First Book

a Firmiter Firmly. It says "firmly" because the order of faith cannot be proved by reason. And because where reason fails, faith supplies it Distinction 4, chapter "Reuerentia," at the end. It also suggests that the heart feels what faith is. See Dist. 6, chapter 5; and Dist. 4, "Nihil aliud." Faith is of things not seen. See Dist. 3, "In domo," at the end..

b Credimus We believe. This is said because one who is doubtful in faith is an unbeliever Digest, On Heretics, "Dubius"; compare 26, Question 1, "Osse." If nothing is proven, the doubter remains such because he does not purge himself. Faith is the beginning of reparation, therefore it is placed first. Because where a man is instructed in faith (Dist. 4, "Before baptism," and the chapter "Multis plenius")..

c Simpliciter Simply. Faith is indeed simple and should be placed as such. See Dist. 23, "What bishop." See Dist. 23, "When thus," and testimony must be pure. See 3 Q. 9, "Puram." Propositions should be simple and straightforward.

d Unus One. This was said against the plurality of many gods, which some used to worship.

e Et verus And true. Said in distinction to the false.

f Eternus Eternal. This is said because we can neither set measures nor define times for the mercy of God Dist. 3, "Multiplex"; 26 Q. 6, "Is qui.".

g Immensus Immense. That is, without measure. Whence it is said: not included within all things, not excluded outside all things, not elevated above all things.

h Omnipotens Almighty. Because he can do all things that befit his power. To be able is to be able to do something; thus, he cannot sin, for sinning is not an ability, as Augustine says. Rather, it is an inability Dist. 2, § "Caritas.".

i Incommutabilis Unchangeable. 23 Q. 4, "Incommutabiliter."

k Incomprehensibilis Incomprehensible. In the Old Law, it is said that the beast that touches the mountain shall be stoned.

l Ineffabilis Ineffable. Whence that saying: who shall describe his wisdom, as if to say, no one.

m Simplex Simple. Note that there are many kinds of composition. There is proper composition of parts to parts, as in corporeal things. There is the composition of a property to a subject, as reason in the soul. There is form to substance and substance to form. None of these fall upon God. Thus he is simple in every sense.

n Omnipotentes Almighty (plural).

o Coeterni Coeternal. But here these terms are placed as adjectives; there, they are substantive. This is the difference. Here it designates persons; there, the essence.

p Simul Together. From the beginning of time.

We believe firmly and confess simply that there is one only true God, eternal, immense, and unchangeable, almighty and incomprehensible and ineffable: Father, and Son, and Holy Spirit. Three persons indeed, but one essence, substance, or nature, completely simple. The Father is from none; the Son is from the Father alone; and the Holy Spirit is from both, without beginning and without end. The Father begetting, the Son being born, and the Holy Spirit proceeding: consubstantial, coequal, co-almighty, and coeternal. One principle of all things, Creator of all things visible and invisible, spiritual and corporeal. Who, by his almighty power, created both together from nothing from the beginning of time: the spiritual and the corporeal creature, namely the angelic and the mundane, and finally the human, constituted as it were of spirit and body. For the devil and other demons were indeed created by God as good by nature, but they became evil by themselves. Man, however, sinned by the devil's suggestion. This holy Trinity, according to essence, is indivisible, and according to personal properties, distinct...

q Duanam Dual. Because on the first day he created angels, and on the sixth day he created men.

r Quasi communem As if common. That is, a middle between the angelic and the human Dist. 25, "On the sixth day.".

s Mundanum Mundane. Or material. That is, a form of both; because in many things it is conformed to angels, namely in reason and discretion, and in many things to lower creatures, because they sense with them.

t Dyabolus Devil. "Devil" is as if flowing down, or a morsel because he seeks to make two morsels of body and soul. He is a knower of evil.

u Creati sunt boni They were created good. Man was created good from the beginning, just as the angels. Man was also created immortal. Original sin adheres to the human race as if it were natural, but after baptism, it does no harm Dist. 4, chapter 2..

x Per se By himself. That is, out of his own defect.

y Suggestione Suggestion. Therefore the devil is to be punished more, because he did it himself.

z Dispositionem Disposition. There were three times: the time before the Law, the time under the Law, and the time of grace. In the time before the Law, men held the natural law. In the time under the Law, they were ruled by the Decalogue of Moses. In the time of grace, the Son of God taught us the evangelical precepts.

1 A tota trinitate By the whole Trinity. Because the works of the Trinity are inseparable.

2 Incarnatus Incarnate. This was figured in Noah's ark.

3 Impassibilis Impassible. The divinity does not suffer when man dies.

4 Mortuus Dead. The third article of faith.

...which he gave to the human race through Moses and his holy prophets and other servants, according to the most orderly disposition of times, as a saving doctrine. And finally, the only-begotten Son of God, Jesus Christ, incarnated by the whole Trinity together, conceived of Mary, always a virgin, by the cooperation of the Holy Spirit, made true man, composed of a rational soul and human flesh, one person in two natures, clearly demonstrated the way of life. He who is immortal and impassible in his divinity, the same, according to his humanity, was made mortal and passable, who also for the salvation of the human race suffered on the wood of the cross, died, descended to the depths, rose again from the dead, and ascended into heaven; but he descended in soul and rose in flesh, and ascended in both, to come at the end of the age to judge the living and the dead, and to render to each according to his works, as well to the reprobate as to the elect, who all will rise with their own bodies which they now carry, so that they may receive according to their works, whether they were good or evil: the former with the devil into perpetual punishment, and the latter with Christ into everlasting glory.