Whosoever will be saved,
before all things, it is necessary that he holds the Catholic Faith, which
Faith except everyone does keep whole and undivided, 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 Spirit. But the
God-Head of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit is all One, the
Glory equal, the Majesty co-eternal.
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
incomprehensible, the Son incomprehensible and the Holy Spirit
incomprehensible.
The Father eternal, the
Son eternal and the Holy Spirit eternal.
And yet there are not
three eternals, but one eternal
As also there are not
three incomprehensibles, not three uncreated but one uncreated and one
incomprehensible
So likewise the Father is
Almighty, the Son Almighty and the Holy Spirit Almighty, and yet there are not
three Almighties but one Almighty.
So the Father is God, the
Son is God and the Holy Spirit is God; And yet there are not three Gods but One
God.
So likewise the Father is
Lord, the Son is Lord and the Holy Spirit is 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 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,
not created but begotten. The Holy Spirit 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 Spirit not three Holy
Spirits.
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 must be
saved must thus think of the Trinity
Furthermore, it is
necessary to everlasting salvation that he also believes rightly the
incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
For the right Faith is
that we believe and confess that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten 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 the 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 sits on the Right Hand of the Father
God Almighty 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 won 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, he cannot be saved
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