A True Confession of the Faith

To all that desire to fear, to love, & to obey our Lord Jesus Christ, grace, wisdom and understanding.

THou canst not lightly be ignorant (gentle Reader) what evils and afflictions / for our profession and saith towards God we have sustcined at the hands of our own Nation: How bytterly we have been / an yet are / accused / reproached and persecuted wich such mortal hatred / as if we were the most notorious obstinate heretics / and disloyal subjects to our gracious Queen Elizabeth / that are this day to be found in all the Land. And therefore / besides the daily ignominy wet sustain at the hands of the Preachers and Prophers of our time / who have given their tongnes the rems to spearke despitefully of us / we have been further miserably entreated by the Prelates and chief of the Clergy: some of us cast into most vile and noisome prisons and dungcons / laden with irons / and there / without all piti • / detained many years / no man remembering our affaction: until our God released some of us out of their cruel bands by death / as the Cities of Londō / Norwich / G • ocester / Bury / and many other places if the land can testify. Yet here the malice of Satan stayed not itself / but raised up against us a more grievous persecution / even unto the violent death of some / and lamentable exile of us all; causing heavy decrees to come forth against us / that we should forswear our own Contrey & depart / or else be slain therein. This have our adversaries used / as their last and best argument against us / (when all other failed) following the steps of their bloody Prodecessors / the popish Priests and Prelates. Now therefore that the true cause of this their hostility & hard usage of us may apppecre unto all men; we have at length amyds our many doubles / through God's favor / obtained to publish unto the view of the world / 〈◊〉 confession of our faith & hope in Christ / and loyal harts / to wards our Prince / the rather to stop the mouths of impious and unreasonable men / who have not ceased some of them / both openly in their Sermons & printed pamphlets / notoriously to accuse and defame us / as alsoo by all indirect means secretly to suggest the malice of their own evil harts / thereby invegling our sovereign Prince and Ru •• s against us: that when the true state of the controversy between them and us shall be manifested / the Christian (or but indifficent) Reader may iuge whether our adversaries have not followed the way of Cain and a Balaam / to kill and curse us God's sernants without cause. For if in this our Confession appear no matter • orthie such mortal immitie and persecution / then we protest (good Reader) that / to our knowledge / they neither have cause nor color of cause so to entreat us / the nayneand entire difference betwixt their Synagogs and us / being in these Ar • cles fully & wholly comprised.

An other motive inducing us to the publication of this our testimony / is / the ru •••• estate of our poor Contrymen / who remain yet fast locked in Egypt / that • ous of servants / in slavish subjection to strange LLs. & laws / enforced to bear the burdens and intolerable yoke of their popish canons & decrees / being subject every day they rise to 38. antichristian ecclesiastical offices / and many mot Romish statutes and traditions / almost without number: besides their high transgression daily in their vain will worship of God / by reading over a few prescribed prayers and collects / which they have translated verbatim out of the Mass-book / and which are yet taynted with man •• popish heretical errors and superstions / instead of true spiratuall invocation upon the name of the Lord.

