Athanasian Creed

1. Whosoever will be saved: before all things it is necessary that he hold the catholic faith:
2. Which faith except every one do keep whole and undefiled: without doubt he shall perish everlastingly.
3. And the catholic faith is this: That we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in unity;
4. Neither confounding the persons: nor dividing the substance.
5. For there is one person of the Father: another of the Son: and another of the Holy Spirit.
6. But the godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, is all one: the glory equal, the majesty coeternal.
7. Such as the Father is: such is the Son: and such is the Holy Spirit.
8. The Father uncreate: the Son uncreate: and the Holy Spirit uncreate.
9. The Father incomprehensible: the Son incomprehensible: and the Holy Spirit incomprehensible. The Father eternal: the Son eternal: and the Holy Spirit eternal.
11. And yet they are not three eternals: but one eternal.
12. As also there are not three uncreated: nor three incomprehensibles, but one uncreated: and one incomprehensible.
13. So likewise the Father is Almighty: the Son Almighty: and the Holy Spirit Almighty.
14. And yet they are not three Almighties: but one Almighty.
15. So the Father is God: the Son is God: and the Holy Spirit is God.
16. And yet they are not three Gods: but one God.
17. So likewise the Father is Lord: the Son Lord: and the Holy Spirit Lord.
18. And yet not three Lords: but one Lord
19. For like as we are compelled by the Christian verity: to acknowledge every person by himself to be God and Lord:
20. So are we forbidden by the catholic religion: to say, there be three Gods, or three Lords.
21. The Father is made of none: neither created, nor begotten.
22. The Son is of the Father alone: not made, nor created: but begotten.
23. The Holy Spirit is of the Father and of the Son: neither made, nor created, nor begotten: but proceeding.
24. So there is one Father, not three Fathers: one Son, not three Sons: one Holy Spirit, not three Holy Spirit.
25. And in this Trinity none is afore, or after another: none is greater, or less than another.
26. But the whole three Persons are coeternal, and coequal.
27. So that in all things, as aforesaid: the Unity in Trinity, and the Trinity in Unity, is to be worshiped.
28. He therefore that will be saved, must thus think of the Trinity.
29. Furthermore it is necessary to everlasting salvation: that he also believe rightly the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
30. For the right faith is, that we believe and confess: that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and Man;
31. God, of the Substance of the Father; begotten before the worlds: and Man, of the Substance of his mother, born in the world.
32. Perfect God: and perfect man, of a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting.
33. Equal to the Father, as touching his Godhead: and inferior to the Father as touching his manhood.
34. Who although he be God and man; yet he is not two, but one Christ.
35. One; not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh: but by taking of the manhood into God.
36. One altogether; not by confusion of substance: but by unity of person.
37. For as the reasonable soul and flesh is one man: so God and man is one Christ;
38. Who suffered for our salvation: descended into hell: rose again the third day from the dead.
39. He ascended into heaven, he sitteth on the right hand of the Father God Almighty.
40. Whence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
41. At whose coming all men shall rise again with their bodies;
42. And shall give account for their own works.
43. And they that have done good shall go into life everlasting: and they that have done evil, into everlasting fire.
44. This is the catholic faith: which except a man believe faithfully, he can not be saved.

1. Quicunque vult salvus esse: ante omnia opus est, ut teneat catholicam fidem.
2. Quam nisi quisque integram inviolatamque servaverit: absque dubio in æternum persbit.
3. Fides autem catholica hæc est: ut unum Deum in Trinitate, et Trinitatem in Unitate veneremmo;
4. Neque confundentes personas: neque substantiam separantes.
5. Alia est enim persona Patris: alia Filii: alia Spiritus Sancti.
6. Sed Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti una est divinitas: æqualis gloria, coæterna majestad.
7. Qualis Pater: talis Filius: talis [et] Spiritus Sanctus.
8. Increatus Pater: increatus Filius: increatus [et] Spiritus Sanctus..
9. Immensus Pater: immensus Filius: immensus [et] Spiritus Sanctus.
10. Æternus Pater: æternus Filius: æternus [et] Spiritus Sanctus.
11. Et tamen non tres œterni: sed unus æternus.
12. Sicut non tres increati: nec tres immensi: sed unus increatus: et unus immensus.
13. Similiter omnipotens Pater: omnipotent Filius: omnipotens [et] Spiritus Sanctus.
14. Et tamen non tres omnipotentes: sed unus omnipotens.
15. Ita deus Pater: deus Filius: deus [et] Spiritus Sanctus.
16. Et tamen non tres dii: sed unus est Deus.
17. Ita dominus Pater: dominus Filius: dominus [et] Spiritus Sanctus.
18. Et tamen non tres domini: sed unus [est] Dominus.
19. Quia sicut singulatim unamquamque personam Deum ac Dominum confiteri, christiana veritate compellimur:
20. Ita tres deos, aut [tres] dominos dicere, catholica religione prohibemur.
21. Pater a nullo est factus: nec creatus, nec genitus.
22. Filius a Patre solo est: non factus, nec creatus: sed genitus.
23. Spiritus Sanctus a Patre et Filio: non factus, nec creatus, nec genitus: sed procedens.
24. Unus ergo Pater, non tres patres: unus Filius, non tres filii: unus Spiritus Sanctus, non tres spiritus sancti.
25. Et in hac Trinitate nihil prius, aut posterius: nihil majus, aut minus.
26. Sed totœ tres personœ coæternœ sibi sunt, et coæquales.
27. Ita, ut per omnia, sicut jam supra dictum est: et Unitas in Trinitate, et Trinitas in Unitate, venerenda sit.
28. Qui vult ergo salvus esse, ita de Trinitate sentiat.
29. Sed necessarium est ad æternam salutem: ut incarnationem quoque Domini nostri Jesu Christi fideliter credat.
30. Est ergo fides recta, ut credamus et confiteamur: quod Dominus noster Jesus Christus Dei Filius, Deus [pariter] et homo est;
31. Deus [est] ex substantia Patris, ante secula genitus: et homo ex substantia matris, in seculo natus.
32. Perfectus Deus: perfectus homo, ex anima rationali et humana carne subsistens.
33. Aequalis Patri secundum divinitatem: minor Patre secundum humanitatem.
34. Qui licet Deus sit et homo; non duo tamen, sed unus est Christus.
35. Unus autem, non conversione divinitatis in carnem: sed assumptione humanitatis in Deum.
36. Unus omnino; non confusione substantiæ: sed unitate personœ.
37. Nam sicut anima rationalis et caro unus est homo: ita Deus et homo unus est Christus.
38.Qui passus est pro nostra salute: descendit ad inferos: tertia die resurrexit a mortuis.
39. Ascendit ad [in] cœlos: sedet ad dexteram [Dei] Patris [omnipotentis].
40. Inde venturus [est] judicare vivos et mortuos.
41. Ad cujus adventum omnes homines resurgere habent cum corporibus suis;
42. Et reddituri sunt de factis propriis rationem.
43. Et qui bona egerunt, ibunt in vitam æternam: qui vero mala, in ignem æternum.
44. Hæc est fides catholica: quam nisi quisque fideliter firmiterque crediderit, salvus esse non poterit.

Philip Schaff, The Creeds of Christendom, with a History and Critical Notes: The Greek and Latin Creeds, with Translations, vol. 2 (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1890), 66.

Subscribe to the Heidelblog today!