Page images
PDF
EPUB

hear their cry, and will help them. ken in heart, and giveth medicine 20 The Lord preserveth all to heal their sickness. them that love him; but scattereth abroad all the ungodly.

21 My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord; and let all flesh give thanks unto his holy name for ever and ever.

Psalm 146. Lauda, anima mea.

PRAISE the Lord, O my soul: while I live, will I praise the Lord; yea, as long as I have any being, I will sing praises unto my

God.

20 put not your trust in princes, nor in any child of man; for there is no help in them.

3 For when the breath of man goeth forth, he shall turn again to his earth, and then all his thoughts perish.

4 Blessed is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help; and whose hope is in the Lord his God;

5 Who made heaven and earth, the sea and all that therein is; who keepeth his promise for ever;

6 Who helpeth them to right that suffer wrong; who feedeth the hungry.

7 The Lord looseth men out of prison; the Lord giveth sight to the blind.

8 The Lord helpeth them that are fallen; the Lord careth for the righteous.

9 The Lord careth for the stranger; he defendeth the fatherless and widow: as for the way of the ungodly,he turneth it upsidedown. 10 The Lord thy God, O Sion, shall be King for evermore, and throughout all generations.

EVENING PRAYER. Psalm 147. Laudate Dominum. PRAISE Lord; for it is a

4 He telleth the number of the stars, and calleth them all by their names.

5 Great is our Lord, and great is his power; yea, and his wisdom is infinite.

6 The Lord setteth up the meek, and bringeth the ungodly down to the ground.

7 O Sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving; sing praises upon the harp unto our God;

8 Who covereth the heaven with clouds, and prepareth rain for the earth; and maketh the grass to grow upon the mountains, and herb for the use of men:

9 Who giveth fodder unto the cattle, and feedeth the young ravens that call upon him.

10 He hath no pleasure in the strength of an horse; neither delighteth he in any man's legs.

11 But the Lord's delight is in them that fear him, and put their trust in his mercy.

12 Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem; praise thy God, O Sion;

13 For he hath made fast the bars of thy gates, and hath blessed thy children within thee.

14 He maketh peace in thy borders, and filleth thee with the flour of wheat.

15 He sendeth forth his commandment upon earth, and his word runneth very swiftly.

16 He giveth snow like wool, and scattereth the hoar frost like ashes.

17 He casteth forth his ice like morsels; who is able to abide his frost?

18 He sendeth out his word,

Ogood thing to sing praises un, and melteth them, he bloweth

to our God; yea, a joyful and pleasant thing it is to be thankful. 2 The Lord doth build up Jerusalem, and gather together the outcasts of Israel.

3 He heuleth those that are bro-I

with his wind, and the waters flow.

19 He showeth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and ordinances unto Israel.

20 He hath not dealt so with

[blocks in formation]

2 Praise him, all ye angels of his; praise him, all his host. 3 Praise him, sun and moon; =praise him, all ye stars and light.

of

Psalm 149.

Cantate Domino. SING unto the Lord a new song; let the congregation

saints praise him.

2 Let Israel rejoice in him that made him, and let the children of Sion be joyful in their King.

3 Let them praise his name in the dance; let them sing praises unto him with tabret and harp.

4 For the Lord hath pleasure in his people, and helpeth the

1 4 Praise him, all ye heavens, meek-hearted.
and ye waters that are above the
heavens.

5 Let them praise the name of the Lord; for he spake the word, and they were made; he commanded, and they were created.

6 He hath made them fast for ever and ever; he hath given them a law, which shall not be broken.

7 Praise the Lord upon earth, Eye dragons, and all deeps;

5 Let the saints be joyful with glory; let them rejoice in their beds.

6 Let the praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hands:

7 To be avenged of the heathen, and to rebuke the people; 8 To bind their kings in chains, and their nobles with links of iron.

