# What Do Anglicans Believe? > The Articles of Religion confess one God in three Persons, two sacraments of the Gospel, and justification by faith in Christ. The Church of England dates a British church to Roman times and calls itself both catholic and reformed. The comparison with Rome quotes both and does not decide. - Canonical: https://apologetics.wiki/anglican/what-do-anglicans-believe - Religions: none - Denominations: Anglican - Beliefs: none - Tags: anglican, articles-of-religion, sacraments - Updated: 2026-10-11 - Author: [Paul Ambrose](https://apologetics.wiki/author/hi-its-paul) ([GitHub](https://github.com/hi-its-paul)) Anglicans confess one living and true God in three Persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, and they confess the Son as very God and very man. The Articles of Religion say Scripture contains all things necessary to salvation, that people are justified by faith in Christ and not by their own works, and that Baptism and the Supper of the Lord are the two sacraments of the Gospel. The Church of England’s history page says a British church existed in the Roman period, that this church accepted the pope until the Reformation, and that the church is both catholic and reformed. Where those sentences differ from the Catholic Catechism, both are quoted below. This page does not decide which account is right. ## Key Points - Article I says that in the unity of the Godhead there are three Persons, of one substance, power, and eternity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. [(1)](#ref-1) - Article VI says Holy Scripture contains all things necessary to salvation. The books it lists apart from the canonical list are read for example of life and are not applied to establish doctrine. [How Was the Bible Canon Decided, and What Is the Apocrypha?](/christianity/what-is-the-apocrypha) - Article XI says people are accounted righteous before God only for the merit of Jesus Christ by faith, and not for their own works. Article XXV names two sacraments of the Gospel, Baptism and the Supper of the Lord. - The [Church of England history page](https://www.churchofengland.org/about/history-church-england) says the church accepted the authority of the pope until the Reformation, and that the catalyst was the pope’s refusal to annul the marriage of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon, together with a Tudor claim that authority belonged to the English monarchy. [(2)](#ref-2) - The same page says the Elizabethan settlement left a church both catholic and reformed. Elizabeth I became queen in 1558. The Articles page dates their ratification to 1571. - [What Do Catholics Believe?](/christianity/what-do-catholics-believe) quotes the Catechism on Scripture and Tradition, seven sacraments, the pope, and transubstantiation. The two pages together are the comparison. Neither page picks a side. The [Anglican](/anglican) shelf lists the official doctrine pages, including the Articles and the Episcopal Church’s statement. ## The Trinity and the Son Article I, Of Faith in the Holy Trinity: [(1)](#ref-1) > And in unity of this Godhead there be three Persons, of one substance, power, and eternity; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. The sentence before that calls God one living and true God, without body, parts, or passions, of infinite power, wisdom, and goodness, the Maker and Preserver of all things visible and invisible. Article II says the Son, the Word of the Father, begotten from everlasting of the Father, very and eternal God, of one substance with the Father, took man’s nature in the womb of the blessed Virgin, so that two whole and perfect natures, the Godhead and manhood, were joined in one Person, never to be divided. He truly suffered, was crucified, dead, and buried. Article IV says Christ did truly rise again from death and took again his body. Article V says the Holy Ghost, proceeding from the Father and the Son, is very and eternal God, of one substance, majesty, and glory with the Father and the Son. That is the Nicene confession in the Articles’ own words. [The Trinity](/christianity/the-trinity) [What Is the Deity of Christ?](/christianity/deity-of-christ) [What Is the Incarnation?](/christianity/what-is-the-incarnation) [The Resurrection of Jesus](/christianity/resurrection-of-jesus) ## Scripture, Creeds, and Justification Article VI says Holy Scripture contains all things necessary to salvation, so that what is not read in it, nor may be proved by it, is not to be required of any man as an article of the faith. It lists the canonical books of the Old and New Testament. The other books, “as Hierome saith,” the church reads for example of life and instruction of manners, but it does not apply them to establish any doctrine. The list that follows includes Tobias, Judith, Wisdom, Jesus the Son of Sirach, Baruch, and the books of Maccabees. This site has no Bible page