The Lambeth Articles. A.D. 1595

from Philip Schaff's Creeds of Christendom, Vol. III. pp. 523-524.

[The Lambeth Articles are a Calvinistic Appendix to the Thirty-nine Articles. They were composed by Dr. Whitaker, Regius Professor of Divinity at Cambridge, whose original draft (Hardwick, pp. 344–347) was still more 'ad mentem Calvini,' in opposition to the nine propositions of Barret (see Strype's Whitgift, Vol. III. p. 320). They were formally approved by the Archbishop of Canterbury (Dr. Whitgift), the Archbishop of York (Dr. Matthew Hutton, who indorsed the first article with 'verissimum,' and approved the rest), and a number of prelates convened at Lambeth Palace, London, Nov. 20, 1595, but not sanctioned by Queen Elizabeth (who was rather displeased with the convening of a synod without her royal permission), and met with considerable opposition. They were accepted by the Dublin Convocation of 1615, and engrafted on the Irish Articles. During the Arminian reaction under the Stuarts they lost their authority.

The Latin text is taken from Strype's Life and Acts of John Whitgift, Vol. II. p. 280 (Oxford edition, 1822). Strype copied it from the authentic MS. of the Lord Treasurer (probably presented to him by Dr. Whitaker).

The English text is from Thomas Fuller's Church History of Britain, Vol. III. p. 147 (London edition of 1837, or Vol. V. p. 220 of the Oxford University Press ed. 1845).]1

ARTICULI APPROBATI A REVERENDISSIMIS DOMINIS D.D. JOANNE ARCHIEPISCOPO CANTUARIENSI, ET RICHARDO EPISCOPO LONDINENSI, ET ALIIS THEOLOGIS, LAMBETHÆ, NOVEMBRIS 20, ANNO 1595.

1. Deus ab æterno prædestinavit quosdam ad vitam, et quosdam ad mortem reprobavit. 1. God from eternity hath predestinated certain men unto life; certain men he hath reprobated.

2. Causa movens aut efficiens prædestinationis ad vitam non est prævisio fidei, aut perseverantiæ, aut bonorum operum, aut ullius rei, quæ insit in personis prædestinatis, sed sola voluntas beneplaciti Dei. 2. The moving or efficient cause of predestination unto life is not the foresight of faith, or of perseverance, or of good works, or of any thing that is in the person predestinated, but only the good will and pleasure of God.

3. Prædestinatorum præfinitus et certus numerus est qui nec augeri nec minui potest. 3. There is predetermined a certain number of the predestinate, which can neither be augmented nor diminished.

4. Qui non sunt prædestinati ad salutem necessario propter peccata sua damnabuntur. 4. Those who are not predestinated to salvation shall be necessarily damned for their sins.

5. Vera, viva [et] justificans fides, et Spiritus Dei sanctificans non extinguitur, non excidit, non evanescit in electus, aut finaliter aut totaliter. 5. A true, living, and justifying faith, and the Spirit of God justifying [sanctifying], is not extinguished, falleth not away; it vanisheth not away in the elect, either finally or totally.

6. Homo vere fidelis, id est, fide justificante præditus, certus est plerophoria fidei, de remissione peccatorum suorum, et salute sempiterna sua per Christum. 6. A man truly faithful, that is, such a one who is endued with a justifying faith, is certain, with the full assurance of faith, of the remission of his sins and of his everlasting salvation by Christ.

7. Gratia salutaris non tribuitur, non communicator, non conceditur universis hominibus, qua servari possint, si voluerint. 7. Saving grace is not given, is not granted, is not communicated to all men, by which they may be saved if they will.

8. Nemo potest venire ad Christum, nisi datum ei fuerit, et nisi Pater eum traxerit. Et omnes homines non trahuntur a Patre, ut veniant ad Filium. 8. No man can come unto Christ unless it shall be given unto him, and unless the Father shall draw him; and all men are not drawn by the Father, that they may come to the Son.

9. Non est positum in arbitrio aut potestate uniuscuiusque hominis servari. 9. It is not in the will or power of every one to be saved.

marked up by Lance George Marshall, 2007