John Wesley's 25 Articles of Religion
Article 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, one of substance, power, and eternity - - the Father, the Son,
and the Holy Spirit.
Article II - - Of the Word, or Son of God, Who Was Made Very Man
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.
Article III - - Of the Resurrection of Christ
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.
Article 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.
Article V - - Of the Sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures for Salvation
The Holy 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 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. The names of the canonical books
are:
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 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.
Article 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 necessity by
received in any commonwealth; yet notwithstanding, no Christian whatsoever is
free from the obedience of the commandments which are called moral.
Article VII - - Of Original or Birth Sin
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.
Article VIII - - Of Free Will
He 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 not 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.
Article 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 deserving.
Wherefore, that we are justified by faith, only, is a most wholesome doctrine,
and very full of comfort.
Article 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
judgment; yet re 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 as
evidently known as a tree is discerned by its fruit.
Article XI - - Of Works of Supererogation
Voluntary works - - besides, over and above God's commandments - - which they
call 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 you have done all that is
commanded you, say, we are unprofitable servants.
Article XII - - Of Sin After Justification
Not even 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 there; or
deny the place of forgiveness to such as truly repent.
Article XIII - - 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 ordinance, in all those things that of necessity are requisite to the
same.
Article XIV - - Of Purgatory
The Romish doctrine concerning purgatory, pardon, worshiping, and
adoration, as well as 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.
Article XV - - Of Speaking in the congregation in Such a Tongue as the
People Understand
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, ina tongue not understood by the people.
Article XVI - - 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 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 Scripture, but yet have not the like nature of Baptism and the Lord's Supper, because they have not any visible sign or 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 worthily receive the same, the have a wholesome effect or operation; but they that receive them unworthily, purchase to themselves condemnation, as St. Paul saith.
Article XVII - - Of Baptism
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.
Articles XVIII - - 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 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 our Lord, cannot be proved by Holy
Writ, but is repugnant to the plain words of Scripture, overthroweth the nature
of a sacrament, and hath 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 mean 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 worshiped.
Article XIX - - 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 Christians alike.
Article XX - - Of the One Oblation of Christ, Finished upon the Cross
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 the 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.
Article XXI - - 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 Christians, to marry at their own discretion, as
they shall judge the same to serve best to godliness.
Article XXII - - Of the Rites and Ceremonies of Churches
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, to that
nothing be ordained against God's Word. Whosoever, through his private
judgment, willingly and purposely doth openly break the rites and ceremonies of
the church to which he belongs, which are not repugnant to the Word of god, and
are ordained and approved by common authority, out to be rebuked openly, that
others may fear to do the like, as one that offended 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.
Article XXIII - - Of the Rulers of the Unites 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, according to the division of power made to them by the
Constitution of the United States and by the constitutions of their respective
states. And the said states are a sovereign and independent nation, and ought
not to be subject to any foreign jurisdiction.
Article XXIV - - 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 things as he possesseth, liberally to give alms to the poor,
according to his ability.
Article XXV - - 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 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.
[The following Article from the Methodist Protestant Discipline is placed here by the Uniting Conference (1939). It was not one of the Articles of Religion voted upon by the three churches.]
Of Sanctification
Sanctification is that renewal of our fallen nature by the Holy Ghost, 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 herts and to walk in his holy commandments blameless.
[The following provision was adopted by the Uniting Conference (1939). This statement seeks to interpret to our churches in foreign lands Article XXIII of the Articles of Religion. It is a legislative enactment but is not a part of the Constitutional. (See Judicial Council Decision 41, 176, and Decision 6, Interim Judicial Council.)]
Of the Duty of Christians to the Civil Authority
It is the duty of all Christians, and especially of all Christian ministers, to
observe and obey the laws and commands of the governing or supreme authority of
the country of which they are citizens or subjects or in which they reside, and
to use all laudable means to encourage and enjoin obedience to the powers that
be.