptisme, and the supper of the Lorde.
Those fiue, commonly called Sacramentes,
that is to say, Confirmation, Penaunce, Orders,
Matrimonie, and extreme Vnction, are not
to be compted for Sacramentes of the Gospel, being
such as haue growen partly of the corrupt folowing
of the Apostles, partly are states of life alowed
in the scriptures: but yet haue not lyke nature of
Sacramentes with Baptisme and the Lordes
Supper, for that they haue not any visible signe
or ceremonie ordayned of God.
The Sacramentes were not ordeyned of Christ
to be gased vpon, or to be caryed about; but that
we shoulde duely use them. And in suche onlye, as
worthyly receaue the same, they haue a wholesome
effect or operation: But they that receaue
them vnworthyly, purchase to them selues damnation,
as saint Paul sayth.

Of the vnworthynesse of the ministers,
which hinder not the effect of the
Sacramentes.

ALthough in the visible Churche the euyll be
euer myngled with the good, & sometime the
euyll haue cheefe aucthoritie in the ministration

of the worde & Sacramentes: yet forasmuch
as they do not the same in their owne name, but
in Christes, and do minister by his commission
and aucthoritie, we may vse their ministerie, both
in hearing the worde of God, and in the receauing
of the Sacramentes. Neyther is the effecte of
Christes ordinaunce taken away by their wyckednes,
nor the grace of Gods giftes diminished from
suche as by fayth and ryghtly do receaue the Sacramentes
ministred vnto them, which be effectuall,
because of Christes institution and promise, although
they be ministred by euyll men.
Neuerthelesse, it apparteyneth to the discipline
of the Churche, that inquirie be made of euyll ministers,
& that they be accused by those that haue
knowledge of their offences: and finally, beyng
founde gyltie by iust iudgement, be deposed.

Of Baptisme.

BAptisme is not onlye a signe of profession, and
marke of difference, whereby Christian men
are discerned from other that be not Christened:
but is also a signe of regeneration or newe
byrth, whereby, as by an instrument, they that
receaue Baptisme rightlye, are grafted into the
Church: the promises of the forgeuenesse of sinne,
and of our adoption to be the sonnes of God, by
the holy ghost, are visibly signed & sealed: faith is
confirmed, and grace encreased by vertue of prayer

C i

vnto God. The baptisme of young chyldren, is
in anye wyse to be retayned in the Churche, as
most agreeable with the institution of Christe.

Of the Lordes Supper.

THE Supper of the Lorde is not only a signe
of the loue that Christians ought to haue among
themselues one to another: but rather
it is a Sacrament of our redemption by Christes
death. Insomuch that to such as ryghtly, worthylye,
and with fayth receaue the same, the bread
whiche we breake is a partakyng of the bodye of
Christe, and lykewyse the cuppe of blessing is
a partaking of the blood of Christe.
Transubstantiation (or the chaunge of the substaunce
of bread and wyne) in the Supper of the
Lorde, can not be proued by holy writ: but is repugnaunt
to the playne wordes of Scripture,
ouerthroweth the nature of a Sacrament, and
hath geuen occasion to many superstitions.
The body of Christe is geuen, taken, and eaten
in the Supper, onlye after an heauenly and spirituall
maner: And the meane whereby the bodye
of Christe is receaued and eaten in the Supper, is
fayth.
The Sacrament of the Lordes Supper, was
not by Christes ordinaunce reserued, caryed about,
lyfted vp, or worshypped.

Of the wicked which do not eate
the body of Christ in the vse of the
Lordes Supper.

THE wycked, and suche as be voyde of a lyuely
fayth, although they do carnally and visibly
presse with their teeth (as Saint Augustine
sayth) the Sacrament of the bodye and
blood of Christ: yet in no wyse are they partakers
of Christe, but rather to their condemnation do
eate and drynke the signe or Sacrament of so
great a thyng.

Of both kyndes.

THE cuppe of the Lorde is not to be denyed
to the laye people. For both the partes of the
Lordes Sacrament, by Christes ordinaunce
and commaundement, ought to be ministred to
all Christian men alyke.

Of the one oblation of Christe
finished vpon the Crosse.

THE offering of Christe once made, is the perfect
redemption, propiciation, and satisfaction
for all the sinnes of the whole worlde,
both originall and actuall, and there is none other
satisfaction for sinne, but that alone. Wherefore
the sacrifices of Masses, in the whiche it was
commonly sayde that the Priestes did offer Christe

C ii

for the quicke and the dead, to haue remission of
paine or gilt, were blasphemous fables and daungerous
deceiptes.

Of the mariage of Priestes.

BYshopes, Priestes, and Deacons, are not commaunded
by Gods lawe eyther to vowe the
state of single lyfe, or to abstayne from mariage.
Therefore it is lawfull also for them, as for
all other Christian men, to marye at their owne
discretion, as they shal iudge the same to serue better
to godlynesse.

Of excommunicate persons, how
they are to be auoyded.

THat person whiche by open denuntiation of
the Churche, is ryghtly cut of from the vnitie
of the Churche, and excommunicated,
ought to be taken of the whole multitude of the
faythfull as an Heathen and Publicane, vntyll
he be openly reconciled by penaunce, and receaued
into the Churche by a iudge that hath aucthoritie
thereto.

Of the traditions of the Church.

