Workes before iustification.

¶ Workes done before the grace of Christ, and the inspiration of his spirite, are not pleasaunt to God, forasmuche as they spryng not of fayth in Jesus Christe, neyther do they make men meete to receaue grace, or (as 5 the schoole aucthours say) deserue grace of congruitie: but because they are not done as God hath wylled and commaunded them to be done, we doubt not but that they haue the nature of synne.

¶ Voluntarie workes besydes, ouer and aboue Gods commaundementes, whiche they call workes of supererogation, 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: 15 but that they do more for his sake, then of bounden duetie is required. Wheras Christe sayeth playnly: When ye haue done all that are commaunded, say, we be vnprofitable seruauntes.

Articles. The words are, shall declare his assent and subscribe to all 20 the Articles of religion which only concern the confession of the true Christian faith and the doctrine of the Sacraments, comprised in a book imprinted, intituled, Articles, whereupon it was agreed' &c." And this limitation which was intended to be applied in the case of a minister not episcopally ordained (the case that is first noticed in the 25 statute) was declared by the Puritans to have been provided for every case whatever, where subscription was required. According to their interpretation then, the act of subscribing did not apply in any instance to such articles as the 19th, 20th, 35th and 36th, being articles connected with the authority and discipline of the church. This view of 30 the matter certainly receives support from the parliamentary history of the time (D'Ewes Journal, p. 239. Docum. Ann. vol. i. p. 411), and is also confirmed by the proceedings of the convocation in 1575. the first year of the primacy of archbishop Grindal, where the limitation of the statute is distinctly quoted, and applied to all cases of sub- 35 scription to the Articles (Wilk. Conc. vol. iv. p. 284). But it is clear

No man is without sinne but Christe alone.

¶ Christe is the trueth of our nature, was made lyke vnto vs in all thinges (sinne onely except) from which he was clearely voyde, both in his fleshe and in his spirite. He came to be the lambe without spot, who by sacrifice 5 of him selfe, made once for euer, should take away the sinnes of the worlde, and sinne (as S. John sayth) was not in him: But the rest, although we be baptized, and borne againe in Christe, yet we offende in many thinges, and if we say we haue no sinne, we deceaue our selues, and the 10 trueth is not in vs.

Of sinne after Baptisme.

Euery deadly sinne wyllyngly committed after baptisme, is not sinne agaynst the holy ghost, and vnpardonable. Wherfore, the place for penitence is not to be 15 denied, to such as fall 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,

that the statute was otherwise interpreted by sir E. Coke (Inst. P. iv, P. 323); and as the queen and her commissioners would not suffer any 20 reserve or qualification, a different practice certainly prevailed in the administration of the church. From the year 1584, when archbishop Whitgift issued his orders for subscription to the three Articles, which were afterwards confirmed by king James in the canons of 1603, it appears that no exception or limitation was permitted. In the last 25 Act of Uniformity (13 and 14 Car. II. c. 4.) there is no trace of any such distinction being allowed between articles of doctrine and discipline.

Comp. D'Ewes Journal, pp. 132, 133, Essay, c. 17, &c. Collier, vol. ii. p. 530.

180, 184, 185. Bennet's Neal, Purit. vol. i. p. 177.30

Strype, Ann. vol. i. P. 1. pp. 484–487. Parker, vol. i. pp. 237, 243. Burnet, Hist. Ref. vol. iii. p. 579. Collins, Refl. on Priestcraft in perfec. p. 5. Selden, Table-talk, ad voc. Articles. Heylin, Hist. Presb. p. 267. Pearson, Bibl. Scrip. Eccl. Angl. p. 383.

the Thirty-nine Articles, an. 1607. Pref. sign. d 2.

Rogers on

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we may rise againe and amende our lyues. And therfore, they are to be condemned, which say, they can no more sinne as long as they lyue here, or denie the place of forgeuenes to suche as truely repent and amende their lyues.

