TRINITY SUNDAY

Almighty and everlasting God, you have given to us your servants grace, by the confession of a true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the power of your divine Majesty to worship the Unity: Keep us steadfast in this faith and worship, and bring us at last to see you in your one and eternal glory, O Father; who with the Son and the Holy Spirit live and reign, one God, for ever and ever. Amen

Collect for Trinity sunday

Article 1 of the 39 Articles of Religion (Anglican Communion BCP):
“There is but one living and true God, everlasting, without body, parts, or passions; of infinite power, wisdom, and goodness; the Maker, and Preserver of all things both visible and invisible. And in unity of this Godhead there be three Persons, of one substance, power, and eternity; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.”

Westminster Confession of 1646 – Of God and of the Holy Trinity:
I. There is but one only, (Deu 6:4; 1Co 8:4, 6); living, and true God, (1Th 1:9; Jer 10:10); who is infinite in being and perfection, (Job 11:7-9; Job 26:14); a most pure spirit, (Jhn 4:24); invisible, (1Ti 1:17); without body, parts, (Deu 4:15-16; Jhn 4:24; Luk 24:39); or passions, (Act 14:11, 15); immutable, (Jam 1:17; Mal 3:6); immense, (1Ki 8:27; Jer 23:23-24); eternal, (Psa 90:2; 1Ti 1:17); incomprehensible, (Psa 145:3); almighty, (Gen 17:1; Rev 4:8); most wise, (Rom 16:27); most holy, (Isa 6:3; Rev 4:8); most free, (Psa 115:3); most absolute, (Exd 3:14); working all things according to the counsel of His own immutable and most righteous will, (Eph 1:11); for, His own glory, (Prov 16:4; Rom 11:36); most loving, (1Jo 4:8; 1Jo 4:16); gracious, merciful, long-suffering, abundant in goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin, (Exd 34:6-7); the rewarder of them that diligently seek Him, (Hbr 11:6); and withal, most just, and terrible in His judgments, (Neh 9:32-33); hating all sin, (Psa 5:5-6); and who will by no means clear the guilty, (Nah 1:2-3; Exd 34:7).

II. God hath all life, (Jhn 5:26); glory, (Act 7:2); goodness, (Psa 119:68); blessedness, (1Ti 6:15; Rom 9:5); in and of Himself; and is alone in and unto Himself all-sufficient, not standing in need of any creatures which He hath made, (Act 17:24-25); nor deriving any glory from them, (Job 22:2-3); but only manifesting His own glory in, by, unto, and upon them. He is the alone fountain of all being, of whom, through whom, and to whom are all things, (Rom 11:36); and hath most sovereign dominion over them, to do by them, for them, or upon them whatsoever Himself pleaseth, (Rev 4:11; 1Ti 6:15; Dan 4:25; Dan 4:35). In His sight all things are open and manifest, (Hbr 4:13); His knowledge is infinite, infallible, and independent upon the creature, (Rom 11:33-34; Psa 147:5); so as nothing is to Him contingent, or uncertain, (Act 15:18; Eze 11:5). He is most holy in all His counsels, in all His works, and in all His commands, (Psa 145:17). To Him is due from angels and men, and every other creature, whatsoever worship, service, or obedience He is pleased to require of them, (Rev 5:12-14).

III. In the unity of the Godhead there be three persons, of one substance, power, and eternity: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, (1Jo 5:7; Mat 3:16-17; Mat 28:19; 2Co 13:14): the Father is of none, neither begotten, nor proceeding; the Son is eternally begotten of the Father, (Jhn 1:14; Jhn 1:18); the Holy Ghost eternally proceeding from the Father and the Son, (Jhn 15:26; Gal 4:6).

Athanasian Creed
“1. Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the catholic faith;

 2.⁠ ⁠Which faith except every one do keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly.

 3. ⁠And the catholic faith is this: That we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity;

 4.⁠ ⁠Neither confounding the persons nor dividing the substance.

 5.⁠ ⁠For there is one person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Spirit.

 6.⁠ ⁠But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit is all one, the glory equal, the majesty coeternal.

 7.⁠ ⁠Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Spirit.

 8.⁠ ⁠The Father uncreated, the Son uncreated, and the Holy Spirit uncreated.

 9.⁠ ⁠The Father incomprehensible, the Son incomprehensible, and the Holy Spirit incomprehensible.

10.⁠ ⁠The Father eternal, the Son eternal, and the Holy Spirit eternal.

11.⁠ ⁠And yet they are not three eternals but one eternal.

12.⁠ ⁠As also there are not three uncreated nor three incomprehensible, but one uncreated and one incomprehensible.

13.⁠ ⁠So likewise the Father is almighty, the Son almighty, and the Holy Spirit almighty.

14.⁠ ⁠And yet they are not three almighties, but one almighty.

15.⁠ ⁠So the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God;

16.⁠ ⁠And yet they are not three Gods, but one God.

17.⁠ ⁠So likewise the Father is Lord, the Son Lord, and the Holy Spirit Lord;

18.⁠ ⁠And yet they are not three Lords but one Lord.

19.⁠ ⁠For like as we are compelled by the Christian verity to acknowledge every Person by himself to be God and Lord;

20.⁠ ⁠So are we forbidden by the catholic religion to say; There are three Gods or three Lords.

21.⁠ ⁠The Father is made of none, neither created nor begotten.

22.⁠ ⁠The Son is of the Father alone; not made nor created, but begotten.

23.⁠ ⁠The Holy Spirit is of the Father and of the Son; neither made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding.

24.⁠ ⁠So there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Spirit, not three Holy Spirits.

25.⁠ ⁠And in this Trinity none is afore or after another; none is greater or less than another.

26.⁠ ⁠But the whole three persons are coeternal, and coequal.

27.⁠ ⁠So that in all things, as aforesaid, the Unity in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity is to be worshipped.

28.⁠ ⁠He therefore that will be saved must thus think of the Trinity.

29.⁠ ⁠Furthermore it is necessary to everlasting salvation that he also believe rightly the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ.

30.⁠ ⁠For the right faith is that we believe and confess that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and man.

31.⁠ ⁠God of the substance of the Father, begotten before the worlds; and man of substance of His mother, born in the world.

32.⁠ ⁠Perfect God and perfect man, of a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting.

33.⁠ ⁠Equal to the Father as touching His Godhead, and inferior to the Father as touching His manhood.

34.⁠ ⁠Who, although He is God and man, yet He is not two, but one Christ.

35.⁠ ⁠One, not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh, but by taking of that manhood into God.

36.⁠ ⁠One altogether, not by confusion of substance, but by unity of person.

37.⁠ ⁠For as the reasonable soul and flesh is one man, so God and man is one Christ;

38.⁠ ⁠Who suffered for our salvation, descended into hell, rose again the third day from the dead;

39.⁠ ⁠He ascended into heaven, He sits on the right hand of the Father, God, Almighty;

40.⁠ ⁠From thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

41.⁠ ⁠At whose coming all men shall rise again with their bodies;

42.⁠ ⁠and shall give account of their own works.

43.⁠ ⁠And they that have done good shall go into life everlasting and they that have done evil into everlasting fire.

44.⁠ ⁠This is the catholic faith, which except a man believe faithfully he cannot be saved.”

Have a blessed Trinity Sunday.

Bishop Felix Orji, OSB.
Anglican Church in North America(ACNA).

Art by Dana Manly