On Trinity Sunday I worshiped at Holy Trinity Anglican Church where the Athanasian Creed was part of the liturgy. While the Apostles’ and Nicene Creeds are commonly used in worship the Athanasian Creed is not. It is included in the Book of Common Prayer where it is to be used at Festivals and some Holy Days, about once a month. I must admit that this was the first time I have experienced it in Sunday worship.

It was compiled in Southern Gaul 420-450 and introduced in England around 900. It not only affirms and defines the doctrine of the Trinity and the union of Divine and human natures in our Lord, but it also contradicts and excludes certain heretical opinions of the time when it was composed. “Every proposition is a record of some battlefield, on which the faith has been assaulted, but finally is maintained, ascertained and cleared.” (Samuel Wilberforce). “Not a phrase that is used is new: each phrase has been tested in the long fight and has been found needful to protect some portion of the truth. Almost every section is the tombstone of a buried error.” (Armitage Robinson)

The Essential Being of God is called Substance. The individuality of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit is called Person. God the Father begat the Son from all eternity and has the same substance with the Father. From the Father and the Son eternally proceeded the Holy Spirit and has the same substance. The words ‘begat’ and ‘proceeding’ are scriptural terms used as those best able to suggest Divine relationships which are beyond human language to express, and the human mind to grasp. Our Lord has a real human body. He was one Person and two Natures. He has a reasonable or rational soul and a human will. “Incomprehensible” means not to be thoroughly understood by the intellect, cannot be measured or grasped in its completeness by our human faculties.

THE ATHANASIAN CREED

Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the catholic Faith.

Which Faith, except every one 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 on 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, and such is the Holy Ghost.

The Father uncreated, the Son uncreated, and the Holy Ghost uncreated.

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 as we are compelled by the Christian truth to acknowledge every Person by himself to be God and Lord;

So are we forbidden by the catholic Faith to say there are 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 before 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, the Unity in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity is to be worshiped.

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 truth 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 is God and Man, yet he is not two, but one Christ;

One, not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh, but by taking the Manhood unto 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, and 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 it the catholic Faith, which except a man believe faithfully, he cannot be saved.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.