|
What man soever he be that,
salvation will attain,
the Catholic belief he must
before all things retain:
Which faith unless he wholly keep
and undefiledly:
Without all doubt eternally,
he shall be sure to die.
The Catholic belief is this,
that God we worship one:
In Trinity, and Trinity
in unity alone.
So as we neither do confound
the persons of the three.
Nor yet the substance whole of one,
in sunder parted be:
One person of the Father is,
an other of the Son:
An other person proper of
the holy Ghost alone.
Of Father, Son and holy Ghost,
but one the Godhead is:
Like glory coeternal eke,
the majesty likewise.
Such as the Father is, such is
the Son in each degree
And such also we do believe
the holy Ghost to be.
Uncreate is the Father and
uncreate is the Son:
The holy Ghost uncreate, so
uncreate is each one.
Incomprehensible Father is,
incomprehensible Son:
And comprehensible also is
the holy Ghost of none.
The father is eternal, and
the son eternal so:
And in like sort eternal is
the holy Ghost also.
And yet though we believe that each
of these eternals be;
Yet there but one eternal is,
and not eternals three.
As ne incomprehensible we
ne yet uncreate three.
But one incomprehensible, one
uncreate hold to be.
Almighty so the Father is,
the Son almighty so:
And in like sort almighty is
the holy Ghost also.
And albeit that every one,
of these almighty be:
Yet there but one almighty is,
and not almighties three.
The Father God is, God the Son,
God holy Ghost also:
Yet there are not three Gods in all
But one God and no mo’e:
So likewise Lord the Father is,
and Lord also the Son,
And Lord the holy Ghost,
yet are there not three Lords but one.
For as we are compelled to grant
by Christian verity:
Each of the persons by himself,
both God and Lord to be.
So Catholic Religion,
forbiddeth us alway,
That either Gods be three, or that
there Lords be three to say.
Of none the Father is, ne made,
ne create nor begot,
the Son is of the Father, not
create, ne made, but got.
The holy Ghost is of them both
the Father and the Son:
Ne made, ne create, nor begot,
but doth proceed alone.
|
So we one Father hold, not three,
one Son also not three:
One holy Ghost alone, and not
three holy Ghosts to be.
None in this Trinity before,
nor after other is:
Not greater any than the rest,
ne lesser be likewise.
But every one among themselves,
of all the persons three,
Together coeternal all,
and all coequal be:
So unity in Trinity,
as said it is before,
And Trinity in unity,
in all things we adore.
Therefore what man soever that
salvation will attain:
This faith touching the Trinity,
of force we must retain.
And needful to eternal life,
it is that every wight
Of the incarnating of Christ
our Lord believe aright.
For this the right faith is, that we
believe and eke do know,
That Christ our Lord the Son of God,
is God and man also:
God of his Father’s substance, got
before the world began,
And of his mother’s substance, born
in world a very man.
Both perfect God and perfect man,
in one, one Jesus Christ,
That doth of reasonable soul,
and humane flesh subsist,
Touching his Godhead, equal with
his Father God is he,
Touching his manhood, lower than
his Father in degree.
Who though he be both very God,
and very man also:
Yet is he but one Christ alone,
and is not persons two.
One not by turning of Godhead,
into the flesh of man:
But by taking manhood to God,
this being one began.
All one, not by confounding of
the substance into one,
But only by the unity,
that is one person.
For as the reasonable soul,
and flesh, but one man is:
So in one person God and man,
is but one Christ likewise.
Who suffered for to save us all,
to hell he did descend:
The third day rose again from death,
to heaven he did ascend.
He sits at the right hand of God,
the Almighty Father there.
From thence to judge the quick and dead,
again he shall retire.
At whose return all men shall rise,
with bodies new restored:
And of their own works they shall give
account unto the Lord.
And they into eternal life
shall go, that have done well:
Who have done ill shall go into
eternal fire to dwell.
This is the Catholic belief,
who doth not faithfully
Believe the same, without all doubt,
he saved cannot be.
To Father, Fon, and holy Ghost,
all glory be therefore:
As in beginning was, is now,
and shall be evermore.
|
