THREE
CATHOLIC
CREEDS
The
Athanasian Creed
[QUICUNQUE VULT]
- Whosoever will be saved,
before all things it is necessary that he hold the Catholic
[Apostolic/Universal]
Faith, which except everyone shall have kept whole and undefiled,
without
doubt he will perish eternally.
- Now the Catholic Faith
is this: 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, another of the Holy Spirit. But the
Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, is One, the
Glory equal, the Majesty coeternal.
- 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 infinite, the
Son infinite, and the Holy Spirit infinite; the Father eternal, the Son
eternal, and the Holy Spirit eternal. And yet not three eternals but
one
eternal, as also not three infinites, nor three uncreated, but one
uncreated,
and one infinite. So, likewise, the Father is almighty, the Son
almighty,
and the Holy Spirit almighty; and yet not three almighties but one
almighty.
- So the Father is God,
the Son God, and the Holy Spirit God; and yet not three Gods but one
God.
So the Father is Lord, the Son Lord, and the Holy Spirit Lord; and yet
not three Lords but one Lord. For like as we are compelled by Christian
truth to acknowledge every Person by Himself to be both God and Lord;
so
are we forbidden by the Catholic 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 Spirit is of the Father and the
Son, not made nor created nor begotten but proceeding. So there is one
Father not three Fathers, one Son not three Sons, and Holy Spirit not
three
Holy Spirits. And in this Trinity there is nothing before or after,
nothing
greater or less, but the whole three Persons are coeternal together and
coequal.
- So that in all things,
as is aforesaid, the Trinity in Unity and the Unity in Trinity is to be
worshipped. He therefore who wills to be in a state of salvation, let
him
think thus of the Trinity.
- But it is necessary
to eternal salvation that he also believe faithfully the Incarnation of
our Lord Jesus Christ. The right faith therefore is that we believe and
confess that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and Man.
- He is God of the substance
of the Father begotten before the worlds, and He is man of the
substance
of His mother born in the world; perfect God, perfect man subsisting of
a reasoning soul and human flesh; equal to the Father as touching His
Godhead,
inferior to the Father as touching His Manhood.
- Who although He be God
and Man yet He is not two but one Christ; one however not by conversion
of the GodHead in the flesh, but by taking of the Manhood in God; one
altogether
not by confusion of substance but by unity of Person. For as the
reasoning
soul and flesh is one man, so God and Man is one Christ.
- Who suffered for our
salvation, descended into hell, rose again from the dead, ascended into
heaven, sits at the right hand of the Father, from whence 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 for their own works. And they
that have done good shall go into life eternal, and they who indeed
have
done evil into eternal fire.
- This is the Catholic
faith, which except a man shall have believed faithfully and firmly he
cannot be in a state of salvation.
The
Apostle's Creed
I believe in God
the Father Almighty, Creator of
Heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ,
His only Son, our
Lord Who was conceived by
the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary, suffered
under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into
Hell; the third day He
arose again from
the dead; He ascended into
Heaven and is seated
at the right hand of God
the Father Almighty,
from thence He shall come
to judge the living
and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Holy Catholic
Church, the Communion
of Saints, the forgiveness
of sins, the resurrection
of the body, and
life everlasting. Amen.
The
Nicene Creed
I believe in
one God, the Father Almighty,
maker of Heaven
and earth and of all things
visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus
Christ, the only
begotten Son of God, begotten
of his Father before
all ages, God of God,
Light of Light,
true God of true God, begotten,
not made, consubstantial
with the
Father, by Whom
all things were made; Who
for us men and for
our salvation, came down
from Heaven, and
was Incarnate by the Holy
Spirit of the Virgin
Mary and was made Man;
He was crucified
also for us under Pontius
Pilate, and was
buried. And the
third day He rose
again according to the
Scriptures, and
ascended into Heaven. He
sitteth at the right
hand of the Father: and He shall
come again with
glory to judge the living
and the dead: and
His kingdom shall have no end.
And in the Holy
Ghost, the Lord and
Giver of life, Who
proceedeth from the Father and
the Son, Who, together
with the Father and the Son,
is adored and glorified:
Who spoke by the
prophets. And I
believe in one holy Catholic and
apostolic Church.
I confess one Baptism
for the remission
of sins. And I expect the resurrection
of the dead, and
the life of the world to come.
Amen.
VIEW THE FULL IMAGE WITH ST.
ATHANASIUS
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