2022-2023 Friday Bible Study: Luke-Acts

This Fall and Spring, the Friday Bible Study will be going through The Gospel of St. Luke and The Acts of the Apostles!

Every Friday, we will have Morning Prayer from 9:30a-10a and then the study from 10a-11:30a.

We will be using Leon Morris’ Luke commentary and I. Howard Marhsall’s Acts commentary in the Tyndale New Testament Commentaries series.

This is our schedule:

Fall 2022: The Gospel According to St. Luke

• September 23: Introduction to the Gospel According to St. Luke (Assigned: Luke 1:1-80)

• September 30: Luke 1:1-80 (Assigned: Luke 2:1-4:13)

• October 7: Luke 2:1-4:13 (Assigned: Luke 4:14-6:49)

• October 14: Luke 4:14-6:49 (Assigned: Luke 7:1-8:56)

• October 21: Luke 7:1-8:56 (Assigned: Luke 9:1-10:42)

• October 28: Luke 9:1-10:42 (Assigned: Luke 11:1-12:59)

• November 4: Luke 11:1-12:59 (Assigned: Luke 13:1-14:35)

• November 11: Luke 13:1-14:35 (Assigned: Luke 15:1-17:10)

• November 18: Luke 15:1-17:10 (Assigned: Luke 17:11-19:44)

• December 2: Luke 17:11-19:44 (Assigned: 19:45-21:38)

• December 9: Luke 19:45-21:38 (Assigned: Luke 22:1-24:53)

• December 16: Luke 22:1-24:54

Spring 2023: The Acts of the Apostles

• January 13: Introduction to The Acts of the Apostles (Assigned: Acts 1:1-2:47)

• January 20: Acts 1:1-2:47 (Assigned: Acts 3:1-4:31)

• January 27: Acts 3:1-4:31 (Assigned Acts 4:32-5:42)

• February 3: Acts 4:32-5:42 (Assigned Acts 6:1-8:3)

• February 10: Acts 6:1-8:3 (Assigned Acts 8:4-9:31)

• February 17: Acts 8:4-9:31 (Assigned Acts 9:32-11:18)

• February 24: Acts 9:32-11:18 (Assigned Acts 11:19-12:25)

• March 3: Acts 11:19-12:25 (Assigned Acts 13:1-14:7)

• March 10: Acts 13:1-14:7 (Assigned Acts 14:8-15:35)

• March 17: Acts 14:8-15:35 (Assigned Acts 15:36-16:40)

• March 24: Acts 15:36-16:40 (Assigned Acts 17:1-18:17)

• March 31: Acts 17:1-18:17 (Assigned Acts 18:18-19:41)

• April 14: Acts 18:18-19:41 (Assigned Acts 20:1-21:36)

• April 21: Acts 20:1-21:36 (Assigned: Acts 21:37-24:27)

• April 28: Acts 21:37-24:27 (Assigned: Acts 25:1-28:31)

• May 5: Acts 25:1-28:31

Reflections: Double Polarity - Baptism and the Christian Life

One of the great debates in Christian theology is whether Christ’s righteousness is imputed or imparted to the Christian. The doctrine of imputation occurs within a legal framework: sinful humanity cannot meet the demand of God’s perfect righteousness; in becoming incarnate and dying on the cross, Jesus does what humans could not do by satisfying that demand. Imputation, then, is the “legal (or forensic) crediting of Jesus’s perfect righteousness to believers by faith for justification” (Brandon Crowe, “What is Imputation”). Many who emphasize this position often hold it over and against the idea of imparted, or infused, righteousness. According to those who emphasize imparted righteousness, they believe that God infuses righteousness into the soul by the Sacraments and participation in the divine life.

When these two views are absolutized, they risk turning into caricatures. Imputation by itself cannot account for sanctification, that we must become holy. Impartation can become legalistic and overly-obsessed with works. The tension between these two points of emphases leads to an important question: how do we understand the Christian life—a resting in God’s pronouncement of us based on an alien righteousness, or a cooperation with grace based on a process of becoming? Even more fundamentally, what does baptism do to us?

