BRIEF AND CLEAR CONFESSION

OF THE

CHRISTIAN FAITH;

CONTAINING

AN HUNDRED ARTICLES, ACCORDING TO THE ORDER OF THE

APOSTLES' CREED:

WRITTEN BY THAT LEARNED AND GODLY MARTYR,

JOHN HOOPER,

SOMETIME BISHOP OF GLOUCESTER.

Imprinted at London by Christopher Barker, Printer to the Queen's most excellent Majesty. 1584.

REPRINTED FROM THE ORIGINAL EDITION.

VOL. V.

F F

A CONFESSION,

&c.

THE FIRST ARTICLE.

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.

1. I BELIEVE in one God only, one in essence and substance, three in person; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. I believe in the Father, as the original and beginning of all things, as well visible as invisible on whom also they depend, as well in their being, as also in their conservation. And he dependeth on none but on himself, being eternal and everlasting, without end or beginning.

I believe in the Son, as the divine word and wisdom of the Father, which is eternally and before all worlds engendered of the Father, of his proper substance and nature; because in him shineth his face and proper image, which otherwise is invisible unto mortal man.

I believe in the Holy Ghost, as a virtue and eternal power, which neither is made, nor created, neither engendered, but proceeding of the Father and of the Son eternally, even as a love proceeding from both persons.

II. I believe, that the three Persons are of the one and the self-same essence and substance, nature, authority, power, will, goodness, wisdom, and eternity and that these three are but one spiritual substance, eternal, without end or beginning, true, good, just, merciful, of a sovereign power and wisdom, having and containing in itself all goodness, not needing any thing.

III. I believe, that this God, which is one in essence and three in person, ought only to be served, honoured, feared, loved, worshipped, and to be called upon in all our necessities, as he that only cau and will provide therefor, and none other. And therefore I say and confess, that I believe in one God only, that is to say, that I acknowledge and receive him for one only Lord, Master, and Saviour : of whom proceedeth all that is good in me, by whom I can do all things, and without whom I can do nothing. In him only do I set mine affiance and set mine heart, hoping that he, assisting me with his holy Spirit, shall be with me against all men, and that he will deliver me from all perils and dangers, through his grace and mercy, without any merits of mine own; and that he shall minister to ine all things necessary, as well for my soul as body, even like a good Father, as he hath promised in his holy word.

IV, I believe, that the same God Almighty hath of nothing created from the beginning both heaven and earth, and all things in them contained; that is to say, all things as well heavenly as earthly, visible as invisible, reasonable as unreasonable, sensible as insensible the which he doth entertain, lead, guide, and govern by his divine wisdom; without whose providence nothing cometh to pass either in this world or in the other.

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V. I believe, that the same God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, after that he had created all things, did create and shape man to his own image and likeness; that is to say, immortal, good, just, true, wise, merciful, and perfect in all things; making him partaker of the goodness, justice, and other perfections of God, having a will that could agree in all things unto the will of his Lord: 'but all that through grace without any kind of inerit.

VI. I believe also, that as the Lord hath created all things heavenly and earthly for the service of man,