for those books. [How Was the Bible Canon Decided, and What Is the Apocrypha?](/christianity/what-is-the-apocrypha) Article VIII says the Nicene Creed, Athanasius’s Creed, and the Apostles’ Creed ought to be received and believed, because they may be proved by Scripture. Article XI: [(1)](#ref-1) > We are accounted righteous before God, only for the merit of our Lord and Saviour 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. Article XII says good works, the fruits of faith, follow justification. They cannot put away sins, and they do spring necessarily from a true and lively faith. [Can You Lose Your Salvation?](/christianity/once-saved-always-saved) quotes Article XVI, on sin after baptism, beside the other churches, and it does not choose a side. ## Sacraments Article XXV: [(1)](#ref-1) > There are two Sacraments ordained of Christ our Lord in the Gospel, that is to say, Baptism, and the Supper of the Lord. The same article says the five commonly called sacraments, Confirmation, Penance, Orders, Matrimony, and extreme Unction, are not to be counted for sacraments of the Gospel. It says they have grown partly from the corrupt following of the apostles, and partly are states of life allowed in the Scriptures, but they have not the same nature of sacraments with Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, because they have no visible sign or ceremony ordained of God. Article XXVIII says transubstantiation, or the change of the substance of bread and wine, in the Supper of the Lord, cannot be proved by holy Writ, is repugnant to the plain words of Scripture, overthrows the nature of a sacrament, and has given occasion to many superstitions. It says the body of Christ is given, taken, and eaten only after a heavenly and spiritual manner, and that the mean by which the body of Christ is received and eaten is faith. The sacrament, it says, was not by Christ’s ordinance reserved, carried about, lifted up, or worshipped. Article XXXII says bishops, priests, and deacons are not commanded by God’s law to vow the estate of single life or to abstain from marriage, so it is lawful for them, as for all other Christian men, to marry at their own discretion. [What Do Catholics Believe?](/christianity/what-do-catholics-believe) quotes the Catechism’s sentence that the change of the bread and wine the holy Catholic Church has fittingly and properly called transubstantiation. ## Who Began the Anglican Church The Church of England’s history page says the roots date to the Roman Empire, when a Christian church existed in the Roman province of Britain. It says Tertullian and Origen mention a British church in the third century, that British bishops attended the Council of Arles in 314 and the Council of Rimini in 359, and that the first member known by name is Alban. It says a mission sent by Pope Gregory the Great and led by Augustine of Canterbury landed in Kent in 597. It says the Synod of Whitby in 664 brought streams of Christianity together, and that until the Reformation in the sixteenth century the Church of England accepted the authority of the pope. [(2)](#ref-2) The page’s account of the break: [(2)](#ref-2) > The catalyst for this decision was the Pope's refusal to annul the marriage of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon, as well as a Tudor nationalist belief that authority over the English Church properly belonged to the English monarchy. It says that in the reign of Edward VI the church underwent further reformation, that under Mary Tudor it again submitted to papal authority, and that this policy was reversed when Elizabeth I became queen in 1558. It says the settlement in her reign gave the church the identity it still has, retaining the catholic creeds, the pattern of ministry, and aspects of liturgy, and embodying Protestant insights in its theology. It says this is often expressed by saying that the Church of England is both catholic and reformed. Richard Hooker, at the end of the sixteenth century, defended that settlement in *Of the Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity*. The Articles page says the book was approved by Queen Elizabeth and confirmed by the Convocation in 1571. Article XXXVII says the Bishop of Rome has no jurisdiction in this realm of England, and that princes are not given the ministering of God’s word or of the sacraments. On this account Henry VIII is part of the catalyst. He is not described as the founder of a new religion, and the page does not say the English church began in the sixteenth century. [Who Started the Catholic Church?](/christianity/who-started-the-catholic-church) quotes the Catholic claim that the Lord inaugurated his church, and it does not pick a side. [When Was Christianity Created?](/christianity/when-was-christianity-created) is Pentecost and the name at Antioch. ## Anglicans and Catholics Article XIX says the visible church is a congregation