Whosoever 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 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 Etneral and yet they are not Three
Eternals but One Eternal. As also there are not Three Uncreated, nor Three
Incomprehensibles, but One Uncreated, and One Uncomprehensible. 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 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 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 is Trinity, and the Trinity is 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 into 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 everlasting, and they that have done evil into
everlasting fire. This is the Catholic Faith, which except a man believe
faithfully and firmly, he cannot be saved.
