Articles agreed upon by the arch-bishops and bishops of both provinces, and the whole clergie in the convocation holden at London, in the yeer 1562. For the avoiding of diversities of opinions, and for the stablishing of consent touching true religion. Re-printed by his Majesties commandment: with his royall declaration prefixed thereunto.

HIS MAIESTIES DECLARATION.

BEing by Gods ordinance, ac∣cording to Our just Title, Defender of the Faith, and supream Governour of the Church within these Our Dominions, We hold it most agreeable to this Our Kingly Office, & Our own Re∣ligious zeal, to conserve and maintain the Church committed to Our charge in the unitie of true Religion, & in the bond of peace: and not to suffer unnecessary Dispu∣tations,

altercations, or questions to be raysed, which may nourish faction both in the Church and Common-wealth. We have therefore upon mature deliberati∣on, and with the advice of so many of Our Bishops as might conveniently be cal∣led together, thought fit to make this De∣claration following. That the Articles of the Church of England (which have been allowed and authorized heretofore, and which Our Clergie generally have subscrib∣ed unto) do contain the true doctrine of the Church of England, agreeable to Gods word: which We do therefore ratifie and confirme, requiring all Our loving Subjects to continue in the uniform profession ther∣of, and prohibiting the least difference from the said Articles, which to that end We command to be new printed, & this Our declaration to be published therewith.

That We are supream Governour of the

Church of England: and that if any diffe∣rence arise about the externall policie, con∣cerning Injunctions, Canons, or other Constitutions whatsoever thereto belong∣ing the Clergie in their Convocation is to order and settle them, having first obtained leave under Our broad Seal so to do: and We approving their said Ordinances and Constitutions, providing that none be made contrary to the Laws and Customes of the Land.

That out of Our Princely care, that the Churchmen may do the work which is proper unto them; the Bishops and Clergie, from time to time in Convocatiō, upon their humble desire shall have licence under Our broad Seal, to deliberate of, and to do all such things, as being made plain by them, & assented unto by Ʋs, shall concern the setled continuance of the doctrine & discipline of the Church of England now established;

from which We will not endure any vary∣ing, or departing in the least degree.

That for the present, though some diffe∣rences have been ill raised, yet We take com∣fort in this, that all Clergie-men within Our Realm, have alwayes most willingly sub∣scribed to the Articles established, which is an argument to Ʋs, that they all agree in the true usuall literall meaning of the said Articles, and that even in those curious points in which the present differences lie, men of all sorts take the Articles of the Church of England to be for them, which is an argumēt again, that none of them intend any desertion of the Articles established.

That therefore in these both curious and unhappy differences, which have for so ma∣ny hundred yeers, in different times and pla∣ces, exercised the Church of Christ: We will that all further curious search be laid aside, & these disputes shut up in Gods pro∣mises,

as they be generally set forth to Ʋs, in the holy Scriptures; and the generall meaning of the Articles of the Church of England according to them. And that no man hereafter shall either print or preach, to draw the Article aside anyway, but shall submit to it in the plain and full meaning thereof: And shall not put his own sense or Comment to be the meaning of the Article, but shall take it in the literall and Gram∣maticall sense.

That if any publique Reader in either Our Ʋniversities, or any Head or Master of a Colledge, or any other person respe∣ctively in either of them, shall affix any new sense to any Article, or shall publiquely read, determine, or hold any publique disputation, or suffer any such to be held either way, in either the Ʋniversities or Colledges respe∣ctively; or if any Divine in the Ʋniversities shall preach or print any thing either way, o∣ther

then is already established in Convoca∣tion with Our Royall assent: he, or they the offenders, shall be liable to Our displea∣sure, & the Churches censure in Our Com∣mission Ecclesiasticall, as well as any o∣ther: and We will see there shall be due execution upon them.