of faithful men in which the pure word of God is preached and the sacraments are duly ministered. Then: [(1)](#ref-1) > As the Church of Jerusalem, Alexandria, and Antioch, have erred; so also the Church of Rome hath erred, not only in their living and manner of Ceremonies, but also in matters of Faith. “Erred” is the Article’s word. This page does not adopt it as its own word for the Catholic Church. Article XXII names purgatory, pardons, worship and adoration of images and of relics, and invocation of saints, and rejects that doctrine. The Article’s own sentence is in the questions below. “Romish” and “a fond thing” appear only inside it. [Is Purgatory Biblical?](/christianity/is-purgatory-biblical) and [What Do Christians Believe About Mary?](/christianity/what-do-christians-believe-about-mary) quote the Catholic texts beside this article and do not pick a side. The Catholic sentences on the same questions are on [What Do Catholics Believe?](/christianity/what-do-catholics-believe). [Catechism 82](https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__PL.HTM) says the Church does not derive her certainty about all revealed truths from the holy Scriptures alone, and that both Scripture and Tradition must be accepted and honored with equal sentiments of devotion and reverence. Article VI says Scripture contains all things necessary to salvation. [Catechism 881](https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P2A.HTM) says the Lord made Simon alone, whom he named Peter, the rock of his Church. Article XXXVII says the Bishop of Rome has no jurisdiction in this realm of England. [Catechism 1376](https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P41.HTM) uses the word transubstantiation for the change of the bread and wine. Article XXVIII says that change cannot be proved by holy Writ. [Catholic vs Protestant](/christianity/catholic-vs-protestant) walks through those texts at length and does not choose a side. [What Do Protestants Believe?](/christianity/what-do-protestants-believe) The Church of England’s history page says that until the Reformation the English church accepted the pope, and that the church which emerged is both catholic and reformed. Which institution is older is a question that page answers by tracing a British church inside the Western church that accepted the pope, and then a sixteenth-century break. [Who Started the Catholic Church?](/christianity/who-started-the-catholic-church) is the Catholic account of a church inaugurated by Jesus. This page does not rank the two claims. ## Episcopal Churches Churches called Episcopal are on this shelf. The Episcopal Church’s [What We Believe](https://www.episcopalchurch.org/who-we-are/what-we-believe/) says: [(3)](#ref-3) > We believe in the God whom Christians name the Holy Trinity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, the three in one. The same page says God was fully present in human form in Jesus of Nazareth, that Jesus was raised from the dead after being crucified, and that the Scriptures, interpreted through reason and tradition, provide their foundation. It says they recognize baptism and Eucharist as the two sacraments Christ gave the church, and that the journey of faith also commonly includes confirmation, confession, marriage, ordination, and anointing with oil those who are sick or dying. Article XXV says those five are not to be counted for sacraments of the Gospel. The Episcopal page still calls baptism and Eucharist the two Christ gave, and it names the others as sacramental markers. Both sentences are published by churches on this shelf. This page does not collapse them into one. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Are Anglicans Christians? The Articles confess one God in three Persons, and the Son as very God and very man, crucified and risen. That is the Nicene confession. [The Trinity](/christianity/the-trinity) ### Are Anglicans Protestant or Catholic? The Church of England’s history page says the church is both catholic and reformed. Article VI and Article XI are the Protestant sentences. The creeds, bishops, and the claim of continuity with the early and medieval church are what that history page calls catholic. [Catholic vs Protestant](/christianity/catholic-vs-protestant) ### Who Started the Anglican Church? The history page traces a British church to the Roman period, a mission from Pope Gregory in 597, and acceptance of the pope until the Reformation. The catalyst it names is the annulment and a Tudor claim about royal authority. Elizabeth I became queen in 1558. The Articles page dates the 1571 ratification. Henry VIII is in the catalyst. The page does not call him the founder of the faith. ### Which Came First, the Anglican Church or the Catholic Church? On the Church of England’s own page, the English church accepted the pope until the sixteenth century. The Catholic account of a church