These and many other grievous enormities are amongst them / not suffered only but with a high hand mainterned / and God's servants / which by the pour of his word and Spirit witness against & condemn such abominations / are both they & their testimony / rejected / persecuted & plasphemed. What a woeful plight then are such people in / how great is their iniquity / how fearful judgments do ab •• them? we have therefore / for their sakes / manifested this our Confession of 〈◊〉 vowed obedience unto that Faith which was once given unto the Daincts / whereby they may be drawn (God showing mercy unto them) unto the same faith and obedience with us / that they perish not in their sins. For how could we behold so many souls of our dear Contr • inen to die before our eyes & we ho •• our peace? And whereas they have been hecrtofore greatly abused by their tymeserving Priests / being givē to understand that we were a dangerous people / holding many errors / renting ourselves from the tue Church / because of some m •• mities in men / some falts in their worship / Ministry / Church gouvernment / •• . that we were Donatists / Anabaptists / Brownists / Schismatics / &c. these few leaves (we trust) shall now clear us of these and such like criminations / and satisfy any godly heart / yea every reasonable man / that will but with an indifferent ear hear our cause. For we have always protested / and do by these presents testify vn to all mē / that we neither ourselves do / neither accompt it lawful for others to seprate frō any true church of Christ / for infirmities falts or errors whatsoever except their iniquity be come to such an heith / that for obstinatie they cease to be a true visible Church / and be refused and forsaken of God. And for this their renowined Church of England / we ^a have both by word and writing / proved it unto them to be false and counterfeit / deceyving hir children with va •• titles of the word / Sacraments / Ministry &c. having indeed none of these in the ordinance and pour of Christ emongst them. They have been shown / that the people in Their Parish-assemblies / neither were nor are meet stones for God's house / meet members for Christ's glorious body / until they be begotten by the seed of his word unto faith / and renewed by repentance. Their general irreligious profanne • ignorance / Atheism and Machevelisine on the one side / & public Idolitrie / usual blasphemy / swearing / lying / kylling / stealing / whoring / an • all manner of imptetie on the other side / utterly disableth them from being Citizens in the new Jerusalem / sons of God & heirs with Christ and his Saints / until they become new creatures. Their slavish bondage unto the antichristian • tyrannous Prelates / whom they celibrate and honor as their Lord's & rever •• n Fathers spiritual / accepting their popish Canons and Injunctions for laws 〈◊〉 their Church / their marcked Priests / Preachers / Parsons / •• ars &c. unlewe of Christ's true Pastors and Teachers / running to their Courts and Confisterits at every summons &c. do manifest whose servants they are / & to whom they yield their obedience. Their learned Ministry even from the highest Arch-prelat to the lowest Vicare & half-Priest th • th been • by the pour of our Lord Jesus Christ-cast down into the smoky furnace of that pyt of bottomless diepth from whence they arose / revealed by the light of his word / to be strange / false / popish & antichristian / the very same / and no other then we • e hatched and advanced in their Metropolitan Sinagoge of Rome / from whence they have feched the very pattern and •• old of their Church / Ministry / Service & Regiment / even the very express Character and image of that first wild beast of Italy / as all in whom an •• sp • rk of true light is / may easily discern. With mese and many other like weighty arguments have we pleaded against that our whorish mother / hir Priests and Pre •• te / which as a heavy mylstone presseth hir down to hell: for the vyalls of God's wrathful judgments are poured upon them / which maketh them so to storm rage and curse / gna • ing their tongues for sorrow & pain of these wounds / and not yet finding grace to repent of and turn from their sins. For when we have proclaimed this our testimony against them / how have they behaved themselves / but as savage beasts renting and tearing us with their teeth / never daring to come unto the trial of the word of God / either by free writing or conference / but greedily hunting after Christ's poor lambes / and so many as they could get into their paws / misvsing their bodies with all exqvisite tyranny in long and lamentable emprisonment / bedsies despite and reproaches without measure. So that through their barbarous cruelty 24. souls have penshed in their prisons / with in the City of London only / (besides other places of the Land) & that of late years. Manie also have they / by their immamtie / caused to blaspheme and forsake the hath of our glorious Lord Jesus Christ / and many mo they terrify and keep from the same. For all this / yet were not these savage men satisfied / though blood in abonndance ran out of their wyde mouths / but they procured certain of us (after name years emprisonment) to be indighted / arrayned / condemned and hanged as scious / (how unjustly / thou Lord just and true knowest) Henry Barrow / John Greenwood (and John Penry) whose particular examinations / araignments and manner of execution / with the circumstances about them / if thou didst truly understand (gentle Reader) it would make thy heart to bleed / considering their vnchristi •• and unnatural usage. About the same time they executed also one william Deus / at Thetford in Norfolk / and long before they killed two men / at Bury in • uffol • / Coppyn and Elias / for the like testimony. Others they deteyne in their •• ysons to this day / who look for the like measure at their mercelesse hands / if God in mercy release them not before. Our God (we trust) will one day raise by another John For / to gather and compile the Acts and Monuments of his later Martyrs / for the vew of posterity / though yet they seem to be buried in obli • ion / and sleep in the dust. Then will this last infernal Cergie alsoo appear in their proper colors / and befound nothing inferior to their bloody predecessors • poisoned mal • ce and and tyranny but rather even to exceed them / in regard of the time. Alas for our poor Contreye / that it should be so again defiled with the blood of the scients / which crieth loud from under the Altar / and speaketh no leter things for it / then did the blood of Abel. Needs must the righteons Lord referue a scarfull vengeance for such a Land / and make it an example to all Natons / if speedily they • urge not thewselnes by notable repentance. But oh how far are they from this / which harden their • arts against us / as did the Egyptians / and cease not to add unto their formor iniquities / still pursuing us with their accusio • ed hatred / who seek the welfare of their souls / & Offer them the things which concern t • eir peace / which they refuse. Thy peace o England hat hoorought thy • oe / and thy long prosperity / thy ruin / thou hast been fat • thou hast waxed gross / thy heart is covered / thow hast forsaken the God that made thee • and despised the rock of thy falvation / thy sins have reached up to Heaven / & God hath remembered thine iniquities to give unto thee according to thy worcks. Behold / the tempest of the Lord is gone forth with wrath / the wirle wind that hangeth over •• ll light upon the heads of the wicked / the indignation of the Lord's wrath shall not return until he hane doon / and until he hane performed the intents of his heart: In the later days thow shait understand it. ^• Our God show mercy to them that are his in thee / and hastily draw them out of the fire / that they perish not •• •… hy sins. And most af all we are sorry for our dread sovereign Queen / whom •… ee have alwayed loved / reverenced and obeyed in the Lord that she should so be •… awn by the subtle suggestion of the Prelates to smyte hir faithfullest subieers having hir finger so deep in the blood of God's children / whereby she hath not only befiled hir precious soul in the eyes of hir God / but also brought an evil name upon h • r meck and peaceable Government here on Earth / in all Nations rown about hir who do with greef behold that Land to persecute and waste true Christians now which was erewhiles an harbor and refuge for Christians perse • ted in other places. But as we are verily persuaded that hir Ma • s. clemenc • hath been much abused by the wretched vnconcionable false reports and instiga • ons of the Priests / so will we not cease (though we be exiled hir Dommions) with fervent harts to desier hir Nighnesse prosperity & pray that hir sins ma • be forgiven hir / lamenting that God's benefits / and great d •• yverances / should 〈◊〉 foone of hir be for gotten / & so ill requited / by this hard usage of his poor servants for his fave. And if she proceed in this course / alas how shall she ever be able t • behold the face of hir God with comfort? wherefor our souls shall weep in secret for hir / and we will not ce • se to pray the Lord to show hir mercy / and open hir eyes before she die. And lykewuse for those honorable Peers hir grave Counselors / who also have consented to this our hard measure / although our innocence hath been sufficiently manifested unto the consciences of some of the chiefest of thē / our humble request is / that they in the scare of God may weigh their proceedings against us / & remember their accompt that they shall shortly make unto the Judge of he •• and earth / where Christ will reckon unto them all the tribulations of his poor despised members on earth / as if they had been inflicted upon his own glorious person / and will render reward accordingly. The Lord give them true wisdom / th •• they may learn / at last / to kiss the Soone before he be angry / and they prrish in the way. As for the Priests and Preachers of the land / they / of all other me • / have bewrayed their notable hypocrisy / that standing erewhile against the English Romish hierachie / and their popish abominations / have now so redely submytted themselves to the Beast and are not only content to yield their canonical obedience unto him / and receive his mark but in most hostile manner oppose and s • t themselves against us / not ceasing to add unto our aflictions / scorning and reviling us / and alienating the minds of many 〈◊〉 • pic hearted people / who are (we doubt not) iuchnable enough unto the truth / were it not that these their lying Proph •• s did strengthen their hands / that they may not return from their wicked ways / by promising them life and peace / where no peace to. These have long busic • themselves in seeking out new shifts and cavils to turn away the truth / which presseth them so sore and hauc at last been dryven to palpable & gross absurdity • / seeking to daub up that ruinous antichristian muddy Wall / which themselves d •• once craftily under mine. And herein we report us to the learned discourses of Do. Robert Some / and Mr. Gistard who have so refereed their writings with reproaches / slanderous untruths / and false collections on the one side / and manifest digressions / shiftings & turnings from the state of the question in hand / on the other side / as we think the like presidents can hardly be shown in any writings of controversy in these t •• es and specially Mr. Gistards last answer / which ( 〈◊〉 secmeth) he did in haste: wherein 〈…〉 boys play / in skipping over many whole leaves of •• s adversaries book / (leaving thē both unanswered & untouched) he hath so wisely carried hunself in those tuings winch he professeth to answer as a man afraid once to come neers the battle and main coutroversie in hand / run •• ing our into vain and frutlesse excursories / never approving by the word of God t •• places and offices of his Lord's the Prelates / with their retinue / Courts / Ci •• n • &c. neither the public 〈◊〉 ministry or people of this their Church of England. Fro be knew well 〈◊〉 adve •• aries were fast locked & wa • hed in pry • o • from writing anymore / and their books intercepted / so that few men could ame to the brew of them: He might therefore deal as he lysted himself for as own best ad vantage / and be are the people in hand that he had confuted his Brownists and Donatists / for the prynt was as free for him / as the close prison or them. But God (we trust) will give means one day / that some things / •… ch as yet are hid / shall come to light. In the mean time / thow for thy satis •… ing (Christian Reader) examine the man's writings / and see how he hath an •… ered unto these criminations / or purged his Church of them. Look what scrip •… es he hath brought for defense of his spiritual Lord's / their places and proce •… gs / their Courts / Cannons / Dignities / &c. what warrant in Christ's Testa •… ent he hath found for his service-book and all the abhominable rites therein •… his Angelies / Saints and Lady days / popish Fastes / Lent / Embers and •… ves: How he hath approved their English missal Prayers / Litany / Collects •… d Trentalls / their mar • ng / burying / churching of women / wretched abuse of •… th Sacraments / their Romish Goss • pps / hollowed Font / Cross / enchanted Collects / their processions / bishopping of children / and a thousand such like trnm •… es / which were all blamed unto him. Yea / come unto their own Ministeric / & •… hold from whence he hath fetched the genealogy of those Anakims and horned •… ds of the Beaste. Arch bbs. Lord bbs. Deans / Arch-Deacons / Chancel •… s / &c. or of their Mr. Parson / Vicar / Curat / and the rest of that rabit: How •… e opproveth their offices / ellections / callings / entrance / ad • umst • ations / Bishop •… ks / Dcanries / Prebends benefices / &c. by the ordinance of our Lord Jesus in 〈…〉 new Testament left unto his Church to the worlds end.

