Irish Articles of Religion

Adopted by the Convocation of Irish Protestant clergy that met in Dublin in 1615, and probably written by the future Archbishop of Armagh, James Ussher, the Irish Articles defined the Church of Ireland in a largely Reformed theological direction, even exceeding the Thirty-nine Articles of the Church of England in this regard.

After King Henry VIII broke with the papacy, he was proclaimed the Supreme Head on earth of the Church of England by the English Parliament in 1534.

In 1537, the Irish Parliament followed suit and proclaimed Henry VIII Supreme Head on earth of the Church of Ireland.

Although the post-Reformation Church of Ireland retained most of the diocesan buildings and lands, most native Irish remained Roman Catholic, and by the early 17th century, a mostly Presbyterian settler population emerged in the province of Ulster.

At the Hampton Court Conference of 1604, a proposal to formally insert the Lambeth propositions into the Thirty-nine Articles failed.

[1]: 187 The Church of Ireland would hold its first convocation of archbishops, bishops, and other clergy beginning in 1613, held in conjunction with a session of the Irish Parliament in Dublin.

Justifying faith does not mean simply the belief in general in Christianity, but 'a particular application of the gracious promises of the gospel to the comfort of our own souls' (37).

The regenerate after baptism, and for the rest of this life, will always struggle with sin and cannot perfectly fulfil the law of God, and so must always repent (43-44).

These articles go into particular ways that believers serve God even in times of affliction (49), including prayer (47-48), fasting (50-51), true worship (52) that does not involve images of the Father, the Son, or the Holy Spirit (53), hallowing of God's name, permitting the taking of oaths when appropriate (55), and the observance of the Lord's Day (56).

The articles further deny the authority of the Pope to interfere with the power of the king, particularly through excommunication, deposition, or commanding subjects to disobey or to take up arms against the king (59-60), and that the laws may punish Christians for offenses (61), and that Christians may when called upon, bear arms and serve in just wars at the command of the civil magistrate (62).

While denying that believers' property is to held in common (as the Anabaptists would affirm), the articles do require the giving of alms to the poor (65).

In the visible church, the evil is sometimes mixed with the good, even in the ministry, but the wickedness of some ministers, however, does not invalidate the preaching of the Word or the administration of the Sacraments, which are effectual because of Christ's institution (70).

In the old covenant, the commandents of the law were more expounded, and the promises of Christ 'darkly propounded, shadowed with a multitude of types and figures' (81).

In the new covenant, the joyful tidings of the Christ who has come are now clearly expounded, and shared with all people in all nations, whether Jews or Gentiles (83).

The five rites called 'sacraments' by Roman Catholics are identified in the articles as either corrupted imitations of the Apostles (confirmation, penance, and extreme unction) or as 'states of life allowed in the Scriptures' (holy orders and marriage) (87).

The articles state that infant baptism is 'agreeable to the Word of God' and should continue to be practised in the church, in contrast to the Anabaptist position (90).

The addition of elements to baptism that were added over the centuries by the ancient and medieval church (such as the use of oil, salt, saliva, exorcisms, and the hallowing of the water) are to be rejected (91).

According to the articles, this partaking should not be understood in terms of the Catholic doctrine of transubstantiation, which is condemned as 'repugnant to plain testimonies of the Scripture.'

This was meant as a repudiation of the idea that the Mass was a sacrifice in which Christ was offered for the forgiveness of sins for the living and the dead in purgatory.

Articles 101-104 (Of the State of the Souls of Men after they be Departed out of this Life, together with the General Resurrection and the Last Judgment): The last four articles deal with eschatology, namely, outlining the state of the souls of believers and unbelievers after death, namely heaven and hell respectively (101), the resurrection of the dead and the Last Judgment (103).

These articles also condemn the doctrines of Roman Catholicism concerning limbo, purgatory, prayer for the dead, adoration of images and relics, and invocation of the saints as contrary to Scripture (102).

The Decree of the SynodIf any minister, of what degree or quality soever he be, shall publicly teach any doctrine contrary to these Articles agreed upon, if, after due admonition, he do not conform himself, and cease to disturb the peace of the Church, let him be silenced, and deprived of all spiritual promotions he doth enjoy.