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The Christian Creeds: Athanasius' Creed

Apostles Creed
Nicene Creed

Introduction

A creed is an authoritative formulation of the chief articles of religious belief.

Athanasius' Creed

Latin text Denzinger 75; English text Book of Common Prayer 1992 p 44.

1 Quicumque vult salvus esse, ante omnia opus est ut teneat catholicam fidem:
Whoever will be saved: before all things it is necessary that he hold the Catholick faith.

2 Quam nisi quisque integram inviolatamque servaverit, absque dubio in aeternum peribit.
Which Faith, except everyone do keep whole and undefiled: without doubt he shall perish ever lastingly.

3 Fides autem cathoica haec est, ut unum Deum in Trinitate, et Trinitatem in unitate veneremur,
And the Catholick Faith is this: That we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity;

4 neque confundentes personas, neque substantiam separantes:
Neither confounding the persons: nor dividing the Substance.

5 alia est enim persona Patris, alia persona Filii, alia persona Spiritus Sancti;
For there is one Person of the Father, another of the Son: and another of the Holy Ghost.

6 sed Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti una est divinitas, aequalis gloria, coaeterna maiestas.
But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, is all one: the Glory equal, the Majesty coeternal.

7 Qualis Pater, talis Filius, talis et Spiritus Sanctus:
Such as the Father is, such is the Son: and such is the Holy Ghost.

8 increatus Pater, increatus Filius, increatus Spiritus Sanctus;
The Father uncreate, the Son uncreate: and the Holy Ghost uncreate.

9 immensus Pater, immensus Filius, immensus Spiritus Sanctus;
The Father incomprehensible, the Son incomprehensible: and the Holy Ghost incomprehensible.

10 aeternus Pater, aeternus Filius, aeternus Spiritus Sanctus;
The Father eternal, the Son eternal: and the Holy Ghost eternal.

11 et tamen non tres aeterni, sed unus aeternus;
And yet they are not three eternals: but one eternal.

12 sicut non est tres increati, nec tres immensi, sed unus increatus et usus immensus.
As also there are not three incomprehensibles, nor three uncreated: but one uncreated, and one incomprehensible.

13 Similiter omnipotens Pater, omnipotens Filius, omnipotes Spiritus Sanctus;
So likewise the Father is Almighty, the Son Almighty: and the Holy Ghost Almighty.

14 et tamen non tres omnipotentes, sed unus omnipotens.
And yet there are not three Almighties: but one Almighty.

15 Ita Deus Pater, Deus Filius, Deus Spiritus Sanctus;
So the Father is God, the Son is God: and the Holy Ghost is God.

16 et tamen non tres Dii, sed unus Deus.
And yet they are not three Gods: but one God

17 Ita Dominus Pater, Dominus Filius, Dominus Spiritus Sanctus;
So likewise the Father is Lord, the Son is Lord: and the Holy Ghost is Lord.

18 et tamen non tres Domini sed usus Dominus:
And yet not three Lords: but one Lord.

19 quia, sicut singillatim unumquamque personam et Deum ac Dominum confiteri christiana veritate compellimur,
For like as we are compelled by the Christian verity: to acknowledge every Person by himself to be God and Lord;

20 ita tres Deos aut Dominos dicere catholica religione prohibemur.
So we are forbidden by the Catholick Religion to say, There be three Gods or three Lords.

21 Pater a nullo est factus nec creatus nec genitus;
The Father is made of none: neither created, nor begotten.

22 Filius a Patre solo est, non factus nec creatus, sed genitus;
The Son is of the Father alone: not made, nor created, but begotten.

23 Spiritus a Patre et Filio, non factus nec creatus nec genitus, sed procedens.
The Holy Ghost is of the Father and of the Son: neither made, nor created, nor begotten but proceeding.

24 Unus ergo Pater, non tres Patres; unus Filius, non tres Filii; unus Spiritus Sanctus, non tres Spiritus Sancti.
So there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Ghost, not three Holy Ghosts.

25 Et in hac Trinitate nihil prius aut posterius, nihil maius aut minus,
And in this Trinity none is afore, or after another: none is greater, or less than another;

26 sed totae tres personae coaeternae sibi sunt coaequales.
But the whole three Persons are co-eternal together: and co-equal.

27 Ita ut per omnia, sicut iam supra dictum, et unitas in Trinitate et Trinitas in unitate veneranda sit.
So that in all things, as is aforesaid: the Unity in Trinity, and the Trinity in Unity is to be worshipped.

28 Qui vult ergo salvus esse, ita de Trinitate sentiat.
He therefore that will be saved: must thus think of the Trinity

29 Sed necessarium est ad aeternam salutem ut incarnationem quoque Domini nostri Iesu Christi fideliter credat.
Furthermore, it is necessary to everlasting salvation: that he also believe rightly the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ.

30 Est ergo fides recta, ut credamus et confiteamur, quia Dominus noster Iesus Christus Dei Filius et Deus pariter et homo est:
For the right Faith is, that we believe and confess: that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and Man;

31 Deus est ex substantia Patris ante saecula genitus, et homo est ex substantia matris in saeculo natus;
God, of the substance of the Father, begotten before the world: and Man, of the Substance of his Mother, born in the world;

32 perfectus Deus, perfectus homo; ex anima rationali et humana carne subsistens;
Perfect God, and perfect Man; of a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting;

33 aequalis Patri secundum divinitatem, minor Patre secundum humanitatem;
Equal to the Father, as touching to his Godhead; and inferior to the Father, as touching to his Manhood.

34 qui, licet Deus sit et homo, non duo tamen, sed unus est Christus;
Who although he be God and Man: yet he is not two, but one Christ;

35 unus autem non conversione divinitatis in carnem, sed assumptioned humanitatis in Deum;
One; not by converison of the Godhead into flesh: but by the taking of the Manhood into God;

36 unus omnino, non confusione substantiae, sed unitate personae.
One altogether; not by confusion of Substance: but by unity of Person.

37 Nam sicut anima rationalis et caro unus est homo, ita Deus et homo unus est Christus.
For as the reasonable soul and flesh is one man: so God and Man in one Christ;

38 Qui passus est pro salute nostra, descendit ad inferos, tertia die resurrexit a mortuis,
Who suffered for our salvation: descended into hell, rose again the third day from the dead.

39 ascendit ad caelos, sedet ad dexteram Patris, inde venturus est Iudicare vivos et mortuos.
He ascended into heaven, he sitteth at the right hand of the Father, God Almighty: from whence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

40 Ad cuius adventum omnes homines resurgere habent cum corporibus suis, et reddituri sunt de factis propriis rationem;
At whose coming all men shall rise again with their bodies: and shall give an account for their own works.

41 et qui bona egerunt, ibunt in vitam aeternam, qui vero mala, in ignem aeternum.
And they that have done good shall go into life everlasting: and they that have done evil into everlasting fire,

42 Haec est fides catholica: quam nisi quisque fideliter firmiterque crediderit, salvus esse not poterit.
This is the Catholick Faith: which except a man believe faithfully, he cannot be saved.

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