Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary
that he hold the catholic faith; Which faith except every one 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 Spirit. But the Godhead 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 they are not three eternals but one eternal. As also
there are not three uncreated nor three incomprehensible, but one
uncreated and one incomprehensible. So likewise the Father is
almighty, the Son almighty, and the Holy Spirit almighty. And
yet they are not three almighties, but one almighty. So the
Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God; And
yet they are not three Gods, but one God. So likewise the
Father is Lord, the Son Lord, and the Holy Spirit Lord; And yet
they are 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 are 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 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 another; none is greater or
less than another. But the whole three persons are co-eternal,
and coequal. So that in all things, as aforesaid, the Unity in
Trinity and the Trinity in Unity is to be worshiped. 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 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 is God and man, yet He is not two,
but one Christ. One, not by conversion of the Godhead into
flesh, but by taking of that 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 sits on
the right hand of the Father, God, Almighty; From thence 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
of 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 he cannot be saved.
Amen.
May God bless all who read my ramblings,
Adopt A Catholic Blog
No comments:
Post a Comment