Of predestination and election.

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¶ Predestination to lyfe, is the euerlastyng purpose of God, wherby (before the foundations of the world were layd) he hath constantly decreed, to deliuer from the curse and damnation, those whom he hath chosen in 10 Christ out of mankinde, and to bryng them by Christe to euerlastyng saluation, as vessels made to honour. Whervpon, such as haue so excellent a benefite of God, geuen vnto them, be called, accordyng to Gods purpose by his spirite working in due season. They through grace obey 15 the calling, they be iustified freely, they be made sonnes of God by adoption, they be made lyke the image of his only begotten sonne Jesu Christ, they walke religiouslye in good workes, and at length, by Gods mercie, they attayne to euerlastyng felicitie.

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As the godly consyderation of predestination, and our election in Christe, is full of sweete, pleasaunt, and unspeakeable comfort to godlye persons, and such as feele in them selues, the workyng of the spirite of Christe, mortifiynge the workes of the fleshe, and their earthlye mem-25 bers, and drawing vp their minde to high and heauenly thynges, aswell because it doth greatly establishe, and confirme their fayth of eternall saluation, to be enioyed through Christe, as because it doth feruently kindle their loue towardes God: So, for curious and carnall persons, 30 lackyng 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 rechlesnesse of most vncleane lyuyng, no lesse perilous than desperation.

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Furthermore, we must receaue gods promises in such wise, as they be generally set foorth to vs in holy scripture, and in our doynges, that wyll of God is to be folowed, which we haue expresly declared vnto vs in the worde of God.

We must trust to obtayne eternall saluation, only by the name of Christe.

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They also are to be had accursed and abhorred, that presume to saye, that euery man shalbe saued by the lawe or sect whiche he professeth, so that he be diligent to 10 frame his lyfe accordyng to that lawe, and the light of nature. For holy scripture doth set out vnto vs only the name of Jesus Christe, whereby men must be saued.

Of the Churche.

The visible Church of Christe, is a congregation of 15 faythfull men, in the whiche the pure worde of God is preached, and the Sacramentes be duely ministred, accordyng to Christes ordinaunce, in al those thynges that of necessitie are requisite to the same.

As the Church of Hierusalem, Alexandria, and An-20 tioche, haue erred: so also the Church of Rome haue erred, not only in their liuyng and maner of ceremonies: but also in matters of their fayth.

Of the aucthoritie of the Churche.

It is not lawful for the Churche to ordayne any 25 thing that is contrarie to Gods worde written, neyther maye 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 any thyng agaynst the same, so besides the 30 same, ought it not to enforce any thyng to be beleued for necessitie of saluation.

Of the aucthoritie of generall Councels.

¶ Generall councels may not be 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 5 spirite and worde of God) they may erre, and sometyme haue erred, euen in thynges pertaynyng to God. Wherfore, thinges ordayned by them, as necessarie to saluation, haue neyther strength nor aucthoritie, vnlesse it may be declared, that they be taken out of holy Scripture.

Of Purgatorie.

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The Romishe doctrine concerning purgatorie, pardons, worshippyng and adoration, aswel of images, as of reliques, and also inuocation of Saintes, is a fonde thyng, vaynely fayned, and grounded vpon no warrantie of Scrip-15 ture, but rather repugnaunt to the word of God.

No man may minister in the congregation, except he be called.

It is not lawfull for any man to take vpon hym the office of publique preachyng, or ministryng the Sacra-20 mentes in the congregation, before he be lawfully called and sent to execute the same. And those we ought to iudge lawfully called and sent, whiche be chosen and called to this worke by men, who haue publique aucthoritie geuen vnto them in the congregation, to call and 25 sende ministers into the Lordes vineyarde.

Men must speake in the congregation in such a tongue as the people understandeth.

It is a thing playnly repugnaunt to the word of God, to haue publique prayer in the Churche, or to minister 30

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