ARTICLES Agreed upon by the Archbishops and Bishops of both Provinces, and the whole Clergy, in the Convocation holden at London, in the Year 1562, for the avoiding of Diverfities of Opinions, and for the ftablishing of Confent touching true Religion: Reprinted by his Majesty's Commandment, with his Royal Declaration prefixed thereunto. BE His Majefty's Declaration. EING by God's Ordinance, according to our juft Title, Defender of the Faith, and Supreme Governor of the Church, within thefe our Dominions, we hold it most agreeable to this our kingly Office, and our own religious zeal to conferve and maintain the Church committed to our charge, in the unity of true Religion, and in the bond of Peace; and not to fuffer unneceffary Difputations, Altercations, or Questions to be raised, which may nourish faction both in the Church and Commonwealth. We have therefore, upon mature deliberation, and with the advice of fo many of our Bishops as might conveniently be called together, thought fit to make this Declaration following: That the Articles of the Church of England (which have been allowed and authorized beretofore, and which our Clergy generally have fubfcribed unto) do contain the true Doctrine of the Church of England, agreeable to God's Word: which we do therefore ratify and confirm, requiring all our loving fubjects to continue in the uniform profion thereof, and probibiting the least difference from the faid Articles; which to that end we command to be new printed, and this our Declaration to be published therewith. That we are Supreme Governor of the Church of England: and that if any difference arife about the external policy, concerning the Injunctions, Canons, and other Conflitutions whatsoever thereto belonging, the Clergy in their Convoeation is to order and fettle them, having firft obtained leave Q 9 under under our Broad Seal fo to do, and we approving their faid Ordinances and Conftitutions; providing that none be made contrary to the Laws and Cufioms of the Land. That out of our princely care, that the Churchmen may do the work which is proper unto them, the Bishops and Clergy, from time to time in Convocation, upon their bumble defire, fball bave Licence under our Broad Seal to deliberate of, and to do all fuch things, as being made plain by them, and affented unto by us, shall concern the fettled continuance of the Doctrine and Difcipline of the Church of England now establifhed; from which we will not endure any varying or departing in the least degree. That for the prefent, though fome differences have been ill raised, yet we take comfort in this, that all Clergymen within our Realm have always most willingly fubfcribed to the Articles established; which is an argument to us, that they all agree in the true, ufual, literal meaning of the faid Articles; and that even in those curious points, in which the prefent differences lie, men of all forts take the Articles of the Church of England to be for them; which is an argument again, that none of them intend any defertion of the Articles eftablished. That therefore in thefe both curious and unhappy differences, which have for fo many bundred years, in different times and places, exercifed the Church of Chrift, we will, that all further curious fearch be laid afide, and thefe difputes fout up in God's promifes, as they be generally fet forth to us in the boly Scriptures, and the general meaning of the Articles of the Church of England, according to them. And that no man hereafter shall either print or preach to draw the Article afide any way, but fall fubmit to it in the plain and full meaning thereof; and shall not put his own fenfe or comment to be the meaning of the Article, but fhall take it in the literal and grammatical fenfe. That if any Public Reader in either of our Universities, or any Head or Master of a College, or any other perfon refpectively in either of them, fhall affix any new fenfe to any Article, or fhall publicly read, determine, or bold any public difputation, or fuffer any fuch to be held either way, in either the Univerfities or Colleges refpectively; or if any Divine in the Universities fhall preach or print any thing either way, other than is already eftablished in Convocation with our Royal Affent; be or they the offenders fhall be liable to our difpleasure, and the Church's cenfure in our Commiffion Ecclefiaftical, as well as any other: and we will fee there shall be due execution upon them. ARTICLES ARTICLES OF RELIGION. I. Of Faith in the Holy Trinity. T HERE is but one living and true God, everlasting, without body, parts, or paffions; of infinite power, wifdom, and goodnefs; the Maker and Preferver of all things both visible and invifible. And in unity of this Godhead there be three perfons, of one fubftance, 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 HE Son, which is the Word of the Father, begotten. from everlasting of the Father, the very and eternal God, of one fubftance with the Father, took man's nature in the womb of the blessed Virgin, of her substance : fo that two whole and perfect natures, that is to fay, the Godhead and Manhood, were joined together in one Perfon, never to be divided, whereof is one Chrift, very God, and very Man; who truly fuffered, was crucified, dead, and buried, to reconcile his Father to us, and to be a facrifice, not only for original guilt, but alfo for actual fins of nien. III. Of the going down of Chrift into Hell. As Chrift died for us, and was buried; fo alfo is it to be believed that he went down into hell, CH IV. Of the Refurrection of Chrift, HRIST did truly rife again from death, and took again his body, with flesh, bones, and all things appertaining to the perfection of man's nature; wherewith he afcended into heaven, and there fitteth until he return to judge all men at the last day. V. Of the Holy Ghost. THE VI. Of the Sufficiency of the boly Scriptures for Salvation. : OLY Scripture containeth all things neceffary to Salvation fo that whatfoever is not read therein, nor may be proved thereby, is not to be required of any man, that it fhould be believed as an article of the faith, or be |