Irish Articles of Religion

1.1 The ground of our religion and the rule of faith and all saving truth is the Word of God, contained … 1.2 By the name of holy Scripture we understand all the Canonical Books of the Old and New Testament, viz.: Of … 1.3 The other Books, commonly called Apocryphal, did not proceed from such inspiration, and therefore are not of sufficient authority to … 1.4 The Scriptures ought to be translated out of the original tongues into all languages for the common use of all … 1.5 Although there be some hard things in the Scripture (especially such as have proper relation to the times in which … 1.6 The holy Scriptures contain all things necessary to salvation, and are able to instruct sufficiently in all points of faith … 1.7 All and every the Articles contained in the Nicene Creed, the Creed of Athanasius, and that which is commonly called …

2.1 There is but one living and true God, everlasting, without body, parts, or passions; of infinite power, wisdom, and goodness; … 2.2 The essence of the Father doth not beget the essence of the Son; but the person of the Father begetteth … 2.3 The Holy Ghost, proceeding from the Father and the Son, is of one substance, majesty, and glory with the Father …

3.1 God from all eternity did, by his unchangeable counsel, ordain whatsoever in time should come to pass; yet so, as … 3.2 By the same eternal counsel God hath predestinated some unto life, and reprobated some unto death: of both which there … 3.3 Predestination to life is the everlasting purpose of God whereby, before the foundations of the world were laid, he hath … 3.4 The cause moving God to predestinate unto life is not the foreseeing of faith, or perseverance, or good works, or … 3.5 Such as are predestinated unto life be called according unto God's purpose (his spirit working in due season), and through … 3.6 The godlike consideration of predestination and our election in Christ is full of sweet, pleasant, and unspeakable comfort to godly … 3.7 We must receive God's promises in such wise as they be generally set forth unto us in holy Scripture; and …

4.1 In the beginning of time, when no creature had any being, God, by his word alone, in the space of … 4.2 The principal creatures are angels and men. 4.3 Of angels, some continued in that holy state wherein they were created, and are by God's grace forever established therein; … 4.4 Man being at the beginning created according to the image of God (which consisted especially in the wisdom of his … 4.5 By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death went over all men, forasmuch … 4.6 Original sin standeth not in the imitation of Adam (as the Pelagians dream), but is the fault and corruption of … 4.7 This corruption of nature doth remain even in those that are regenerated, whereby the flesh always lusteth against the spirit, … 4.8 The condition of man after the fall of Adam is such that he can not turn and prepare himself, by … 4.9 Works done before the grace of Christ and the inspiration of his Spirit are not pleasing unto God, forasmuch as … 4.10 All sins are not equal, but some far more heinous than others; yet the very least is of its own … 4.11 God is not the author of sin: howbeit, he doth not only permit, but also by his providence govern and …

5.1 The Son, which is the Word of the Father, begotten from everlasting of the Father, the true and eternal God—of … 5.2 Christ, in the truth of our nature, was made like unto us in all things—sin only excepted—from which he was … 5.3 They are to be condemned that presume to say that every man shall be saved by the law or sect … 5.4 None can come unto Christ unless it be given unto him, and unless the Father draw him. And all men … 5.5 All God's elect are in their time inseparably united unto Christ by the effectual and vital influence of the Holy … 5.6 We are accounted righteous before God only for the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, applied by faith, … 5.7 Although this justification be free unto us, yet it cometh not so freely unto us that there is no ransom … 5.8 When we say that we are justified by faith only, we do not mean that the said justifying faith is … 5.9 By justifying faith we understand not only the common belief of the articles of Christian religion, and the persuasion of … 5.10 A true, lively, justifying faith and the sanctifying spirit of God is not extinguished nor vanished away in the regenerate, … 5.11 All that are justified are likewise sanctified, their faith being always accompanied with true repentance and good works. 5.12 Repentance is a gift of God, whereby a godly sorrow is wrought in the heart of the faithful for offending … 5.13 Albeit that good works, which are the fruits of faith, and follow after justification, can not make satisfaction for our … 5.14 The works which God would have his people to walk in are such as he hath commanded in his holy … 5.15 The regenerate can not fulfill the law of God perfectly in this life. For in many things we offend all; … 5.16 Not every heinous sin willingly committed after baptism is sin against the Holy Ghost, and unpardonable. And therefore to such … 5.17 Voluntary works, besides over and above God's commandments, which they call works of supererogation, can not be taught without arrogancy …

