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 Uncreated, nor Three Incomprehensibles, but One Uncreated, and One Uncomprehensible. 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 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, 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 into 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 and firmly, he cannot be saved.

Amen.

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18 COMMENTS

  1. i am a true catholic who would lay his life for the lord.it dosnt take a genius to figure out jesus was . is . and will allways be.do good and fear being thrown into hell fire and most of all fear god.as every word spoken shall be acounted for.

  2. i do think one can there either way catholic or not but one thing i want to thank Catholics is the uncompetitive faith even in the hardest of times but the true love for their catholic ways…..stick to that no matter how people twist their understanding of the bible to turn religion, faith into a gamble to assume that GOD is bribe able. He’s NOT but will look at the inner you not the outer you…Thank everyone for reading……………Am catholic and have practiced almost 4 different religions so i still think Catholism if not tripped by the changing religious waves will remain one of the right ways….Join hands and Pray For Southern Sudan. Amen

  3. Our ageless and timeless faith. Good to hear it once more. This was as far back as 4th century AD, when the first heresy which denied the divinity of Christ reigned. It necessitated the calling of a council where the great saint and soldier of the faith Athanasius formulated the doctrine as the summit of our Catholic faith, this was accepted by the bishops. Striking to know that these words have not in any way fettered down about 1600 years later. In the words of Christ, ‘The gates of hell cannot prevail against the Church’.

  4. It is too bad that so few Catholics know their own history. In this case, the history of the various creeds. (There are m; any.) The primary ones that provide guidance for relatively uneducated Catholics began with the apostle’s Creed followed by the Nicene Creed, which was a refined Apostle’s Creed. I realize that the PC amongst us will complain against the realities of God’s; The CATHOLIC CHURCH…NONE OTHER! Those that were created by MAN, are obviously NOT “of God”…Where do you want to place your trust???

  5. St. Athanasius rocks! Definitely a man who held firm to his Faith. If you haven’t read it, his text “Life of Antony” is amazing.

  6. While this old and true statement is not “Politically Correct” by todays standards, the truth must be told. Jesus wanted us to be one as He and the Father are one and that is why He left the One True Catholic Faith from the Apostles. There is no other way. So as a simple little person once said to me….The Pope?, Isn’t he the Pope for everyone?? Exactly, I said and thought this unchaticised simple person knows the truth why can’t we all? My Faith also, so grateful and humble to have it.

  7. I am proud to be a Catholic, where once I was lead away for a short time, crisis hit my life and I needed comfort and strength…I returned to my roots stronger and more faithful then when I had left. I saw so much in such a short time away from my Church that I was so happy and thankful to be back.

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