Editing Thirty-nine Articles (section)

==Content==
[[Image:Elizabeth1England.jpg|right|thumb|upright=1.2|[[Elizabeth I of England|Elizabeth I]], in whose reign the Thirty-nine Articles were passed]]

The Thirty-nine Articles were intended to establish, in basic terms, the faith and practice of the Church of England.{{Sfn|Davie|2013|pp=5, 8}} While not designed to be a creed or complete statement of the Christian faith, the articles explain the doctrinal position of the Church of England in relation to [[Calvinism]], as well as Catholicism and [[Anabaptism]].{{Sfn|Cross|Livingstone|1997|p=1611}} According to historian Anthony Milton, "the Thirty-Nine Articles were certainly broadly consistent with the Reformed consensus in doctrinal matters".<ref name="Milton2002">{{cite book |last1=Milton |first1=Anthony |title=Catholic and Reformed: The Roman and Protestant Churches in English Protestant Thought, 1600-1640 |date=9 May 2002 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-89329-9 |page=396 |language=en}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible"
|+Thirty-nine Articles
|
1. Of Faith in the Holy Trinity.<br/>
2. Of Christ the Son of God.<br/>
3. Of his going down into Hell.<br/>
4. Of his Resurrection.<br/>
5. Of the Holy Ghost.<br/>
6. Of the Sufficiency of the Scripture.<br/>
7. Of the Old Testament.<br/>
8. Of the Three Creeds.<br/>
9. Of Original or Birth-sin.<br/>
10. Of Free-Will.<br/>
11. Of Justification.<br/>
12. Of Good Works.<br/>
13. Of Works before Justification.<br/>
14. Of Works of Supererogation.<br/>
15. Of Christ alone without Sin.<br/>
16. Of Sin after Baptism.<br/>
17. Of Predestination and Election.<br/>
18. Of obtaining Salvation by Christ.<br/>
19. Of the Church.<br/>
20. Of the Authority of the Church.
|
21. Of the Authority of General Councils.<br/>
22. Of Purgatory.<br/>
23. Of Ministering in the Congregation.<br/>
24. Of speaking in the Congregation.<br/>
25. Of the Sacraments.<br/>
26. Of the Unworthiness of Ministers.<br/>
27. Of Baptism.<br/>
28. Of the Lord's Supper.<br/>
29. Of the Wicked which eat not the Body of Christ.<br/>
30. Of both kinds.<br/>
31. Of Christ's one Oblation.<br/>
32. Of the Marriage of Priests.<br/>
33. Of Excommunicate Persons.<br/>
34. Of the Traditions of the Church.<br/>
35. Of the Homilies.<br/>
36. Of Consecrating of Ministers.<br/>
37. Of Civil Magistrates.<br/>
38. Of Christian men's Goods.<br/>
39. Of a Christian man's Oath.
|}

The Thirty-nine Articles can be divided into eight sections based on their content:{{Sfn|Davie|2013|p=88}}

'''Articles 1–5: The Doctrine of God''':
The first five articles articulate the doctrine of God, the [[Holy Trinity]] and the [[Incarnation (Christianity)|incarnation]] of Jesus Christ. This is a departure from other doctrinal statements of the 16th and 17th centuries such as the [[Helvetic Confessions]] and the [[Westminster Confession]], which begin with the doctrine of [[revelation]] and [[Bible|Holy Scripture]] as the source of knowledge about God.{{Sfn|O'Donovan|2011|pp=11–12}}

'''Articles 6–8: Scripture and the Creeds''':
These articles state that Holy Scripture contains everything necessary for [[Salvation in Christianity|salvation]], so that no one can be required to believe any doctrine that cannot be proved on the basis of biblical teaching. The articles acknowledge the authority of the [[Apostles' Creed]], the [[Nicene Creed]] and the [[Athanasian Creed]] because they express Scriptural teaching. It states that the [[Biblical apocrypha|Apocrypha]] is not part of Scripture. While not a basis of doctrine, the Apocrypha continues to be read by the church for moral instruction and examples for holy living.{{Sfn|Davie|2013|pp=230–232}}

'''Articles 9–18: Sin and Salvation''':
These articles discuss the doctrines of [[original sin]] and [[justification by faith]] (salvation is a gift received through [[Faith in Christianity|faith]] in Christ). They reject the medieval Catholic teachings on works of [[supererogation]] and that performing [[good works]] can make a person worthy to receive justification (congruous [[Merit (Christianity)|merit]]). They also reject the radical Protestant teaching that a person could be free from sin in this life.{{Sfn|Davie|2013|p=294}} The articles address the doctrine of [[predestination]]—that "Predestination to life is the everlasting purpose of God". [[Double predestination]], the belief that God has also predestined some people to [[reprobation]], is not endorsed by the articles.{{Sfn|O'Donovan|2011|p=84}} 

