VII. Of Original or Birth Sin — Original sin standeth not in the following of Adam (as the Pelagians do vainly talk), but it is the corruption of the nature of every man, that nat- urally is engendered of the offspring of Adam, whereby man is very far gone from original righteousness, and of his own nature inclined to evil, and that continually.
VIII. 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 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 ( 'hrist preventing us, that we may have a good will, and working with us when we have that good will.
IX. Of the Justification of Man — We are accounted right-
eous before God only for the merit of our Ford and Saviour Jesus Christ by faith, and not for our own works or desei v- ings. Wherefore, that we are justified by faith only, is a most wholesome doctrine, and very full of comfort.
X. Of Good Works — Although good works, which are the fruits of faith, and follow after justification, cannot put away our Bins and endure the severity of God's judgments, yet are they pleasing and acceptable to Cod in Christ, and spring out of a true and lively faith, insomuch that by them a lively faith may be as evidently known as a tree is discerned by its" fruit
XI. Of Wmks of Supererogation.— Xoluntarv works, be- sides over and above (rod's commandments, which are called works of supererogation, cannot be taught without arrogancy and impiety. For by them men do declare that they do not only render unto God as much as they are bound to do, but that they do more for his sake than of bounden duty is re- quir.'d; whereas Christ saitli plainly, When ye have done all that is commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants.
XII. Of Sin after Justification.— Not every sin willingly committed after justification is the sin against the Holy Ghost, and unpardonable. Wherefore, the -rant of rep ntanee is not to be denied to such as fall into sin after justification ; utter we have received the Holy Ghost, we may depart from grace given and fall into sin, and, by the grace of Cod, rise again and amend our lives. And therefore they are to be con- demned who say they can no more sin as long as thev live here, or deny the place of forgiveness to such as truly repent.
XIII. Of the Church — The visible Church of Christ is a congregation of faithful men, in which the pure Word of Gol is preached, and the sacraments duly administered, according to Christ's ordinance, in all those things that of necessity are requisite to the same.
XIV. Of Purgatory. — The Romish doctrine concerning pur- gatory, pardon, worshipping, and adoration, as well of images as of relics, and also invocation of saints, is a fond thing, vainly invented, and grounded upon no warrant of Scripture, but repugnant to the Word of God.
XV. Of speaking in the Congregation in swh a Tongue as the People understand — It is' a thing plainly repugnant to the Word of God, and the custom of the primitive church, to have public prayer in the church, or to minister the sacra- ments in a tongue not understood by the people.
XVI. Of the Sacraments.— Sacraments ordained of Christ ! are not only badges or tokens of Christian men's profession,
but, rather, they are certain signs of grace, and God's good will toward 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, con- firmation, penance, orders, matrimony, and extreme unction,
j are i.otto be counted for sacraments of the Go-pel, being such as have partly grown out of the corrupt following of the apos- tles, and partly are states of life allowed in the Scriptures, but
| yet have not the like nature of Baptism and the Lord's Sup- per, because they have not any visible sign or ceremony or- dained of God.
I 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 whop, some effect or operation; but they that receive them un- worthily purchase to themselves condemnation, as St. Paul saith, 1 Cor. xi, 29.
XVII. Of llajitism. — Baptism is not only a sign of profes- sion and mark of difference whereby Christians are distin- guished from others that are not baptized, but it is also a sign of regeneration, or the new birth. The baptism of young chil- dren is to be retained in the church.
XVIII. Of the Lord's Supper.— The Supper of the Lord is not only a sign of the love that Christians ought to have among themselves one to another, but rather is a sacrament of our redemption by Christ's death ; insomuch that, to such as rightly, worthily, and with faith receive the 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.