The ThirtyNine Articles: 9-14, Original Sin and Justification

From the prior post, we left with the idea that works righteousness may be a part of the belief set due to the last 3 lines of the Athanasian Creed.  In these next six articles of the 39, we will be dealing with the meat of the faith.  Starting with original sin and free will, we will then look at justification and finally works.  This section is what being a Protestant is all about.  Let’s see how the 39 Articles handle the topics.

IX. Of original or birth sin. 

Original sin stands not in the following of Adam (as the Pelagians do vainly talk) but it is the fault and 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 is of his own nature inclined to evil, so that the flesh lusts always contrary to the spirit, and therefore in every person born into this world, it deserves God’s wrath and damnation. And this infection of nature does remain, yea in them that are re­generated; whereby the lust of the flesh called in Greek fronema sarkos (which some do expound, the wisdom, some sensuality, some the desire of the flesh) is not subject to the law of God. And although there is no condemnation for them that believe and are baptized; yet the Apostle does confess that con­cupiscence and lust has of itself the nature of sin.

This is classic Original sin.  Not only that, but Article 9 goes on to describe the Romans 6-8 situation of Paul simultaneously regenerated and sinful.  This is great stuff and full of all the classic Reformation categories.  Pelagius is even called out parenthetically.  The logical follow through on the next two points will be very satisfying.

X.  Of free Will.

The condition of man after the fall of Adam is such that he cannot turn and prepare himself by his own natural strength and good 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.

Here we have it.  Free will is corrupted as well by the fall.  There is no room even for Arminians here.  One suddenly wonders how the Anglican clergy can be characterized by the Puritans as being Arminian after reading Articles 9 and 10.

XI. Of the justification of man.

We are accepted righteous before God, only for the merits of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ, by faith, and not for our own works or deservings. Wherefore, that we are justified by faith only, is a most wholesome doctrine, and very full of comfort, as more largely is expressed in the Homily of justification.

Obviously, the Homily of justification will need to be inspected.  Still, the words here come down squarely on the side of the imputed righteousness of Jesus rather than a works based righteousness.  It remains to be learned how this will be reconciled with those points 41-42 of the Athanasian Creed.

XII. Of good works.

Albeit that good works, which are the fruits of faith, and follow after justification, cannot put away our sins, and endure the severity of Gods judgment:  yet are they pleasing and acceptable to God in Christ, and do spring out necessarily of a true and holy faith, in so much that by them, a lively faith may be as evidently known, as a tree discerned by the fruit.

Once again, a truly classically reformed view of works after justification being consistent with the good fruits of the Spirit. 

XIII. Of works before justification.

Works done before the grace of Christ, and the inspiration of his spirit, are not pleasant to God, forasmuch as they spring not of faith in Jesus Christ, neither do they make men meet to receive grace, or (as the scholar authors say) deserve grace of congruity: yea rather for that they are not done as GOD has willed and commanded them to be done, we doubt not but they have the nature of sin.

More reformed doctrine is revealed here as works done without the person being regenerated in Christ remain tainted by original sin and therefore completely unsatisfactory in satisfying the just wrath of God.  Great stuff, but no clarity is offered yet on the points of the Creed.

XIV. Of works of supererogation.

Voluntary works besides, over and above Gods commandments, which they call works of supererogation, cannot be taught without arrogance 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 then of bounden duty is required: Whereas Christ says plainly, When ye have done all that are commanded to you, say, We be unprofitable servants.

On this topic finally, I have hit a wall.  This concept is foreign to my reading.  So, let’s develop the two areas that raised questions.

The Homily of Justification seems to be the Homily on Salvation.  This is from the first Book of Homilies, Homily number 3.  This is hard reading in Old English, but what it represents is a very classically Reformed discussion of Justification.  There is absolutely no room for justification based upon works.  The works done after regeneration are done because we are bound and by our duty.  Anglicans will be familiar with the term bounden duty.  This concept leaves no room for antinomians, who are called here acting in carnal liberty.  This is completely different from the notion of Christian Liberty that is freedom from the rabbinical law.  Finally, there is a discussion of true faith.  Anglicans view the moment of regeneration to be Baptism, but understand that there needs to be true faith that justifies.  This true faith is said to be a gift of God.  In the Trinitarian view of these articles, this would be meant to say that the Holy Spirit as a true and vital part of that Trinity does accomplish the giving of this justifying faith.  We will return to this website later for the second book of Homilies, which are listed here.

Supererogation is action above and beyond what is expected.  This is a part of the Roman Catholic system of works righteousness, and is bound up with the system of indulgences.  Since Anglicans are talking about a faith alone system of salvation, it would stand to reason that the 39 Articles would call out Supererogation and therefore also indulgences as anathema.  These systems of works righteousness were well hated by Europeans of the sixteenth century.  The Reformers regarded this as fraud, and since it was fraud under the guise of Christianity, perpetrated by the Church, this was a most heinous system.  As recently as 2002, Pope John-Paul declared a year of indulgences.  To the Protestant ear, this rings foreign since we are so removed from it.  But if you turn on TBN and hear the televangelist talk about money in terms of seed faith, you will have a good notion of how indulgences work.  I don’t want to dwell on this as it is not a part of the Anglican system.  What is important is that Article 14 specifically denies its validity.

In summary, it would seem that the justification of the Anglican 39 Articles is based on faith alone, a faith that is a gift from God.  There is absolutely no room for a works based righteousness; in fact, the Roman Catholic system is specifically denounced.  In a very indirect way, this also denounces the modern theology of glory or prosperity gospel that so infects our Evangelical churches.  We still have to sort out some minor Creed irregularities, but the doctrines are very clearly set forth.

In the next section, Articles 15-18, we will be going through some more heavy reformed doctrines: sin, election and salvation.

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