Quicumque vult &c. Athanatius.
Who
so wylbe saued muste kepe before all other thynge.
The Catholycke & cōmune fayth that of the trueth doeth sprynge.
Which fayth vnlesse a man do kepe whole and vndefiled:
No doubt he shall for euer more perishe and be dampned.
And the fayth catholycke is this, that we worshippe truly;
One God in three persons & the same three in vnitie.
And that neither confoundynge the persons makynge them one
Nor yet diuidyng the substaunce that is but one alone.
For the father and sonne are two distynct persons in dede:
And frō thē boeth ye holy goste is also diuided.
Yet of these three persons ther is but one diuinitie:
Equale glorie & in lyke sorte eternal maiestie.
For loke what one the father is, the sonne is of that sorte:
And right so is the holy goste, the authour of conforte.
The father is increate & was neuer made certayne:
No more was sonne nor holy goste that togither do reygne.
The father is immense and can neuer be measured:
So are the sonne & holy goste immense, not conteyned.
The father is eternall and had neuer begynynge:
So are the sonne and holye goste and shall haue no endynge.
Yet are there not three eternall, wyth outen begynnynge:
But only one eternall God, that shall haue no endynge.
Euen as there be not three vnmade, nor three vnmeasured:
But one God that was neuer made and one vnconteyned.
In lyke maner the father is euermore almightie.
So are the sonne and holye goste in theyr diuinitie.
Yet are ther not three in substaunce that be omnipotent:
But one only almyghtie God that hath the regiment.
The father is God and so is his only sōne also
Wyth the holy goste, yet not three, but one God and no moe.
So is euerie one of them Lorde by hym selfe alone:
Yet are they not three Lordes I saye, they are all three but one.
For as trueth causeth vs to calle eche persone God and Lorde:
So to calle thē three goddes or lordes, doeth not ther wyth accorde.
The father hath not bene made nor created of any:
Neyther begotte at any tyme the trueth to testifie.
The only sonne of the father, commeth frō hym only:
Not made neither created but begote eternally.
And from the father and the sonne, the holy goste doeth springe
Not made, create, neither begote, but only procedynge.
One father and not three therfore, we acknowledge to be:
One sonne and eke one holy goste, we cōfesse and not three.
And in this holy trinitie, ther is no thynge in dede:
That in tyme is more auncient, or else that doeth succede.
There is nothynge greater or lesse, but the three persons all:
Are of lyke tyme and are also emonge them selues equale.
So that in all poyntes (as is sayde) boeth one in trinitie:
And also three muste be worshypt in one sole vnitie.
Whoso euer therfore wyll be saued eternally,
Let not the same fayle for to thyncke thus of the trinitie.
It is also necessarie vnto saluation:
That he beleue most stedfastly, Christes incarnation.
The vpright fayth therfore, is to beleue and to confesse.
That our Lorde Iesu Christe, goddes sonne, is God and man doubtlesse.
God of hys fathers substaunce and gote ere the worlde began:
And borne in the worlde he is of his mothers substaūce, man.
He is perfect God in substaunce, so is he perfect man
Consistynge of a reasonable soule and of flesh humane.
He is equale wyth hys father touchynge diuinitie
But hys fathers inferiour in hys humanitie.
Who though he be boeth God and man, yet is he neuer twayne:
But one only Lorde Iesus Christ, boeth God and man certayne.
One not by turnynge the godheade into mans vile nature.
But by takeynge humanitie vnto the godheade pure.
In conclusion he is one, not by confution:
Of the substaunce, but by the vnitie of the persone.
For as the reasonable soule and, flesh are one man only:
So is God & man but one Christ, the trueth to testifie.
Who suffryng for our health went downe to the sprites infernall:
And the thyrde daye he rose agayne from emonge dead men all.
He went vp to heauens and sytteth at his fathers ryght hande:
Whense he shall come to iudge boeth quicke and deade by sea and lande.
At whose comeynge all men muste rise agayne in theyr bodies:
And geue a compt of theyr owne dedes, and that in moste strayte wyse.
And suche as haue done well shall go into lyfe eternall:
But the euell doars shall into eternall fyer fall.
This is the commune fayth which muste be firmely beleued:
Of all suche men as certenly do truste to be saued.
Glorie be to God the father, the sonne and holy goste:
As hath bene, is, and eke shalbe, tyll mynde of tyme be loste.