These are some of the innumerable abominations / wherewith we charged •… rr Church / which they must either • ustifie by God's word / or clear their Church of them. Now he that findeth not these things approved in his wryings / •… ay easily perceive how he hath uever meddled with the main coutroversie be •… een us. Wherefore either let him dischardge • ns Church of these accusations / •… ne must we and all God's children still by the pour of the word of God con •… ne them / and send home again these Rounsh wares into the Land of Shinar 〈…〉 whence they came / and the Lord that condemneth them is a strong God.

On the other side we desire thē that they would show us by the Scriptures •… r errors wherewith they chardge us / & for which they thus hate us / what they •… oue in our Doctrine or practice. As for ourselves / we protest with simple •… ts in the presence of God / and his holy Angels / unto all men / that we do 〈…〉 wittingly & willingly mantame any one error against the word of truth (though •… ee doubt not but as all other men we are liable to error / which our God we •… st will in mercy forgive unto us / ) but hold the grounds of Christian Religion •… th all God's ancient Churches in Judea, Rome, Corinth, Ephesus, Gala • a, Pontus, Cappadocia, Asia and Bythinia, and with all faithful people at his day in Germany, France, Scotland, the Low-Contries, Bohemia, 〈…〉 other Christian Churches rownd about us / whose con • essions published we 〈…〉 here to witness the sincerity of our aith / and our agreement and unity with •• em in the points of greatest moment and controversy between us and our adver •… ies. And whereas our Preachers were wont to tell us / that their Church •… death the foundation and substantial grounds of Rilligion / Faith in God and Justification by Christ alone / &c. and therefore / norwithstanding their wants and •… ruptions / they had the essence / life and being of a true people of God: wet •… ust now they will let us that make the like plea / find the like favor / & accompt 〈…〉 as a true Cougregation of Christ / and blaspheme us no longer by the names of Broswnists / Donalists / Anabaptists / Schismatics &c. for will they slay th •… that Christ gyveth life unto? shall profession of faith save them / and shall yt 〈…〉 us likewise / that make the same profession? Or if theytake exception at our •… let them show what one truth they hold / where in we agree not with thē / or wh •… good thu • g they have in practice / that we do not the sainew. et worship the true •… God in spirit and truth / having his word truly taught / his Sacraments right administered (at such time as our God douchafeth us the means for administration of thē at all:) That ministry of Pastors, Teachers / Elders / Deacons / 〈…〉 which they sometimes stood for / we (through God's great mercy) obtained th •… before their faces / which they yet never did. That government of Christ by 〈…〉 own laws / ordinances / & holy cenfures (which they call Discipline) we fa •… fully obey and execute: receiving into our society all that with faith and re •… tance come unto us willingly: casting out again / and removing by the pour 〈…〉 our Lord Jesus Christ all notorious & obstinate sinners / heretics / schismatic •… or wicked lyvers whosoever / without respect of persons. Only we reject the 〈…〉 bominable Romish relics which they yet retain and maintain / to the high •… honor of God. And for the sins wherewith we charge them / they are so app • rant / as even our forest addersarie sometimes confessed and complained of them 〈…〉 that in great measure openly / muchmore secretly emongst themselves / as is 〈…〉 known. But let us hear themselves speak / as they have published in prynt to the view of the world. Of their people / the members of their Church they gyve this commendation.

