Athanasian Creed:
For use at Morning Prayer upon these Feasts:
Christmas Day, the Epiphany, Saint Matthias, Easter Day, Ascension Day, Whitsunday, Saint John Baptist, Saint James, Saint Bartholomew, Saint Matthew, Saint Simon and Saint Jude, Saint Andrew, and upon Trinity Sunday, shall be sung or said at Morning Prayer, instead of the Apostles' Creed, this Confession of our Christian Faith, commonly called the Creed of Athanasius, by the Minister and people standing.
Quicunque vult
WHOSOEVER will be saved : before all things it is necessary that he hold the Catholick Faith.
Which Faith except every one do keep whole and undefiled : without doubt he shall perish
everlastingly.
And the Catholick 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 Ghost.
But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, is all one : the Glory equal,
the Majesty co-eternal.
Such as the Father is, such is the Son : and such is the Holy Ghost.
The Father uncreate, the Son uncreate : and the Holy Ghost uncreate.
The Father incomprehensible, the Son incomprehensible : and the Holy Ghost
incomprehensible.
The Father eternal, the Son eternal : and the Holy Ghost 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 Ghost Almighty.
And yet they are not three Almighties : but one Almighty.
So the Father is God, the Son is God : and the Holy Ghost is God.
And yet they are not three Gods : but one God.
So likewise the Father is Lord, the Son Lord : and the Holy Ghost Lord.
And yet not three Lords : but one Lord.
For like as we are compelled by the Christian verity to acknowledge every Person by himself
to be both God and Lord;
So are we forbidden by the Catholick Religion : to say, There be 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 Ghost 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
Ghost, not three Holy Ghosts.
And in this Trinity none is afore, or after other : none is greater, or less than another;
But the whole 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 : 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 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 be 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 sitteth at the right hand of the Father, God Almighty : from
whence he will come to judge the quick and the dead.
At whose 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 Catholick Faith : which except a man believe faithfully, he cannot be saved.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son: and to the Holy Ghost;.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and every shall be: world without end. Amen.
About the Athanasian Creed:
The Athanasian Creed
Damned if you don't
Article originally printed in Cross†Way Summer 2004 No.93
You could be excused for forgetting that the Church of England receives and believes three Creeds. The third, the Athanasian Creed, has been virtually erased from most churches and dropped from modern liturgy books (except of course An English Prayer Book - Church Society/OUP 1994).
This third creed has faced many problems. First, because, despite its name it has long been accepted that it does not seem to have been produced by Athanasius. Secondly, it is rather too long and even when all churches used the Book of Common Prayer (BCP) most did not use the Athanasian Creed on the 13 Sundays which the rubrics require. Thirdly, it is too definite in its pronouncements and finally because of its language of damnation.
This third creed has faced many problems. First, because, despite its name it has long been accepted that it does not seem to have been produced by Athanasius. Secondly, it is rather too long and even when all churches used the Book of Common Prayer (BCP) most did not use the Athanasian Creed on the 13 Sundays which the rubrics require. Thirdly, it is too definite in its pronouncements and finally because of its language of damnation.
This last problem, surrounding the statements made about salvation, is a major stumbling block and not simply to theological liberals.
At the beginning, twice in the middle and once at the end the Creed makes assertions of what it is necessary to believe in order to be saved. If we assert that salvation comes through faith in Christ alone then surely this Creed is going too far. It seems to be saying that unless you hold particular
views about particular doctrines, such as the Trinity, then you cannot be saved. This seems to make our knowledge rather than Christ the grounds of our salvation.
The problem is compounded by the fact that the Creed seems to require us to accept truths which are far more detailed than we read straight from the pages of Scripture. How can we expect to say that we fully accept and believe what is said in this Creed? Should we send all enquirers to do a
theology degree in order that they can fully hold this faith?
