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the Church, within thefe our Dominions, We hold it mot agreeable to this Our Kingly Office, and our own religious Zal, 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 Queftions to be railed, 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 heretofore, 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 Subjects to continue in the uniform Profeffion thereof, and prohibiting the leaft 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 Injunctions, Canons, and other Conftitutions whatsoever thereto belonging, the Clergy in their Convocation is to order and fettle them, having first obtained Leave 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 Cuftoms 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, fhall 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, fhall concern the fettled Continuance of the Doctrine and Difcipline of the Church of England now eftablifhe; from which We will set endure any varving or departing in the leaft Degree.

That for the prefent, though fome Differences have been ill raifed, yet We take Comfort in this, that all Clergymen

within

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within Our Realm have always moft willingly fubscribed to the Articles eftablished; which is an Argument to Us, that they all agree in the true, ufual, literal Meaning of the faid Articles, and that even in thofe curious Points, in which the prefent Differences lie, Men of all Sorts take the Articles of the Church of England to be for them; which is an Argument again, that none of them intend any Difertion of the Articles established..

That therefore in thefe both curious and unhappy Differences, which have for fo many hundred Years, in different Times and Places, exercised the Church of Chrift, We will, that all further curious Search be laid afide, and thefe Difputes fhut up in God's Promifes, as they be generally ict forth to Us in the holy Scriptures, and the general Meaning of the Articles of the Church of England, according to them: And that no Man hereafter fhall either print or preach to draw the Article afide any way, but fall fubmit to it in the plain and full Meaning thereof; and fhall not put his own Senfe or Comment to be the Meaning of the Article, but shall take it in the literal and grammatical Senfe.

That if any publick Reader in either of our Univerfities, or any Head or Mafter of a College, or any other Perfon · respectively in either of them, fhall affix any new Senfe to any Article, or fhall publickly read, determine, or hold any publick 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 eftablifhed in Convocation with Our Royal Affent; he, or they the Offenders, shall be liable to Our Difpleature, and the Churches Cenfure, in our Commiffion Ecclefiaftical, as well as any other : And we will fee there fhall be due Execution upon them.

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ARTICLES of RELIGION.

1. Of Faith in the Holy Trinity.

Here is but One living and true God, everlasting, . without Body, Parts, or Pailions; of infinite Power, Wildom and Goodnefs; the Maker, and Preferver of all

Things

Things both visible and invifible. Godhead there be three Perfons of and Eternity; the Father, the Son,

And in Unity of this one Substance, Power, and the Holy Ghoft.

II. Of the Word or Son of God, which was made very man. HE Son, which is the Word of the Father, begotten

THH

from everlafting of the Father, the very and eternal God of one fubftance with the Father, took mans nature in the womb of the bleffed Virgin, of her fubftance: 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 men.

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III. Of the going down of Chrift into Hell.

S Chrift died for us, and was buried; fo alfo is it to be believed, that he went down into Hell:

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IV. Of the Refurrection of Chrift.

(Hrift 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 laft Day.

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V. Of the Holy Ghoft.

HE Holy Ghoft, 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 fufficiency of the holy Scriptures for Salvation.

Holy Scripture containeth all things neceffary to Salva

tion fo that whatsoever 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 thought requifite or neceffary to Salvation. In the name of the holy Scripture we do understand thofe Canonical

Books

Books of the Old and New Teftament, of whofe Authority was never any doubt in the Church.

Genefis,
Exodus,

Leviticus,

Numeri,
Deuteronomium,

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The I. Book of Chronicles,
The II. Book of Chronicles,
The I. Book of Efdras,
The II. Book of Efdras,
The Book of Hefter,
The Book of Job,
The Pfalms,
The Proverbs,

Ecclefiaftes or Preacher,
Canta, or Songs of Solomon,
IV. Prophets the greater,
XII. Prophets the lefs.

And the other Books (as Hierom faith) the Church doth read for example of life and inftruction of manners; but yet doth it not apply them to establish any doctrine: Such are thefe following,

The 111. Book of Efdras,
The IV. Bock of Efdras,
The Book of Tobias,
The Book of Judith,

The rest of the Book of Hefter;
The Book of Wisdom,

Jefus the Son of Sirach,

Baruch the Prophet,

The Song of the three Children,
The Story of Sufanna,
Of Bel and the Dragon,
The Prayer of Manaffes,
The I. Book of Maccabees.
The II. Book of Maccabees.

All the Books of the New Teftament, as they are conmonly received, we do receive and account them Canonical,

TH

VII. Of the Old Testament.

HE Old Teftament is not contrary to the New: for both in the Old and New Teftament everlafting Life is offered to mankind by Chrift, who is the only Mediator between God and Man, being both God and Man. Wherefore they are not to be heard, which feign that the Old Fa thers did look only for tranfitory Promises. Although th Law given from God by Mofes, as touching Ceremoniee and Rites, do not bind Chriftian men, nor the Civil Pres cepts thereof ought of neceffity to be received in any Com

mon

monwealth yet notwithstanding, no Chriftian man whatfoever is free from the Obedience of the Commandments which are called Moral.

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VIII. Of the three Creeds.

HE three Creeds, Nice Creed, Athanafius's Creed and that which is commonly called the Apostles Creed, ought throughly to be received and believed: for they may be proved by moft certain warrants of holy Scripture.

IX. Of Original or Birth-Sin.

Riginal Sin ftandeth 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 ingendered of the offspring of Adam; whereby Man is very far gone from Original Righteoufnefs, and is of his own Nature inclined to Evil, fo that the flesh lufteth always contrary to the Spirit; and therefore in every Perfon burn into this World, it deferveth God's Wrath and damnation. And this Infection of Nature doth remain, yea, in them that are regenerated; whereby the Luft of the Flesh, called in Greek, pronema farkos, which fome do expound the Wilder, fome Senfuality, fome the Affection, fome the Defire of the Flesh, is not fubject to the Law of God. And although there is no Condemnation for them that believe ant are baptized; yet the Apoftle doth confels, that Concupifcence and Luft hath of itself the Nature of Sin.

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X. Of Free-will.

HE condition of man after the fall of Adam, is fuch, that he cannot turn and prepare himtelt by his own natural ftrength and good works to faith and calling upon God: Wherefore we have no power to do good works, withfant and acceptable to God, without the grace of God by Chrift 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.

W by WE

E are accounted righteous before God, only for the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jetus Chriit,

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