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This table provides a side-by-side comparison of the text of three different versions of The Salvations Army's "Articles of War" document, signed by people who wish to become members of the church.
Note 1952 1966 2015
============== ======================== =================== ====================
This is the text as I
copied it from my
mother's signed and The current text as
framed document from I copied this text available as
1952. It may have been from my own [SOLDIER'S COVENANT]
Source in use in this form ever document that I at The Salvation
since the 1880s; it signed in December Army International
appears to have been 1966. Headquarters
quoted in Thomas H. website.
Huxley's "[Legal
Opinions]".
Title Articles of War Articles of War SOLDIER'S COVENANT
(Promises made when
Signed by all becoming a soldier
Signed by all Salvation Salvation Army in The Salvation
Explanation Army Soldiers Soldiers Army. Formerly
called 'Articles of
War'.)
Having received
with all my heart
Having received with all the Salvation
my heart the salvation offered to me by
offered to me by the the tender mercy of
tender mercy of Jehovah, God, I do here and HAVING accepted
I do here and now now acknowledge God Jesus Christ as my
publicly acknowledge God the Father to be my Saviour and Lord,
the Father to be my King; God the Son, and desiring to
king, God the Son, Jesus Jesus Christ our fulfil my
Christ our Lord, to be Lord, to be my membership of His
Motivation my Saviour, God the Holy Saviour; and God Church on earth as
Spirit to be my Guide, the Holy Spirit to a soldier of The
Comforter, and Strength; be my Guide, Salvation Army, I
and I will, by His help, Comforter and now by God's grace
love, serve, worship and Strength; and I enter into a sacred
obey this glorious God will, by His help, covenant.
through time and through love, serve,
eternity. worship, and obey
this glorious God
through time and
through eternity.
Believing solemnly that Believing that The
The Salvation Army has Salvation Army has
been raised up by God, been raised up by
and is sustained and God, and is I believe and will
directed by Him, I do sustained and live by the truths
here declare my full directed by Him, I of the word of God
Affirmation of determination, by God's do here declare expressed in The
the Army's help, to be a true that I am Salvation Army's
doctrine Soldier of The Army till thoroughly eleven articles of
I die. convinced of the faith:
05 truth of the Army's
I am thoroughly teaching, that is
convinced of the truth to say:
of The Army's teaching.
E L E V E N A R T I C L E S O F F A I T H
I believe that the
Scriptures were given by I believe that the We believe that the
inspiration of God, and Scriptures of the Scriptures of the
that they teach that not Old and New Old and New
only does continuance in Testaments were Testaments were
the favor of God depend given by given by
Scriptures upon continued faith in, inspiration of God inspiration of God:
inspired and obedience to Christ, and that they only and that they only
but that it is possible constitute the constitute the
for those who have been divine rule of Divine rule of
truly converted to fall Christian faith and Christian faith and
away and be eternally practice. practice.
lost.
I believe that We believe that
there is only one there is only one
God, who is God, who is
infinitely perfect, infinitely perfect,
the Creator, the Creator.
One God Preserver and Preserver, and
Governor of all Governor of all
things and who is things, and who is
the only proper the only proper
object of religious object of religious
worship. worship.
I believe that We believe that
there are three there are three
persons in the persons in the
Godhead, the Godhead--the
Father, the Son, Father, the Son and
The Trinity and the Holy Ghost, the Holy
undivided in Ghost--undivided in
essence and essence and coequal
co-equal in power in power and glory.
and glory.
I believe that in We believe that in
the person of Jesus the person of Jesus
Christ the divine Christ the Divine
and human natures and human natures
Nature of are united, so that are united, so that
Christ He is truly and He is truly and
properly God and properly God and
truly and properly truly and properly
man. man.
I believe that our We believe that our
first parents were first parents were
created in a state created in a state
of innocency but by of innocency. but
their disobedience by their
they lost their disobedience they
purity and lost their purity
happiness and that and happiness; and
Original sin in consequence of that in consequence
their fall all men of their fall all
have become men have become
sinners, totally sinners, totally
depraved, and as depraved. and as
such are justly such are justly
exposed to the exposed to the
wrath of God. wrath of God.
I believe that the We believe that the
Lord Jesus Christ Lord Jesus Christ
has by His has, by His
suffering and death suffering and
Atonement made an atonement death, made an
for the whole world atonement for the
so that whosoever whole world so that
will may be saved. whosoever will may
be saved.
