VOLUNTARY Works besides, over, and above, God's Commandments, which they call Works of Supererogation, cannot be taught without arrogancy and impiety: for by them men do declare, that they do not only render unto God as much as they are bound to do, but that they do more for his sake, than of bounden duty is required: whereas Christ saith plainly, When ye have done all that are commanded to you, say, We are unprofitable servants.
You can serve God with all your heart. Or you can become a monk. I think this is what the Article is popping at. Such works of 'over and above' (supererogation) add nothing. You either do your serving, your good works, in Christ or you don't. You can't add a bit more to end up a bit more saved. Even as I write that its stupidity is apparent.
Recently on Ash Wednesday I found myself discussing the difference between those who pray on the street corners to demonstrate their holiness (condemned by Jesus) and those of us who go out with an ash cross on our foreheads (hopefully to lead people to ask 'why' rather than to demonstrate our superiority). Shortly afterwards I was embroiled in a discussion about which, of two churches, was making the bigger financial sacrifice currently.
We can all fall into the Pharisee/tax collector trap of thanking God that we are not like others and the conversation from which we then need to extract ourselves is rarely edifying.
Thank God for Jesus, as Cranmer didn't quite say. The rest is response, in gratitude and in Christ.
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