The faith, doctrine, and religion, professed, & protected in the realme of England, and dominions of the same expressed in 39 articles, concordablie agreed vpon by the reuerend bishops, and clergie of this kingdome, at two seuerall meetings, or conuocations of theirs, in the yeares of our Lord, 1562, and 1604: the said articles analised into propositions, and the propositions prooued to be agreeable both to the written word of God, and to the extant confessions of all the neighbour churches, Christianlie reformed: the aduersaries also of note, and name, which from the apostles daies, and primitiue Church hetherto, haue crossed, or contradicted the said articles in generall, or any particle, or proposition arising from anie of them in particular, heereby are discouered, laid open, and so confuted. Perused, and by the lawfull authoritie of the Church of England, allowed to be publique.

The propositions.

1. The profession of euery religion cannot saue a man, liue he neuer so virtuously.

2. No man euer was, is, or shall be saued, but onely by the Name or faith of Iesus Christ.

1. Proposition. The profession of euery religion cannot saue a man, liue hee neuer so virtuously.

The proofe from the word of God.

THis we cannot but acknowledge to be a truth if wee be∣leeue the Scriptures, for they testifie that Iewes, and Gentiles are all vnder sinn, culpable before God, and depriued of the glory of God a 1.1.

All men, that would be saued, must be borne againe of the holy Ghost b 1.2.

No man is iustified by the workes of the Lawe c 1.3, either ce∣remoniall d 1.4, or morall e 1.5.

God hateth the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes f 1.6, and of Ba∣laam g 1.7.

The Reprobate, whose names are not written in the booke of the life of the Lambe, they doe worship the Beast h 1.8.

Punishments eternall, and intolerable are threatned, both to the Beast, and the false prophet i 1.9, and likewise to all such as will not goe out of Babylon k 1.10, and to all Idolaters l 1.11.

The confessions of Gods people are to this ende, and pur∣pose m 1.12.

Errors, & adversaries vnto this truth.

Then to be had accursed are they which affirme, that

This obseruation of the Iudaicall ceremonies is necessarie vnto saluation, as did the false apostles * 1.13, the Ebionites b 1.14, and the Corinthians c 1.15.

Such throughout the world as lead an vpright life, and be morally righteous, whatsoeuer their religion is, shall be saued, as many of the Philosophers were in the opinion of the Va∣lentinian and Basilidian heretikes d 1.16, of Galeatus Martius e 1.17, and Erasmus Roterodam f 1.18.

That men externally may professe any religion, and not∣withstanding be saued, if their affections, and hart be with the Familie of Loue g 1.19.

That all those which liue vprightly and doe good deedes shall be of equall happines in the kingdome of heauen; be they Turkes, Christians, Iewes, or Moores. A Turkish error h 1.20.

That men may embrace, and follow the sect, and religion, which they haue most minde vnto, and so doing please God, & and shall be saued: the Lampatians doctrine i 1.21.

That no sect euer erred, or were out of the way to heauen; a fancie of the Rhetorians k 1.22.

1. Proposition. No man euer was, is, or shalbe saued, but onely by the name or Faith of Iesus Christ.

The proofe from Gods word.

This wee cannot but acknowledge to be true, if also wee beleeue the scriptures, which say that

Among men there is giuen none other name vnder heauen, whereby wee must be saued a 1.23.

Through (Iesus Christ) his name, all that beleeue in him, shall receiue remission of sinnes b 1.24.

In thee (viz. Christ Iesus) shall all the Gentiles be blessed c 1.25.

And this is the Faith, and confession of the reformed Chur∣chesd 1.26.

The errors, and Adversaries vnto this truth.

Many waies this truth very heretically is oppugned. For

Some teach that wee are saued not by Christ, (but as the Va∣lentinians said) by the labour of their hands, and by their owne good workes a 1.27, (as Simon Magus boasted)▪ by his faire He∣lene b 1.28, (as Matthew Hamant held) by other meanes, and that all persons which worshipped Christ, are abominable Idola∣ters c 1.29, as Neuserus, and Siluanus beleeued by Mahomet d 1.30, and therefore he reuolted from Christianitie vnto Turcisme.

Others confesse that wee are saued by the name of Christ, but either not by the right, and true Christ, for they said them∣selues, and euery of themselues were Christ, as in old time did Saturninus e 1.31, Manes f 1.32, Desider, Burdegal, and Eudo de Stella g 1.33, and of late yeares, at Basil, Dauid George h 1.34, and in England, first one Iohn Moore i 1.35, and afterward William Hacket k 1.36, the former was whipt for the same at Bethlehem in the second of Queene Elizabeth, the other hanged and quartered in Cheap∣side, An. 1591.

