The Confession of the Catholic Faith (the Tome of Damasus)
The whole work on one page. Select a passage number to open that passage with its notes, Scripture references, and citation.
Preamble
0PL 13:358b–358c
Post concilium Nicaenum, quod in urbe Roma concilium congregatum est a catholicis episcopis, addiderunt de Spiritu sancto. Et quia postea is error inolevit, ut quidam ore sacrilego auderent dicere Spiritum Sanctum factum esse per Filium.
After the Council of Nicaea, the council assembled in the city of Rome by catholic bishops added this concerning the Holy Spirit. And because afterwards this error grew up, that certain people dared to say with sacrilegious mouth that the Holy Spirit was made through the Son, …
Chapter 1
1PL 13:358c
Anathematizamus eos, qui non tota libertate proclamant, cum Patre et Filio unius potestatis esse atque substantiae.
We anathematize those who do not proclaim with full freedom that he is of one power and substance with the Father and the Son.
Chapter 2
2PL 13:358c
Anathematizamus quoque eos, qui Sabellii sequuntur errorem, eumdem dicentes patrem esse, quem Filium.
We anathematize also those who follow the error of Sabellius, saying that the Father is the same as the Son.
Chapter 3
3PL 13:359a
Anathematizamus Arium, atque Eunomium, qui pari impietate, licet sermone dissimili Filium et Spiritum sanctum asserunt esse creaturas.
We anathematize Arius and Eunomius, who with equal impiety, though in different language, assert that the Son and the Holy Spirit are creatures.
Chapter 4
4PL 13:359a
Anathematizamus Macedonianos, qui de Arii stirpe venientes non perfidiam mutavere, sed nomen.
We anathematize the Macedonians, who, coming from the stock of Arius, have changed not their faithlessness but their name.
Chapter 5
5PL 13:359a
Anathematizamus Photinum, qui Hebionis haeresim instaurans, Dominum Jesum Christum tantum ex Maria confitetur.
We anathematize Photinus, who, renewing the heresy of Ebion, confesses the Lord Jesus Christ to be only from Mary.
Chapter 6
6PL 13:359a
Anathematizamus eos, qui duos Filios asserunt, unum ante saecula, et alterum post assumptionem carnis ex Virgine.
We anathematize those who assert two Sons, one before the ages and another after the assumption of flesh from the Virgin.
Chapter 7
7PL 13:360a
Anathematizamus eos, qui pro hominis anima rationali, et intelligibili, dicunt Dei Verbum in humana carne versatum, cum ipse Filius sit Verbum Dei, et non pro anima rationali, et intelligibili in suo corpore fuerit, sed nostram, id est intelligibilem sine peccato animam susceperit, atque salvaverit.
We anathematize those who say that the Word of God dwelt in human flesh in place of the rational and intelligent human soul; for the Son himself is the Word of God, and was not in his body in place of a rational and intelligent soul, but took up our soul, that is, an intelligent soul without sin, and saved it.
Chapter 8
8PL 13:360a
Anathematizamus eos, qui Verbum Filium Dei extensione, aut collectione, et a Patre separatum, insubstantivum, et finem habiturum esse contendunt.
We anathematize those who contend that the Word, the Son of God, is by extension or contraction, and separated from the Father, without substance, and destined to have an end.
Chapter 9
9PL 13:360a–361a
Eos quoque, qui de Ecclesiis ad Ecclesias migraverunt tamdiu a communione nostra habemus alienos, quamdiu ad eas civitates redierint, in quibus primum sunt constituti. Quod si alius alio transmigrante in locum viventis est ordinatus, tamdiu vacet sacerdotis dignitate, qui suam deseruit civitatem, quamdiu successor ejus quiescat in pace.
Those also who have moved from churches to churches we hold as strangers to our communion until they return to the cities in which they were first appointed. But if, when one has moved elsewhere, another has been ordained in the place of the living man, then the one who deserted his own city is to be without the dignity of the priesthood until his successor rests in peace.
Chapter 10
10PL 13:361a
Si quis non dixerit semper Filium et semper Spiritum sanctum esse, anathema sit.
If anyone does not say that the Son always is and the Holy Spirit always is, let him be anathema.
Chapter 11
11PL 13:361a
Si quis non dixerit Filium natum de Patre, id est de divina substantia ipsius, anathema sit.
If anyone does not say that the Son was born of the Father, that is, of his divine substance, let him be anathema.
Chapter 12
12PL 13:361a
Si quis non dixerit Verbum Domini Filium Dei Deum, sicut Deum Patrem ejus, et omnia posse, et omnia nosse et Patri aequalem, anathema sit.
If anyone does not say that the Word of the Lord, the Son of God, is God, as God his Father is, and that he can do all things and knows all things and is equal to the Father, let him be anathema.
Chapter 13
13PL 13:361a–362a
Si quis dixerit, quod in carne constitutus filius Dei, cum esset in terra, in coelis cum Patre non erat, anathema sit.
If anyone says that the Son of God, when he was in the flesh and was on earth, was not in the heavens with the Father, let him be anathema.
Chapter 14
14PL 13:362a
Si quis dixerit quod in passione crucis dolorem sustinebat Filius Dei Deus, et non caro cum anima, qua induerat formam servi, quam sibi acceperat, sicut ait Scriptura, anathema sit.