The greaeest multitude, by many partes do not understand the Lord's prayer, the ten Commandments, or the articles of the faith, 〈…〉 the Doctrine and use of the Sacraments, in any competent measu •… There be thou wsands, which be men & women grown, which if a man ask them bow they shall be saved, they cannot tell. As for wickedness in pride, euvie, hatred, and all sins that can be named almost, yt doth overflow: & yet you are not ashamed to say, are they not Christians? Concerning their own ministry and government, they have likewise complained how they lack both a right Ministry of God, and a right government of his Church, according to the Schriptures. More pertienlarly That that profane iurisdi • tion of Lordly Lord Arch. bb ^s . Bb ^s . Arch-Deacous, Chancellors Officials, &c. a •… contrary to God's government, and wholly vnderpropt by the Cano • and popish law, and withal joined with hypocrisy, vainglory, lordlynes & tyranny, evē for these respects, if there were no more, are to be v • terly rooted out of the Church, except possible we mean by reconciliation to make Christ and antichrist friends. Item that that ugly & ylfauored hyerarchie or Church-princelynes, which instituted at the fi •… by Antichrists devise, did afterward vilely serve the Pope of Rome to 〈…〉 complishe the myst • rie of iniquity, and to destroy the Church 〈…〉 Christ, and doth yet still at this day serve him, must be so abolished that no remnants, ne yet any show therofremayne, if so be we will •… •… aue Christ to reign over us. Item that the Lord Gouerners of their Church be Peti-Popes, & Peti-Antichrists, and Bishops of the Devil. These Testimonies have we from their own writings / & many such like. For these impieties have we separated our selves from those tages of unclean byrds / •… llowing the counsel of the Holy-Gost / lest-we should communicate with their sins / and be partakers of their plagues. With what equity now can these Priests so blaspheme and persecute us for rejecting the heavy yoke of their tyra •… us Prelates / whom they themselves call antichristian & Bishops of the Devil: •… r forsaking their Priesthood / which they have complained is not the right Mi •… erie. with what conscience could Mayster Giffard (of all other men) so be •… mently charge us with intolerable pride / presumption / and intrusion into God's •… dgment seat / to judge and condemn wholl assembles which profess the Faith of Christ sincerely &c. in most sa • age and desperate manner to rend and tear up the • eake plants &c. The Lord rebuke Satan / and judge betwixt us. Our enemies •… fest arguments against us hitherto / have been reproach and cursed speaking / with violence and opression. But let them know and understand / that for all these •… ings God will bring them unto judgment / whē they shall receive such recompense of their error and wickedness as is meet.

The last and great scandal which offendeth many and turneth them out of the • ay / is the seed of discord which Satan hath sought to sow emongst our selves / •… tting variance emong brethren / prevailing mightily in the children of perdition / whom he hath either turned back into apostasy / or dryven into heresy or schism. • eerby he hath caused the truth of God to be much evil spoken of / and to suffer •• eat reproach at our adversaries hands / who have long wayled for our halting. Such things (good Reader) are neither new nor strong unto us / (though much is be laiuented / ) yt being the lot of Christ's Church to have such troubles within yt self / and as incident to the same as is the cross of outward tribulation. Neither can any that knoweth the state of God's people / or the word of God aright / •… ke for other things in this world / where we are but strangers & pylgrims / warting against manic and nughtie adversaries / even the Prince of darkness / with his 〈◊〉 of spiritual wickednesses. We are taught of God that there must be discen ••• & heresies emōgst ourselves / that they which are approbed may be known / •… that grievous woldes should enter in emongst us / and of ourselves men arise / speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them. By such sukorned •… sts of Satan doth our Lord sift & try us / whither we love him with our wholl •… rts or no. wherefor though never so many forsake us / & our own friends dole •… faithfully with us / yet we know assuredly it shall be well with I sraell / even to the pure in heart. when we call to • ynde / the murder of Cain. the deriding of Cham / the flowting of I sinacl / the hatred of Esau / the envy of the Patri •… rks / the rebellien of Corah / the conspiracy of Absalom / the treason of Iu •… es / the hypocrisy of Ananias and Sapphira / the Apostasy of Demas / the • eresie of Nicholas / and many suchlike mischevous practices in old time with in •… e households of the Saints / and Churches of God / we mervell not though in •… ese last & evil days some childrē of Belial / that were of old ordained unto this •… ndernmation / rise up in the Church and work the unrest and sorrow of the same. The time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God / the Lord will •… oue us to the utmost / and suffer Satan to winnow us as wheat / but Peters faith is prayed for that it fail not / and he that shall continue to the end / he shall •… saved. This is our comfort that God will hereby purge his vine and disclofe the disguysed hypocrites which come unto us in sheep's garments / but his own portion he will brin I thoro the fire / and fine them as the Silver is fined / and will try them as the Gold is tried / to the prase & glory of his own great name. These things are stumbling blocks unto the blind and hard hearted worldlings / who have no love unto the truth / nor will be brought unto the obedience of the same. It is 〈◊〉 with God to let them be octended by such things. But he knoweth to deliver the godly out of temptation. Let him therefore that readeth consider / & the Lord give him understanding in all. Weigh all things uprightly in the balance of the Sanctuary / and judge righteous judgment. Be not offended at the simplicite of the Gospel / neither hold the Faith of our glorious Lord Jesus Christ in respect of meas persons. God's cause shall stand when all that handle yt amiss shall fall before 〈◊〉 . We offer here our Faith to the view and trial of all men. Trial things and keep that ••• ch is good: and if thou shalt reap any fruit by these our labors (gentel Reader) give God the glory.

