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the Son and such is the Holy Ghost. The Father uncreate, the Son uncreate and the Holy Ghost uncreate.

The Father incomprehensible, the Son incomprehensible: and the Holy Ghost incomprehensible.

The Father eternal, the Son eternal: and the Holy Ghost eternal.

And yet there are not three eternals: but one eternal.

As also there are not three incomprehensibles, nor three uncreated: but one uncreated, and one incomprehensible.

So likewise the Father is Almighty, the Son Almighty: and the Holy Ghost Almighty.

And yet they are not three Almighties: but one Almighty.

So the Father is God, the Son is God and the Holy Ghost is God. And yet they are not three Gods but one God.

So likewise the Father is Lord, the Son Lord: and the Holy Ghost Lord.

And yet not three Lords: but one Lord.

For like as we are compelled by the Christian verity: to acknowledge every Person by Himself to be God and Lord;

So are we forbidden by the Catholick Religion to say, There be three Gods, or three Lords.

The Father is made of none: neither created, nor begotten.

The Son is of the Father alone: not made, nor created, but be gotten.

The Holy Ghost is of the Father and of the Son: neither made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding.

So there is one Father, not three Fathers: one Son, not three Sons: one Holy Ghost, not three Holy Ghosts.

And in this Trinity none is afore, or after other: none is greater, or less than another;

But the whole three Persons are co-eternal together and coequal.

So that in all things, as is aforesaid the Unity in Trinity. and the Trinity in Unity is to be worshipped.

Furthermore, it is necessary to everlasting salvation: that he also believe rightly the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ.

For the right Faith is, that we believe and confess that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and Man;

God, of the Substance of the Father, begotten before the worlds: and Man, of the Substance of His mother, born in the world;

Perfect God, and perfect Man : of a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting;

Equal to the Father, as touching His Godhead: and inferior to the Father, as touching His Manhood.

Who although He be God and Man yet He is not two, but one Christ;

One; not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh: but by taking of the Manhood into God;

One altogether; not by confusion of Substance: but by unity of Person.

For as the reasonable soul and flesh is one man: so God and Man is one Christ;

Who suffered for our salvation: descended into Hades, rose again the third day from the dead.

He ascended into heaven, He sitteth on the right hand of the Father, God Almighty: from whence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

At Whose coming all men shall rise again with their bodies: and shall give account for their own works.

And they that have done good shall go into life everlasting: and they that have done evil into everlasting fire.

1. Of Faith in the Holy Trinity.

HERE is but one living and

True God, Who is Spirit,

everlasting; immutable; of infinite power, wisdom, and goodness: the Maker and Preserver of all things both visible and invisible. And in unity of this Godhead there are three Persons, of one Substance, power, and eternity; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

II. Of the Word, or Son of God, Who was made Very Man. HE Son, Who is the Word of the Father, begotten of the Father, the very and eternal God, and 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 the 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 satisfy Divine justice, and to reconcile us to His Father, by becoming a sacrifice, not only for original guilt, but also for the actual sins of men.

III. Of the going down of Christ into Hades.

A

buried, so also is it to be believed that He went down into Hades.

IV. Of the Resurrection, Ascension, and Second Coming of Christ. HRIST 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: He ascended into Heaven; and there sitteth, our Great High Priest and Advocate, our only Priest, at the right hand of the Father, whence He will return in the glory of the Father, with the holy angels, to rule the world in righteousness.

This Second Coming of the Lord is the blessed hope of the Church, for to those who look for Him He shall appear a second time, without sin, unto salvation. Then shall His people, both those who sleep in Him and those who are alive and remain, be caught up to meet the Lord in the air and so shall they ever be with the Lord.

V. Of the Holy Spirit.

THE Holy Spirit is of one Sub

stance, Majesty, and Glory, with the Father, and the Son, very and eternal God. It is the work of the Holy Spirit to convict the world in respect of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: to take of the things of Christ and show them to men; to make men willing; to lead them to faith in Christ; to regenerate them; to form Christ in them the hope of glory; to strengthen them with might in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in their hearts by faith; so that, walking in the ways of God, they bring forth the fruit of the Spirit. The true Church is thus called out of the world, and is builded together for a habitation of God through the Spirit.

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

AL

LL Scripture is given by inspiration of God. Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit: Holy Scripture is therefore the Word of God: not only does it contain the Oracles of God, but it is itself the very Oracles of God. It containeth all things necessary to salvation, so that whatsoever is not read therein, or cannot 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.

By HOLY SCRIPTURE we do understand the canonical books

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The Second Epistle to the Thessalonians,

The First Epistle to Timothy,
The Second Epistle to Timothy,
The Epistle to Titus,
The Epistle to Philemon,
The Epistle to the Hebrews,
The Epistle of James.
The First Epistle of Peter,
The Second Epistle of Peter,
The First Epistle of John,
The Second Epistle of John,
The Third Epistle of John,
The Epistle of Jude,

The Book of the Revelation.

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 through Christ, Who is the only Mediator between God and man, being both God and Man. Wherefore they are not to be heard, who feign that the old Fathers did look only for transitory promises, and although the Law given from God by Moses, as touching Ceremonies and Rites, does not bind Christian men, nor the Civil precepts thereof ought of necessity to be received in any commonwealth; yet notwithstanding, as a rule of right living, no Christian man whatsoever is free from the obedience of the commandments which are called moral.

