182 



CIVIL HISTORY OF VERMONP. 



Part II. 



METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH. 



ARTICLES OF THE CHURCH. 



III. Of the Resurrection of Christ. Christ 

 did truly rise again from the dead, and 

 took again his body, with all things ap- 

 pertaining to the perfection of man's na- 

 ture, wherewith he ascended into heaven, 

 and there sitteth until he return to judge 

 all men at the last day. 



IV. Of the Holy Ghost. 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. The sufficiency of the Holy Scripttires 

 for .Salvation. The Holy Scriptures con- 

 tain all things necessary to salvation : so 

 that whatsoever is not read therein, nor 

 may be proved thereby, is not to be re- 

 •<^(iired of any man, that it should be be- 

 lieved as an article of 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 au- 

 thority was never any doubt in the church. 



The names of the Canonical Boohs. 

 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 Chroni- 

 cles, The Book of Ezra, The Book of Ne- 

 hemiah, The Book of Esther, The Book 

 of Job, The Psalms, The Proverbs, Ec- 

 clesiastes or the Preacher, Cantica, or 

 Songs 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. 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, 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 necessiiy be received in any 

 commonwealth ; yet, notwithstanding, no 

 Christian whatsoever is free from the 

 obedience of the commandments which 

 are called moral. 



VII. Of Or'ffinnl or Birth Sin. Origi- 

 nal sin standeth not in the following of 

 Adam, (as the Pelagians do vainly talk,) 

 but it is the corruption of the nature of 

 everv man, that naturally is engendered 

 of the offspring of Adam, whereb}' man is 

 very far gone from original righteousness. 



and of his own nature inclined to evil, 

 and that continually. 



VIII. Of Free mil. 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 preventing 

 us, that we may have a good will, and 

 working with us, when we have that 

 good will. 



IX. Of the Justification of Man. 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 dcservings : — Wherefore, that 

 we are justified by faith only, is a most 

 wholesome doctrine, and very full of com- 

 fort. 



X. Of 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 

 judgments : yet are they pleasing and ac- 

 ceptable 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. 



XI. Of Jt^orks of Supererogation. Vol- 

 untary 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 .^aith plainly. When ye 

 have done all that is commanded you, say. 

 We are unprofitable servants 



XII. Of Sin after Justification. Not 

 every sin willingly committed after justi- 

 fication, is the sin against the H0I3' 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 in- 

 to sin, and by the grace of God, rise 

 again and amend our lives. And there- 

 fore 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. 



XHI. Of 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 ordi- 

 nance in all those things that of necessity 

 are requisite to the same. 



XIV. Of Purgatory. The Romish 



