The Anglican Articles on Justification: Articles XI and XII Explained

Rev. C•D•F• Warrington, M.Div.
By Rev. C•D•F• Warrington, M.Div.

Ordained Minister, M.Div.

May 30, 2026

2 min read

Oil painting of an Anglican theologian expounding the articles on justification with scripture open in warm chapel light

Articles XI and XII of the Thirty-Nine Articles address the central Reformation doctrine of justification. Article XI declares: 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. Article XII immediately follows with a treatment of good works that guards against antinomianism.

Article XI: Only Faith, Only Christ

The word only is significant. Article XI does not say faith is important for justification, or that faith is the principal means of justification. It says we are accounted righteous only for the merit of Christ by faith. The exclusivity is as sharp as anything in Luther or Calvin. This is Reformation doctrine, not a softened Anglican compromise.

Article XII: Good Works as Fruits, Not Grounds

Article XII clarifies that good works, which are the fruits of Faith, and follow after Justification, are pleasing and acceptable to God in Christ. Works done before justification do not have the nature of sin, but they are not meritorious toward salvation. This is the Protestant ordering: faith justifies, and works follow as evidence of justification rather than contributing to it.

Articles XI and XII together present a fully Reformation-era doctrine of justification that is unmistakably Protestant. They place the Church of England squarely within the mainstream of sixteenth-century Reformed soteriology, even while other articles preserve distinctly Anglican elements of church order and worship.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do Articles XI and XII of the Thirty-Nine Articles say about justification?

Article XI states that '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.' Article XII distinguishes good works — which are 'the fruits of Faith' — from any role in meriting salvation. Together they express classic Protestant justification theology.

Are the Anglican Articles on justification different from the Lutheran or Reformed positions?

The Anglican Articles are broadly Protestant on justification, affirming the Reformation consensus. They are compatible with both Lutheran and Reformed readings. The Thirty-Nine Articles were intentionally crafted to allow latitude within a Protestant framework, making them less precise than either the Augsburg Confession or the Westminster Confession.

What does 'accounted righteous' mean in Article XI?

Being 'accounted righteous' means justification is a forensic, declarative act — God reckons or counts the believer as righteous on the basis of Christ's merit, not the believer's own moral standing. This is the same doctrine of imputed righteousness found in Lutheran and Reformed confessions.

How does Article XII address good works?

Article XII teaches that good works, done after justification and in the power of the Spirit, are 'pleasing and acceptable to God in Christ.' They are not salvific but they are genuine and important — the necessary fruit of saving faith, not its root. The article cautions against 'works done before the grace of Christ' which are insufficient for salvation.

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