VIII. Of Original or Birthsinfulness.

OF

RIGINAL sinfulness standeth not in the following of Adam, but it is the fault and corruption of the nature of every man that naturally is born of the offspring of Adam: whereby Man is wholly gone from original righteousness; and is of his own nature inclined to evil; so that the flesh lusteth always contrary to the Law of God: and therefore, in every person born into the world, it deserveth God's wrath and condemnation.

And this infection of nature doth remain, yea, in them that are regenerated; whereby the flesh is not subject to the Law of God,

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HE condition of Man after

wholesome doctrine and very full of comfort.

XII. Of Repentance and Faith.

of mind toward God, and is

TRUE Repentance is a change

the result of the conviction of sin, wrought by the Holy Spirit. True Faith is the gift of God, and is the receiving and resting Jesus Christ alone for salva

Tthe fall of Adam is such that upon as He is set before us in the

Gospel.

XIII. Regeneration or the New

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 plea sant and acceptable to God, with-creative act of the Holy

out the Grace of God by Christ first inclining us that we may have a good will, and working with us, when we have that good

will.

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X. Of Works before Justification. ORKS commonly called good, done before the operation of the Grace of Christ in the heart and the inspiration

of His Spirit, have not the nature

of true obedience to God, foras

much as they spring not of faith in Jesus Christ, neither do they

deserve or make man meet to receive grace.

XI. Of the Justification of Man.

WE are pardoned and ac

counted righteous before God, only for the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, by Faith, and not for our own works or deservings: He Who knew no sin was made sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. He for us fulfilled the Law, and made it honourable.

He bare our sins in His own body

on the Tree. It pleased our Heavenly Father, of His infinite Mercy and Sovereign Grace, to provide for us the most precious Sacrifice of Christ, whereby His Holy Law might be vindicated, His Justice satisfied, and our ransom fully paid. So that Christ is Himself the Righteousness of all them that do truly believe in Him. Wherefore, that we are justified by Faith only is a most

Birth.

is the

Spirit, whereby He imparts to the soul a new spiritual life. It is a New Birth-the Birth from above. Whosoever believeth in Christ is born again, for saith the Scripture: "Ye are all the children of God, by Faith in Christ Jesus."

XIV. Of Good Works.

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 to God in Christ, and do spring lively faith: insomuch that by out necessarily of a true and them a lively faith may be as evidently known as a tree discerned by its fruit. They who truly believe will seek to do the Will of God, and they who do not thus seek are not to be accounted true believers.

OOD Works, which are the

XV. Of Works of Supererogation.

over and above, God's Com

OLUNTARY Works, besides,

mandments, which are called "Works of Supererogation," eannot 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 shall have done all those things

that are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants."

XVI. Of Foreknowledge, Predestination, und Election.

REDESTINATION to Life

is

purpose

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XVIII. Of Sin after Conversion. EPENTANCE and restoration are not to be regarded as impossible in the case of those who fall into sin after conversion. For after we have experienced the quickening power of the Holy

by faith in Christ-and have been brought into that condition of mind and heart which marks repentance unto life, we may, through unbelief, carelessness, and worldliness, or by stress of fierce temptation, fall into sin; and by the Grace of God we may arise again and amend our lives; but every such fall is a grievous dishonour to our Lord, and a sore injury to ourselves.

God, whereby (before the foundations of the world were laid) He hath constantly decreed by His counsel secret to us, and in accordance with His foreknowledge, 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 who are endued with so excellent a benefit of God are called according to God's purpose by His Spirit working in due season: through Grace obey the calling; they be justified freely: they be as very man was made made sons of God by adoption: they be made like the image of His Only Begotten Son Jesus Christ they walk religiously in good works, and at length, by God's mercy, they attain to everlasting felicity.

they

Furthermore, we must fully receive God's gracious promises in such wise as they are set forth to us in Holy Scripture, remembering also the soleinn responsibility of man; and in all our doings that Will of God is, by His grace, to be diligently followed which we have expressly declared unto us in the Word of God.

XVII. Of Salvation only in Christ, and of the Completeness thereof.

OLY Scripture doth set out unto us the name of Jesus Christ only, whereby men must be saved. His was a finished work, and completely sufficient. With out any merit or deserving on our part, He has secured to believers in Him pardon, acceptance, sonship, sanctification, redemption, and eternal glory. Those who believe in Him are in Him complete. They are even now justified, and have a present salvation; though they may not at all times enjoy the sense of its possession.

XIX. Of Christ alone without
Sin.

HRIST

sin only excepted, from which He was clearly free, both in His flesh and in His spirit. He came to be the Lamb without spot,

Who, by the sacrifice of Himself once-for-all made, should take sin, as the apostle John saith, away the sin of the world; and

was not in Him. But all we the

rest, even after having been 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.

XX. Of the Church.

Christ, who adhere to Him by faith, who are partakers of the Holy Spirit, and worship the Father in spirit and in truth, are the Body of Christ, the House of God, the Flock of the Good Shepherdthe Holy Universal Christian Church. A Church of Christ, in any place, is a congregation of believers, in which the pure word of God is preached and Baptism and the Lord's Supper are duly ministered according to Christ's appointment in all those things that of necessity are requisite to the same. And in the organization and ministry of the Church those things only are to be con

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