IT is not necessarie that traditions and ceremonies
be in all places one, or vtterly like, for at all

tymes they haue ben diuerse, and may be chaunged
accordyng to the diuersitie of countreyes,
tymes, and mens maners, so that nothyng be ordeyned
agaynst Gods worde. Whosoeuer through
his priuate iudgement, wyllingly and purposely
doth openlye breake the traditions and ceremonies
of the Churche, which be not repugnaunt to
the worde of God, and be ordayned and approued
by common aucthoritie, ought to be rebuked openlye
(that other may feare to do the lyke) as he that
offendeth agaynste the common order of the
Churche, and hurteth the aucthoritie of the Magistrate,
and woundeth the consciences of the
weake brethren.
Euery particuler or nationall Churche, hath
aucthoritie to ordayne, chaunge, and abolyshe ceremonies
or rites of the Church ordayned only by
mans aucthoritie, so that all thynges be done to
edifiyng.

Of Homilees.

THE seconde booke of Homilees, the seuerall
tytles wherof we haue ioyned vnder this article,
doth conteyne a godly and wholesome
doctrine, and necessarie for these tymes, as doth
the former booke of Homilees, whiche were set
foorth in the tyme of Edwarde the sixt: and therefore
we iudge them to be read in Churches by the
Ministers diligently, and distinctlye, that they
may be vnderstanded of the people.

C iii

Of the names of the Homilees.

1 Of the right vse of the Churche.
2 Agaynst perill of Idolatrie.
3 Of repayring and keping cleane of Churches.
4 Of good workes, first of fastyng.
5 Agaynst gluttony and drunkennesse.
6 Against excesse of apparell.
7 Of prayer.
8 Of the place and time of prayer.
9 That common prayers and Sacramentes ought
to be ministred in a knowen tongue.
10 Of the reuerente estimation of Gods worde.
11 Of almes doing.
12 Of the Natiuitie of Christe.
13 Of the passion of Christe.
14 Of the resurrection of Christe.
15 Of the worthie receauing of the Sacrament of
the body and blood of Christe.
16 Of the gyftes of the holy ghost.
17 For the Rogation dayes.
18 Of the state of Matrimonie.
19 Of repentaunce.
20 Agaynst Idlenesse.
21 Agaynst rebellion.

Of consecration of Byshops and ministers.

THE booke of Consecration of Archbyshopes
and Byshopes, and orderyng of Priestes and
Deacons, lately set foorth in the tyme of

Edwarde the sixte, and confyrmed at the same
tyme by aucthoritie of Parliament, doth conteine
all thynges necessarie to suche consecration and
orderyng: neyther hath it anye thyng, that of it
selfe is superstitious or vngodly. And therefore,
whosoeuer are consecrate or ordered accordyng to
the rytes of that booke, sence the seconde yere of
the aforenamed kyng Edwarde vnto this tyme,
or hereafter shalbe consecrated or ordred according
to the same rites, we decree all suche to be ryghtly,
orderly, and lawfully consecrated and ordered.

Of Ciuill Magistrates.

THe Queenes Maiestie hath the cheefe power
in this Realme of England, and other her
dominions, vnto whom the cheefe gouernment
of all estates of this Realme, whether they
be Ecclesiasticall or Ciuill, in al causes doth apparteine,
and is not, nor ought to be subiect to any forraigne
iurisdiction.
Where we attribute to the Queenes Maiestie
the cheefe gouernement, by whiche tytles we vnderstande
the myndes of some slaunderous folkes
to be offended: we geue not to our Princes the ministring
either of Gods word, or of Sacramentes,
the whiche thyng the Iniunctions also lately set
forth by Elizabeth our Queene, doth most playnely
testifie: But that onlye prerogatiue whiche we
see to haue ben geuen alwayes to all godly Princes

in holy Scriptures by God hym selfe, that is,
that they shoulde rule all estates and degrees committed
to their charge by God, whether they be
Ecclesiasticall or Temporall, and restrayne with
the ciuill sworde the stubburne and euyll doers.
The Byshoppe of Rome hath no iurisdiction in
this Realme of Englande.
The lawes of the Realme maye punyshe Christian
men with death, for heynous and greeuous
offences.
It is lawfull for Christian men, at the commaundemente
of the Magistrate, to weare weapons,
and serue in the warres.

Of Christian mens goodes, which
are not common.

THE rychesse and goodes of Christians are
not common, as touchyng the ryght, tytle,
and possession of the same, as certayne Anabaptistes
do falsely boast. Notwithstandyng, euery
man ought of suche thynges as he possesseth, liberally
to geue almes to the poore, accordyng to
his habilitie.

Of a Christian mans othe.

AS we confesse that vayne and rashe swearing
is forbidden Christian men by our Lord
Iesus Christe, and Iames his Apostle: So

we iudge that Christian religion doth not prohibite,
but that a man may sweare when the Magistrate
requireth, in a cause of faith and charitie,
so it be done accordyng to the prophetes teaching,
in iustice, iudgement, and trueth.

The Ratification.

THIS Booke of Articles before rehearsed,
is agayne approued, and
allowed to be holden and executed
within the Realme, by the assent
and consent of our Soueraigne
Ladye Elizabeth, by the
grace of GOD, of Englande, Fraunce, and Irelande
Queene, defender of the fayth. &c. Which
Articles were deliberately read, and confirmed agayne
by the subscription of the handes of the Archbyshop
and Byshoppes of the vpper house, and
by the subscription of the whole Cleargie in the
neather house in their Conuocation, in the yere of
our Lorde GOD, 1571.