A CONFESSION,

&c.

THE FIRST ARTICLE.

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.

I. I BELIEVE in one God only, one in essence and substance, three in person; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, I believe in the Father, as the ori ginal and beginning of all things, as well visible as invisible: on whom also they depend, as well in their being, as also in their conservation. And he dependeth on none but on himself, being eternal and everlasting, without end or beginning,

I believe in the Son, as the divine word and wisdom of the Father, which is eternally and before all worlds engendered of the Father, of his. proper substance and nature; because in him shineth his face and proper image, which otherwise is invisible unto mortal man.

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I believe in the Holy Ghost, as a virtue and eternal power, which neither is made, nor created, neither engendered, but proceeding of the Father and of the Son eternally, even as a love proceeding from both persons.

II. I believe, that the three Persons are of the one and the self-same essence and substance, nature, authority, power, will, goodness, wisdom, and eternity and that these three are but one spiritual substance, eternal, without end or beginning, true, good, just, merciful, of a sovereign power and wisdom, having and containing in itself all goodness, not needing any thing.

III. I believe, that this God, which is one in essence and three in person, ought only to be served, honoured, feared, loved, worshipped, and to be called upon in all our necessities, as he that only can and will provide therefor, and none other. And therefore I say and confess, that I believe in one God only, that is to say, that I acknowledge and receive him for one only Lord, Master, and Saviour: of whom proceedeth all that is good in me, by whom I can do all things, and without whom I can do nothing. In him only do I set mine affiance and set mine heart, hoping that he, assisting me with his holy Spirit, shall be with me against all men, and that he will deliver me from all perils and dangers, through his grace and mercy, without any merits of mine own; and that he shall minister to me all things necessary, as well for my soul as body, even like a good Father, as he hath promised in his holy word.

IV. I believe, that the same God Almighty hath of nothing created from the beginning both heaven and earth, and all things in them contained; that is to say, all things as well heavenly as earthly, visible as invisible, reasonable as unreasonable, sensible as insensible the which he doth entertain, lead, guide, and govern by his divine wisdom; without whose providence nothing cometh to pass either in this world or in the other.

V. I believe, that the same God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, after that he had created all things, did create and shape man to his own image and likeness; that is to say, immortal, good, just, true, wise, merciful, and perfect in all things; making him partaker of the goodness, justice, and other perfections of God, having a will that could agree in all things unto the will of his Lord: but all that through grace without any kind of merit.

VI. I believe also, that as the Lord hath created all things heavenly and earthly for the service of man,

and to the end that by his creatures he might come unto the knowledge of the Creator: even so also hath he formed and made man for himself, that of him and by him he might be known, loved, feared, served, and honoured, which is the greatest good thing that is or can be in man; and that in him might shine the image of divine virtues and perfections, through good works, the which God hath ordained, because we should walk in them unto his honour and praise, and to the confusion of the adversary: and that by these means the fall of angels might be repaired, and that man might possess the everlasting kingdom, made and prepared for him before the foundations of the world were laid.

VII. I believe, that the same man was ordained of the Lord God a master and ruler over all his creatures the which thing he hath lost through his sin, as well for his own part, as also for all his posterity: the which rule and lordship, I believe, doth chiefly appertain unto Jesus Christ, verily God and man, and to those unto whom he will communicate the same, as unto his own faithful, and not unto the infidels and damned.

VIII. I believe, that the first man, through the craft and subtilty of Satan, did slide and fall from the excellency, wherein the Lord had created him ; consenting, through his own free will (which at that time he had), unto the subtle suggestion of the serpent, whereby he lost the graces that the Lord had given him; in such sort, that of wise he became foolish, of just unjust, of true a liar, of perfect altogether imperfect: having from thenceforth a will wholly corrupted, which neither could nor would agree with the will of God, but altogether with the will of the devil, the world, the flesh, and sin; which could do nothing of himself but evil, seeing that he is altogether carnal, bond, captive, and sold

under sin. This is the free, yea, to say more truly, the bond-will that man hath in this present life.

IX. I believe, that this disorder and corruption of nature was not only in Adam, because of his sin, but is also in all men generally, which come of him (Jesus Christ only excepted): and that in such sort, that all men after their own nature are corrupt, unjust, liars, ignorant, unkind, and imperfect in all things, and have no power of their own nature to do, think, speak, or will any thing that may please God; until that they be regenerated and renewed by the Spirit of the Lord.

X. I believe, that this corruption of nature, otherwise called original sin, is the fountain and root of all sins: for the which all the miseries and adversities that we endure in this present life, as well in body as soul, do come unto us: yea, and in the end double death, that is to say, both of body and soul. These be the fruits and rewards of sin. But although the same be due and common to all men generally, nevertheless the Lord through his mercy hath reserved to himself a certain number (which are only known to himself), the which he hath drawn from this corrupt heap, and hath sanctified and cleansed the same in the blood of his Son Jesus Christ, and by means thereof hath made them vessels of electionand honour, apt unto all good works.

XI. I believe, that the Father in Jesu Christ, his Son, through the Holy Ghost, hath elected and chosen those that are his own, according to his good will, before the foundations of the world were laid, whom he hath predestinated unto eternal life: that thereby they might be his children adoptives, over whom he hath without comparison a much greater care, than the best father can have over the best children in the world: for he suffereth not that any thing shall come to pass, either on high in heaven,

or beneath on earth, which shall not be for their good and great profit.

XII. I believe, that the Father, through his Son, with the Holy Ghost, hath always, from the beginning, intended to restore man: unto whom, after he had sinned, he shewed himself, promising unto him the blessed Seed, by whom the head of the serpent should be trodden down, and by whom the faithful should receive blessing. By this promise (which hath since been oftentimes ratified and confirmed to the holy fathers) man (which otherwise had despaired in sin) is relieved, holpen, comforted, and clothed with hope, even unto the full performing thereof.

XIII. I believe also, that after this promise the Lord hath prescribed and given the law of the com mandments to man, promising life to the observers thereof, and death to the transgressors of the same. And he gave them, not to the end that man should seek justification, salvation, or life therein; but for the policy, peace, and tranquillity of his people, for the defence of the good, for the chastening and punishing of the wicked, and to preserve each one in his office: but specially that thereby man might the better know himself, his disease, his poverty, and imperfection and by means thereof to take an occasion to humble himself before this lawgiver, and to seek remedy, salvation, and life in some other, that is to say, in the holy promised Seed, which is Jesus Christ. For this cause the law is called a schoolmaster to come to Christ, the which also serveth us for a glass to know our sins by, and to increase the same knowledge in us. Likewise it serveth us for an accuser to accuse us before the Lord, and for a severe and cruel judge to declare the wrath and judgment of God over us, and his condemnation unto eternal death; and by this means to make us afraid,