Anglican theologian L.S. Thornton (1884-1960) is helpful on this point. He is an underrated thinker among Anglicans. His book The Common Life in the Body of Christ is a tour-de-force through the Pauline corpus, even while its somewhat clumsy organization and digressive prose makes it a challenging read. In the book, he proposes a solution to the imputation/impartation dilemma called “double polarity:

“From one point of view the great transformation in the Christian life has already taken place once for all in baptism. We have been made partakers of Christ in the fullest sense…from another point of view the greatest transformation exists only in germ in each of us. Its fruition lies in the future, and we are summoned to seek that fruition” (60-61).

There is a dialectical tension between the “already” and the “not yet.” At one pole, the Christian has already been decisively incorporated into Christ via their Baptism. Thornton goes on to say, “The whole work of our salvation was accomplished in Christ’s death and resurrection. By Baptism we were made partakers in the fulness of this salvation.” But the “not-yet” pole reminds us that reception of the Sacrament is only the beginning of “a process which must be both gradual and prolonged” (64). The culmination of Baptism is yet to come.

For Thornton, this reality can be conveyed by the image of “grafting” which St. Paul discusses in Romans (4:25; 6:5; 9-11). People are grafted into the holy tree through Baptism which identifies them with the death of Christ. Grafting itself has two aspects: (1) the scion is attached to the rootstock; (2) the consequent integration where the two become one. Just as the scion becomes a part of the root, so Baptism attaches a person to the Church. yet, the new organism must grow together so as to solidify its union, just as the Christian must become increasingly like Christ, being seamlessly integrated into his Body. This is why the danger of apostasy is ever-lurking in the New Testament; apostasy is when the process of growing into Christ is terminated before its end point. As a seed is only good insofar as it reaches its end by growing to fruition, so Christians are good only insofar as they reach the their end, conformity to Christ.

Circling back to the question of imputation and impartation, then, it seems that both positions arrive at the truth (though perhaps we could say one more than the other). There is a sense in which the Christian is declared righteous in a way that does not match their present reality. Similarly, while Baptism remits all sin, original and actual, it does not once and for all conquer concupiscence. The newly baptized Christian still has a long journey ahead of them. The beginning and end points of the Christian life must correspond to one another; the cruciformity of Christ must characterize the individuals and communities which claim to follow him and comprise his Body. Another great Anglican theologian named E.L. Mascall summarizes this more succinctly by state, “since God is the Creator, he cannot impute without imparting” (Christ, the Christian, and the Church 82). God spoke creation into existence: when he said “Let there be light,” light burst forth into being. When God declares a person to be righteous, they really become so. The process whereby it occurs may seem arduous with many fits and starts. It may even seem like a discernible positive trajectory is lost as life’s path takes its twists and turns. Yet, as Paul writes, “he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil 1:6). To conclude, it is most appropriate to heed Thornton’s words summarizing his position:

“The death of Christ upon the Cross was the death of the old order to which the natural self of each of us belongs. But his resurrection was the beginning of the new order to which as Christians we belong. In baptism we were translated out of the old order and into the new. For us ‘the new’ has begun. Therefore ‘we shall be also’ united with ‘the likeness of his resurrection.’ Assimilation to the risen life has begun. The fruition of the process is assured. The end will be conformed to the beginning” (65).

Parish Picnic: August 21!

Annual Parish Potluck Picnic
Sandy Point State Park
August 21, 2022

Who: All church members, relatives, and friends.

When: Holy Communion Church Service begins at 10:30 am. Picnic follows at approximately 11:30

Where: Sandy Point State Park, 1100 East College Parkway, Annapolis, MD

How: Sign-up sheet is on the bulletin board outside the nursery. Include the number of people coming AND what you’re bringing to share (main dish, salad, veggies/fruit, chips, dessert, etc.)

Parking: Church will provide parking pass* to cover fee of $5 for EACH person in your car. Children in car seats are free. To get parking pass you must sign up by August 2. Passes will be available starting August 7.

Drinks: Each person is responsible for their own beverage. Church will supply water. Beer/wine is permitted but must stay within the pavilion.

St. Paul’s will supply the plastic ware, cups, plates, napkins, ice.

