THE CREED OF ATHANASIUS - SYMBOLVM ATHANASIS - MARCH 2022

DÜRER, Albrecht 
The Adoration of the Trinity (detail) 
1511

Whosoever will be saved: it is needful before all things, that he hold the Catholic faith.

The which unless each one shall keep whole: and inviolate: he shall without doubt eternally perish. 

And this is the Catholic faith, that we worship one God in Trinity: Trinity in unity.

Neither confounding the persons: nor yet separating the substance.

For there is one person of the Father, another of the Son, another of the Holy Ghost.

But the Godhead of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost is one: equal glory, coeternal majesty.

Such as the Father is, such is the Son: such is the Holy Ghost.

The Father increate, the Son increate, the Holy Ghost increate. 

The Father immeasurable, the Son immeasurable: the Holy Ghost immeasurable.

The Father eternal, the Son eternal: the Holy Ghost eternal.

And yet not three eternals: but one eternal.

Like as there are not three increate, nor three immeasurable, but one increate, & one immeasurable.

Even so the Father almighty, the Son almighty: the Holy Ghost almighty.

And yet there is not three Gods, but there is one God. 

So the Father is Lord, the Son Lord: & the Holy Ghost Lord.

And yet there is not three Gods, but there is one God.

So the Father is Lord, the Son Lord: the Holy Ghost Lord.

And yet there are not three Lords, but there is one Lord.

For that even as we are compelled by Christian verity to acknowledge each person severally to be God, & Lord: even so we are forbidden by Catholic religion to say there are three Gods or Lords. 

The Father is made of none: neither created, nor begotten.

The Son is of the Father alone: neither made nor created, but begotten. 

The Holy Ghost of the Father, & the Son: not made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding. 

There is therefore one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Ghost, not three Holy Ghosts.

And  yet in this Trinity nothing is before, nor after, nothing greater or lesser: but the whole three persons are coeternal, and coequal.

So as throughout all, as is above said: the unity in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity is to be must be worshiped.

He therefore that will be saved: let him so think of the Trinity. 

But necessary it is unto eternal salvation: that he faithfully believe the incarnation also of our Lord Jesus Christ, the son 

The right faith therefore is, that we believe and confess: that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and man. 

God he is of the substance of the Father begotten before all worlds: & man of the substance of his mother born in the world.

Perfect God, & Perfect man: of a reasonable soul, and human flesh subsisting.

Equal to the Father according to his Godhead, less than the Father according to manhood.

Who although he be God and man, yet not two, but he is one Christ.

One not by the conversion of Godhead into flesh: but by taking of manhood into God. 

One altogether not by confusion of substance: but by unity of person. 

For like 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, sitteth at the right hand of God the Father almighty: from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

At whose coming all men are to rise with their bodies: & are to render accompt of their own deeds.

And they which have done good, shall go into life everlasting: but they which have done evil, into everlasting fire.

This is the Catholic faith, which unless everyone shall faithfully and firmly believe, he cannot be saved.

Translated into English 1599

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