Preface.
Although I have previously taught and written almost a lot about faith, what it is, what it does, I have also let my confession go out, what I believe and where I want to stay.
and yet the devil always seeks new plots against me, I have, to make matters worse, the three Symbola, which are called, or confessions, together want to let German out-
which have been kept, read and sung in the whole church until now; so that I may again testify that I hold with the right Christian church, which has kept such symbols or confessions until now, and not with the false glorious church, which is the worst enemy of the right church and has introduced much idolatry next to such beautiful confessions. Just as the people of Israel in ancient times, in addition to the beautiful worship established by God and the temple, established much idolatry in grounds, on mountains, under trees, and yet wanted to be the right people of God and killed and persecuted all the prophets about it, and finally the Lord Christ Himself.
The first symbol, the Apostle's, is the very finest, which summarizes the articles of faith very well and is easy to learn even for children and silly people. The other, by St. Athanasius, is longer and omits one article more for the sake of the Arians, namely, how Jesus Christ is the only Son of God and our Lord, in whom we believe with the same faith with which we believe in the Father, as the Father is the only Son of God.
Text says in the first symbol: "I believe in God etc. and in Jesus" etc. For if he were not true God, he would not have to be honored with the same faith, like the Father. This is what St. Athanasius tries and does in his Symbolum, and is almost a protective symbol of the first Symbolum. The third symbol is said to have been sung by St. Augustine and Ambrose, and after St. Augustine's baptism. So be it or not, there is no harm in believing it or not; it is nevertheless a fine symbol or confession, whoever the master is, made in song, not only to confess the right faith, but also to praise and thank God in it.
But let no one judge me too harshly that I have translated the words Increatus, Immensus thus: uncreated, immeasurable; I knew well that it would be a hard German, also what the Oberlanders call uncreated; but it was so necessary to me: and that such good words, "uncreated," come into abuse, shall not err me; whoever can do it better, do it better and see if he will do it without judge and reprover.
The first confession, or Symbolum, is the common confession of the apostles, in which the foundation of the Christian faith is laid, and reads thus:
I believe in God the Father, Almighty Creator of heaven and earth.
And to Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell, rose from the dead on the third day.
The dead. Ascended into heaven, sitting at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, from whence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, a holy Christian church, the church of the saints, forgiveness of sins, resurrection of the flesh and an eternal life, amen.
The other confession or symbol is called the confession of St. Athanasius, which he made against the heretics called Arians, and reads thus:
Whoever wants to be saved must first of all have the right Christian faith.
Whoever does not keep the same whole and pure will undoubtedly be eternally lost.
But to you is the right Christian belief that we have one God in three persons.
and worship three persons in One Deity.
And do not mix the persons into one another, nor dissect the divine essence.
Another person is the Father, another is the Son, another is the Holy Spirit.
996 E. 23,2S4-257. the three symbola or confessions of the faith of Christ. W. X, 1200-1203. 997
But the Father and Son and Holy Spirit is one God, equal in glory, equal in eternal majesty.
As the Father is, so is the Son, so is the Holy Spirit.
The Father is not created, the Son is not created, the Holy Spirit is not created.
The Father is immeasurable, the Son is immeasurable, the Holy Spirit is immeasurable?)1) immeasurable] should mean here: whose being and power has no end, measure nor goal. (Marginal note of Luther.)
The Father is eternal, the Son is eternal, the Holy Spirit is eternal. And yet they are not three Eternals, but it is One Eternal.
Just as there are not three Uncreated, 2) nor three Immeasurable, but there is One Uncreated and One Immeasurable.
2) Uncreated^ whose being has no beginning nor end, or who cannot be a creature. (Marginal note of Luther.)
So also, the Father is all-powerful, the Son is all-powerful, the Holy Spirit is all-powerful.
And yet they are not three Almighties, but it is One Almighty.
So, the Father is God, the Son is God, the Holy Spirit is God.
And yet there are not three gods, but it is One God-
So, the Father is the Lord, the Son is the Lord, the Holy Spirit is the Lord.
And yet there are not three Lords, but there is One Lord.
For just as we must, according to Christian truth, confess every person for himself as God and Lord.
So, in the Christian faith, we cannot call three gods or three Lords.
The Father was neither made nor created nor born by anyone.
The Son is of the Father alone, not made nor created, but born.
The Holy Spirit is not made, not created, not born, but proceeding from the Father and the Son.
So now it is One Father, not three Fathers; One Son, not three Sons; One Holy Spirit, not three Holy Spirits.
And among these three people, none is the first, none the last, none the greatest, none the smallest.
But all three persons are equally eternal with each other, equally great.
So that, as has been said, three Persons are worshipped in One Godhead, and One God in three Persons.
Whoever wants to become blessed must therefore think of the three persons in God.
But it is also necessary for eternal salvation that one faithfully believes that Jesus Christ our Lord is truly man.
This then is the right faith, if we believe and confess that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and man.
God he is from the Father's nature, born before the world; man he is from the Mother's nature, born in the world.
A perfect God, a perfect man with a rational soul and a human body.
He is equal to the Father according to the Godhead; he is smaller than the Father according to humanity.
And though He is God and man, yet He is not two, but One Christ.
One, not that the Godhead is transformed into mankind, but that the Godhead has taken mankind to itself.
Yes, he is one: not that the two natures are mixed, but that he is one person.
For as body and soul is one man, so God and man is one Christ.
Who suffered for our salvation, went to hell, rose from the dead on the third day.
Ascended to heaven, seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.
From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.
And for his future, all people must be resurrected with their own bodies.
And must give an account of what they have done.
And those who have done good will go to eternal life, but those who have done evil will go to eternal fire.
This is the true Christian faith; whoever does not believe the same firmly and faithfully cannot be saved.
998 D- 23,2S7-2SS. Of the three articles of the Christian faith in general. W. X, 1203-1206. 999