A TRVE CONFESSION OF THE FAITH, AND HVMBLE ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF THE ALEgeance, which we hir Majesty's Subjects, falsely called Browniste, do hold towards God, and yield to hir Majesty and all other that are over us in the Lord. Set down in Articles or Positions, for the better & more easy understanding of those that shall read yt: And published for the clearing of our selves from those unchristian slanders of heresy, schism, pride, obstinacy, disloyalty, sedition, &c. which by our adversaries are in all places given out against us.

We believe with our hearts & confess with our mouths.

[Art. 1] THat there is but one God, one Christ, one Spirit, one Church, one truth, one Faith, one Rule of obedience to all Christians, in all places.

2 [Art. 2] That God is a Spirit, whose being is of himself, and giveth being moving, and preservation to all other things being himself eternal, most holy, every way infinite, in greatness, wildome, pour, goodness, justice, truth, &c. And that in this Godhead there be three distinct persons coeternal, coequal, & coessential, being everyone of thē one & the same God, & therefore not divided but distinguished one frō another by their several & peculiar property: The Father of none, the Son begotten of the Father from everlasting, the holy Gost proceeding from the Father and the Son before all beginnings.

3 [Art. 3] That God hath decreed in himself from everlasting touching all things, and the very least circumstances of everything, effectually to work and dispose thē according to the counsel of his own will, to the praise and glory of his great name. And touching his chiefest Creatures that God hath in Christ before the foundation of the world, according to the good pleasure of his will, ordained some men and Angels, to eternal life to be accomplished through Jesus Christ, to the praise of the glory of his grace. And on the other hand hath likewise before of old according to his just purpose ordained other both Angels and men toe, ternall condemnation, to be; accomplished through their own corruption to the praise of his justice.

4 [Art. 4] That in the beginning God made all things of nothing very good: and created man after his own image and lykenes in righteousness and holiness of truth. That straight ways after by the subtlety of the Serpent which Satan used as his instrument himself with his Angels having sinned before and not kept their first estate, but left their own babitation; first Eva, then Adam by hir means, did wittingly & willingly fall into disobedience & transgression of the commadement of God. For the which death reigneth over all: yea even yea even over infants also, which have not sinned, after the like manner of the transgression of Adam, that is, a tually: Yet are, all since the fall of Adam begotten in his own likeness after his image, being conceived and borne in iniquity, and so by nature the children of wrath and servants of sin, and subject to death, and all other calamities due unto sin in this world and forever.

5 [Art. 5] That all mankind being thus fallen and become altogether dead in sin, & subject to the eternal wrath of God both by original and actual corruption: The elect are redeemed, quickened, raised up and saved again, not of themselves, neither by works, lest a nigh man should boast himself; but wholly and only by God of his free grace and mercy through faith in Christ Jesus, who of Good is made unto us wisdom, & righteousness, & sanctificatiō, & redemption, that according as it is written, He that rejoiceth let him rejoice in the Lord.

6 [Art 6] That this therefore only is life eternal to know the only true God, 〈◊〉 whom he hath sent into the world Jesus Christ. And that on the contrary the Lord will render vengeance in flaming fire unto them that know not God, & which obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

7 [Art. 7] That the rule of this knowledge faith & obedience, concerning the worship & service of God & all other christiā duties, is not the opinionis, devises, laws, or constitutions of mē, but the written word of the everlyving God, contained in the canonical books of the old and New Testament.

8 [Art. 8] That in thus word Jesus Christ hath reveled whatsoever his father thought needful for us to know, believe & obey as touching his person & Offices, in whom all the promises of God are yea, & in whom they are Amen to the praise of God through us.

9 [Art. 9] That touching his person, the Lord Jesus, of whō Moses & the Prophets wrote, & whō the Apostles preached, is the everlasting Son of God, by eternal generation, the brightness of his Fathers glory, & the engraven form of his Person; coessential, coequal, & coeternal, god with him & with the holy Gost, by whō he hath made the worlds, by whom he upholdeth and governeth all the works he hath made; who also when the fullness of time was come, was made man of a woman, of the Tribe of Judah, of the • seed of David & Abraham, to wit of Mary that blessed Virgin, by the holy Ghost coming upon hir, & the pour of the most high ouershadowing hir; & was also in all things like unto us, sin only excepted.

10 [Art. 10] That touching his Office, he only is made the Mediator of the New Testament, even of the everlasting Covenant of grace between God & man, to be perfectly & fully the Prophet, Priest & King of the Church of God for evermore.

11 [Art. 11] That he was frō everlasting, by the just & sufficient authority of the father, & in respect of his manhood frō the womb, called & separated heervnto, & anointed also most fully & abundantly with all necessary gifts, as it is written; God hath not measured out the Spirit unto him.

12 [Art. 12] That this Office, to be Mediator, that is, Prophet, Priest and King of the Church of God, is so proper to him, as neither in the • hol, nor in any part thereof, it cā be trāfferred frō him to any other.

