Athanasian Creed (Harley) n. 36

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36. This also can be deduced from the Creed of Athanasius; let it be explained:

1. That just as the one, so the other is infinite, eternal, uncreate, omnipotent, God and Lord, but yet not three infinites but one. Then this can be understood.

2. There is one God, and there is no need to say with Athanasius that although each person is God, yet according to the Christian faith He is to be called one God, for from this it appears as though he said, although there are three Gods, he was only able to say one God.*

3. Then since no one of them is greatest or least, first or last, but altogether equal, this also can be understood.

4. And also that there are not two but one Christ, and that the Divine and the Human of the Lord is one Person.

5. Also they were not co-mingled but the Divine took unto Himself the Human.

6. Thus they are one, as soul and body.

7. And then it may be known that the Lord was endowed with a rational soul and a perfect body, not from the mother alone, but from the Father and the mother. This, too, can then be understood.

8. Then, too, may be understood all things contained in the Word concerning the Lord as that the Father and He are one, that the Father is in Him and He in the Father, and as stated in many other passages.

9. Only let it be understood that the Divine successively took unto Himself the Human while in the world. This will be treated of later. *cf. HH 2; AC 2329:5; 5256; 10736. AC 10821. "Those who in regard to the Divinity have an idea of three Persons, cannot have an idea of one God. If they say one with the mouth, they nevertheless think of three. But those who in regard to the Divinity have an idea of three in one Person, can have an idea of one God and can say 'one God' and also think 'one God'."


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