The Athanasian Creed
Introduction
Although St. Athanasius
(293-373 A.D.) did not write this Creed, as it does not date
back further than the 6th century, it is named after that
champion of orthodoxy against Arianism. It originated in
the Western Church and is not recognized by the Eastern Church
today. Apart from the opening and closing sentences, this “symbol” (another name for a creed)
consists of two parts: the doctrine of the Trinity (3-28) and
the doctrine of Christ’s Incarnation and two natures
(29-43).
- “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
co-eternal.
- 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 there 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 Spirit
almighty;
- And yet there 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 truth to acknowledge
every
person by himself
to be God and Lord;
- So we are
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 Spirit’s.
- And in this Trinity
none is afore, or
after another;
none is
greater,
or less than another.
- But the whole three persons are
co-eternal, and co-equal.
- So that in all things, as said before,
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 the 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 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 sits on
the right hand
of the Father,
God Almighty;
- From
there He shall come to judge
the living
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.”
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