I believe that I believe that We believe that
repentance towards God, repentance toward repentance towards
faith in our Lord Jesus God, faith in our God, faith in our
Essentials of Christ, and conversion Lord Jesus Christ Lord Jesus Christ
salvation by the Holy Spirit are and regeneration by and regeneration by
necessary to Salvation, the Holy Spirit are the Holy Spirit are
and that all men may be necessary to necessary to
saved. Salvation. salvation.
I believe that we are I believe that we We believe that we
saved by grace, through are justified by are justified by
faith in our Lord Jesus grace through faith grace, through
Means of Christ, and he that in our Lord Jesus faith in our Lord
salvation believeth hath the Christ and that he Jesus Christ; and
witness of it in that believeth hath that he that
himself. I have got it. the witness in believeth hath the
Thank God! himself. witness in himself.
I believe that We believe that
continuance in a continuance in a
Possible to [see paragraph 1952-08, state of Salvation state of salvation
fall away above] depends upon depends upon
continued obedient continued obedient
faith in Christ. faith in Christ.
I believe that it is the
privilege of all God's
people to be wholly
sanctified, and that
"their whole spirit and
soul and body" may "be
preserved blameless unto
the coming of our Lord
Jesus Christ." That is
to say, I believe that
after conversion there
remain in the heart of I believe that it
the believer, is the privilege of We believe that it
inclinations to evil, or all believers to be is the privilege of
roots of bitterness, "wholly sanctified" all believers to be
which, unless and that their wholly sanctified,
overpowered by Divine "whole spirit and and that their
Complete grace, produce actual soul and body" may whole spirit and
salvation sin; but these evil "be preserved soul and body may
tendencies can be blameless unto the be preserved
entirely taken away by coming of our Lord blameless unto the
the Spirit of God, and Jesus Christ" (I coming of our Lord
the whole heart thus Thessalonians Jesus Christ.
cleansed from anything 5:23).
contrary to the will of
God, or entirely
sanctified, will then
produce the fruit of the
Spirit only. And I
believe that persons
thus entirely sanctified
may, by the power of
God, be kept unblameable
and unrepovable before
Him.
I believe in the We believe in the
I believe in the immortality of the immortality of the
immortality of the soul soul, in the soul; in the
in the resurrection of resurrection of the resurrection of the
the body; in the general body, in the body; in the
judgement at the end of general judgment at general judgment at
The afterlife the world; in the the end of the the end of the
eternal happiness of the world, in the world; in the
righteous; and in the eternal happiness eternal happiness
everlasting punishment of the righteous of the righteous;
of the wicked. and in the endless and in the endless
punishment of the punishment of the
wicked. wicked.
THEREFORE
I will be
responsive to the
Holy Spirit's work
and obedient to His
Growth through leading in my life,
obedience growing in grace
through worship,
prayer, service and
the reading of the
Bible.
Therefore, I do
here and now, and
Therefore, I do here and forever, renounce
now, and forever, the world with all
renounce the world with its sinful
all its sinful pleasures,
pleasures, companionships, I will make the
companionships, treasures, and values of the
treasures, and objects, objects, and Kingdom of God and
Leave the and declare my full declare my full not the values of
world, serve determination boldly to determination the world the
God show myself a Soldier of boldly to show standard for my
Jesus Christ in all myself a soldier of life.
places and companies, no Jesus Christ in all
matter what I may have places and
to suffer, do, or lose, companies, no
by so doing. matter what I may
have to suffer, do
or lose by so
doing.
I do here and now I do here and now
declare that I will declare that I will
abstain from the use of abstain from the I will uphold
all low or profane use of all low or Christian integrity
language; from the profane language in every area of my
taking of the name of and from all life, allowing
God in vain; and from impurity, including nothing in thought.
Personal all impurity, or from unclean word or deed that
purity taking part in any conversation, the is unworthy,
unclean conversation, or reading of any unclean, untrue,
the reading of any obscene book or profane, dishonest
obscene book or paper at paper at any time, or immoral.
any time, in any in any company, or
company, or in any in any place.
place.
I do here and now I do here declare
declare that I will not that I will not
allow myself in any allow myself in any I will maintain
falsehood, deceit, deceit or Christian ideals in
misrepresentation, or dishonesty; nor all my
dishonesty; neither will will I practice any relationships with
I practice any fraudulent conduct others: my family
fraudulent conduct in my in my business, my and neighbours, my
Maintain business, my home, nor home or in any colleagues and
personal in any other other relation in fellow
integrity relationship in which I which I may stand Salvationists,
may stand to my fellow to my fellow men; those to whom and
men; but will deal but that I will for whom I am
truthfully, fairly, deal truthfully, responsible, and
honorably, and kindly honorably and the wider
with all those who may kindly with all community.
employ me, or whom I those who employ me
myself may employ. or whom I may
myself employ.
