The Athanasian Creed

¶ COMMONWEALTH EDITION (CE): On Christmas Day, the Epiphany, Easter Day, Ascension Day, Whitsunday, Saint Matthias, the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist, Saint James, Saint Bartholomew, Saint Matthew, Saints Simon and Jude, Saint Andrew, and on Trinity Sunday, the Athanasian Creed is sung or said at Morning Prayer, instead of the Apostles’ Creed, all standing. On these days, the Athanasian Creed is omitted in the recitation of Prime.

¶ NORTH AMERICAN EDITION (NAE): The Athanasian Creed may be said in place of the Apostles’ Creed on Trinity Sunday, at Morning or Evening Prayer, and on other occasions, as appropriate.

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 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 there 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 there are not three Almighties :

but one Almighty.

So the Father is God, the Son is God :

and the Holy Ghost is God.

And yet there 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 God and Lord;

So we are 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 :

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 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 on the right hand of the Father, God Almighty :

from whence 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 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.

Glory be the Father, and to the Son :

and to the Holy Ghost;

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be :

world without end. Amen.

WHOSOEVER would be saved * needeth before all things to hold fast the Catholic Faith.

Which Faith except a man keep whole and undefiled, * without doubt he will perish eternally.

NOW the Catholic Faith is this, * that we worship one God in Trinity, and the Trinity in Unity;

Neither confusing the Persons, * nor dividing the Substance.

For there is one Person of the Father, another of the Son, * another of the Holy Ghost;

But the Godhead of the Father, and 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 uncreated, the Son uncreated, * the Holy Ghost uncreated;

The Father infinite, the Son infinite, * the Holy Ghost infinite;

The Father eternal, the Son eternal, * the Holy Ghost eternal;

And yet there are not three eternals, * but one eternal;

As also there are not three uncreated, nor three infinites, * but one infinite, and one uncreated.

So likewise the Father is almighty, the Son almighty, * the Holy Ghost almighty;

And yet there are not three almighties, * but one almighty.

So the Father is God, the Son God, * the Holy Ghost God;

And yet there are not three Gods, * but one God.

So the Father is Lord, the Son Lord, * the Holy Ghost Lord;

And yet there are not three Lords, * but one Lord.

For like as we are compelled by the Christian verity * to confess each Person by himself to be both God and Lord;

So are we forbidden by the Catholic Religion to speak of three Gods or three Lords.

The Father is made of none, * nor created, nor begotten.

The Son is of the Father alone; * not made, nor created, but begotten.

The Holy Ghost is of the Father and the Son; * not made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding.

There is therefore one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; * one Holy Ghost, not three Holy Ghosts.

And in this Trinity there is no before or after, * no greater or less;

But all three Persons are co-eternal together, * and co-equal.

So that in all ways, as is aforesaid, * both the Trinity is to be worshipped in Unity, and the Unity in Trinity.

He therefore that would be saved let him thus think of the Trinity.

FURTHERMORE it is necessary to eternal salvation, * that he also believe faithfully the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Now the right Faith is that we believe and confess * that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is both God and Man.

He is God, of the Substance of the Father, begotten before the worlds; * and he is Man, of the Substance of his Mother, born in the world;

Perfect God; * perfect Man, of reasoning soul and human flesh subsisting;

Equal to the Father as touching his Godhead; * less than the Father as touching his Manhood.

Who although he be God and Man, * yet he is not two, but is one Christ;

One, however, not by conversion of Godhead into flesh, * but by taking Manhood into God;

One altogether; * not by confusion of Substance, but by unity of Person.

For as reasoning soul and flesh is one man, * so God and Man is one Christ;

Who suffered for our salvation, * descended into hell, rose again from the dead;

Ascended into heaven, sat down at the right hand of the Father, * from whence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

At whose coming all men must rise again with their bodies, * and shall give account for their own deeds.

And they that have done good will go into life eternal; * they that have done evil into eternal fire.

THIS is the Catholic Faith, * which except a man do faithfully and steadfastly believe, he cannot be saved.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Ghost;

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, * world without end. Amen.