THE ANTHANASIAN CREED
- Whoever wishes to be saved * must before all else adhere to the Catholic Faith.
- He must preserve this faith whole and untarnished * otherwise he shall most certainly perish forever.
- Now this is the Catholic Faith * that we worship one God in Trinty, and Trinity in Unity.
- Neither confusing the Persons * nor distinguishing the nature.
- The person of the Father is distinct; the person of the Son is distinct; * the person of the Holy Spirit is distinct.
- Yet the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit posses one Godhead, * equal glory and co-eternal majesty.
- As the Father is, so is the Son, * so also is the Holy Spirit
- The Father is uncreated, the Son is uncreated, * the Holy Spirit is uncreated.
- The Father is infinite, the Son is infinite, * the Holy Spirit is infinite.
- The Father is eternal, the Son is eternal, * the Holy Spirit is eternal.
- Nevertheless, they are not three eternals, * but one eternal.
- Even as they are not three uncreateds, or three infinites. * but one Uncreated and one Infinite.
- So likewise the Father is almighty, the Son is almighty, * the Holy Spirit is almighty.
- And yet they are not three almighties, * but one almighty.
- So also the Father is God, the Son is God, * the Holy Spirit is God.
- And yet they are not three Gods, * but one God.
- So too the Father is Lord, the Son is Lord, * the Holy Spirit is Lord.
- And still there are not three Lords, * but only one Lord.
- For just as we are compelled by Christian truth to profess that each Person is individually God and Lord, *
so also are we forbidden by the Catholic religion to hold that there are three Gods or three Lords.
- The Father was made by no one, * being neither created nor begotten.
- The Son is from the Father alone, * though not created or made, but begotten.
- The Holy Spirit is from the Father and the Son, * though neither made or created nor begotten, but proceeding.
- Consequently there is one Father, not three Fathers; there is one Son, not three Sons; *
there is one Holy Spirit, not three Holy Spirits.
- Futhermore, in this Trinity there is no "before" or "after", no "greater" or "less": * for all three Persons are co-eternal and co-equal.
- In every respect, therefore, as has already been stated. * unity must be worshipped in Trinity and Trinity in unity.
- This is what everyone who wishes to be saved * must hold regarding the Blessed Trinty.
- But for his eternal Salvation, * he must also believe according to the true faith in the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
- Now the true faith requires us to believe and acknowledge * that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God is both God and Man.
- He is God, begotten of the substance of the Father before the world began; * He is Man, born in the world of the substance of His Mother.
- Perfect God, perfect Man. * a substance composed of a rational soul and a human body.
- Equal to the Father in divinity, * less than the Father with respect to His humanity.
- And although He is God and Man, *still He is only one Christ, not two.
- One, not by any turning of the divinity into flesh. * but by the taking up of humanity into God,
- One only, not by any confusion of substance, * but by the unity of His person.
- For just as the rational soul and the body from one man. * so God and Man from one Christ.
- He suffered for our salvation, descended into hell, rose from the dead on the third day,
Ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father all-powerful, * whence He shall come to judge the living
and the dead.
- At his coming, all men must rise with their bodies * and must give an account of their own deeds.
- And those who have done good shall go into eternal life, * while those who have done evil shall go into eternal fire.
- This is the Catholic faith, * and anyone who does not believe it fully and firmly cannot be saved.
- Glory be to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, world with out end. Amen
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