founded by Jesus is [Who Started the Catholic Church?](/christianity/who-started-the-catholic-church). This page does not decide which description wins. ### May Anglican Priests Marry? Article XXXII says it is lawful for bishops, priests, and deacons to marry at their own discretion, as for all other Christian men. ### What Do Anglicans Say About Mary and the Saints? Article XXII: [(1)](#ref-1) > The Romish Doctrine concerning Purgatory, Pardons, Worshipping, and Adoration, as well of Images as of Reliques, and also invocation of Saints, is a fond thing vainly invented, and grounded upon no warranty of Scripture, but rather repugnant to the Word of God. “Romish” and “a fond thing” stay inside that sentence. The Catholic sentences about Mary are [What Do Christians Believe About Mary?](/christianity/what-do-christians-believe-about-mary). The Articles page quoted here does not name a rosary. ### Do Anglicans Believe in Purgatory? Article XXII names purgatory inside the same quotation, as part of the doctrine it calls a fond thing. The Catholic Catechism’s sentences are on [Is Purgatory Biblical?](/christianity/is-purgatory-biblical). The pages quote both and do not pick a side. ### Do the Articles Speak About Same-Sex Marriage? The Articles do not use a modern orientation category. The Episcopal page fetched here does not publish a sentence on that question. Article XXXII is about priests marrying, not about that category. ## Passages Quoted on This Page ### Catechism of the Catholic Church 82 English, Holy See. [Open on vatican.va](https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__PL.HTM) > As a result the Church, to whom the transmission and interpretation of Revelation is entrusted, "does not derive her certainty about all revealed truths from the holy Scriptures alone. Both Scripture and Tradition must be accepted and honoured with equal sentiments of devotion and reverence." ## Sources Numbered to match the HTML References list. Item 1 is `#ref-1` under `#references`. Scripture links to the King James Version on this site. 1. [Articles of Religion](https://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/worship-texts-and-resources/book-common-prayer/articles-religion) (Church of England. The Thirty-Nine Articles. The ratification on this page is 1571, by Queen Elizabeth and the Convocation.) 2. [History of the Church of England](https://www.churchofengland.org/about/history-church-england) (Church of England. A British church in the Roman period, acceptance of the pope until the Reformation, Elizabeth I in 1558, and the phrase catholic and reformed.) 3. [What We Believe](https://www.episcopalchurch.org/who-we-are/what-we-believe/) (The Episcopal Church. The Trinity, baptism and Eucharist as the two sacraments Christ gave, and other sacramental rites.) 4. [Catechism of the Catholic Church, 82; 881; 1376](https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__PL.HTM) (Paragraph 82 is Scripture and Tradition. Paragraph 881 is on https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P2A.HTM. Paragraph 1376 is on https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P41.HTM. Quoted at length on What Do Catholics Believe?) ## See Also - [What Do Catholics Believe?](https://apologetics.wiki/christianity/what-do-catholics-believe) — Catholics confess the Nicene Creed, and the Catechism’s teaching on Scripture and Tradition, seven sacraments, the pope, Mary, and life after death. - [Is Baptism Necessary for Salvation?](https://apologetics.wiki/christianity/is-baptism-necessary-for-salvation) — Catholic, Orthodox, Lutheran, Reformed, Baptist, Methodist, and Pentecostal texts on whether baptism is necessary for salvation, with Acts 2:38, Mark 16:16, 1 Peter 3:21, and the thief on the cross. - [What Does the Bible Say About Infant Baptism?](https://apologetics.wiki/christianity/what-does-the-bible-say-about-infant-baptism) — Infant baptism and believer’s baptism in Catholic, Orthodox, Lutheran, Reformed, Anglican, Methodist, Baptist, and Pentecostal texts, with household baptisms and christening. - [What Does the Eastern Orthodox Church Believe?](https://apologetics.wiki/christianity/what-does-the-eastern-orthodox-church-believe) — Eastern Orthodox churches confess the Nicene faith. A Greek Orthodox Archdiocese teaching and the Orthodox Church in America catechism state Tradition, the mysteries, Mary, icons, and what they reject. - [Can You Lose Your Salvation? What Each Church Teaches About "Once Saved, Always Saved"](https://apologetics.wiki/christianity/once-saved-always-saved) — Can a Christian lose salvation? Official teaching from Catholic, Orthodox, Lutheran, Reformed, Baptist, Methodist, Pentecostal, and other churches, with the King James verses each side cites. ## History [View history on GitHub](https://github.com/Apologetics-Wiki/apologetics-wiki/commits/main/src/content/articles/what-do-anglicans-believe.md)