One solution to this problem is to draw attention to the fact the Creed does not say that we must believe this faith, but rather that we must hold it. C.S. Lewis no less in his introduction to a translation of Athansius' Incarnation of the Word sought to defend the statement:
The operative word is keep; not acquire, or even believe, but keep. The author, in fact, is not talking about unbelievers, but about deserters, not about those who have never heard of Christ, nor even those who have misunderstood and refused to accept him, but of those who having really
understood and really believed, then allow themselves, under the sway of sloth or of fashion or any other invited confusion to be drawn away into sub-Christian modes of thought. They are a warning against the curious modern assumption that all changes of belief however brought about, are necessarily exempt from blame.
The problem with this position is that the Creed does in fact use the word believe, twice. The difficult clauses from the BCP translation are as follows:
WHOSOEVER will be saved : before all things it is necessary that he hold the Catholick Faith. He therefore that will be saved : 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.
This is the Catholick Faith : which except a man believe faithfully, he cannot be saved.
A further argument that has been advanced concerns translation. Our BCP is based on a Latin text. The argument is that this particular Latin text was a translation of a Greek text by people who thought that the Greek was original (Athanasius wrote in Greek) whereas it appears that the oldest
form of the Creed was in fact Latin, a different Latin version. Confused? I have not been able to confirm the details of this argument. Nevertheless, it does not help greatly since as Anglicans we have been bold to affirm that this Creed 'may be proved from by most certain warrants of holy
Scripture'. Is Article 8 wrong? Should we change it?
Saving faith
The Creed is certainly difficult at first sight but it is worth reflecting on the nature of saving faith. Reformed Christians has always distinguished three dimensions to saving faith; Knowledge (noticia), Assent (assensus) and Fiducia (faith=trust).
These three aspects of faith are illustrated in John chapter 14. There we find Jesus speaking to His disciples about who He is. That is, He is speaking about the facts of our faith, the knowledge that underlies saving faith. Jesus then asks Philip directly if he believes this (Jn 14.10). This is when knowledge becomes personal. I as an individual must own these facts; I must assent to them. But Jesus begins the discourse by telling the disciples, do not be troubled, 'believe also in me'. Some modern translations do render this 'trust also in me'. This is where saving faith goes beyond mere assent, it involves us actually casting ourself on the Saviour, clinging to Him as the sole grounds of salvation. It is a relationship of trust and dependence, like little children (Mk 10.15).
Saving faith is only saving faith when it is owned and turns into a real relationship of trust and dependence. But underlying it is a bedrock of facts. Sadly, there are people who believe it is possible to have faith without facts. Faith becomes some abstract virtue, the opposite of doubt, but they would see the attempt to tie faith to facts as a contradiction. This is not biblical faith. True saving faith is based on facts.
The Creeds are concerned primarily with knowledge. In liturgical useage they are to be assented to (for which reason the 'I believe' format is far more appropriate) but they are first and foremost statements of the grounds of our faith.
The act of believing is simple, it involves assent and trusting in Christ. But should the facts of our faith also be plain and simple. Do the Creeds actually create a barrier to real faith? Consider one of the key facts with which the Lord Jesus confronted Philip. Do you not believe that I am in the
Father, and the Father in Me?
If Jesus said this to you would you assent to it? If not then you do not truly believe in Him. But if you do assent to it, can you say that you really understand it? Certainly you can say the words, you might even have a decent shot at explaining it, but do you really understand its depths? We accept its truth because this is what Jesus actually taught and demonstrated. But, surely we can do no more than scratch the surface of what this incredible truth means, and yet, if this statement were not
true our faith would be futile, built on sand. More importantly for our purpose if we refuse to believe and hold onto this truth, no matter how much beyond our understanding it may be, our salvation actually crumbles. It was for this reason that Athansius and others fought hard to uphold the Nicene Creed and indeed the truths which are reflected in the Creed that bears Athansius' name.
true our faith would be futile, built on sand. More importantly for our purpose if we refuse to believe and hold onto this truth, no matter how much beyond our understanding it may be, our salvation actually crumbles. It was for this reason that Athansius and others fought hard to uphold the Nicene Creed and indeed the truths which are reflected in the Creed that bears Athansius' name.
