VIII. Original sin.

BOOK

I.

Original sin standeth not in the following of Adam, (as the Pelagians do vainly talk,* and at this day is affirmed by Left out. some Anabaptists,) but it is the fault and corruption of every man, that naturally is ingendred of the off-spring of Adam, whereby man is very far gone from original 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 φρόνημα σαρκὸς, 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 believe and are baptized, yet the apostle doth confess, that concupiscence and lust hath of it self the nature of sin.

IX. Of free-will.

We have no power to do good works, pleasant and acceptable to God, without the grace of God by Christ preventing us, that we may have a good will, and working with us, when we have that good will.

The condition of man after the fall of Adam is such, that he cannot turn

and prepare himself, by his

own natural strength and good works, to faith and calling upon God. Where

fore we have no power to do good works, pleasant and acceptable unto God, &c.

X. Of grace.

The grace of Christ, or the Holy Ghost which is given by him, doth take from man the heart of stone, and giveth him a heart of flesh. And though it rendereth us willing to do those good works, which before we were unwilling to do, and unwilling to do those evil works, which before we did, yet is no violence offered by it to the will of man; so that no man when he hath sinned can excuse himself, as if he had sinned against his will, or upon constraint; and therefore that he ought not to be accused or condemned upon that

account.

XI. Of the justification of man. Justification by faith only in Jesus Christ,

We are accounted righteous before God only, for

the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ by faith, and not for our own works or deservings. Wherefore that we are jus

in that sense wherein it is set forth in the homily of Justification, is the most certain and most wholesome doctrine for a Christian man.

tified by faith, is a most wholesome doctrine, and very full of comfort, as more largely is expressed in the homily of Justification.

Of good works.

Albeit the good works, which are the fruits of faith, and follow after justification, cannot put away our sins, and endure the severity of God's judgment, yet are they pleasing and acceptable. unto God in Christ, and do spring out necessarily of a true and lively faith, insomuch that by them, a lively faith may be as evidently known, as a tree discerned by the fruit.

XII. Works before justification.

Works done before the grace of Christ, and the inspiration of his Spirit, are not pleasant to God, forasmuch as they spring not of faith in Jesus Christ; neither do they make men meet to receive grace, or (as the school-authors say) deserve grace of congruity; yea rather for that they are not done as God hath willed and commanded them to be done, we doubt not but they have the nature of sin.

XIII. Works of supererogation.

Voluntary works besides, over and above God's commandments, which they call works of supererogation, cannot be taught without arrogancy and impiety; for by them men do declare, that they do not only render unto God as much as they are bound to do, but that they do more for his sake, than of bounden duty is required; whereas Christ saith plainly, When you have done all that are commanded to you, say, We are unprofitable servants.

XIV. None but Christ without sin.

Christ in the truth of our nature was made like unto us in all things, (sin only excepted) from which he was clearly void, both in his flesh and in his spirit: he came to be a Lamb without spot, who by sacrifice of himself once made should take away the sins of the world; and sin (as St. John saith) was not in him: but all we the rest (although baptized and born in Christ) yet offend in many things; and if we

say we have no sin, we deceive our selves, and the truth is BOOK not in us.

XV. Of the sin against the Holy Ghost.

Not every deadly sin, willingly committed after baptism, is sin against the Holy Ghost, and unpardonable. Wherefore the grant of repentance is not to be denied to such as fall into sin after baptism. After we have received the Holy Ghost, we may depart from grace given, and fall into sin, and by the grace of God (we may) arise again and amend our lives. And therefore they are to be condemned which say, they can no more sin as long as they live here, or deny the* place of penance to such as truly repent.

when

XVI. The Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost. The blasphemy against the Holy Ghost is then committed, any man, out of malice and hardness of heart, doth wilfully reproach and persecute in an hostile manner the truth of God's word, manifestly made known unto him. Which sort of men, being made obnoxious to the curse, subject themselves to the most grievous of all wickednesses; from whence this kind of sin is called unpardonable, and so affirmed to be by our Lord and Saviour.

