Third and Fourth Heads of Doctrine — Article 17

Third and Fourth Heads of Doctrine — Article 17

_Of the corruption of man, his conversion to God, and the manner thereof_

As the almighty operation of God, whereby he prolongs and supports this our natural life, does not exclude but requires the use of means, by which God of his infinite mercy and goodness hath chosen to exert his influence: so also the beforementioned supernatural operation of God, by which we are regenerated, in no wise excludes, or subverts the use of the gospel, which the most wise God has ordained to be the seed of regeneration, and food of the soul. Wherefore as the apostles, and teachers who succeeded them, piously instructed the people concerning this grace of God, to his glory, and the abasement of all pride, and in the mean time however neglected not to keep them by the sacred precepts of the gospel in the exercise of the word, sacraments and discipline: so even to this day, be it far from either instructors or instructed to presume to tempt God in the Church, by separating what he of his good pleasure hath most intimately joined together. For grace is conferred by means of admonitions; and the more readily we perform our duty, the more eminent usually is this blessing of God working in us, and the more directly is his work advanced; to whom alone all the glory both of means, and of their saving fruit and efficacy, is for ever due. Amen.