93. The rate of bona notabilia liable to the | 118. The old church-wardens to make their prerogative court. 94. None to be cited into the arches or presentments before the new be sworn. 119. Convenient time to be assigned for framing presentmerts. 120. None to be cited into ecclesiastical - courts by process of quorum nomina. 96. Inhibitions not to be granted without the 121. None to be cited into several courts subscription of an advocate. for one crime. 97. Inhibitions not to be granted, until the 122. No sentence of deprivation or deposition to be pronounced against a minister, but by the bishop. appeal be exhibited to the judge. 98. Inhibitions not to be granted to factious appellants, unless they first subscribe. 99. None to marry within the degrees prohibited. 100. None to marry under twenty-one years, without their parents' consent. 101. By whom licenses to marry without banns shall be granted, and to what sort of persons. 102. Security to be taken at the granting of such licenses, and under what conditions. 103. Oaths to be taken for the conditions. 104. An exception for those that are in widowhood. 105. No sentence for divorce to be given upon the sole confession of the parties. 106. No sentence for divorce to be given but in open court. 107. In all sentences for divorce, bond to be taken for not marrying during each other's life. 108. The penalty for judges offending in the premises. Ecclesiastical Courts belonging to the Juris 123. No act to be sped but in open court. 124. No court to have more than one seal. 125. Convenient places to be chosen for the keeping of courts. 126. Peculiar and inferior courts to exhibit Judges Ecclesiastical, and their Surrogates. Proctors. 129. Proctors not to retain causes without 133. Proctors not to be clamorous in court. Registrars. diction of Bishops and Archdeacons, and the 134. Abuses to be reformed in registrars. Proceedings in them. 109. Notorious crimes and scandals to be certified into ecclesiastical courts by presentment. 110. Schismatics to be presented. 111. Disturbers of divine service to be presented. 112. Non-communicants at Easter to be presented. 113. Ministers may present. 114. Ministers shall present recusants. be sued for presenting. 135. A certain rate of fees due to all ecclesiastical officers. 136. A tables of the rates and fees to be set up in courts and registries. 137 The whole fees for shewing letters of orders, and other licenses, due but once in every bishop's time. Apparitors. 138. The number of apparitors restrained. Authority of Synods. 116. Church-wardens not bound to present 139. A national synod the church represent ARTICLES OF RELIGION, As established by the Bishops, the Clergy, and Laity of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America, in Convention, on the 12th day of September, in the Year of our Lord 1801. Art. I. Of Faith in the Holy Trinity. THERE is but one living and true God, everlasting, without body, parts, or passions; of infinite power, wisdom, and goodness; the Maker and Preserver of all things both visible and invisible. And in unity of this Godhead, there be three persons, of one substance, power, and eternity; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Art. II. Of the Word, or Son of God, which was made very man. THE Son, which is the Word of the Father, begotten from everlasting of the Father, the very and eternal God of one substance with the Father, took man's nature in the womb of the blessed Virgin, of her substance: so that two whole and perfect natures, that is to say, the Godhead and manhood, were joined together in one person, never to be divided, whereof is one Christ, very God, and very man; who truly suffered, was crucified, dead, and buried, to reconcile his Father to us, and to be a sacrifice, not only for original guilt, but also for actual sins of men. Art. III. Of the going down of Christ into hell. As Christ died for us, and was buried: so also is it to be believed, that he went down into hell. Art. IV. Of the Resurrection of Christ. CHRIST did truly rise again from death, and took again his body, with flesh, bones, and all things appertaining to the perfection of man's nature, wherewith he ascended into Heaven, and there sitteth, until he return to judge all men at the last day. Art. V. Of the Holy Ghost. THE Holy Ghost, proceeding from the Father and the Son, is of one substance, majesty, and glory, with the Father and the Son, very and eternal God. Art. VI. Of the sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures for Salvation. HOLY Scripture containeth all things necessary to salvation: so that whatso ever is not read therein, nor may be proved thereby, is not to be required of any man, that it should be believed as an article of faith, or be thought requi site or necessary to salvation. In the name of the Holy Scripture. we do understand those canonical books of the Old and New Testament, of whose authority was never any doubt in the church. Of the Names and Numbers of the Canonical Books. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numeri, Deuteronomium, Joshue, Judges, Ruth, The First Book of Samuel, The Second Book of Samuel, The First Book of Kings, The Second Book of Kings, The First Book of Chronicles, The Second Book of Chronicles, The First Book of Esdras, The Second Book of Esdras, The Book of Hester, The Book of Job, The Psalms, The Proverbs, Ecclesiastes or Preacher, Cantica or Songs of Solomon, Four Prophets the greater, Twelve Prophets the less. And the other books (as Hierome saith) the church doth read for example of life and instruction of manners: but yet it doth not apply them to establish any doctrine; such as are these following: The Third Book of Esdras, The Fourth Book of Esdras, The Book of Tobias, The Book of Judith, The rest of the Book of Hester, The Book of Wisdom, Jesus the Son of Sirach, Baruch the Prophet, The Song of the three Children, The Story of Susannah, Of Bell and the Dragon, The Prayer of Manasses, The First Book of Maccabees, The Second Book of Maccabees. All the books of the New Testament, as they are commonly received, we do receive and account them canonical. Art. VII. Of the Old Testament THE Old Testament is not contrary to the New; for both in the Old and New Testament everlasting life is offered to mankind by Christ, who is the only Mediator between God and man, being both God and man. Wherefore they are not to be heard, which feign that the old fathers did look only for transi tory promises. Although the law given from God by Moses, as touching ceremonies and rites, do not bind Christian men, nor the civil precepts thereof ought of necessity to be received in any commonwealth; yet notwithstanding, no Christian man whatsover is free from the obedience of the commandments which are called moral. Art. VIII. Of the Creeds. THE Nicene Creed, and that which is commonly called the Apostles' Creed, ought thoroughly to be received and believed: for they may be proved by most certain warrants of holy Scripture. Art. IX. Of Original or Birth-Sin. ORIGINAL sin standeth not in the following of Adam, (as the Pelagians do vainly talk;) but it is the fault and corruption of the nature of every man, that naturally is engendered of the offspring of Adam, whereby man is very far gone from original righteousness, and is of his own nature inclined to evil, so that the flesh lusteth always contrary to the spirit; and therefore in every person born into this world, it deserveth God's wrath and damnation. And this infection of nature doth remain, yea, in them that are regenerated; whereby the lust of the flesh, called in Greek górnua sagxos, which some do expound the wisdom, some sensuality, some the affection, some the desire of the flesh, is not subject to the law of God. And although there is no condemnation for them that believe and are baptized; yet the Apostle doth confess, that concupiscence and lust hath of itself the nature of sin. Art. X. Of Free-will. THE Condition of man after the fall of Adam is such, that he cannot turn and prepare himself, 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. Art. XI. Of the Justification of Man. We are accounted righteous before God, only for the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ by faith; and not for our own works or deservings. Wherefore, that we are justified by faith only, is a most wholesome doctrine, and very full of comfort, as more largely is expressed in the Homily of Justification. Art. XII. Of Good Works. ALBEIT that good works, which are the fruits of faith, and follow after justification, cannot put away our sins, and endure the severity of God's judgment; 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. Art. XIII. Of Works before Justification. WORKS 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 school-authors say) deserve grace of congruity: yea rather, for that they are not done as God hath willed and commanded them to be done, we doubt not but they have the nature of sin. Art. XIV. Of Works of Supererogation. VOLUNTARY works, besides over and above God's commandments, which they call works of supererogation, cannot be taught without arrogancy and impiety. For by them men do declare, That they do not render unto God as much as they are bound to do, but that they do more for his sake than of bounden duty |