O, blessed Jesus, I come to thee hungry, blind, and naked; a guilty, condemned sinner, unworthy to wash the feet of the servants of my Lord, much more to be solemnly united to the King of glory; but, since such is thine unparalleled love, I here, with all my power, accept thee, and take thee for my Head and Husband, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, for all times and conditions, to love, honour and obey thee before all others, and this to the death. I embrace thee in all Thine offices: I renounce my own worthiness, and do here avow thee for the Lord my righteousness : I renounce my own wisdom, and do here take thee for my only Guide: I renounce my own will, and take thy will for my law.

And since thou hast told me I must suffer if I will reign, I do here covenant with thee to take my lot as it falls with thee, and by thy grace assisting to run all hazards with thee; verily purposing, that neither life nor death shall part between thee and me.

And because thou hast been pleased to give me thy holy laws as a rule of my life, and the way in which I should walk to thy kingdom, I do here willingly put my neck under thy yoke, and set my shoulder to thy burden; and, subscribing to all thy laws as 'holy, just, and good,' I solemnly take them as the rule of my words, thoughts, and actions; promising that, though my flesh contradict and rebel, I will endeavour to order and govern my whole life according to thy direction, and will not allow myself in the neglect of anything that I know to be my duty.

Almighty God, Searcher of hearts, thou knowest that I make this covenant with thee this day without any known guile or reservation, and in humble dependence upon the grace of thy Holy Spirit; beseeching thee, that if thou espiest any flaw or falsehood herein, thou wouldst discover it to me, and help me to make the covenant aright.

And now, glory be to thee, O God the Father, whom I shall be bold from this day forward to look upon as my God and Father, that ever thou shouldst find out such a

way for the recovery of undone sinners. Glory be to thee, O God the Son, who hast loved me, and washed me from my sins in thine own blood, and art now my Saviour and Redeemer. Glory be to thee, O God the Holy Ghost, who, by the finger of thine almighty power, hast turned about my heart from sin to God.

O glorious Jehovah, the Lord God omnipotent, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, thou art now become my CovenantFriend; and I, through thy infinite grace, am become thy covenant-servant. Amen. So be it. And the covenant which I have made on earth, let it be ratified in heaven.

Articles of Religion.

I. OF FAITH IN THE HOLY TRINITY.

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. HE Son, who is the Word of the Father, the

very and

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 the actual sins of men.

III. OF THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST.

YHRIST 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.

THE

IV. OF THE HOLY GHOST.

HE 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.

HOLY

OLY Scripture containeth 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 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 of the Canonical Books.

All the Books of the New Testament as they are commonly received, we do receive, and account canonical.

VI. OF THE OLD TESTAMENT.

HE Old Testament is not contrary to the New: for both

THE

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, 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 of 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.

RIGINAL sin standeth not in the following of Adam,

ORIGINA Pelagistas de vainly talk,) but it is the corrup

tion 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.

HE condition of man after the fall of Adam is such, that

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 preventing us, that we may have a good will, and working with us when we have that good will.

WE

IX. OF THE JUSTIFICATION OF MAN.

E are accounted righteous before God only for the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, by faith, and not by our own works or deservings: wherefore, that we are justified by faith only, is a most wholesome doctrine, and very full of comfort.

A

X.--OF GOOD WORKS.

LTHOUGH 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 acceptable to God 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.