HIS MAJESTY'S DECLARATION.

BEING by God's ordinance, according to our just title, Defender of the Faith, and Supreme Governor of the Church, within these our Dominions, We hold it most agreeable to this our kingly office, and our own religious zeal, to conserve and maintain the Church committed to our charge, in the unity of true Religion, and in the bond of peace; and not to suffer unnecessary disputations, 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 so 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 subscribed 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 profession thereof, and prohibiting the least difference from the said 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 arise about the external policy, concerning the Injunctions, Canons, and other Constitutions whatsoever thereto belonging, the Clergy in their Convocation is to order and settle them, having first obtained leave under our Broad Seal so to do; and we approving their said Ordinances and Constitutions; providing that none be made contrary to the Laws and Customs 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 humble desire, shall have licence under our Broad Seal to deliberate of and to do all such things, as being made plain by them, and assented unto by Us, shall concern the settled continuance of the Doctrine and Discipline of the Church of England, now established; from which We will not endure any varying or departing in the least degree.

That for the present, though some differences have been ill raised, yet We take comfort in this, that all Clergymen within our Realm have always most willingly

subscribed to the Articlesestablished; which is an argument to Us, that they all agree in the true, usual, literal meauing of the said Articles; and that even in those curious points, in which the present 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 desertion of the Articles established.

That therefore in these both curious and unhappy differences, which have for so many hundred years, in different times and places, exercised the Church of Christ, We will that all further curious search be laid aside, and these disputes shut up in God's promises, as they be generally set 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 shall either print or preach, to draw the Article aside any way, but shall submit to it in the plain and full meaning thereof; and shall not put his own sense or comment to be the meaning of the Article, but shall take it in the literal and grammatical sense.

That if any public Reader in either of our Universities, or any Head or Master of a College, or any other person respectively in either of them, shall affix any new sense to any Article, or shall publicly read, determine, or hold any public disputation, or suffer any such to be beld either way, in either the Universities or Colleges respectively; or if any Divine in the Universities shall preach or print any thing either way, other than is already established in Convocation with our Royal assent; he or they the offenders shall be liable to our displeasure, and the Church's censure in our Commission Ecclesiastical, as well as any other: and we will see there shall be due execution upon them.

ARTICLES OF RELIGION.

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, 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 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, wherewith he ascended into Heaven, and there sitteth, until he return to judge all men at the last day.

V. OF THE HOLY GHOST.

The 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 Scripture 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 article of the faith, or be thought requisite or necessary to salvation. In the name of the Holy Scripture, we do understand those Canonical Books of the Old and New Testament, of whose authority was never aný doubt in the Church.

Of the Names and Number of the Canonical Books.

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 Song of the Three Chil

dren.

The Story of Susanna.
Of Bell and the Dragon.

The rest of the Book of The Prayer of Manasses,

Esther.

The First Book of Maccabees.
The Second Book of Macca-

bees.

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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 they 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's 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 ori ginal 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