13 [Art. 13] That touching his Prophecy, Christ hath perfectly revealed out of the bozome of his father, the wholl word & will of God, that is needful for his servants, either jointly or severally to know, believe & obey: That he hath spoken & doth speak to his Church in his own ordinance, by his own ministers and instruments only, and not by any salse ministry at any time.

14 [Art. 14] That toching his Priesthood, beein consecrated, he hath appeared once to put a way sin, by offering & sacrificing of himsell; and to this end hath fully performed and suffered all those things, by which God through the blood of that his cross, in an acceptable satrifice, might be reconciled to his elect; & having brokē down the partition wall, & there with finished & removed all those legal rites, shadows, & ceremonies, is now entered within the veil into the holy of Holies to the very heaven, and presence of God, where he forever liveth, and sitteth at the right hand of Majesty appeering before the face of his Father, to make intercession for such as come unto the Throne of grace by that new & living way And not that only, but maketh his people a spiritual house, a •… holy Priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through him. Neither doth the Father accept, or Christ offer ani •… other sacrifice, worship, or worshippers

15 [Art. 15] That touching his Kingdom, being risen, ascended, entre •… into glory, set at the right hand of God, all pour in Heaven an •… earth givē unto him; with pour he now exerciseth over 〈…〉 Angels and men, good and dad, to the preservation and salvation o •… the elect, to the overruling and destruction of the reprobate; communicating and applying the benefits, virtue and fruits of his prophecy and Priesthood unto his elect, namely to the remission, subduing, and takeing away of their sins, to their justification, adoption-of-sons, regeneration, sanctification, preservation & strēgthning in all their spiritual conflicts against Satan, the world & th •… flesh &c continually dwelling in, governing & keeping their heart in his tue faith and fear by his holy spirit, which having once give yt, he never taketh away from them, but by yt still beget •… and nourisheth in them repentance, faith, love, obedience, comfo •… peace, joy, hope, and all Christian virtues, unto immortality, not withstanding that yt be sometimes through sin and temptation, interrupted, smothered, and as yt were overwhelmed for the time. Again on the contrary, ruling in the world over his enemies, Satan, and all the vessels of wrath; limiting, using, restraining the •… by his mighty pour, as seemeth good in his divine wisdom and justice, to the execution of his determinate counsel, to wit to their seduction, hardening & condemnation, delyvering them up to a reprobate mind, to be kept in darkness, sin and sensuallitie unto judgment.

16 [Art. 16] That this Kingdom shall be then fully perfected when he shall the second time come in glory with his mighty Angels unto judgment, to abolish all rule, authority and pour, to put all hi •… enemies under his feet, to separate and free all his chosen from then forever, to punish the wicked with everlasting perdition from hi •… presence, to gather, join, and carry the godly with himself into end less glory, and then to delyver up the Kingdom to God, even th •… Father, that so the glory of the father may be full and perfect in th •… Son, the glory of the Son in all his members, and God be a in all.

17 [Art. 17] That in the mean time, bisides his absolute rule in the world, Christ hath here in earth a spiritual Kingdom and a canonical regiment in his Church over his servants, which Church he hath purchased and redeemed to himself, as a peculiar inheritance (notwithstanding many hypocrites do for the time lurk emongest thē) calling and winning them by the pour of his word unto the faith, separating them from emongst unbelievers, from idolitrie, false worship, superstition, vanity, dissolute life, & works of darkness, &c making them a royal Priesthood, an holy Nation, a people set at liberty to show forth the virtues of him that hath called them out of darkness into his meruelous light, gathering and uniting thē together as members of one body in his faith, love and holy order, unto all general and mutual duties, instructing & governing thē by such officers and laws as he hath prescribed in his word; by which Officers and laws he governeth his Church, and by none other.

18 [Art. 18] That to this Church he hath made the promises, and given the seals of his Covenant, presence, 〈◊〉 blessing and protection: Here are the holy Oracles as in the 〈◊〉 of the Ark, s • e • lie kept & puerly taught. Here are all the 〈…〉 and sp … s of his grace continually replenished and flowing forth. Here is he lysted up to all Nations, hither he inviteth all mē to his supper, his marriage seast: hither ought all men of all estates and degrees that acknowledge him their Prophet, Priest and King to repair, to be enrolled • mongst his household servants, to be under his heavenly conduct and government, to lead their lives in his walled sheepfold, & watered orchard, to have communion here with the Saints, that they may be made meet to be partakers of their inheritance in the kingdom of God.

19 [Art. 19] That as all his servants and subjects are called hither, to present their bodies and souls, and to bring the guyfts God hath given them; so being come, they are here by himself bestowed in their several order, peculiar place, due use, being fitly compact and knit together by every joint of help, according to the effectual work in the measure of every parte, unto the edification of yt self in love; whereunto whē he ascended up on high he gave gifts unto men, that he might fill all these things, and hath distributed these gifts, unto several functions in his Church, having instituted and ratified to continue unto the worlds end, only this public ordinary Ministry of Pastors, Teachers, Elders, Deacons, Helpers to the instruction, government, and service of his Church.

20 [Art. 20] That this ministry is exactlye described, described, distinguished, limited, concerning their office, their calling to their office, there administration of their office, and their maintenance in their office, by most perfect and plain laws in God's word, which laws it is not lawful for these Ministers, or for the wholl Church wittinly to neglect, transgress, or violate in any parte; nor yet to receive any other laws brought into the Church by any person whatsoever.

21 [Art. 21] That none may usurp or execute a ministry but such as are rightly called by the Church whereof they stand ministers; and that such so called ought to gyve all diligence to fulfill there ministry, to be found faithful and unblameable in all things.

22. [Art. 22] That this ministry is alike given to every Christian congregation, with like pour and commission to have and enjoy the same, as God offereth fit men and means, the same r • les given to all for the election and execution thereof in all places.