Trinity
What does it mean to say Jesus is in the Father and the Father in Him? The Scriptures reveal and the church came to accept and to teach that the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are one, and yet distinct. The first half of the Athanasian Creed sets this out in elaborate (almost painful) detail. It
is possible to fall from this path in many places.
Some err by asserting that Christ is not divine. This makes Christianity idolatrous as many have accused it of being. But also it means that Jesus is simply one of us, He is no more able to save than we are. He could be a good example (but, since in this case he had decieved people, he would
not be a very good example). He could certainly not be the Saviour.
not be a very good example). He could certainly not be the Saviour.
Or, suppose you assert that there are three deities; three Gods called Father, Son and Spirit. (This is Arianism.) If this were so, how can the Son be the Saviour? The Saviour must be one with the Father because 'none other could create anew the likeness of God's image for me except the Image of the Father, none could render the mortal immortal except the Lord Jesus Christ who is Life itself' (Athanasius : The Incarnation 20.1)
Suppose, in contrast, you assert that God is One and that the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, are merely manifestations of the One God. (There are many variations on this theme including Monarchianism and Sabellianism.) This view makes a mockery of the language of scripture and
was condemned in the early Church because it means that God suffered and died on the cross. But it also presents us with a God who we cannot truly know because He is first one thing and then another. Each encounter is with a character, a persona, not with the real thing. Moreover, the love
of the Father for the Son becomes simply love of self.
The Athanasian Creed teaches forcefully and at great length that we worship one God in three Persons.
Two naturesWhat are we then to conclude about Jesus, if He is truly divine, the Son of God, in what way is He human? This is dealt with in the second half of the Athanasian Creed.
If Jesus is not human at all then how can He save us? Since He cannot represent us, He is not the second Adam. If Jesus is human and divine in what way do the human and divine come together in Him?
Perhaps the eternal Son takes over and replaces part of the human being in the union. The chief theory in this camp being that the divine mind replaced the human one (Appolinarianism). But the resulting being is less than human, He is not one of us. How can the divine mind have truly known
temptation? He cannot save us. Moreover, this view encourages people to think that the human mind is not important in salvation.
A further view is that in the incarnation the divine and human nature become merely one nature (Eutychianism). However, this means that salvation does not involve the saving of human nature, but its destruction. This view rears its head in many forms of mysticism both ancient and modern.
Through this minefield the Athanasian Creed treads upholding that there is in Christ 'perfect God, and perfect Man', 'yet he is not two, but one Christ.'
The only Saviour
The argument of the Christians in the early centuries was that all these alternative views were not just inadequate, but that they were contrary to Scripture and that they changed the nature and fact of salvation. Therefore, to assert some of the alternatives is to actually trust in a being who is not able to save and, in fact, does not exist.
The argument of the Christians in the early centuries was that all these alternative views were not just inadequate, but that they were contrary to Scripture and that they changed the nature and fact of salvation. Therefore, to assert some of the alternatives is to actually trust in a being who is not able to save and, in fact, does not exist.
If the Lord Jesus Christ is not God, the eternal Son of God, fully man and fully divine, as the catholic faith asserts Him to be, then He is not able to save us. To deny and to turn away from this truth is therefore to deny the very grounds of our salvation and so we cannot be saved.
Therefore, although the language of the Creed is strong and perhaps unpalatable to modern Christians, the Creeds reminds us of truths which we must not forget; we can only be saved because our faith rests on a Saviour who is able to save; the Lord Jesus Christ who is in the Father,
and the Father in Him.
The Athanasian Creed
This creed is named after Athanasius (A.D. 293-373), the champion of orthodoxy against Arian attacks on the doctrine of the trinity. Although Athanasius did not write this creed and it is improperly named after him, the name persists because until the seventeenth century it was commonly ascribed to him. It is not from Greek (Eastern), but from Latin (Western) origin, and is not recognized by the Eastern Orthodox Church today. Apart from the opening and closing sentences, this creed consists of two parts, the first setting forth the orthodox doctrine of the trinity, and the second dealing chiefly with the incarnation and the two-natures doctrine. The translation above was adopted by the CRC Synod of 1988.