6.1 Our duty towards God is to believe in him, to fear him, and to love him with all our heart, … 6.2 In all our necessities we ought to have recourse unto God by prayer: assuring ourselves that whatsoever we ask of … 6.3 We ought to prepare our hearts before we pray, and understand the things that we ask when we pray: that … 6.4 When almighty God smiteth us with affliction, or some great calamity hangeth over us, or any other weighty cause so … 6.5 Fasting is a withholding of meat, drink, and all natural food, with other outward delights, from the body, for the … 6.6 We must not fast with this persuasion of mind, that our fasting can bring us to heaven, or ascribe holiness … 6.7 All worship devised by man's phantasy besides or contrary to the Scriptures (as wandering on pilgrimages, setting up of candles, … 6.8 All manner of expressing God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost in an outward form is utterly unlawful; … 6.9 All religious worship ought to be given to God alone: from whom all goodness, health, and grace ought to be … 6.10 The name of God is to be used with all reverence and holy respect, and therefore all vain and rash … 6.11 The first day of the week, which is the Lord's day, is wholly to be dedicated unto the service of … 6.12 The King's majesty under God hath the sovereign and chief power within his realms and dominions, over all manner of … 6.13 We do profess that the supreme government of all estates within the said realms and dominions, in all cases, as … 6.14 The Pope, neither of himself, nor by any authority of the Church or See of Rome, or by any other … 6.15 That princes which be excommunicated or deprived by the Pope may be deposed or murdered by their subjects, or any … 6.16 The laws of the realm may punish Christian men with death for heinous and grievous offenses. 6.17 It is lawful for Christian men, at the commandment of the magistrate, to bear arms and to serve in just … 6.18 Our duty towards our neighbors is, to love them as ourselves, and to do to all men as we would … 6.19 For the preservation of the chastity of men's persons, wedlock is commanded unto all men that stand in need thereof. … 6.20 The riches and goods of Christians are not common, as touching the right, title, and possession of the same: as … 6.21 Faith given, is to be kept, even with heretics and infidels. 6.22 The Popish doctrine of Equivocation and Mental Reservation is ungodly, and tendeth plainly to the subversion of all human society.

7.1 There is but one Catholic Church (out of which there is no salvation), containing the universal company of all the … 7.2 But particular and visible Churches (consisting of those who make profession of the faith of Christ, and live under the … 7.3 Although in the visible Church the evil be ever mingled with the good, and sometimes the evil have chief authority … 7.4 It is not lawful for any man to take upon him the office of public preaching or ministering the Sacraments … 7.5 To have public prayer in the Church, or to administer the Sacraments in a tongue not understood of the people, … 7.6 That person which by public denunciation of the Church is rightly cut off from the unity of the Church, and … 7.7 God hath given power to his ministers, not simply to forgive sins (which prerogative he hath reserved only to himself), … 7.8 It is not lawful for the Church to ordain any thing that is contrary to God's Word: neither may it … 7.9 General councils may not be gathered together without the commandment and will of princes; and when they be gathered together … 7.10 Every particular Church hath authority to institute, to change, and clean to put away ceremonies and other ecclesiastical rites, as … 7.11 As the Churches of Jerusalem, Alexandria, and Antioch have erred, so also the Church of Rome hath erred, not only … 7.12 The power which the Bishop of Rome now challengeth to be supreme head of the universal Church of Christ, and … 7.13 The Bishop of Rome is so far from being the supreme head of the universal Church of Christ, that his … 7.14 In the Old Testament the Commandments of the Law were more largely, and the promises of Christ more sparingly and … 7.15 The Old Testament is not contrary to the New. For both in the Old and New Testament everlasting life is … 7.16 The New Testament is full of grace and truth, bringing joyful tidings unto mankind that whatsoever formerly was promised of … 7.17 Although the Law given from God by Moses as touching ceremonies and rites be abolished, and the civil precepts thereof …

8.1 The Sacraments ordained by Christ be not only badges or tokens of Christian men's profession, but rather certain sure witnesses … 8.2 There be two Sacraments ordained of Christ our Lord in the Gospel: that is to say, Baptism and the Lord's … 8.3 Those five which by the Church of Rome are called Sacraments, to wit: Confirmation, Penance, Orders, Matrimony, and Extreme Unction, … 8.4 The Sacraments were not ordained of Christ to be gazed upon, or to be carried about, but that we should … 8.5 Baptism is not only an outward sign of our profession, and a note of difference, whereby Christians are discerned from … 8.6 The Baptism of Infants is to be retained in the Church, as agreeable to the Word of God. 8.7 In the administration of Baptism, exorcism, oil, salt, spittle, and superstitious hallowing of the water, are for just causes abolished; … 8.8 The Lord's Supper is not only a sign of the mutual love which Christians ought to bear one towards another, … 8.9 The change of the substance of bread and wine into the substance of the body and blood of Christ, commonly … 8.10 In the outward part of the holy Communion, the body and blood of Christ is in a most lively manner … 8.11 The body of Christ is given, taken, and eaten in the Lord's Supper only after a heavenly and spiritual manner; … 8.12 The wicked, and such as want a lively faith, although they do carnally and visibly (as St. Augustine speaketh) press … 8.13 Both the parts of the Lord's Sacrament, according to Christ's institution and the practice of the ancient Church, ought to … 8.14 The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper was not by Christ's ordinance reserved, carried about, lifted up, or worshiped. 8.15 The sacrifice of the Mass, wherein the priest is said to offer up Christ for obtaining the remission of pain … 8.16 Private mass—that is, the receiving of the Eucharist by the priest alone, without a competent number of communicants—is contrary to …

9.1 After this life is ended the souls of God's children be presently received into heaven, there to enjoy unspeakable comforts; … 9.2 The doctrine of the Church of Rome concerning Limbus Patrum, Limbus Puerorum, Purgatory, Prayer for the Dead, Pardons, Adoration of … 9.3 At the end of this world the Lord Jesus shall come in the clouds with the glory of his Father; … 9.4 When the last judgment is finished, Christ shall deliver up the kingdom to his Father, and God shall be all …