|
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 eternal.
And yet they
are not three eternals, but one eternal.
As also there
are not three incomprehensibles, nor three uncreated, but one uncreated,
and one incomprehensible.
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 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, 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 in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity
is to be worshipped.
He therefore
that will be saved is must think thus 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 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 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 at the right hand of the Father, God Almighty,
from whence he will come to judge the quick and the dead.
At whose
coming all men will 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, he cannot be
saved. |