Feel free to bring beach chairs, bathing suits, beach towels and toys for the children

Bathrooms and beach are nearby.

Come and join the fun!

Raynaldo Brown's Back to School Event

Raynaldo Brown has set the date for his “Oxford Landing’s Back-to-School Supplies Giveaway” for Saturday, August 20 from 1-5 p.m. This has been a favorite Missions Outreach event for several years, and we are once again asking for donations to this effort. As in years past, both cash donations and school supply donations are welcome. If you choose to donate cash, please place your cash or check in the envelopes provided in the pews. In this way, the donations are kept separate for this event. Thank you in advance for your wonderful generosity to help less fortunate children to be ready for the new school year.

Presiding Bishop's Epistle: January-June 2022

Below is Bp. Chad’s Presiding Bishop’s Epistle:

Reflections: Recovering Koinonia

“And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.” -Acts 2:42 (KJV)

According to Acts 2:42, the primitive church dedicated itself to four practices: apostolic teaching, fellowship (koinonia), breaking of bread (the Eucharist), and prayer. In some way or another, most Christian traditions maintain these practices despite disagreements concerning their meaning and shape. Yet, of the four, koinonia is the least understood. Is it a mutual association flowing from affinity? Is it just “doing life together?” Koinonia is deeper than that; it is a theological reality before it is a pragmatic one.

In his significant book Christ, the Christian, and the Church, Anglican theologian E.L. Mascall invites us to contemplate which comes first: the Church or the Christian. The assumption made by many moderns would no doubt be that the individual Christian comes first; the Church comes into being through a network of relationships with like-minded people who also identify as Christian. Mascall points out that the reality is actually the opposite: individuals cannot precede the Church. As the domain of grace, the Church is where the individual becomes a Christian. It begs the question: if the Church is not dependent on individuals, what is its basis for existence? The answer is Christ himself, the head of the Body (Rom 12:5; 1 Cor 12:12-27; Eph 3:6, 5:23; Col 1:18, 24). Further, he is the one who appointed the apostles and gave them their authority (John 20:23). The Church, then, is divinely instituted.

Within modernity, our conceptualization of community has become warped. In his article “Authenticity, Community, and Modernity,” Kenneth C. Bessant discusses how, in social theory, the forces of urbanization, industrialization, and rationalism are credited with creating a shift away from the village as an authentic expression of community towards a more fragmented, impersonal, and artificial understanding of how we are to live together. The Church has mirrored the larger culture in this shift. Parish life was, at one time, a microcosm of the rural village, but has undergone changes as modernity has progressed. Robust community life has been replaced by the shallow “worship-industrial complex” and a program-driven church mentality. Worshippers are treated as consumers to be satiated, rather than as humans to be formed. Authentic koinonia in such a system is only ever an abstract ideal to which lip service is paid, rather than a lived reality.

The remedy to our modern malaise and return to a biblical and traditional sense of koinonia, we must return to the starting point that the Church is the divine organism “in Christ,” with him at its head. According to Anglican theologian L.S. Thornton, “Christians are specifically united neither by material good, nor by cultural interests, nor even by rational ideas.” Koinonia, rather than being merely affinity-based, is derived from and energized by the Sacraments. Properly understood, it is the self-sacrificial participation of redeemed persons with each other and God on the basis of the incarnation, death, and resurrection of Christ. What is common to the members of the Church is cruciformity. This is true from the moment of Baptism where one dies with Christ (Rom 6:3-4) to weekly celebrations of the Eucharist where we present ourselves as “living sacrifices” at the altar (Rom 12:1). Christ’s work is the basis for koinonia. Thornton observes that, as a result of the suffering and glory which characterized the messianic life, the messianic community can expect the same pattern to compose our common life. Further, as we become who we are called to be, we must be keenly aware that we are becoming in mutuality with the other members of the body. The Church, far from being a place for individuals to voluntarily associate is a place where its members are increasingly conformed to the Messiah through cruciformity.

