(An Extract from the Anglican 'Book of Common Prayer')
Note: (1) The word 'Catholick' (or catholic) refers to the Christ's Universal Church (the whole or entire church) not to the Roman Catholic church].
This is one of many versions. The interested reader may wish to pursue an independent study of its history, sources, and relevance to Christian orthodoxy and also it acceptance and use in the church today.
WHOSOEVER will be saved : before all things it is necessary that
he hold the Catholick Faith.
Which Faith except every one do keep
whole and undefiled : without doubt he shall perish everlastingly.
And the Catholick 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 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 : 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 both God and Lord;
So are we forbidden by the
Catholick 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 think thus 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 at the right
hand of the Father, God Almighty : from whence he will come to judge
the quick and the dead.
At whose coming all men will 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 Catholick
Faith : which except a man believe faithfully, he cannot be saved.