23 [Art. 23] That as every Christian Congregation hath pour and commandment to elect and ordain their own ministry according to the rules prescribed, and whilst they shall faithfully execute their office, to have them in superabundant love for their work sake, to provide for them, to honor them and reverence them, according to the dignity of the office they execute. So have they also prowre and commandment when any such defalt, either in their life, Doctrine, or administration breaketh out, as by the rule of the word debarreth them from, or depriveth them of their ministry, by due order to depose them from the ministry they exercised; yea if the case so require, and they remain obstinate and impenitent, orderly to cut them off by excommunication.

24 [Art. 24] That Christ hath given this pour to receive in or to cut off any member, to the wholl body together of every Christian Congregation, and not to any one member apart, or to moe members sequestered from the wholl, or to any other Congregation to do it for thē: yet that ech Congregation ought to use the best help they can here unto, and the most meet member they have to pronounce the same in their public ••• embly.

25 [Art. 25] That every member of ech Christian Congregation, how excellent, great, or learned soever, ought to be subject to this censure & judgment of Christ; Yet ought not the Church without great care & due advise to proceed against such public persons.

26 [Art. 26] That for the keeping of this Church in holy & orderly communion, as Christ hath placed some special men over the Church, who by their office are to govern, oversee, visit, watch &c. So likewise for the better keeping thereof in all places, by all the members, he hath given authority & laid duty upon thē all to watch one over another.

27 [Art. 27] That whilst the Ministers and people thus remain together in this holy order and Christian communion, ech one endevoring to do the will of God in their calling, & thus to walk in the obedience of faith Christ hath promised to be present with them, to bless & defend them against all adversary pour, & that the gates of Hell shall not prevail against them.

28 [Art. 28] But when & where this holy order & diligent watch was intermitted, neglected, violated. Antichrist that man of sin corrupted & altered the holy ordinances, offices, & administrations of the church brought in & erected a strange new forged ministry, leitourgie and government & the Nations Kingdoms & inhabitants of the earth, were made drunken with this cup of fornications & abominations, & all people enforced to receive the Beasts mark and worship his image & so brought into confusion & babilonish bondage.

29 [Art. 29] That the present ministry retained & used in Englad of Arch. b ^•• Lo ^bb. Deans, Prebendaries, Canons, Peti-Canons, Arch-Deatons, Chancellors, Commissaries, Priests, Deacons, Parsons, Viccars Curates, Hireling roving Preachers, Church-wardens, Parish-clerks their Doctors, Proctors, & wholl rabble of those Courts with all from & under them set over these Cathedral & Parishonal Assemblies in this confusion, are a strange & Antichristian ministry & offices; & are not that ministry above named instituted in Christ's Testament, or allowed in or over his Church.

30 [Art. 30] That their Offices, Entrance, Administration and maintenance, with their names, titles, privileges, & perogatives the pour & rule they usurp over and in these Ecclefiasticall assemblies over the wholl ministry, wholl ministration and affairs thereof, yea one over another by their making Priests, citing, fuspending, silencing, deposing, absolving, excommunicating, &c. Their confounding of Ecclefiasticall and Civile jurisdiction, causes & proceedings in there persons, courts, cōmissions, Visitations, the rest of less rule, taking their ministry frō and exercising it under them by their prescription and limitation, swearing Canonical obedience unto them, administering by their devised imposed, stinted popish Leiturgie, &c. are sufficient proofs of the former assertion, the particulars therein being duly examined by and compared to the Rules of Christ's Testament.

31 [Art. 31] That these Ecclesiastiall Assemblies, remaining in confusion and bondage under this Antichristian Ministry, Courts, Canons, worship, Ordinances. &c. without freedom or pour to redress any enormity, have not in this confusion and subjection, Christ their Prophet, Priest, and King, neither can be in this estate, (whilst we judge them by the rules of God's word) esteemed the true, orderly gathered, or cōstituted churches of Christ, whereof the faithful ought to beecome or stand Members, or to have any Spiritual communion with them in their public worship and Administration.

32 [Art. 32] That by God's Commandment all that will be saved, must with speed come forth of this Antichristian estate, leaving the suppression of it unto the Magistrate to whom it belongeth. And that both all such as have received or exercised any of these false Offices or any pretended function or Ministry in or to this false and Antichristian constitution, are willingly in God's fear, to give over and leave those unlawful Offices, and no longer to minister in this manner to these Assemblies in this estate And that none also, of what sort or condition soever, do give any part of their Goods, Lands, Money, or money worth to the maintenance of this false Ministry and worship upon any Commandment, or under any color whatsoever.

33 [Art. 33] That being come forth of this antichristian estate unto the freedom and true profession of Christ, besides the instructing and well guyding of their own Families, they are willingly to join together in Christian communion and orderly covenant, and by confession of Faith and obedience of Christ, to unite themselves into peculiar Congregatiōs; wherein, as members of one body whereof Christ is the only head, they are to worship and serve God according to his word, remembringto keep holy the Lord's day.

34 [Art. 34] That such as God hath given gifts to enterpret the Scriptures, tried in the exercise of Prophecy, giving attendance to study and learning, may and ought by the appointment of the Congregation, to teach publicly the word, until the people be meet for, and God manifest men with able gifts and fitness to such Office or Offices as Christ hath appointed to the public ministry of his church; but no Sacraments to be administered until the Pastors or Teachers be chosen and ordained into their Office.