Colossians 1:18 reminds Christians that “He [Christ] is the head of the body, the church.” Thornton observes, “Partnership in the Gospel creates a common mind.” What is this “common mind?” The answer can be found in what Pauline scholar Michael J. Gorman calls his “master story,” Philippians 2:5-11: “Have the mind among yourselves, which was in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

The Christian koinonia is the domain in which we live out Romans 12:1-2 by becoming living sacrifices and are transformed as a result of offering ourselves on the altar. Koinonia is the place where the sacramental benefits bestowed in Baptism, the Eucharist, and the other sacraments come to fruition.

The Church is in desperate need of recovering its purpose. We need sacraments, preaching, and prayer, but without recovering a robust conception of koinonia we will remain stuck in the doldrums of a world where fragmented community is the norm. By recovering the true koinonia of the Church, we can recover an ecclesiology that is thoroughly cruciform and engage in a space where we become what we are supposed to be.

Reflections: Divisions in the Church

The Church has a single origin point: the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ. Whoever is saved is a member of the Church because the Church is the “company of all faithful people” (BCP 83). The Church is one because to be in the Church is to be “in Christ.” Yet, the lived experience of Christians in the modern age is not unity, but division. At St. Paul’s we have people who have arrived here from a variety of backgrounds: former Baptists, Presbyterians, Lutherans, Roman Catholics, and others. Further, even within already established traditions, we have seen further fracturing. Anglicanism is just one example: The Continuing Anglican Church (also called the G3 movement)—made up of the Anglican Catholic Church (ACC), Anglican Church in America (ACA), and the Anglican Province of America (APA; our province)—left the Episcopal Church in the 1970s to preserve the faith from heterodox innovations. Another group, the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA), left the Episcopal Church in the mid-2000s over more innovations. So how do we theologically account for these divisions between various traditions and even among churches?

The first major division that occurred in the Church was the Great Schism (1054 A.D.). It is from this split that we get the divisions of Eastern Orthodoxy and Western Catholicism. The major issue that separated them was theological language which came to a head when the Pope, in an effort to combat the heresy of Subordinationism, unilaterally added the phrase “and the Son” into the third article of the Nicene Creed, describing the Holy Ghost as proceeding “from the Father and the Son.” This provoked a negative response from the Eastern Church that culminated in the Pope excommunicating their chief bishop (called the Ecumenical Patriarch) and their chief bishop excommunicating the Pope. Even today, this division persists though Roman Catholics do recognize the Orthodox as having valid orders and even open their Communion to include Orthodox. The Orthodox do not generally reciprocate.

The second great schism occurred in the Western Church between Roman Catholicism and Anglicanism. This schism was, in many ways, precipitated over a controversy between King Henry VIII and the Pope over whether the annulment of his marriage with Catherine of Aragon was permissible. That may have been the historical occasion, but the split between the English Church and Roman Catholic Church was about more than that: it was about the authority of the Pope and the autonomy of local bishops, especially in terms of liturgy and ceremony.

These divisions, while perhaps historically necessary, are a scandal for Christians. In John 17:21, Jesus prays that his followers all “may be one,” so that the Church’s communion might reflect the union between Father and Son: “as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.” This is a good reminder that while we have to speak of various churches (Anglican, Roman Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox), we can still speak of the Church as a singular entity. That various churches exist is the result of human conflict and failure to measure up to God’s ideal; however, the Church finds the ground of its unity in the person and work of Jesus Christ and the continual work of the Holy Spirit. The divisions among us may constitute a crisis; however, Anglican theologian E.B. Pusey reminds us that “suspended intercommunion alone does not destroy unity.” Divisions are wounds that may have injured the Body but they are not mortal in that the Body has lost its life. This is a good reminder that the Church’s power is not derived from us but rather from the Holy Spirit. God is faithful even when we are unfaithful.

A good image to illustrate these principles is that the Church is a tree (see Romans 11). This is a fitting image because the Tree of life stood in the middle of the Garden of our Eden and our Lord redeemed us through the means of the tree. Our various churches are like branches affixed to the tree. There is one tree but multiple branches. We shouldn’t confuse our particular branch for the whole tree because that would be overly narrow-minded and miss the Holy Spirit’s work in the Church. But we should pray that these often damaged and unhealthy branches would be healed.

