The Text of the Athanasian Creed
Whosoever will 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 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
they are not three eternals, but one Eternal.
As also there are not three incomprehensibles, nor three uncreated, 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 not three lords, but one Lord.
For as we are compelled by the Christian verity to acknowledge each Person
by Himself to be both God and Lord, so we are also forbidden by the catholic
religion to say that 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, 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 the Trinity none is before or after another; none is greater or less
than another, but all three Persons are co-eternal together and co-equal. So
that in all things, as is aforesaid, the Unity in Trinity and the Trinity in
Unity is to be worshipped.
He therefore that will be saved is must think thus 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 rational 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 rational 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 at the right hand of the Father, God Almighty, from whence He
will come to judge the quick and the dead. At His coming all men will 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, he
cannot be saved.
