Athanasian Creed
1. Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary
that he hold the catholic faith;
2. Which faith except every one do keep whole and undefiled,
without doubt he shall perish everlastingly.
3. And the catholic faith is this: That we worship one God
in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity;
4. Neither confounding the persons nor dividing the substance.
5. For there is one person of the Father, another of the Son,
and another of the Holy Spirit.
6. But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy
Spirit is all one, the glory equal, the majesty coeternal.
7. Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the
Holy Spirit.
8. The Father uncreated, the Son uncreated, and the Holy Spirit
uncreated.
9. The Father incomprehensible, the Son incomprehensible,
and the Holy Spirit incomprehensible.
10. The Father eternal, the Son eternal, and the Holy Spirit
eternal.
11. And yet they are not three eternals but one eternal.
12. As also there are not three uncreated nor three incomprehensible,
but one uncreated and one incomprehensible.
13. So likewise the Father is almighty, the Son almighty,
and the Holy Spirit almighty.
14. And yet they are not three almighties, but one almighty.
15. So the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit
is God;
16. And yet they are not three Gods, but one God.
17. So likewise the Father is Lord, the Son Lord, and the
Holy Spirit Lord;
18. And yet they are not three Lords but one Lord.
19. For like as we are compelled by the Christian verity to
acknowledge every Person by himself to be God and Lord;
20. So are we forbidden by the catholic religion to say; There
are three Gods or three Lords.
21. The Father is made of none, neither created nor begotten.
22. The Son is of the Father alone; not made nor created,
but begotten.
23. The Holy Spirit is of the Father and of the Son; neither
made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding.
24. So there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not
three Sons; one Holy Spirit, not three Holy Spirits.
25. And in this Trinity none is afore or after another; none
is greater or less than another.
26. But the whole three persons are coeternal, and coequal.
27. So that in all things, as aforesaid, the Unity in Trinity
and the Trinity in Unity is to be worshipped.
28. He therefore that will be saved must thus think of the
Trinity.
29. Furthermore it is necessary to everlasting salvation that
he also believe rightly the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
30. For the right faith is that we believe and confess that
our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and man.
31. God of the substance of the Father, begotten before the
worlds; and man of substance of His mother, born in the world.
32. Perfect God and perfect man, of a reasonable soul and
human flesh subsisting.
33. Equal to the Father as touching His Godhead, and inferior
to the Father as touching His manhood.
34. Who, although He is God and man, yet He is not two, but
one Christ.
35. One, not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh, but
by taking of that manhood into God.
36. One altogether, not by confusion of substance, but by
unity of person.
37. For as the reasonable soul and flesh is one man, so God
and man is one Christ;
38. Who suffered for our salvation, descended into hell, rose
again the third day from the dead;
39. He ascended into heaven, He sits on the right hand of
the Father, God, Almighty;
40. From thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
41. At whose coming all men shall rise again with their bodies;
42. and shall give account of their own works.
43. And they that have done good shall go into life everlasting
and they that have done evil into everlasting fire.
44. This is the catholic faith, which except a man believe
faithfully he cannot be saved. |