1091. Verse 1. After these things signifies what was done after the Last Judgment upon those meant by the "harlot." This is evident from what follows in this chapter, namely, from the cry of the angel that came down out of heaven, that Babylon the great had fallen, and had become "a habitation of demons, a hold of every unclean spirit, and a hold of every unclean and hateful bird," which means its downfall, thus the Last Judgment; also from what follows that they who stood afar off on account of the fear of her torment said, "Alas, alas, the great city Babylon, the strong city, for in one hour her judgment is come" (verses 10, 15, 16, 19), and from the rest. But what was to be done after this, that is, after the Last Judgment upon these, is related in this chapter, namely, that their religious persuasion would be wholly condemned, nor would it ever rise again to eternity. But this must be thus understood, that this religious persuasion will continue in the world, because the love of ruling is so implanted in everyone that it cannot be rooted out, and so long as that love is present it is impossible for that religious persuasion to come to an end in the world; and yet in the spiritual world, into which everyone comes after death, it will come to an end, for then all who are of that religion and have exercised dominion from the delight of the love of ruling, do not as they previously did, make for themselves seeming heavens in the world of spirits, which is in the midst between heaven and hell, and dwell there for a time, but as soon as they arrive there they are sent away and cast into their hells. This is what is meant by the destruction of Babylon, as predicted both here in Revelation, and in many passages in the prophets. Since the Babylonians have transferred the Lord's authority over heaven and the church to their chief pontiff, whom they call the successor of Peter, and thus the vicar of the Lord, declaring that the authority over heaven and hell was transferred by the Lord to Peter, and that it was not the Lord's Divine authority but His human authority given Him from God the Father, I will show at the end of the articles of this chapter that the Lord even as to His Human was God, that is, that His Human was Divine; and from this it follows that the Babylonians did transfer His Divine authority to him whom they call the Lord's vicar, and thus they have made him God upon earth, and that he has made his ministers deities, which can be nothing else than horrible. In the first place, then, at the end of the articles the doctrine of the Trinity that is accepted in the whole Christian world, and is called the Creed of Athanasius, also the Athanasian Faith, according to the decree of the Council of Nice, shall be examined; and here the creed itself, as adopted in England from the decree of the council, shall be quoted entire.
THE ATHANASIAN SYMBOLIC FAITH
[2] "Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the Catholic faith;
Which faith except everyone shall keep it whole and entire, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly. The Catholic faith is this:
That we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity;
Neither confounding the Persons, nor dividing the substance (essence). For there is one Person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Spirit;
But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, is one and the same, the glory equal, and the majesty co-eternal. Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Spirit. The Father is uncreate, the Son is uncreate, and the Holy Spirit is uncreate. The Father is infinite, the Son infinite, and the Holy Spirit infinite. The Father eternal, the Son eternal, and the Holy Spirit eternal. And yet there are not three eternals, but one eternal;
Also there are not three infinites, nor three uncreates, but one uncreate and one infinite. So likewise the Father is Almighty, the Son Almighty, and the Holy Spirit Almighty;
And yet there are not three Almighties, but one Almighty. As the Father is God, so the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God;
And yet there are not three gods, but one God. So likewise the Father is Lord, the Son is Lord, and the Holy Spirit is Lord;
And yet there are 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 we are forbidden by the Catholic religion to say there be three gods or three lords (others, we cannot from the Christian faith make mention of three gods or of three lords.) The Father was made of none, neither created nor begotten;
The Son is of the Father alone, not made nor created, but begotten. The Holy Spirit 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 Spirit, not three Holy Spirits. And in this Trinity none is before or after another; none is greater or less than another;
But the whole three Persons are co-eternal and co-equal. So that in all things, as before said, the Unity in Trinity, and the Trinity in Unity is to be worshiped (others, three Persons in one Godhead, and one God in three Persons is to be worshiped.) He, therefore, that will be saved must thus think of the Trinity. Furthermore, it is necessary for salvation that he believe rightly the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ (others, that he constantly believe that our Lord Jesus Christ is true Man.) For the true faith is that we believe and confess that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and Man. God of the substance (or essence; others, nature) of the Father, begotten before the world, and man of the substance (others, nature) of the mother, born in the world. Perfect God and perfect man, consisting of a reasonable soul and a human body;
Equal to the Father as touching the Divine, and inferior to (others, lesser than) the Father as touching the Human. Who although He be God and Man, yet He is not two but one Christ; one not by conversion of the Divine Essence into the Human (or, of the Godhead into the flesh) but by a taking of the Human Essence into the Divine (or into God). One altogether, not by confusion of essence (or substance) but by unity of Person (others, because they are one Person). For as the reasonable soul and body are one man, so God and Man is one Christ. Who suffered for our salvation, descended into hell, and rose again on the third day from the dead;
He ascended into heaven, and 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 is the Catholic faith, which except a man believe faithfully he cannot be saved. Glory be to God the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and shall be forever;
world without end. Amen.
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