If anyone says that in the passion of the cross it was God the Son of God who bore the pain, and not the flesh together with the soul, with which he had clothed the form of a servant that he had taken to himself, as Scripture says, let him be anathema.
Chapter 15
15PL 13:362a
Si quis non dixerit quod in carne, quam assumpsit, sedet ad dexteram Patris, in qua venturus est judicare vivos et mortuos, anathema sit.
If anyone does not say that in the flesh which he assumed he sits at the right hand of the Father, in which he will come to judge the living and the dead, let him be anathema.
Chapter 16
16PL 13:362a
Si quis non dixerit Spiritum sanctum de Patre esse vere, ac proprie, sicut Filius de divina substantia, et Deum verum, anathema sit.
If anyone does not say that the Holy Spirit is truly and properly from the Father, as the Son is from the divine substance, and is true God, let him be anathema.
Chapter 17
17PL 13:362a–363a
Si quis non dixerit omnia posse Spiritum sanctum, omnia nosse, et ubique esse, sicut Filium et Patrem, anathema sit.
If anyone does not say that the Holy Spirit can do all things, knows all things, and is everywhere, as the Son and the Father, let him be anathema.
Chapter 18
18PL 13:363a
Si quis dixerit Spiritum sanctum facturam, aut per Filium factum, anathema sit.
If anyone says that the Holy Spirit is a thing made, or was made through the Son, let him be anathema.
Chapter 19
19PL 13:363a
Si quis non dixerit omnia per Filium et Spiritum sanctum Patrem, fecisse, id est visibilia, invisibilia, anathema sit.
If anyone does not say that the Father made all things, that is, things visible and invisible, through the Son and the Holy Spirit, let him be anathema.
Chapter 20
20PL 13:363a
Si quis non dixerit Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus sancti unam divinitatem, potestatem, majestatem, potentiam, unam gloriam, dominationem, unum regnum, atque unam voluntatem et veritatem, anathema sit.
If anyone does not say that the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit have one divinity, power, majesty, might, one glory, lordship, one kingdom, and one will and truth, let him be anathema.
Chapter 21
21PL 13:363a–363b
Si quis tres personas non dixerit veras Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus sancti, aequales, semper viventes, omnia continentes visibilia, et invisibilia, omnia potentes, omnia judicantes, omnia vivificantes, omnia facientes, omnia quae sunt salvanda, salvantes, anathema sit.
If anyone does not say that there are three true persons, of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, equal, ever living, holding together all things visible and invisible, able to do all things, judging all things, giving life to all things, making all things, saving all things that are to be saved, let him be anathema.
Chapter 22
22PL 13:363b
Si quis non dixerit adorandum Spiritum sanctum ab omni creatura, sicut Filium, et Patrem, anathema sit.
If anyone does not say that the Holy Spirit is to be worshipped by every creature, as the Son and the Father, let him be anathema.
Chapter 23
23PL 13:363b–364a
Si quis de Patre et Filio bene senserit, de Spiritu autem sancto non recte habuerit, haereticus est: quod omnes haeretici de Filio Dei, et Spiritu sancto male sentientes, in perfidia Judaeorum et Gentilium inveniuntur.
If anyone thinks rightly about the Father and the Son but does not hold rightly about the Holy Spirit, he is a heretic; for all heretics who think wrongly about the Son of God and the Holy Spirit are found in the faithlessness of the Jews and the Gentiles.
Chapter 24
24PL 13:364a–364b
Quod si quis patiatur, Deum Patrem dicens, et Deum Filium ejus, et Deum Spiritum sanctum, Deos dici, et non Deum propter unam divinitatem et potentiam, quam credimus esse, et scimus, Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus sancti: Deum, subtrahens autem Filium, aut Spiritum sanctum, ita solum existimet esse Deum Patrem, dici, aut credi unum Deum: anathema sit. Nomen namque deorum, et angelis, et sanctis omnibus a Deo est impositum, et donatum; de Patre autem, et Filio, et Spiritu sancto, propter unam aequalem divinitatem, non nomen deorum, sed Dei nobis ostenditur, atque indicatur: ut credamus, quia in Patre, et Filio, et Spiritu sancto solum baptizamur, et non in archangelorum nominibus, aut angelorum, quomodo Haeretici, aut Judaei, aut etiam Gentiles dementes faciunt. Haec ergo est salus Christianorum, ut credentes Trinitati, id est Patri, et Filio, et Spiritui sancto, in ea veram solamque unam divinitatem, et potentiam ac majestatem et substantiam eamdem sine dubio credamus, ut aeternam attingere mereamur ad vitam.
And if anyone, while saying God the Father and God his Son and God the Holy Spirit, allows them to be called gods, and not God, because of the one divinity and power which we believe and know to be of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit; or, taking away the Son or the Holy Spirit, thinks that only God the Father is to be called or believed the one God: let him be anathema. For the name of gods has been given and granted by God both to angels and to all the saints; but of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, because of their one and equal divinity, it is not the name of gods but of God that is shown and declared to us, so that we may believe that we are baptized only into the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and not into the names of archangels or of angels, as heretics or Jews or even foolish Gentiles do. This, then, is the salvation of Christians: that, believing in the Trinity, that is, in the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, we believe without doubt that in it there is the true, only, and one divinity, and the same power, majesty, and substance, so that we may be found worthy to attain eternal life.