A Hymn to the Triune God

The Athanasian Creed

Whoever desires to be saved

must, above all,

hold the catholic faith.

Whoever does not keep it

whole and undefiled

will without doubt perish eternally.

And the catholic faith is this,

that we worship one God in Trinity

and Trinity in Unity,

neither confusing the persons

nor dividing the substance.

The Trinity in Unity

For the Father is one person,

the Son is another,

and the Holy Spirit is another.

But the Godhead of the Father

and of the Son

and of the Holy Spirit

is one:

the glory equal, the majesty coeternal.

Such as the Father is,

such is the Son,

and such is the Holy Spirit:

the Father uncreated,

the Son uncreated,

the Holy Spirit uncreated;

the Father infinite,

the Son infinite,

the Holy Spirit infinite;

the Father eternal,

the Son eternal,

the Holy Spirit eternal.

And yet there are not three Eternals, but one Eternal,

just as there are not three Uncreated or three Infinites,

but one Uncreated and one Infinite.

In the same way,

the Father is almighty,

the Son almighty,

the Holy Spirit almighty;

and yet there are not three Almighties, but one Almighty.

So the Father is God,

the Son is God,

the Holy Spirit is God;

and yet there are not three Gods, but one God.

So the Father is Lord,

the Son is Lord,

the Holy Spirit is Lord;

and yet there are not three Lords, but one Lord.

The Unity in Trinity

Just as we are compelled by the Christian truth

to acknowledge each distinct person as God and Lord,

so also are we prohibited by the catholic religion

to say that there are three Gods or Lords.

The Father is not made nor created

nor begotten by anyone.

The Son is neither made nor created,

but begotten of the Father alone.

The Holy Spirit is of the Father and of the Son,

neither made nor created nor begotten,

but proceeding.

Thus, 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 before or after another;

none is greater or less than another;

but the whole three persons

are coeternal with each other and coequal,

so that in all things, as has been stated above,

the Trinity in Unity

and Unity in Trinity

is to be worshiped.

Therefore, whoever desires to be saved

must think thus about the Trinity.

The Incarnation of Our Lord

But it is also necessary for everlasting salvation

that one faithfully believe the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, it is the right faith that we believe and confess

that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God,

is at the same time both God and man.

He is God, begotten from the substance of the Father before all ages;

and He is man, born from the substance of His mother in this age:

perfect God and perfect man,

composed of a rational soul and human flesh;

equal to the Father with respect to His divinity,

less than the Father with respect to His humanity.

Although He is God and man,

He is not two, but one Christ:

one, however, not by the conversion of the divinity into flesh,

but by the assumption of the humanity into God;

one altogether,

not by confusion of substance,

but by unity of person.

For as the rational soul and flesh is one man,

so God and man is one Christ,

The Atonement

who suffered for our salvation,

descended into hell,

rose again the third day from the dead,

ascended into heaven,

and is seated at the right hand of the Father, God Almighty,

from whence He will come to judge the living and the dead.

The Judgement

At His coming all people will rise again with their bodies

and give an account concerning their own deeds.

And those who have done good will enter into eternal life,

and those who have done evil into eternal fire.

This is the catholic faith;

whoever does not believe it faithfully and firmly

cannot be saved.