One of the symbols of the Faith approved by the Church and given a place in her liturgy, is a short, clear exposition of the doctrines of the Trinity and the Incarnation, with a passing reference to several other dogmas. Unlike most of the other creeds, or symbols, it deals almost exclusively with these two fundamental truths, which it states and restates in terse and varied forms so as to bring out unmistakably the trinity of the Persons of God, and the twofold nature in the one Divine Person of Jesus Christ. At various points the author calls attention to the penalty incurred by those who refuse to accept any of the articles therein set down.
About the Creed
This creed takes its name from Athanasius, the great theologian of the fourth century who defended Trinitarian teaching. However, the creed’s origin is uncertain, and many scholars believe that it comes from the fifth or sixth centuries because of its Western character. The Athanasian Creed expresses two essential elements of Christian teaching: that God's Son and the Holy Spirit are of one being with the Father; and that Jesus Christ is true God and a true human being in one person. Traditionally it is considered the "Trinitarian Creed." In many congregations it is read aloud in corporate worship on Trinity Sunday, the Sunday after Pentecost.
ATHANASIAN CREED
This creed is named after St. Athanasius, a staunch defender of the Christian faith in the fourth century. It was prepared to assist the Church in combating two errors that undermined Bible teaching. One error denied that God's Son and the Holy Spirit are of one being or Godhead with the Father. The other error denied that Jesus Christ is true God and true man in one person. The Athanasian Creed continues to serve the Christian Church as a standard of the truth. It declares that whoever rejects the doctrine of the Trinity and the doctrine of Christ is without the saving faith.
Link: http://www.wels.net/what-we-believe/statements-beliefs/athanasian-creed
The Athanasian Creed is traditionally ascribed to Saint Athanasius (296-373), from whom it takes its name. (It is also called the "Quicumque," which is the first word of the creed in Latin.) Like other creeds, such as the Apostles' Creed, it is a profession of the Christian faith; but it is also a full-fledged theology lesson, which is why it is the longest of the standard Christian creeds.
Saint Athanasius spent his life combating the Arian heresy, which denied the divinity of Christ by denying that there are three Persons in one God. Thus, the Athanasian Creed is very much concerned with the doctrine of the Trinity. Traditionally, it has been recited in churches on Trinity Sunday, the Sunday after Pentecost Sunday, though it is rarely read today.
Reading the Athanasian Creed privately or with your family is a good way to bring the celebration of Trinity Sunday home and to gain a deeper understanding of the mystery of the Blessed Trinity.
Link: http://catholicism.about.com/od/beliefsteachings/qt/Athanasia_Creed.htm
Athanasian Creed:
Link: http://www.wels.net/what-we-believe/statements-beliefs/athanasian-creed
The Athanasian Creed
Quicumque: A Profession of Faith
By Scott P. RichertThe Athanasian Creed is traditionally ascribed to Saint Athanasius (296-373), from whom it takes its name. (It is also called the "Quicumque," which is the first word of the creed in Latin.) Like other creeds, such as the Apostles' Creed, it is a profession of the Christian faith; but it is also a full-fledged theology lesson, which is why it is the longest of the standard Christian creeds.
Saint Athanasius spent his life combating the Arian heresy, which denied the divinity of Christ by denying that there are three Persons in one God. Thus, the Athanasian Creed is very much concerned with the doctrine of the Trinity. Traditionally, it has been recited in churches on Trinity Sunday, the Sunday after Pentecost Sunday, though it is rarely read today.
Reading the Athanasian Creed privately or with your family is a good way to bring the celebration of Trinity Sunday home and to gain a deeper understanding of the mystery of the Blessed Trinity.
Link: http://catholicism.about.com/od/beliefsteachings/qt/Athanasia_Creed.htm
Athanasian Creed:
History
The origin of the Athanasian Creed is unknown. As the name suggests, the Creed was originally ascribed to Athanasius—the great “father of Nicene orthodoxy”—as early as the ninth century. However, since the seventeenth century, the document has been regarded as conclusively non- Athanasian for several reasons:
- Athanasius never mentioned the Creed anywhere in his writings.
