| Statement of
Beliefs: Chapter 1. Articles Of Religion
I. Of Faith in the Holy Trinity.
¶21. There is but one living and true God, everlasting, without body
or parts; of infinite power, wisdom, and goodness; the maker and
preserver of all things, both visible and invisible. And in unity of
this Godhead, there are three persons of one substance, power, and
eternity--the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.
II. Of the Word, or Son of God, who was made very man.
¶22. The Son, who is the Word 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; 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.
III. Of the Resurrection of Christ.
¶23. Christ did truly rise again from the dead, and took again His
body, with 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.
IV. Of the Holy Ghost.
¶24. 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.
V. Of the Sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures for Salvation.
¶25. The Holy Scriptures contain all things 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 faith, or be thought requisite or necessary to salvation.
In the name of the Holy Scriptures, we do understand those canonical
books of the Old and New Testaments, of whose authority was never
any doubt in the church.
The names of the Canonical Books:
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, 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 Book of Ezra, The
Book of Nehemiah, The Book of Esther, The Book of Job, The Psalms,
The Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, or the Preacher, Cantica, or Song of
Solomon, Four prophets the Greater, Twelve prophets the less. All
the books of the New Testament, as they are commonly received, we do
receive and account canonical.
VI. Of the Old Testament.
¶26. The Old Testament is not contrary to the New; for both in the
Old and New Testaments everlasting life is offered to mankind by
Christ, who is the only Mediator between God and man, being God and
man. Wherefore they are not to be heard who feign that the old
fathers did look only for transitory promises. Although the law
given from God by Moses, as touching ceremonies and rites, doth not
bind Christians, nor ought the civil precepts thereof necessity to
be received in any Commonwealth; yet, notwithstanding, no Christian
whatsoever is free from the obedience of the commandments which are
called moral.
VII. Of Original or Birth Sin.
¶27. 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 naturally 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.
¶28. 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 Christ enabling us, that we may have a good will, and working
with us, when we have that good will.
IX. Of the Justification of Man.
¶29. 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: whereof, that we are justified by faith only,
is a most wholesome doctrine, and very full of comfort.
X. Of Good Works.
¶30. 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 are they pleasing and acceptable to
God in Christ, and spring out of a true and lively faith, insomuch
that by them a lively faith may be evidently known as a tree is
discerned by its fruit.
XI. Of Works of Supererogation.
¶31. Voluntary works, besides, over and above God'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 required: whereas
Christ saith plainly, When ye have done all that is commanded you,
say, We are unprofitable servants.
XII. Of Sin After Justification.
¶32. Not every sin willingly committed after justification is the
sin against the Holy Ghost, and unpardonable. Wherefore, the grant
of repentance is not to be denied to such as fall into sin after
justification: after we have received the Holy Ghost, we may depart
from grace given, and fall into sin, and, by the grace of God, rise
again and amend our lives. And, therefore, they are to be condemned
who say they can no more sin as long as they live here, or deny the
place of forgiveness to such as truly repent.
XIII. Of the Church.
¶33. 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, in all those things
that of necessity are requisite to the same.
XIV. Of Purgatory.
¶34. The Romish doctrine concerning purgatory, pardons, 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 such a Tongue as the people
understand.
¶35. 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 sacraments, in a tongue not understood by the
people.
XVI. Of the Sacraments.
¶36. 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 Confirmation,
Penance, Orders, Matrimony, and Extreme Unction--are not to be
counted for sacraments of the gospel, being such as have partly
grown out of the corrupt following of the apostles, and partly are
states of life allowed in the Scriptures, but yet have not the like
nature of Baptism and the Lord's Supper, because they have not any
visible sign of ceremony ordained of God.
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 we worthily receive the same way have they a wholesome effect or
operation; but they that receive them unworthily purchase to
themselves condemnation, as St. Paul saith, I Cor. XI. 29.
XVII. Of Baptism.
¶37. Baptism is not only a sign of profession, and mark of
difference, whereby Christians are distinguished from others that
are not baptized, but it is also a sign of regeneration, or the new
birth. The baptism of young children is to be retained in the
church.
XVIII. Of the Lord's Supper..
¶38. 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.
Transubstantiation, or the change of the substance of bread and wine
in the Supper of the Lord, cannot be proved by Holy Writ, but is
repugnant to the plain words of Scripture, overthroweth the nature
of a sacrament, and have given occasion to many superstitions.
The body of Christ is given, taken, and eaten, in the Supper, only
after a heavenly and spiritual manner. And the means whereby the
Body of Christ is received and eaten in the Supper, is faith.
The sacrament of the Lord's Supper was not by Christ's ordinance
reserved, carried about, lifted up, or worshipped.
XIX. Of both Kinds.
¶39. 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 Christians alike.
XX. Of the One Oblation of Christ finished upon the Cross.
¶40. The offering of Christ, once made, is that perfect redemption,
propitiation, and satisfaction, for all the sins of the whole world,
both original and actual; and there is none other satisfaction for
sin but that alone. Wherefore the sacrifice of masses, in which it
is commonly said that the priest doth offer Christ for the quick and
the dead, to have remission of pain or guilt, is a blasphemous fable
and dangerous deceit.
XXI. Of the Marriage of Ministers
¶41. 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 Christians, to
marry at their own discretion, as they shall judge the same to serve
best to godliness.
XXII. Of the Rites and Ceremonies of Churches
¶42. It is not necessary that rites and ceremonies should in all
places be the same, or exactly alike; for they have been always
different, and may be changed according to the diversity of
countries, times, and men's manners, so that nothing be ordained
against God's word. Whosoever, through his private judgment,
willingly and purposely, doth openly speak against the rites and
ceremonies of the church to which he belongs, which are not
repugnant to the work of God, and are ordained and approved by
common authority, ought to be rebuked openly, that others may fear
to do the like, as one that offendeth against the common order of
the church, and woundeth the consciences of weak brethren.
Every particular church may ordain, change, or abolish rites and
ceremonies, so that all things may be done to edification.
XXIII. Of the Rulers of the United States of America*
¶43. 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, according to the
division of power made to them by the Constitution of the United
States, and by the Constitution of their respective states. And the
said states are a sovereign and independent nation, and ought not to
be subject to any foreign jurisdiction.
XXIV. Of Christian Men's Goods.
¶44. 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 things as he
possesseth, liberally to give alms to the poor according to his
ability.
XXV. Of a Christian Man's Oath.
¶45. 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 doth not prohibit but that a man
may swear when the magistrate requireth, in a cause of faith and
charity, so it be done according to the prophet's teaching, in
justice, judgment, and truth.
XXVI. Perfect Love.*
¶46. Perfect love is that renewal of our fallen nature by the Holy
Spirit, received through faith in Jesus Christ, whose blood of
atonement cleanseth from all sin; whereby we are not only delivered
from the guilt of sin, but are washed from its pollution, saved from
its power, and are enabled, through grace, to love God with all our
hearts and to walk in His holy commandments blameless.
*Explanation: Christian perfection is a state of righteousness and
true holiness, which every regenerate believer may obtain. It
consists in being cleansed from all sin, loving God with all the
heart, soul, mind, and strength, and loving our neighbor as
ourselves. This gracious state of perfect love is obtainable in this
life by faith, both gradually and instantaneously, and every child
of God should earnestly seek to grow in grace. It does not deliver
us from temptations, infirmities, ignorance, and mistakes which are
common to man. We accept as our doctrinal interpretation, Wesley's
Sermons, Wesley's Notes on the New Testament,
Wesley's Journal, and Wesley's A Plain Account of Christian
Perfection.
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