I will uphold the
Marriage sanctity of
sacred marriage and of
family life.
I will be a
faithful steward of
my time and gifts,
my money and
Personal possessions, my
responsibility body, my mind and
my spirit, knowing
that I am
accountable to God.
I do here and now I do here and now I will abstain from
declare that I will declare that I will alcoholic drink.
abstain from the use of abstain from the tobacco, the
all intoxicating use of all non-medical use of
liquors, and from the intoxicating addictive drugs.
No alcohol, habitual use of opium, liquor, and from gambling,
drugs, or laudanum, morphia, and the use of all pornography, the
tobacco all other baneful drugs, baneful drugs, occult, and all
except when in illness except when such else that could
such drugs will be drugs shall be enslave the body or
ordered for me by the ordered for me by a spirit.
doctor. doctor.
I do here declare
that I will never
I do here and now treat any woman,
declare that I will child or other
never treat any woman, person, whose life, I will be faithful
child, or other person, comfort or to the purposes for
whose life, comfort, or happiness may be which God raised up
happiness may be placed placed within my The Salvation Army,
within my power, in an power, in an sharing the good
oppressive, cruel or oppressive, cruel news of Jesus
Duty to others cowardly manner, but or cowardly manner; Christ,
that I will protect such but that I will endeavouring to win
from evil and danger so protect such from others to Him, and
far as I can, and evil and danger so in His name caring
promote to the utmost of far as I can, and for the needy and
my ability, their promote, to the the disadvantaged.
present welfare and utmost of my
eternal Salvation. ability, their
present welfare and
eternal Salvation.
I do here declare
that I will spend
I do here and now all the time,
declare that I will strength, money and
spend all the time, influence I can in
strength, money, and supporting and
influence I can in carrying on the I will be actively
supporting and carrying Salvation war, and involved, as I am
on this War, and that I that I will able, in the life,
will endeavor to lead my endeavor to lead my work, worship and
Earnest family, friends, family, friends, witness of the
support of neighbors, and all neighbors and all corps, giving as
Army's others whom I can others whom I can large a proportion
purposes influence, to do the influence to do the of my income as
same, believing that the same, believing possible to support
sure and only way to that the sure and its ministries and
remedy all the the evils only way to remedy the worldwide work
in the world is by all the evils in of the Army.
bringing men to submit the world is by
themselves to the bringing men to
Government of the Lord submit themselves
Jesus Christ. to the government
of the Lord Jesus
Christ.
I do here declare
that I will always
I do here and now obey the lawful
declare that I will orders of my
always obey the lawful officers, and that
orders of my Officers, I will carry out to
and that I will carry the utmost of my I will be true to
out to the utmost of my power all the the principles and
power all the Orders and orders and practices of The
Regulations of The Army; regulations of the Salvation Army,
and further that I will Army; and, further, loyal to its
Follow the be an example of that I will be an leaders, and I will
Army's plan faithfulness to its example of show the spirit of
principles, advance to faithfulness to its Salvationism
the utmost of my ability principles, advance whether in times of
its operations, and to the utmost of my popularity or
never allow, where I can ability its persecution.
prevent it, any injury operations, and
to its interests, or never allow, where
hindrance to its I can prevent it,
success. any injury to its
interest, or
hindrance to its
success.
And I do here and I now call upon all
now call upon all present to witness
present to witness that I enter into
that I have entered this covenant and
And I do here and now into this sign these articles
call upon all present to undertaking and of war of my own
witness that I enter sign these Articles free will,
into this undertaking, of War of my own convinced that the
and sign these Articles free will, feeling love of Christ, who
of War of my own free that the love of died and now lives
will, feeling that the Christ, who died to to save me,
Solemn love of Christ, who died save me, requires requires from me
commitment to save me, requires from me this this devotion of my
from me this devotion of devotion of my life life to His service
my life to His Service to His service for for the salvation
for the Salvation of the the Salvation of of the whole world;
whole world, and the whole world, and therefore do
therefore wish now to be and therefore do here declare my
enrolled as a Soldier of here declare my full determination,
The Salvation Army. full determination, by God's help, to
by God's help, to be a true soldier
be a true soldier of The Salvation
of The Salvation Army.
Army till I die.
[Legal Opinions] (https://mathcs.clarku.edu/huxley/CE9/War.html)
[SOLDIER'S COVENANT] (https://www.salvationarmy.org/ihq/56C765982907E8E6802573B1004E4E37)
Some of the paragraphs of the 1966, and especially the 1952 version, are presented out of sequence. The entire text of each document is included here but their order matches that of the 2015 version to allow easy comparisons of the comparable clauses.
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