XVII. Of predestination and election.

1.

* place of forgiveness

Predestination unto life, is the everlasting purpose of God, whereby (before the foundations of the world were laid) he hath constantly decreed by his counsel, secret unto us, to deliver from curse and damnation those whom he hath chosen * out of mankind, and to bring them by Christ to * in Christ everlasting salvation, as vessels made to honour. Wherefore they which be endued with so excellent a benefit of God, be called according to God's purpose, by his Spirit working in due season, they through grace obey the calling, they be justified freely, they are made sons of * adoption, * God by they are made like the image of the only begotten Jesus * is Christ; they walk religiously in good works, and at length, by God's mercy, they attain to everlasting felicity.

As the godly consideration of predestination and election in Christ, is full of sweet, pleasant, and unspeakable comfort to godly persons, and such as feel in themselves the working

II.

PART of the Spirit of Christ, mortifying the works of the flesh, and their earthly members, and drawing up their mind to high and heavenly things, as well because it doth greatly establish and confirm their faith of eternal salvation, to be enjoyed through Christ, as because it doth fervently kindle their love towards God: so for curious and carnal persons, lacking the Spirit of Christ, to have continually before their eyes the sentence of God's predestination, is a most dangerous downfal, whereby the Devil doth thrust them either into desperation, or into wretchlesness of most unclean living, no less perilous than desperation.

* Left out.

*

Furthermore, though the decrees of predestination be unknown to us, yet must we receive God's promises in such wise as they be generally set forth to us in holy scripture; and in our doings, that will of God is to be followed, which we have expressly declared unto us in the word of God. XVIII. Everlasting salvation to be obtained only in the name of Christ.

They also are to be had accursed, that presume to say, that every man shall be saved by the law or sect which he professeth, so that he be diligent to frame his life according to that law, and the light of nature: for holy scripture doth set out unto us only the name of Jesus Christ, whereby men must be saved.

XIX. All men are bound to keep the precepts of the moral

law.

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 common-wealth; yet notwithstanding no Christian man whatsoever is free from the obedience of the commandments which are called Moral. Wherefore they are not to be heard which teach, that the holy scriptures were given to none but to the weak, and brag continually of the Spirit, by which they do pretend, that all whatsoever they preach is suggested to them, though manifestly contrary to the holy scripture. XX. Of the church.

The visible church of Christ is a congregation of faithful

I.

men, in which the pure word of God is preached, and the BOOK sacraments be duly ministred, according to Christ's ordinance, in all those things that of necessity are requisite to the same. As the church of Jerusalem, Alexandria, and Antioch have erred, so also the church of Rome hath erred, not only in their livings, and manner of ceremonies, but also in matters of faith.

The church hath power to decree rites and ceremonies, and authority in controversies of faith. It is not lawful for the church, &c.

XXI. Of the authority of the church. It is not lawful for the church to ordain any thing that is contrary to God's word written, neither may it so expound one place of scripture, that it be repugnant to another: wherefore although the church be a witness and keeper of holy writ, yet as it ought not to decree any thing against the same, so besides the same ought it not to enforce any thing to be believed for necessity of salvation.

XXII. Of the authority of general councils. General councils may not be gathered together without the commandment and will of princes. And when they are gathered together, forasmuch as they be an assembly of men, (whereof all be not governed with the Spirit and word of God) they may err, and sometimes have erred, even in things pertaining unto God. Wherefore things ordained by them, as necessary to salvation, have neither strength nor authority, unless it may be declared, that they be taken out of holy scripture.

XXIII. Of purgatory.

The doctrine of the school-men concerning purgatory, pardons, worshipping, and adoration, as well of images as of reliques, and also invocation of saints, is a fond thing vainly invented, and grounded upon no warranty of scripture, but rather perniciously repugnant to the word of God.

XXIV. No man to minister in the church except he be called.

It is not lawful for any man to take upon him the office of publick preaching, or ministring the sacraments in the congregation, before he be lawfully called and sent to execute the same. And those we ought to judg lawfully called and