The Christian Religion Expressed, Part 1
The Ancient CREED.
I Believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of Heaven and Earth: And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate, was Crucified, dead and buried, he descended into Hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into Heaven, and sittteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty, from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy Catholick Church, the Communion of Saints: the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting, Amen.
I Believe in one God the Father▪ Almighty, maker of Heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible; and in one Lord Iesus Christ the only begotten Son of God, begotten of his Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made: who for us men, and for our salvation came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the holy Ghost of the virgin Mary, and was made man, and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried, and the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of the Father; And he shall come again with glory to judge both the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end And I believe in the holy Ghost, the Lord and giver of life, who proceedeth from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified, who spake by the Prophets. And I believe one Catholike and Apostolike Church; I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins. And I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
WHosoever will be saved: before all things, it is necessary that he hold the Catholike faith.
Which faith except every one do keep wholly and undefiled: without doubt he shall perish everlastingly.
And the Catholike 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 coeternal.
Such as the Father is, such is the Son: & 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 be 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, & 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 be compelled by the Christian verity, to acknowledge every person by himself to be God and Lord.
So are we forbidden by the Catholike 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 then another.
But the whole three persons be coeternal together, and coequal.
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 in 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 humane flesh subsisting.
Equal to the Father as touching his Godhead: and inferiour to the Father 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, and sitteth one 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 Catholike faith: which except a man believe faithfully, he cannot be saved.
The ten Commandments, Exod. 20.
GOD spake all these words, saying, I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in Heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; Thou shalt not bow down thy self to them, nor serve them; for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquities of the Fathers upon the children, unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy: six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work; but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God; in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattel, nor the stranger that is within thy gates: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day; wherefore the Lord blessed the Seventh day and hallowed it.
Honour thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
Thou shalt not kill.
Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Thou shat not steal.
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy Neighbour.
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbours house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbours wife, nor his man-servant, nor his maid-servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbours.
The Lords Prayer, Mat. 6.
OUR Father which art in Heaven, hallowed be thy Name: Thy Kingdom come: Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven: Give us this day our daily bread: And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors; And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil; for thine is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory, for ever, Amen.