QUICUNQUE VULT, Commonly called the Creed of Saint Athanasius

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 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 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 the Trinity none is afore, or after another:		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 thus think 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 Humanity.
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 the 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 on the right hand of the Father, God Almighty:		from whence he shall come to judge the quick 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 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 ever shall be:
world without end.
Amen.

John C. G. Sturdy

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Last modified: Wed Jul 25 23:25:35 IST 2007