The Collect For the Unity of God’s People (BCP 37-38)
O GOD, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, our only Saviour, the Prince of Peace; Give us grace seriously to lay to heart the great dangers we are in by our unhappy divisions. Take away all hatred and prejudice, and whatsoever else may hinder us from godly union and concord: that as there is but one Body and one Spirit, and one hope of our calling, one Lord, one Faith, one Baptism, one God and Father of us all, so we may be all of one heart and of one soul, united in one holy bond of truth and peace, of faith and charity, and may with one mind and one mouth glorify thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Reflections: The Foundation, Purpose, and Ministry of the Church

Given that we are heading into “Ordinary Time,” we will use the next few weeks of this newsletter to talk a little bit about the Church and our place in it.

The Church is not another social club, political organization, or affinity-based organization. Rather, the Church is a divinely instituted and sustained organism, the Body of Christ which is made up of “the blessed company of all faithful people” (BCP 83). The Church was founded by Jesus. Some people say the Church was brought into existence on Pentecost (Acts 2) or born from the blood and water that poured from Jesus’ side on the Cross (John 19:34). Chronologically, either of these options may be true; however, there is a sense in which, just as Jesus has always existed and presents the offering of himself to the Father outside of time, we may say that the Church has always existed. The Church, as the Body of Christ, brings the beautiful salve of Christ’s Sacrifice to all. Just as the Good Samaritan brought the beaten and bruised man to an inn to be healed, so our Lord brings us to the Church that we might be healed from the injuries of sin by his saving grace, imparted to us via the proclamation of the Gospel and administration of the Sacraments.

It is a good thing that God established the Church and not humans. Human institutions come and go; but, the divine origin of the Church guarantees that “that gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matt 16:18). This doesn’t stop Satan from trying—divisions and schisms, abuse, and corruption are present in the Church in ways that distract us from our essential mission and identity. The Church is a divine institution inhabited by sinful, messy humans. No matter what, however, we can rest in the reality that the Church is a Kingdom ruled ultimately by Christ. In spite of our “unhappy divisions” (see “For the Unity of God’s People,” BCP 37-38), we can trust that God will be faithful to his Church.

Anglican priest and theologian Martin Thornton once described the world as a beautiful garden planted for the glory of God and watered by God’s grace. Unfortunately, because of sin, the garden couldn’t be watered properly, being subjected to floods and droughts. The Incarnation, and by extension, the Church, act as a hose to irrigate the garden, funneling grace into a world that desperately needs it. The Church is a Remnant of faithful people that vicariously offers prayer for the world.

According to Anglican theologian Vernon Staley, the purpose of the Church is threefold: (1) it is the sphere of grace; (2) it is the home of truth; and (3) it is the ark of safety.

The Church is the sphere of grace because it is the place where the Gospel is proclaimed and the sacraments duly administered. These are necessary because without them, we cannot know, love, or serve the Lord. Grace elevates us out of a “state of nature” and into a “state of grace.” Jesus tells us that, “I am the vine, ye are the branches” (John 15:5). The branches cannot live unless they’re connected to a vine that pumps life into them. This is the relationship the Church has with our Lord: without him, “there is no health in us” (BCP 6). To be a Christian is to be a member of the Church and to be a part of the Church is to be unified to Our Lord.

The Church is the home of truth because it is where we find a sure and trustworthy testimony to the self-disclosure of God. The Church perpetually testifies to God as revealed in Christ because it is led by the Holy Spirit (cf. John 16:13). There are multiple ways the truth is preserved and passed on. The first is through the canonical Scriptures. The Church not only canonized and preserved these texts, but also interprets them. Another way the Church preserves truth is through the rulings of the Seven Ecumenical Councils of the undivided Church and the Apostles’, Nicene, and Athanasian Creeds. In these decisions, the Church offers us a way of talking about God within the bounds of orthodoxy which is not at all a purely academic exercise, but rather one that aids us in becoming a people of prayer.

Finally, the Church is the ark of safety because it is how we have assurance that we are recipients of God’s grace. While we leave those outside the Church to the mercy of God through our prayers for them, we can rest in the knowledge that grace is imparted to us in the Sacraments and that truth is dispensed in the teachings of the Church. We are never safer than when we are in the Church.