Or by the true Christ, but either distinguish betweene Iesus and Christ, saying Iesus was one man, and Christ another, as did the Marcionites l 1.37.

Or say there be two Christs, one reuealed alreadie in the daies of Tiberius the Emperour, who came for the saluation of the Gentiles, another yet to come, for the redemption of the Iewes, so thought the same Marcionites m 1.38, Nestorius held also there were two Christs, whereof one was very God, the o∣ther very man, borne of a woman n 1.39.

Or publish, how none were saued by the true Christ til the 15. yeare of the foresaid Tiberius, an heresie of Manes, and his companie o 1.40.

Others besides (as the Familie of Loue) vnderstand all things

written of Christ, allegorically, and not according to the letter of Gods word. For they teach that whatsoeuer is written of Christ, must in vs, and with us be fulfilled p 1.41.

Others haue thought, yea haue spoken blasphemously of the constant, and holy Martyrs, who for the name of Christ, gaue their liues in England in the raigne of Queene Mary, some say∣ing: They were stark fooles, as did Christophet Vitel, a chiefe Elder in the Familie of Loue q 1.42, others (as Westphalus, and Marbachius) that they were the Diuels martyrs r 1.43.

Notes

• a 1.1

  Rom. 3.9.19, 23.
• b 1.2

  Ioh. 3.3.
• c 1.3

  Gal. 3.16.
• d 1.4

  Act. 15.24.28. Coloss 2.16, 20. Gal. 5.18.
• e 1.5

  Rom. 3.20.28 Eph. 2.8, 9.
• f 1.6

  Reu. 2.15.
• g 1.7

  Ibid. 14.
• h 1.8

  Reu. 13 8.
• i 1.9

  Reu. 20.10.
• k 1.10

  Reu. 18.4.
• l 1.11

  Reu. 21.8.
• m 1.12

  Confess. Helv. 1. ar. 12. & 2. c. 12. Bohem. c. 6. Gal. ar. 22, 23. Belg. a. 22, 23. August. ar. 4.5.21. VVittemb. ar. 5.6. Suev. c. 3.
• * 1.13

  Act. 15.1.
• b 1.14

  Iren. l. 1. c. 26.
• c 1.15

  Philas••rius.
• d 1.16

  Clem. Alex. b. 2.4.
• e 1.17

  Pa••••. ••ovius leg. doct. vir. p. 97.
• f 1.18

  Praef. sua Tuscul. q••aest.
• g 1.19

  H.N. ••raef. to his 3. Reform. § 2.6.
• h 1.20

  Pol. of the Turk. emp. c. 23. Lonicer. Turk. hist. tomo 1. l. 2. par. 2. cap. 12.
• i 1.21

  Damascene.
• k 1.22

  D. August. ••p. ad Quodvult.
• a 1.23

  Act. 4.12.
• b 1.24

  Act. 10.43.
• c 1.25

  Gal. 3.8.
• d 1.26

  Confess. Helv. 1. ar. 10.11. & 2. cap. 11.13. Basil. ar. 4. Bohem. cap. 4.10. Gal. ar. 13.16.17. Belg. ar. 17.20.21.22. Augustan. ar. 3. Saxon. ar. 3. VVittemb. c. 8. Suevica, ar. 9. § 2.
• a 1.27

  Iren. lib. 1.
• b 1.28

  Iren.
• c 1.29

  Holinsh. chro. fol. 1299.
• d 1.30

  Beza resp. ad repetit. Io. And. Cal. p. 8.
• e 1.31

  Epiphan.
• f 1.32

  Euseb. l. 7. c. 3i
• g 1.33

  Genebr. chro. l. 3. p. 358.709.
• h 1.34

  Hist. David. Georgii.
• i 1.35

  Stovv.
• k 1.36

  Conspir. for pretend. refor.
• l 1.37

  Philaster.
• m 1.38

  Tertul. l. 4. contr. Marc.
• n 1.39

  Vincen. Lir. adv. haereses.
• o 1.40

  Epiphan.
• p 1.41

  H.N. proph. of the Spir. c. 7. § 3.
• q 1.42

  Ans. to the Fam. let. L. 3. a
• r 1.43

  Sturmius, an∣tipap. 4. par. 3. p. 189.