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by his own natural strength and good works, to faith, and calling upon God: Wherefore we have no power to do good works plea­sant and acceptable to God, with­out the grace of God by Christ preventing us, that we may have a good will, and working with us, when we have that good will.

ARTICLES OF RELIGION.

XV. Of Christ alone without Sin.

XI. Of the Justification of Man.

E are accounted righteous CHRIST in the truth of our nature was made like unto WE before God, only for the us in all things, sin only except, merit of our Lord and Saviour from which he was clearly void, Jesus Christ by Faith, and not both in his flesh, and in his spirit. for our own works or deservings: He came to be the Lamb without Wherefore, that we are justified spot, who, by sacrifice of himself by Faith only is a most whole- once made, should take away the some Doctrine, and very full of sins of the world, and sin, as comfort, as more largely is ex- Saint John saith, was not in him. pressed in the Homily of Justi- But all we the rest, although bap­fication. tized, and born again in Christ, yet offend in many things; and if we say we have no sin, we de­

XII. Of Good Works.

ALBEIT that Good Works, ceive ourselves, and the truth is

not in us.

which are fruits of Faith, and follow after Justification, can­not put away our sins, and en­dure the of

ment; yet are they pleasing and acceptable to God in Christ, and do spring out necessarily of a true and lively Faith; insomuch that by them a lively Faith may be as evidently known as a tree dis­cerned by the fruit.

XIII. Of Works before Justifi­cation.

W 7ORKS done before the grace of Christ, and the Inspira­tion of his Spirit, are not pleasant to God, forasmuch as they spring not of faith in Jesus Christ, nei­ther do they make men meet to receive grace, or( as the School­authors say) deserve grace of con­gruity: yea rather, for that they are not done as God hath willed

and commanded to be we doubt not but they have the nature of sin.

der unto God as much as they are bound to do, but that they do more for his sake, than of bounden duty is required: where­as Christ saith plainly, When ye have done all that are command­ed to you, say, We are unprofit­able servants.

XIV. of Works of Supereroga­

tion.

XVI. Of Sin after Baptism.

NOT every deadly sin willingly

committed after Baptism is sin against the Holy Ghost, and unpardonable. Wherefore the grant of repentance is not to be denied to such as fall into sin after Baptism. After we have re­ceived the Holy Ghost, we may depart from grace given, and fall into sin, and by the grace of God we may arise again, and amend our lives. And therefore they are to be condemned, which say, they can no more sin as long as they live here, or deny the place of forgiveness to such as truly re­pent.

XVII. Of Predestination and Election.

PREDESTINATION to Life

is the everlasting purpose of God, whereby( before the foun­dations of the world were laid) he hath constantly decreed by his counsel secret to us, to deliver from curse and damnation those VOLUNTARY Works be- whom he hath chosen in Christ sides, over and above, God's out of mankind, and to bring Commandments, which they call them by Christ to everlasting sal­Works of Supererogation, cannot vation, as vessels made to honour. be taught without arrogancy and Wherefore, they which be endu­impiety: for by them men do de- ed with so excellent a benefit of clare, that they do not only ren- God be called according to God's

V