The Athanasian Creed is a statement of Christian doctrine traditionally ascribed to St. Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria, who lived in the fourth century A.D. |
The Athanasian Creed is a statement of Christian doctrine traditionally ascribed to St. Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria, who lived in the fourth century A.D. |
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#Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the catholic faith; #Which faith except every one do keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly. #And the catholic faith is this: That we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; #Neither confounding the persons nor dividing the substance. #For there is one person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Spirit. #But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit is all one, the glory equal, the majesty coeternal. #Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Spirit. #The Father uncreated, the Son uncreated, and the Holy Spirit uncreated. #The Father incomprehensible, the Son incomprehensible, and the Holy Spirit incomprehensible. #The Father eternal, the Son eternal, and the Holy Spirit eternal. #And yet they are not three eternals but one eternal. #As also there are not three uncreated nor three incomprehensible, but one uncreated and one incomprehensible. #So likewise the Father is almighty, the Son almighty, and the Holy Spirit almighty. #And yet they are not three almighties, but one almighty. #So the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God; #And yet they are not three Gods, but one God. #So likewise the Father is Lord, the Son Lord, and the Holy Spirit Lord; #And yet they are not three Lords but one Lord. #For like as we are compelled by the Christian verity to acknowledge every Person by himself to be God and Lord; #So are we forbidden by the catholic religion to say; There are three Gods or three Lords. #The Father is made of none, neither created nor begotten. #The Son is of the Father alone; not made nor created, but begotten. #The Holy Spirit is of the Father and of the Son; neither made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding. #So there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Spirit, not three Holy Spirits. #And in this Trinity none is afore or after another; none is greater or less than another. #But the whole three persons are coeternal, and coequal. #So that in all things, as aforesaid, the Unity in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity is to be worshipped. #He therefore that will be saved must thus think of the Trinity. #Furthermore it is necessary to everlasting salvation that he also believe rightly the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. #For the right faith is that we believe and confess that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and man. #God of the substance of the Father, begotten before the worlds; and man of substance of His mother, born in the world. #Perfect God and perfect man, of a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting. #Equal to the Father as touching His Godhead, and inferior to the Father as touching His manhood. #Who, although He is God and man, yet He is not two, but one Christ. #One, not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh, but by taking of that manhood into God. #One altogether, not by confusion of substance, but by unity of person. #For as the reasonable soul and flesh is one man, so God and man is one Christ; #Who suffered for our salvation, descended into hell, rose again the third day from the dead; #He ascended into heaven, He sits on the right hand of the Father, God, Almighty; #From thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead. #At whose coming all men shall rise again with their bodies; #and shall give account of their own works. #And they that have done good shall go into life everlasting and they that have done evil into everlasting fire. #This is the catholic faith, which except a man believe faithfully he cannot be saved. |