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APPENDIX.
THE ATHANASIAN CREED.
Lest any of our readers may think that the theological
system of the old Christian Church has not been presented fairly in the
preceding pages, we append here an exact copy of the Athanasian Creed,—the
dogmatic foundation of the Protestant as well as the Catholic Church, wherein
God is divided into three different persons, and our Lord Jesus Christ into two
different natures: one of these Divine, the other still remaining merely human.
"Whoever 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 Ghost But
the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost is all one: the
glory equal, the majesty coeternal. 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 there 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 there are not three almighties, but one
almighty. So the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Ghost is God, And
yet there are not three Gods, but one God. So likewise the Father is the 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 we are forbidden by the Catholic religion to
say there be three Gods and 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 the other; none is greater or less
than another. But the whole three persons are coeternal together, and coequal.
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 Cod, 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 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 ever lasting, and they that have done evil into everlasting fire.
This is the Catholic faith which, except a man believe faithfully, he cannot be
saved. Glory be to the Father, and to the Soli, and to the Holy Ghost, As it was
in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be world without end. Amen."
(Copied from Schaff's "History of the Christian
Church," #132, and McClintock and Strong's "Cyclopedia," Vol. I, p.560)
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