Book of the Canons Regular of our Order of Saint Augustine, Basel. From the bequest of Lord Georg Cantor of the same church?.

A summary edited by Saint Thomas Aquinas

Concerning the articles of faith and the sacraments of the Church.

Your devotion requests that I transcribe for you, in a concise summary for your remembrance, something concerning the articles of faith and the sacraments of the Church, along with the doubts that may arise regarding these matters. Truly, since the entire study of theologians is concerned with the doubts that arise regarding the articles of faith and the sacraments of the Church, if I were to satisfy your fatherhood fully, I would have to summarize the difficult questions of the entire field of theology. Your prudence, I believe, realizes how burdensome that is. Therefore, for the present, it shall suffice for you if I distinguish for you, briefly, the articles of faith and the sacraments of the Church, and which errors regarding each of them are to be avoided.

¶ First, therefore, you must know that the entire Christian faith revolves around the divinity and humanity of Christ. Hence, Christ, speaking with a human voice, says, "You believe in God; believe also in me." Regarding both of these, however, some distinguish six articles, others seven; and thus, according to some, all the articles are said to be twelve, while according to others, fourteen.

¶ First, therefore, they distinguish six articles regarding the faith of the divinity. For there are three things to be considered concerning the divinity: namely, the unity of the divine essence, the trinity of persons, and the effect of divine power.

1. Unity of the divine essence
2. Trinity of persons
3. Effect of divine power

¶ The first article is that we believe in the unity of the divine essence, according to that which is written in Deuteronomy 6: "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one."

¶ Regarding this article, however, several errors occur that must be avoided. First, indeed:

Hain 1429.
Basel, Wenssler.
Stockm. 9, 8.