- The councils of Constantinople (381), Ephesus (431), and Chalcedon (451) do not refer to the document.
- Athanasius died in 373, so it is very likely that it would have been written before then.
Because it was original attributed to Athanasius, the Athanasian Creed had considerable influence. The Creed was used by the Lutheran Churches and and many of the Reformed Churches, and was mentioned in the Augsburg Confession, the Formula of Concord, the Thirty- nine Articles, the Second Helvetic Confession, the Belgic Confession, and the Bohemian Confession (Philip Schaff, Creeds of Christendom).
According to Martin Luther (Works). the Athanasian Creed was “the most important and glorious composition since the days of the apostles.” However, it must also be noted that this Creed never achieved ecumenical status as the Greek Church rejected its assertion of the double procession of the spirit (filioque).
Content
The Athanasian Creed consists of forty-four articles, which are divided into three parts. The first part is about the doctrine of the Trinity, while the second defends a Chalcedonian Christology. The third part of the Creed consists of a set of damnatory clauses, asserting that any who will be saved must adhere to the teachings of the Creed.
The Athanasian Creed reads like a summary of the first four ecumenical councils (Nicaea, Constantinople, Ephesus, and Chalcedon).
This creed is an example of how the church, throughout history, has a concern for the great truths of the faith.
Regarding the Trinity, the Athanasian Creed sets out a strict metaphysical formula that leaves no room for any subordination of the Son to the Father or the Holy Spirit to either the Father or the Son. The Creed makes use of the language of “person” in a way that avoids Sabellianism on the one hand and Tritheism on the other.
The Athanasian Creed avoids Apollinarianism by stating that Christ has a rational soul, and sets forth the relationship between the human and divine nature of Christ in such a way as to avoid Nestorianism, Eutychianism, and Monophysitism.
It is likely that the Athanasian Creed was originally intended to be set to music, making it an impressive teaching tool for new converts. During the Middle Ages it is likely that this Creed was used almost daily in morning devotions among those in the Latin Church.
Contemporary Relevance
A statement like the Athanasian Creed should cause us to consider how robust our own denominational or church-based statements of faith are or are not. This creed is an example of how the church, throughout history, has a concern for the great truths of the faith. The Athanasian Creed was not merely an add-on to the appendix of a church constitution. Instead, the church connected the theology of the Creed to the daily life of faith. As such, the Athanasian Creed provides us with a beautiful example of the interplay between theology and worship.
Athanasian Creed (500 A.D.)
This creed is attributed to Athanasius, the fourth century bishop of Alexandria who was the strongest defender of the doctrines of the Trinity and the divinity of Christ. It defines the doctrines of the Trinity and the nature of Christ in very concise language.
Please note that the term "catholic" with the lower case 'c' is not a reference to the Roman Catholic Church, but is a reference to the universal Christian faith, since that is how the term was originally used.
Quicumque
Athanasian Creed
The Athanasian Creed, also know as the "Quicumque vult", was formerly recited at the office of Prime on Sundays. It is one of the four authoritative Creeds of the Catholic Church. The Anglican Church and some Protestant Churches also hold it to be authoritative. While the Creed has always been attributed to St. Athanasius (d 373 AD), it was unknown in the Eastern Churches until the 12th century and thus it is unlikely he is the author. St. Ambrose is one suggested author, but many authors have been proposed with no conclusive agreements reached. Current theory suggests it was composed in southern France in the 5th century. In 1940, the lost 'Excerpta' of St. Vincent of Lerins (flourished in 440: "quod ubique, quod semper, quod ab omnibus creditum est") was discovered, and this work contains much of the language of the Creed. Thus, either St. Vincent, or an admirer have been suggested as the author. The earliest known copy of the creed was included in a prefix to a collection of homilies by Caesarius of Arles (died 542).