9 That they may be avenged of 8 Fire and hail, snow and va-them; as it is written, Such hopours, wind and storm, fulfilling nour have all his saints. his word;

9 Mountains and all hills; fruitful trees and all cedars;

10 Beasts and all cattle; worms and feathered fowls;

11 Kings of the earth and all people; princes and all judges of the world;

12 Young men and maidens, old men and children, praise the name of the Lord; for his name only is excellent, and his praise above heaven and earth.

Psalm 150. Laudate Dominum.

PRAISE God in his holiness; praise him in the firmament

of his power.

2 Praise him in his noble acts; praise him according to his excellent greatness.

3 Praise him in the sound of the trumpet; praise him upon the lute and harp.

4 Praise him in the cymbals and dances; praise him upon the strings and pipe.

5 Praise him upon the welltuned cymbals; praise him upon the loud cymbals.

13 He shall exalt the horn of his people: all his saints shall praise him; even the children of Israel, even the people that serv- Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord.

eth him.

The end of the Psalter.

272

As established by the Bishops, the Clergy, and Laity of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America, in Convention, on the twelfth Day of September, in the Year of our Lord 1801.

Art. 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.

Art. 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.

Art. 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.

Art. 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.

Art. 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.

[blocks in formation]

Genesis. Exodus, Leviticus, Numeri, Deuteronomium, Joshue, Judges, Ruth, The First Book of Samuel, The Second Book of Samuel, The First Book of Kings, The Second Book of Kings, The First Book of Chronicles, The Second Book of Chronicles, The First Book of Esdras, The Second Book of Esdras, The Book of Hester, The Book of Job, The Psalms, The Proverbs, Ecclesiastes or Preacher, Cantica or Songs of Solomon, Four Prophets the greater, Twelve Prophets the less.

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 rest of the Book of Hester, The Book of Wisdom, Jesus the Son of Sirach, Baruch the Prophet, The Song of the three Children, The Story of Susanna, Of Bel and the Dragon, The Prayer of Manasses, The First Book of Maccabees, The Second Book of Maccabees.

All the Books of the New Testament, receive and account them Canonical. as they are commonly received, we do

Art. 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 thers did look only for transitory Proto be heard, which feign that the Old Famises. 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 Holy Scripture containeth all things necessity to be received in any Comnecessary to Salvation: so that whatso-monwealth; yet notwithstanding, no ever is not read therein, nor may be Christian man whatsoever is free from proved thereby, is not to be required of any the obedience of the Commandments aman, that it should be believed as an arti- which are called moral. cle of the Faith, or be thought requisite or necessary to Salvation. In the name The Nicene Creed, and that which is of the Holy Scripture we do under-commonly called the Apostle's Creed,

Art. VI. Of the Sufficiency of the Holy
Scriptures for Salvation.

Art. Vill. Of the Creeds.

ought thoroughly to be received and beHeved: for they may be proved by most certain warrants of holy Scripture.

Art. 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 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 inte 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 σαρκος, 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 itself the nature of sin.

Art. X. Of Free-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: wherefore 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.

Art. XI. Of the Justification of Man. 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 justified by Faith only, is a most wholesome doctrine, and very full of comfort, as more largely is expressed in the Homily of Justification.

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. Art. XIV. Of 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 ye have done all that are commanded to you, say, We are unprofitable servants.

Art. XV. Of Christ alone without sin.

Christ in the truth of our nature, was made like unto us in all things, sin only except, from which he was clearly void, both in his flesh,and in his spirit. He came to be a Lamb without spot, who by sa crifice 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 again in Christ) yet offend in many things; and if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us."

Art. XVI. Of sin after Baptism.

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 forgiveness to such as truly repent.

Art. XVII. Of Predestination and
Election.

Art. XII. Of good Works. Albeit that good Works, which are the Fruits of Faith, and follow after JustifiPredestination to life is the everlasting cation, cannot put away our sins, and en-purpose of God, whereby (before the dure the severity of God's Ju gment; foundations of the world were laid) he yet are they pleasing and acceptable to 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.

