Articles of Religion

God

1 Faith in the Holy Trinity
There is one true and living God, everlasting, without body or parts, of infinite power, wisdom, and goodness — the Creator and Preserver of all things visible and invisible. …
2 The Word, or Son of God, Made Truly Man
The Son, who is the Word of the Father, the very and eternal God, of one substance with the Father, took human nature in the womb of the blessed Virgin Mary. Two whole and perfe…
3 The Resurrection of Christ
Christ truly rose from the dead, took again His body with all things appertaining to a perfect human nature, and ascended into heaven, where He sits until He returns to judge al…
4 The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit, proceeding from the Father and the Son, is of one substance, majesty, and glory with the Father and the Son — very and eternal God.

5 The Sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures
The Holy Scripture contains all things necessary to salvation. Whatever is not read therein, nor may be proved thereby, is not to be required of any person, that it should be be…
6 The Old Testament
The Old Testament is not contrary to the New: in both, everlasting life is offered to mankind by Christ. The ceremonial law of Moses does not bind Christians, nor are the civil …

7 Original or Birth Sin
Original sin is not in the following of Adam (as the Pelagians vainly talk) but is the corruption of the nature of every person, naturally descended from Adam, whereby man is ve…
8 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. We have no po…
9 Justification of Man
We are accounted righteous before God only for the merit of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, by faith, and not for our own works or deservings. Wherefore that we are justified …
10 Good Works
Although 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 they are pleasing and …
11 Works of Supererogation
Voluntary works besides, over and above God's commandments — works of supererogation — cannot be taught without arrogance. For by them men declare that they not only render …
12 Sin After Justification
Not every sin willingly committed after justification is the sin against the Holy Spirit, and unpardonable. After we have received the Holy Spirit, we may depart from grace give…

13 The Church
The visible church of Christ is a congregation of faithful men in which the pure Word of God is preached, and the sacraments duly administered according to Christ's ordinance, i…
14 Of Purgatory
The Romish doctrine concerning purgatory, pardon, worshipping and adoration, as well of images as of relics, and also invocation of saints, is a fond thing vainly invented, and …
15 Speaking in the Congregation
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 administer the Sacraments in a tongue not …
21 Of the Marriage of Ministers
The ministers of Christ are not commanded by God's law either to vow the estate of single life, or to abstain from marriage; therefore it is lawful for them, as for all other Ch…
22 Of the Rites and Ceremonies of Churches
It is not necessary that rites and ceremonies should be everywhere the same, or exactly alike, for they have always been different, and may be changed according to the diversity…

16 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 which He…
17 Of Baptism
Baptism is not only a sign of profession, and a mark of difference whereby Christians are distinguished from others that are not baptized, but it is also a sign of regeneration,…
18 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 deat…
19 Of Both Kinds
The cup of the Lord is not to be denied to the lay people; for both the parts of the Lord's Supper, by Christ's ordinance and commandment, ought to be administered to all Christ…
20 Of the One Oblation of Christ
The offering of Christ once made is the perfect redemption, propitiation, and satisfaction for all the sins of the whole world, both original and actual. There is no other satis…

23 Of the Rulers of the United States of America
The President, the Congress, the general assemblies, the governors, and the councils of state, as the delegates of the people, are the rulers of the United States of America, ac…
24 Of Christian Men's Goods
The riches and goods of Christians are not common as touching the right, title, and possession of the same, as some do falsely boast. Notwithstanding, every man ought, of such t…
25 Of a Christian Man's Oath
As we confess that vain and rash swearing is forbidden Christian men by our Lord Jesus Christ and James His apostle, so we judge that the Christian religion does not prohibit bu…