Link: http://www.creeds.net/ancient/Quicumque.html
Project Canterbury
The "Damnatory Clauses" of the Athanasian Creed Rationally Explained In a Letter to the Right Hon. W. E. Gladstone, M.P.
By the Rev. Malcolm MacColl, M.A.Rector of St. George, Botolph Lane, with St. Botolph by Billingsgate
London: Rivingtons, 1872.
See the full text of the letter at the site below:
Letter text site link: http://anglicanhistory.org/scotland/maccoll/athanasian1872.html
Latin Version
Latin Version
S. ATHANASIUS / SYMBOLON QUICUMQUE
Quicumque vult salvus esse, ante omnia opus est, ut teneat catholicam fidem:
Quam nisi quisque integram inviolatamque servaverit, absque dubio in aeternam peribit.
Fides autem catholica haec est: ut unum Deum in Trinitate, et Trinitatem in unitate veneremur.
Neque confundentes personas, neque substantiam seperantes.
Alia est enim persona Patris alia Filii, alia Spiritus Sancti:
Sed Patris, et Fili, et Spiritus Sancti una est divinitas, aequalis gloria, coeterna maiestas.
Qualis Pater, talis Filius, talis Spiritus Sanctus. Increatus Pater, increatus Filius, increatus Spiritus Sanctus.
Immensus Pater, immensus Filius, immensus Spiritus Sanctus.
Aeternus Pater, aeternus Filius, aeternus Spiritus Sanctus.
Et tamen non tres aeterni, sed unus aeternus.
Sicut non tres increati, nec tres immensi, sed unus increatus, et unus immensus.
Similiter omnipotens Pater, omnipotens Filius, omnipotens Spiritus Sanctus.
Et tamen non tres omnipotentes, sed unus omnipotens.
Ita Deus Pater, Deus Filius, Deus Spiritus Sanctus.
Et tamen non tres dii, sed unus est Deus.
Ita Dominus Pater, Dominus Filius, Dominus Spiritus Sanctus.
Et tamen non tres Domini, sed unus est Dominus.
Quia, sicut singillatim unamquamque personam Deum ac Dominum confiteri christiana veritate compelimur: ita tres Deos aut Dominos dicere catholica religione prohibemur.
Pater a nullo est factus: nec creatus, nec genitus.
Filius a Patre solo est: non factus, nec creatus, sed genitus.
Spiritus Sanctus a Patre et Filio: non factus, nec creatus, nec genitus, sed procedens.
Unus ergo Pater, non tres Patres: unus Filius, non tres Filii: unus Spiritus Sanctus, non tres Spiritus Sancti.
Et in hac Trinitate nihil prius aut posterius, nihil maius aut minus: sed totae tres personae coaeternae sibi sunt et coaequales.
Ita ut per omnia, sicut iam supra dictum est, et unitas in Trinitate, et Trinitas in unitate veneranda sit.
Qui vult ergo salvus esse, ita de Trinitate sentiat.
Sed necessarium est ad aeternam salutem, ut incarnationem quoque Domini nostri Iesu Christi fideliter credat.
Est ergo fides recta ut credamus et confiteamur, quia Dominus noster Iesus Christus, Dei Filius, Deus et homo est.
Deus est ex substantia Patris ante saecula genitus: et homo est ex substantia matris in saeculo natus.
Perfectus Deus, perfectus homo: ex anima rationali et humana carne subsistens.
Aequalis Patri secundum divinitatem: minor Patre secundum humanitatem.
Qui licet Deus sit et homo, non duo tamen, sed unus est Christus.
Unus autem non conversione divinitatis in carnem, sed assumptione humanitatis in Deum.
Unus omnino, non confusione substantiae, sed unitate personae.
Nam sicut anima rationalis et caro unus est homo: ita Deus et homo unus est Christus.
Qui passus est pro salute nostra: descendit ad inferos: tertia die resurrexit a mortuis.
Ascendit ad caelos, sedet ad dexteram Dei Patris omnipotentis: inde venturus est iudicare vivos et mortuos.