The Collect for the Church (BCP 37):
O Gracious Father, we humbly beseech thee for thy holy Catholic Church; that thou wouldest be pleased to fill it with all truth, in all peace. Where it is corrupt, purify it; where it is in error, direct it; where in any thing it is amiss, reform it. Where it is right, establish it; where it is in want, provide for it; where it is divided, reunite it; for the sake of him who died and rose again, and ever liveth to make intercession for us, Jesus Christ, thy Son, our Lord. Amen.

Summer Retreat: "Forgive Us Our Trespasses as We Forgive Those Who Trespass Against Us: Forgiveness and the Rhythm of the Christian Life"

Forgiveness is what we are called to do as Christians. But what does it really mean for us to forgive? How do we do it? Is it a decision, process, or something else? Join us on Saturday, June 25th for a half-day retreat as we discuss these questions and more. The retreat will begin at 8:30am with refreshments following. There will be three 45-minute sessions and the day will end with Mass at noon.

Schedule:

• 8:30a: Morning Prayer and Refreshments

• 9a: Session 1

• 10a: Session 2

• 11a: Session 3

• 12p: Mass

Reflections: The Athanasian Creed

This Sunday is Trinity Sunday, a day on which we reflect upon the mystery at the heart of our faith: that we worship one God in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity. If you think about the Trinity too long, odds are one of two things will happen: your head will start to hurt and/or you might accidentally lapse into some form of heresy. It is for this reason that the Church gives us Creeds which provide us language to articulate these doctrines.

The Trinity is hinted at in the Apostles’ Creed. We profess that we believe in “God the Father almighty,” “Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,” and, “the Holy Spirit.” Yet, the Apostles’ Creed doesn’t flesh out the implications of the Trinity specifically. It remains broad and basic.

The Nicene Creed is more elaborate. The same basic relationship is posited between the Father and the Son as what the Apostles’ Creed affirms, but it emphasizes their “consubstantiality” by describing Jesus as “God of God, Light of Light, Very God of very God; Begotten, not made; Being of one substance with the Father.” It also elaborates on the Holy Ghost as a member of the Godhead, affirming that he is “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.” Still, questions can be raised about the relationships between the various persons of the Trinity.

It is here that the Athanasian Creed (Quicunque Vult) is helpful. Unfortunately, the Athanasian Creed is omitted from the 1928 Book of Common Prayer most likely because of the strong language that anathematizes divergence from the Creed, but it was present in the earlier British versions of the Book of Common Prayer and was even recited at the Daily Offices. That said, it is affirmed as authoritative for the Anglican Province of America via the Affirmation of St. Louis and in other canonically-permitted liturgical sources. It has two major sections. The first is about the Trinity and the second is about Christ. It attempts to walk a careful balance that affirms the equality of the Trinity to avoid the implication that some members of the Trinity are “more” or “less” God than the others while also stressing the unity of the Godhead to prevent the misconception that Christians actually worship three different gods.

As we approach Trinity Sunday, it is always helpful to read the Athanasian Creed to remind ourselves of what we believe:

Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the catholic faith. Which faith unless 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 Essence. 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; and such is the Holy Ghost. The Father uncreated; the Son uncreated; and the Holy Ghost uncreated. The Father unlimited; the Son unlimited; and the Holy Ghost unlimited. 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 uncreated; nor three infinites, but one uncreated; and one infinite. 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 God and Lord; So are we forbidden by the catholic religion; 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 another; none is greater, or less than another. But the whole three Persons are coeternal, and coequal. So that in all things, as aforesaid; the Unity in Trinity, and the Trinity in Unity, is to be worshipped. He therefore that will be saved, let him thus think of the Trinity.
Furthermore, it is necessary to everlasting salvation; that he also believe faithfully 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 is God and Man; yet he is not two, but one Christ. One; not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh; but by assumption of the Manhood into God. One altogether; not by confusion of Substance [Essence]; 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 on the right hand of God the Father Almighty, from whence he will come to judge the living 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 catholic faith; which except a man believe truly and firmly, he cannot be saved.