use in such a general,
free Christian Council, for the convening of which there has always been
accordant action and agreement of votes in all the Imperial Diets held
during Your Majesty's reign, on the part of the Electors, Princes, and
other Estates of the Empire. To the assembly of this General Council,
and at the same time to Your Imperial Majesty, we have, even before
this, in due manner and form of law, addressed ourselves and made appeal
in this matter, by far the greatest and gravest. To this appeal, both to
Your Imperial Majesty and to a Council, we still adhere; neither do we
intend nor would it be possible for us, to relinquish it by this or
any other document, unless the matter between us and the other side,
according to the tenor of the latest Imperial citation should be
amicably and charitably settled, allayed, and brought to Christian
concord; and regarding this we even here solemnly and publicly testify.

Article I: Of God.

Our Churches, with common consent, do teach that the decree of the
Council of Nicaea concerning the Unity of the Divine Essence and
concerning the Three Persons, is true and to be believed without any
doubting; that is to say, there is one Divine Essence which is called
and which is God: eternal, without body, without parts, of infinite
power, wisdom, and goodness, the Maker and Preserver of all things,
visible and invisible; and yet there are three Persons, of the same
essence and power, who also are coeternal, the Father the Son, and the
Holy Ghost. And the term "person" they use as the Fathers have used it,
to signify, not a part or quality in another, but that which subsists of
itself.

They condemn all heresies which have sprung up against this article,
as the Manichaeans, who assumed two principles, one Good and the other
Evil--also the Valentinians, Arians, Eunomians, Mohammedans, and all
such. They condemn also the Samosatenes, old and new, who, contending
that there is but one Person, sophistically and impiously argue that
the Word and the Holy Ghost are not distinct Persons, but that "Word"
signifies a spoken word, and "Spirit" signifies motion created in
things.

Article II: Of Original Sin.

Also they teach that since the fall of Adam all men begotten in the
natural way are born with sin, that is, without the fear of God, without
trust in God, and with concupiscence; and that this disease, or vice
of origin, is truly sin, even now condemning and bringing