These are the twelve articles of the Christian belief, that each
Christian man shall believe steadfastly, for otherwise he cannot be
saved when he hath wit and reason. And thereof are twelve according to
the numbers of the twelve apostles, who appointed them to be observed
and to be kept by all those that will be saved. The first, then, belongs
to the Father, the next seven (seventh) to the Son, the last four
(fourth) to the Holy Ghost; for that is the beginning of the belief,
‘believe in the Holy Trinity;’ that is, in the Father, and in the Son,
and in the Holy Ghost, one God and three persons. All these articles are
contained in the creed, that the twelve apostles made, whereof each
ordained his own.
The first article is this: ‘I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
Creator of heaven and of earth.’ This article St. Peter ordained.
The second article belongs to the Son, as to His Godhead; that is to
say, that He is God, and is this: ‘I believe in Jesus Christ, our Lord,
the Son of God the Father, and (He) is one with the Father in all things
that appertain to the Godhead, but, with regard to the person, who is
other than the person of the Father.’ This article St. John the
Evangelist ordained.
The third article and the fifth, that follows after, belong to the Son
as to His manhood; that is to say, as He is mortal man. Then in the
third article is contained, that He was conceived of the Holy Ghost, and
born of the maid Mary. By which it is to be understood that He was
conceived in the maid Mary by the deed and by the virtue of the Holy
Ghost, and not at all by deed of man. And the maid Mary remained ever
maid and whole before and after. This article St. James, St. John’s
brother, ordained.
The fourth article belongs to His passion; that is to say, that He
suffered death under Pontius Pilate, who was a pagan, and judge at that
time in Jerusalem, by the Romans. Under that judge was Jesus Christ
condemned wrongfully at the command of three wicked Jews, and crucified,
and dead, and placed in a tomb. This article St. Andrew ordained.
The fifth article is as follows: that He went into hell after His death,
in order to lead out thence and to deliver the souls of the holy
fathers, and of all those that, from the beginning of the world, died in
true and good belief, and in hope that they should be saved by Him,
because of the sin of the first man. It behoved that all should go into
hell and abide there, the good in sure hope that Jesus Christ, God’s
Son, should come to deliver them, according as He had promised by His
prophets. And for that reason would He after His death go into hell,
that is to say, on that side where the saints were, not on that side
where were the lost, who were dead in their sin and in their unbelief.
And those He led not out, for they are lost for evermore. This article
St. Philip ordained.
The sixth article is of His resurrection, to wit, that the third day
after His death, in order to fulfil the Scriptures, He arose from death
to life, and showed Himself to His disciples, and proved His
resurrection to them in many ways for forty days. This article St.
Thomas ordained.
The seventh article is, that the fortieth day after His resurrection,
when He had eaten with His disciples, He ascended before them quite
openly into heaven, who is above every creature that is in heaven, unto
the right hand of God the Father, where He made Him [sit]. This article
St. Bartholomew ordained.
The eighth article is, that He shall come at the day of judgment to
judge the dead and the living, the good and the bad, and render to each
according as he hath deserved in this world. These are the articles that
belong to the Son. This article St. Matthew, the evangelist, ordained.
The ninth article and the three last belong to the Holy Ghost, and is
this: ‘I believe in the Holy Ghost.’ This article requires that one
believe that the Holy Ghost is the gift and love of the Father and of
the Son, from whom comes all the good of grace, and that He is one God,
and one with the Father and the Son, except the person, which is other
than the person of the Father and of the Son. This article St. James,
St. Simon’s and St. Jude’s brother, ordained.
The tenth article is this: ‘I believe (in) the holy Catholic Church and
the communion of saints;’ that is to say, the fellowship of all the
saints, and of all the good men that are, and shall be unto the end of
the world, and were since the beginning, together in the faith of Jesus
Christ. And in this article are understood the seven sacraments that are
in holy Church, to wit, christening, confirming, the sacrament of the
altar, orders, marriage, the holy shrift, and the last anointing. This
article St. Simon ordained.
The eleventh is, to believe the forgiveness of sins, that God gives by
the virtue of His holy sacraments that are in holy Church. This article
St. Jude ordained.
The twelfth article is, to believe the general resurrection of the body,
and the life without end, that is the bliss of Paradise, which God shall
give to them that have deserved it by good faith and by good works. This
article gives (us) to understand its contrary, that is, the torment
without end that God hath prepared for the lost. This article shall be
understood in such a manner, that each, be he good, be he bad, shall be
at the day of judgment raised from death to life in his own body,
wherein he shall have [lived], and receive his reward in body and in
soul, according as he has deserved in this life. And therefore shall the
good at that day in body and in soul be in life without end, and the
wicked lost evermore in body and in soul. This article St. Matthew
ordained.