Art. XIII. Of 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

hath constantly decreed by his counsel, secret to us, to deliver from curse and damnation, those whom he hath chosen in Christ out of mankind, and to bring them by Christ to 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

made Sons of Ciod by adoption: they be is contrary to God's Word written, netmade like the image of his only begotten ther may it so expound one place of Son Jesus Christ: they walk religiously Scripture, that it be repugnant to another. in good works; and at length by God's Wherefore, although the Church be a mercy they attain to everlasting felicity. Witness and a Keeper of Holy Writ, yet As the godly consideration of Predesti- as it ought not to decree any thing against nation, and our election in Christ, is full the same, so besides the same ought it of sweet, pleasant, and unspeakable com- not to enforce any thing to be believed fort to godly persons, and such as feel in for necessity of salvation. themselves the working of the Spirit of Art. XXI. Of the Authority of General Christ, mortifying the works of the flesh Councils.* and their earthly members, and drawing up their mind to high and heavenly Art. XXII. Of Purgatory. things, as well because it doth greatly The Romish doctrine concerning Pur. establish and confirm their faith of eter- gatory, Pardon, Worshipping and Adonal salvation, to be enjoyed through ration, as well of Images, as of Reliques, Christ, as because it doth fervently kindle and also Invocation of Saints, is a fond their love towards God: so, for curious thing vainly invented, and grounded upand carnal persons, lacking the Spirit of on no warranty of Scripture, but rather Christ, to have continually before their repugnant to the Word of God. eyes the Sentence of God's Predestina- Art. XXIII. Of Ministering in the Contion, is a most dangerous downfall, wheregregation. by the Devil doth thrust them either into desperation, or into wretchlessness of most unclean living, no less perilous than desperation.

Furthermore, we must 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.

Art. XVIII. Of obtaining Eternal Sal

vation only by 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.

Art. XIX. Of the Church.
The visible Church of Christ is a Con-

It is not lawful for any man to take upon him the office of public Preaching, or Ministering the Sacraments in the Con gregation, before he be lawfully called, and sent to execute the same. And those we ought to judge lawfully called and sent, which be chosen and called to this Work by men who have public Authority given unto them in the Congregation, to call and send Ministers into the Lord's Vineyard.

Art. XXIV. Of Speaking in the Congre gation in snch a tongue as the People understandeth.

It is a thing plainly repugnant to the Word of God, and the custom of the Pri mitive Church, to have Public Prayer in the Church or to Minister the Sacra ments in a tongue not understanded of the people.

Art. XXV. Of the Sacraments. Sacraments ordained of Christ be not

gregation of faithful men, in the which only badges or tokens of Christian men's the pure Word of God is preached, and Profession; but rather they be certain the Sacraments be duly ministered ac-sure witnesses, and effectual signs of cording to Christ's Ordinance, in all those things that of necessity are requisite to

the same.

As the Church of Hierusalem, Alexandria, and Antioch, have erred; so also the Church of Rome hath erred, not only in their living and manner of Ceremonies, but also in matters of faith.

Art. XX. Of the Authority of the

the which he doth work invisibly in us, grace, and God's good will towards us, by and doth not only quicken, but also strengthen and confirm our faith in him

There are two Sacraments ordained of Christ our Lord in the Gospel, that is to say, Baptism, and the Supper of the Lord.

Those five commonly called Sacraments, that is to say, Confirmation, PenChurch. ance, Orders, Matrimony, and Extreme The Church hath power to decrec Rites | Unction, are not to be counted for Sacraor Ceremonies, and Authority in Contro-ments of the Gospel, being such as have versies of Faith: And yet it is not lawful grown, partly of the corrupt following of for the Church to ordain any thing that the Apostles, partly are states of life al

The 21st of the former articles is omitted, because it is partly of a local and civi! nature, and is provided for, as to the remaining parts of it, in other articles

« PreviousContinue »