'''Articles 19–21: The Church and its Authority''':
These articles explain the nature and authority of the [[visible church]]. They state that the church, under Scripture, has authority over matters of faith and order. General councils of the church can only be called with the permission of the civil authority. It is possible for church councils to reach the wrong decisions, so they should only be followed if their actions align with Scripture.{{Sfn|Davie|2013|p=393}}

'''Articles 22–24: Errors to be avoided in the Church''':
These articles condemn the Catholic teachings on [[purgatory]], [[indulgences]], the use of religious images and the [[Intercession of saints|invocation of saints]]. In addition, the Catholic practice of using Latin as a [[liturgical language]] is disapproved of in favour of the vernacular. The articles state that no person should preach publicly or administer the sacraments unless they are called and authorised by legitimate church authority.{{Sfn|Davie|2013|p=424}} This was meant to counter the radical Protestant belief that a Christian could preach and act as a minister on his own initiative in defiance of church authorities.{{Sfn|Davie|2013|p=441}}

'''Articles 25–31: The Sacraments''': 
These articles explain the Church of England's [[Anglican sacraments|sacramental theology]]. According to the articles, [[sacrament]]s are signs of divine grace which God works invisibly but effectively in people's lives. Through sacraments, God creates and strengthens the faith of believers. The radical Protestant belief that sacraments are only outward signs of a person's faith is denied by the articles.{{Sfn|Davie|2013|pp=464–466}} While the Catholic Church claimed [[Sacraments of the Catholic Church|seven sacraments]], the articles recognise only two: [[baptism]] and the [[Eucharist|Lord's Supper]].{{Sfn|Davie|2013|pp=468–470}} The five rites called sacraments by Catholics are identified in the articles as either corrupted imitations of the Apostles (confirmation, penance and extreme unction) or as "states of life allowed in the Scriptures" (holy orders and marriage).{{Sfn|Davie|2013|pp=468–470}}

[[Baptismal regeneration|Regeneration]] (or the gift of new life), membership in the church, forgiveness of sins and [[Adoption (theology)|adoption as children of God]] are all received through baptism.{{Sfn|Davie|2013|pp=485–486}} The articles state that [[infant baptism]] is "most agreeable with the institution of Christ" and should continue to be practised in the church.{{Sfn|Davie|2013|p=489}} In the Lord's Supper, participants become partakers of the body and blood of Christ and receive the spiritual benefits of Christ's death on the cross.{{Sfn|Davie|2013|p=499}} According to the articles, this partaking should not be understood in terms of the Catholic doctrine of [[transubstantiation]], which is condemned as "repugnant to the plain words of Scripture". Instead, the articles declare that there is no change in the substance of the bread and wine. Rather, participants are fed the body of Christ by the Holy Spirit and through faith.{{Sfn|Davie|2013|p=500–503}} The articles declare that "The offering of Christ once made is the perfect redemption, propitiation, and satisfaction for all the sins of the whole world". This was meant as a repudiation of the popular medieval idea that the Mass was a sacrifice in which Christ was offered for the forgiveness of sins for the living and the dead in purgatory.{{Sfn|Davie|2013|pp=526, 529}}

'''Articles 32–36: The Discipline of the Church''':
The articles defend the practice of [[clerical marriage]] and the church's power of [[excommunication]]. It states that traditions and ceremonies in the church may vary by time and place; national churches can alter or abolish traditions created by human authority. The ''[[Books of Homilies|First and Second Book of Homilies]]'' are said to contain correct doctrine and should be read in church. The articles also defend the ordination rites contained in the [[Edwardine Ordinals|1549 and 1552 Ordinals]].{{Sfn|Davie|2013|p=535}}

'''Articles 37–39: Christians and Civil Society''':
The articles affirm the role of the monarch as the [[Supreme Governor of the Church of England]]. It rejects all claims to the Pope's jurisdiction in England. It defends the state's right to use [[capital punishment]] and declares that Christians may serve in the military. It rejects the Anabaptist teaching that the property of Christians should be held in common, but it does explain that Christians should give [[alms]] to the poor and needy. It also defends the morality of oath-taking for civic purposes.{{Sfn|Davie|2013|p=590}}