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.
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 lie return to judge all men at the last day.
V. Of the Holy Ghost.— The Holy Ghost, proceeding from the Father and the Son, is of one substance, majesty, and glo- ry with the Father and the Son, very and eternal Cod.
VI. Of the Siilliciencii of the Holy Scripture* for salvation. —Holy Scripture containeth all thing' necessary to salvation; so that whatsoever 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 the faith, or be thought requisite 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 numb: r of the Canonical Books: Gen- esis, Fxodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judge-', 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 Ksdnu, The Book of Esther, The Book of Job, The Psalms, The Proverbs. Fcclesiastes, or Preacher, Cantica, or Songs of Solomon, Four Prophets the greater, Twelve Prophets the less. And the other Hooks (as Hierouie saith) the church doth read for example of life and instruction of manners; but yet doth it not apply them to establish any doctrine; such are these following : The Third Book of Isdras, The Fourth Book of Esdras, The Book of Tobias, The Book of Judith, The rest of the Book of Esther, The Book i.f Wisdom, Jesus the Son of Sirach, Baruch the Prophet, The Fong of the Three Chil- dren, The Story of Susanna, Of liel 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.
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 transitory promises. Al- though the law given from God by Moses, as touching cere- monies and rites, do not bind Christian men, nor the civil precepts thereof ought of necessity to be received in any com- monwealth, yet, notwithstanding, no Christian man whatso- ever is free from the obedience of the commandments which are called moral.
VIII. Of the Three. Creeds.— The Three Creeds, Kicene Creed, Athanasius's Creed, and that which is commonly call- ed the A]>ostles' Creed, ought thoroughly to he received and believed, for they may be proved by most certain warrants of Holy Scripture.
IX. Of Original or Lirth Sin. — Original sin standeth not in the following of A daw (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 , I dam ; where- by man is very far gone from original righteousness, and is of his own nature inclined to evil, so that the flesh lusteth al- ways contrary to the Spirit; and therefore, in every person born into this world, it deserveth Cod'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 the Greek phronnna saiknr, 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 arc baptized, yet the apostle doth confess that concupiscence and lust hath of itself the nature of sin.
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.
XI. Vf the Justification if Man. — We are accounted right- eous before God only for the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ by faith, and not for our own works or deserv- ing.-*; 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.
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.