Athanasian Creed

Athanasian Creed

Whosoever wants to be saved, before all things it is
necessary that he hold the catholic faith.

Which faith except everyone 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 Ghost.
But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son and of the
Holy Ghost is all One, the Glory Equal, the Majesty
Co-Eternal. Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and
such is the Holy Ghost. The Father Uncreated, the
Son Uncreated, and the Holy Ghost Uncreated. The
Father Incomprehensible, the Son Incomprehensible,
and the Holy Ghost Incomprehensible. The Father
Eternal, the Son Eternal, and the Holy Ghost Eternal
and yet they are not Three Eternals but One Eternal.
As also there are not Three Uncreated, nor Three
Incomprehensibles, but One Uncreated, and One
Incomprehensible. So likewise the Father is
Almighty, the Son Almighty, and the Holy Ghost
Almighty. And yet they are not Three Almighties but
One Almighty.

So the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy
Ghost is God. And yet they are not Three Gods, but
One God. So likewise the Father is Lord, the Son
Lord, and the Holy Ghost Lord, and yet 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 be 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 Ghost
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 Ghost, not Three Holy
Ghosts. And in this Trinity none is afore or after
Other, None is greater or less than Another, but the
whole Three Persons are Co-eternal together, and
Co-equal. So that in all things, as is aforesaid, the
Unity is Trinity, and the Trinity is Unity is to be
worshiped. He therefore that wants to 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 the substance of His mother, born into 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 be God
and Man, yet He is not two, but One Christ. One, not
by conversion of the Godhead into Flesh, but by
taking of the 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
sitteth on the right hand of the Father, God
Almighty, from whence 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
for 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 and firmly, he cannot be saved.