ARTICLES OF RELIGION.

custom of the Primitive Church,| may use their Ministry, both in to have publick Prayer in the Church, or to minister the Sacra­ments in a tongue not under­standed of the people.

hearing the Word of God, and in the receiving of the Sacraments. Neither is the effect of Christ's or­dinance taken away by their wick­edness, nor the grace of God's gifts diminished from such as by faith and rightly do receive the Sacra­ments ministered unto them; which be effectual, because of Christ's institution and promise, although they be ministered by evil men.

Nevertheless, it appertaineth to the discipline of the Church, that enquiry be made of evil Ministers, and that they be accused by those that have knowledge of their of­fences; and finally being found guilty, by just judgement be de­posed.

XXV. Of the Sacraments. ACRAMENTS ordained of Christ be not only badges or tokens of Christian men's profession, but rather they be certain sure wit­nesses, and effectual signs of grace, and God's good will towards us, by the which he doth work invisibly in us, and doth not only quicken, but also strengthen and confirm our Faith in him.

There are two Sacraments or­dained of Christ our Lord in the Gospel, that is to say, Baptism, and the Supper of the Lord.

Those five commonly called Sa­craments, that is to say, Confirma­tion, Penance, Orders, Matrimony, and extreme Unction, are not to be counted for Sacraments of the Gospel, being such as have grown partly of the corrupt following of the Apostles, partly are states of life allowed in the Scriptures; but yet have not like nature of Sacra­ments with Baptism, and the Lord's Supper, for that they have not any visible sign or ceremony ordained

of God.

The Sacraments were not ordain­ed of Christ to be gazed upon, or to be carried about, but that we should duly use them. And in such only as worthily receive the same they have a wholesome effect or operation but they that receive them unworthily purchase to them­saites damnation, as Saint Paul

XXVI. Of the Unworthiness of the Ministers, which hinders not the effect of the Sacrament.

LTHOUGH in the visible

XXVII. Of Baptism.

profession, and mark of differ­ence, whereby Christian men are discerned from others that be not christened, but it is also a sign of Regeneration or new Birth, where­by, as by an instrument, they that receive Baptism rightly are grafted into the Church; the promises of the forgiveness of sin, and of our adoption to be the sons of God by the Holy Ghost, are visibly signed and sealed; Faith is confirmed, and Grace increased by virtue of prayer unto God. The Baptism of young Children is in any wise to be re­tained in the Church, as most agreeable with the institution of Christ.

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XXVIII. Of the Lord's Supper.

THE Supper of the Lord is not

only a love that Christians ought to have among themselves one to another; but rather it is a Sacrament of our Redemption by Christ's death: in­somuch that to such as rightly,

A

gled with the good, and sometimes the evil have chief authority in the Ministration of the Word and Sa­craments, yet forasmuch as they do not the same in their own name, but in Christ's, and do minister by Transubstantiation( or the change his commission and authority, we of the substance of Bread and

same, the Bread which we break is a partaking of the Body of Christ; and likewise the Cup of Blessing is a partaking of the Blood of Christ.