Ad cuius adventum omnes homines resurgere habent cum corporibus suis: et reddituri sunt de factis propriis rationem.
Et qui bona egerunt, ibunt in vitam aeternam: qui vero mala, in ignem aeternum.
Haec est fides catholica, quam nisi quisque fideliter firmiterque crediderit, salvus esse non poterit. Amen.
Quam nisi quisque integram inviolatamque servaverit, absque dubio in aeternam peribit.
Fides autem catholica haec est: ut unum Deum in Trinitate, et Trinitatem in unitate veneremur.
Neque confundentes personas, neque substantiam seperantes.
Alia est enim persona Patris alia Filii, alia Spiritus Sancti:
Sed Patris, et Fili, et Spiritus Sancti una est divinitas, aequalis gloria, coeterna maiestas.
Qualis Pater, talis Filius, talis Spiritus Sanctus. Increatus Pater, increatus Filius, increatus Spiritus Sanctus.
Immensus Pater, immensus Filius, immensus Spiritus Sanctus.
Aeternus Pater, aeternus Filius, aeternus Spiritus Sanctus.
Et tamen non tres aeterni, sed unus aeternus.
Sicut non tres increati, nec tres immensi, sed unus increatus, et unus immensus.
Similiter omnipotens Pater, omnipotens Filius, omnipotens Spiritus Sanctus.
Et tamen non tres omnipotentes, sed unus omnipotens.
Ita Deus Pater, Deus Filius, Deus Spiritus Sanctus.
Et tamen non tres dii, sed unus est Deus.
Ita Dominus Pater, Dominus Filius, Dominus Spiritus Sanctus.
Et tamen non tres Domini, sed unus est Dominus.
Quia, sicut singillatim unamquamque personam Deum ac Dominum confiteri christiana veritate compelimur: ita tres Deos aut Dominos dicere catholica religione prohibemur.
Pater a nullo est factus: nec creatus, nec genitus.
Filius a Patre solo est: non factus, nec creatus, sed genitus.
Spiritus Sanctus a Patre et Filio: non factus, nec creatus, nec genitus, sed procedens.
Unus ergo Pater, non tres Patres: unus Filius, non tres Filii: unus Spiritus Sanctus, non tres Spiritus Sancti.
Et in hac Trinitate nihil prius aut posterius, nihil maius aut minus: sed totae tres personae coaeternae sibi sunt et coaequales.
Ita ut per omnia, sicut iam supra dictum est, et unitas in Trinitate, et Trinitas in unitate veneranda sit.
Qui vult ergo salvus esse, ita de Trinitate sentiat.
Sed necessarium est ad aeternam salutem, ut incarnationem quoque Domini nostri Iesu Christi fideliter credat.
Est ergo fides recta ut credamus et confiteamur, quia Dominus noster Iesus Christus, Dei Filius, Deus et homo est.
Deus est ex substantia Patris ante saecula genitus: et homo est ex substantia matris in saeculo natus.
Perfectus Deus, perfectus homo: ex anima rationali et humana carne subsistens.
Aequalis Patri secundum divinitatem: minor Patre secundum humanitatem.
Qui licet Deus sit et homo, non duo tamen, sed unus est Christus.
Unus autem non conversione divinitatis in carnem, sed assumptione humanitatis in Deum.
Unus omnino, non confusione substantiae, sed unitate personae.
Nam sicut anima rationalis et caro unus est homo: ita Deus et homo unus est Christus.
Qui passus est pro salute nostra: descendit ad inferos: tertia die resurrexit a mortuis.
Ascendit ad caelos, sedet ad dexteram Dei Patris omnipotentis: inde venturus est iudicare vivos et mortuos.
Ad cuius adventum omnes homines resurgere habent cum corporibus suis: et reddituri sunt de factis propriis rationem.
Et qui bona egerunt, ibunt in vitam aeternam: qui vero mala, in ignem aeternum.
Haec est fides catholica, quam nisi quisque fideliter firmiterque crediderit, salvus esse non poterit. Amen.
Latin Creed link: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/quicumque.asp
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