35 [Art. 35] That whereas there shall be a people fit, and men furnished with meet and necessary gifts, they do not only still continue the exercise of Prophecy aforesaid, but do also upon due trial, proceed unto choice and ordination of Officiers for the ministry and servise of the Church, according to the rule of God's word; And that soe they hold on still to walk forward in the ways of Christ for their mutual edification and comfort, as it shall please God to give knowledge and grace thereunto. And particularly, that such as be of the seed, or under the government of any of the Church, be even in their infancy received to Baptism, ond made partakers of the sign of God's Covenant made with the faithful and their seed throvghout all Generations. And that all of the Church that are of years, and able to examine themselves, do communicate also in the Lord's Supper both men and women, and in both kinds bread and wyne in which Elements, as also in the water of baptism, even after their are consecrate, there is neither transubstantiation into, nor Consubstantiation with the body and blood of Jesus Christ; whom the Heavens must contain; until the time that all things be restored. But they are in the ordinance of God signs and seals of God's everlasting covenant representing and offering to all the receivers, but exhibiting only to the true believers the Lord Jesus Christ and all his benefits unto righteousness, sanctification and eternal life, through faith in his name to the glory and praise of God.

36 [Art. 36] That thus being rightly gathered, established, and still proceeding in Christian communion & obedience of the Gospel of Christ, none is to separate for falts and corruptions which may and so long as the Church consisteth of mortal men, will fall out & arise emong them, even in a true constituted Church, but by due order to seek redress thereof.

37 [Art. 37] That such as yet see not the truth, may hear the public doctrine and prayers of the church, and with all meekness are to be sought by all means: Yet none who are grown in years to be received into their communion as members, but such as do make confession of their faith, publicly desiring to be received as members, and promising to walk in the obedience of Christ. Neither any ⁱ Infants, but such as are the seed of the faithful by one of the parents, or under their education and government. And further not any from one Congregation to be received members in another, without bringing certificate of their former estate and present purpose.

38 [Art. 38] That though Congregations be thus distinct and several bodies, everyone as a compact City in itself, yet are they all to walk by one and the same rule, & by all means convenient to have the counsel and help one of another in all needful affairs of the Church, as members of one body in the common Faith, under Christ their head.

39 [Art. 39] That it is the Office and duty of Princes and Magestrates, who by the ordinance of God are supreme Governers under him over all persons and causes within their Realms and Dominions, to suppress and root out by their authority all false ministries, voluntary Relligions and counterfeit worship of God, to abolish and destroy the Idol Temples, Images, Altares, Vestments, and all other monuments of Idolatry and superstition and to take and convert to their own civile uses not only the benefit of all such idolitrous buyldings & monuments, but also the Revenues, Demeanes, Lordships, Possessions, Gleabes and maintenance of any false, ministries and unlawful Ecclesiastical functions whatsoever within their Dominions. And on the other hand to establish & maintain by their laws every part of God's word his pure Relligion and true ministry to cherish and protect all such as are careful to worship God according to his word, and to lead a godly life in all peace and loyalltie; yea to enforce all their Subjects whether Ecclesiastical or civile, to do their duties to God and men, protecting & maintaining the good, punishing and restraining the evil according as God hath commanded, whose Lieuetenants they are here on earth.

40 [Art. 40] That therefore the protection & commandment of the Princes and Magistrates maketh it much more peaceable, though no whit at all more lawful, to walk in the ways and ordinances of Jesus Christ which he hath commanded his church to keep without spot and unrebukable until his appeering in the end of the world. And that in this behalf the brethren thus minded and proceeding as is beforesaid, do both continually supplicate to God, and as they may, to their Princes and Governors that thus and under them they may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.

41. [Art. 41] That if God incline the Magistrates hearts to the allowance & protection of them therein they account it a happy blessing of God who granteth such nourcing Fathers and nourcing Mothers to his Church, & be careful to walk worthy so great a mercy of God in all thankfulness and obedience.

42 [Art. 42] That if God withhold the Magistrates allowance and furtherance herein, they yet proceed together in Christian covenant & communion thus to walk in the obedience of Christ evē through the midst of all trials and aflictions, not accounting their goods, Lands Wives, Children, Fathers, Mothers, brethren, Sisters, no nor their own lives dear unto thē, so as they may finish their course with joy, remembering always that we ought to obey God rather thē mā, & grounding upon the commandment, commission and promise of our Savior Christ, who as he hath all pour in heavē & in earth, so hath also promised if they keep his commandments which he hath givē without limitatiō of time, place, Magistrates allowance or disallowance, to be with them unto the end of the world and when they have finished their course and kept the faith, to • iue them the crown of righteousness which is laid up for all them that love his appeering.

43 [Art. 43] That they do also willingly and orderly pay and perform all manner of lawful and accustomed duties unto all men, submitting in the Lord themselves, their bodies, Lands, Goods and lyves to the Magistrates pleasure. And that every way they acknowledge, reverence and obey them according to godliness, not because of wrath only but also for conscience sake.

44 And thus do we the Subjects of God and hir Ma ^tie. falsely called Brownists labor to give unto God that which is God's, & unto Caesar that which is Caesar's, endevoring our selves to have always a clear conscience towards God and towards men: And if any take this to be heresy, then do we with the Apostle freely confess that after the way which they call heresy we worship God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; believing all things that are written in the Law, and in the Prophets & Apostostles: And whatsoever is according to this word of truth published by this State or holden by any reformed churches abroad in the world.

45 Finally, whereas we are much slandered, as if we denied o • misliked that form of prayer commonly called the Lord's Prayes we thought it needful here also concerning it to make known that we believe and acknowledge it to be a most absolute & most excellent form of prayer such as no men or Angels can set down the like And that it was taught & appointed by our Lord Jesus Christ, not that we should be tied to the use of those very words, but that we should according to that rule make all our requests & thanksgyuing unto God, forasmuch as it is a perfect form and pattern containing in it plain & sufficient directions of prayer for all occasions and necessities that have been, are, or shall be to the church of God, or any member thereof to the end of the world.

Now unto him that is able to keep us that we fall not, & to present us faltlesse before the presence of his glory with joy; that is to God only wise our Savior, be glory, & Majesty & dominion, & pour both now & forever. Amen.