Church 2. That this Creed is produced by Tertullian against those Hereticks who denyed the Scriptures 3. That the Nicene Creed although a full and compleate Forme yet was not the first which the Christian Church had for which he refers us to Tertullian Now that Creed which was older than the Councell of Nice can be no other than the Apostles Creed seeing no other Creed was ever mentioned before the time of that Councell nor other Authors assigned And for Tertullians Testimony to whom we are referd he clearely assignes the Apostles for the Authors 6. Bullinger in the Begining of his Decads whereto he prefixeth the Ancient Creeds hath these words Sufficiebat hactenus Symbolum Apostolorum sufficisset Ecclesiae Christi etiam Constantini Seculo confitentur enim omnes omnes Ecclesias non alio Symbolo quam Apostolico usas eodemque fuisse per totam terrarum orbem contentas quoniam verò Constantini magni aetate emerfit impius blasphemus Arius qui Christianae fidei puritatem corrupit simplicitatem doctrinae Apostolicae pervertit coacti sunt ipsa necessitate Ecclesiarum ministri sese impostori opponere ac Symbolo editio verum id est veterem fidei confessionem damnatâ Arii novitate declarando ex Scripturis canonicis illustrare neque enim in aliis mox sequentibus tribus conciliis Generalibus editis Symbolis quicquam mutatum est in Doctrinâ Apostolorum neque quicquam novi adiectum quod prius ex Scriptura sancta Ecclesiae Christi habuerunt crediderunt sed corruptionibus novitatibus Haereticorum antiqua veritas illustrata per Symbola prudenter utiliter religiose est opposita That is Hitherto the Creed of the Apostles sufficed and had sufficed the Church of Christ even in the Time of Constantine for it is confest by all that all Churches used no other Creed than that of the Apostles and were contented therewith all the world over but because in the Time of Constantine the Great there sprang up that impious and blasphemous Arius who corrupted the Purity of the Christian Faith and perverted the Simplicity of the Apostolick Doctrine the Pastors of the Churches were compeld out of necessity to oppose themselves unto such an Imposture and setting forth a Creed to illustrate the True that is the Ancient Confession of Faith by manifesting it out of Scriptures thereby condemning the novelty of Arius for neither in the three other generall Councels which followed that of Nice was there any thing changed by setting forth their Creeds in the doctrine of the Apostles nor any new thing added unto what the Churches of Christ formerly had and believed out of the Holy Scripture but the Ancient Faith being illustrated by the Creeds was prudently profitably and piously opposed unto the Corruptions and Novelties of the Hereticks 7. Christopher Barbarossa in the Preface to his Catecheticall Analysis wherein he hath drawne into Method the Catechisticall Meditations of seventeene Protestant Divines set forth by the Deane and Colledge of Divines in the Academy of Rostock hath these words Apostoli Synodi brevibus Symbolis doctrinae Christianae Summam complexi sunt quilibet Apostolorum suum contulit ad hoc Symbolum Ratio quare Apostoli composuerunt hoc Symbolum duplex est 1. Suiipsius causâ ut certam haberent Regulam Amussim doctrinae postquam exire vellent in totum Mundum 2. Propter nos ipsos ut haberemus Regulam Amussim Fidei contra Haereticos Nomen Articuli requirit integram omnium Fidei Articulorum cognitionem confessionem si modò Fides perfecta integra esse debet That is The Apostles and Synods comprehended the summe of Christian doctrine in certaine breife Creeds Every one of the Apostles contributed his part to the Creed There is a double Reason why the Apostles composed the Creed 1. For their owne sake that they might have a certaine Rule or measure of Doctrine after they had resolved to goe forth into the whole world 2. For our sakes that we might have a Square or Rule of Faith against the Hereticks The word Article requires an entire knowledg and Confession of all the Points of Faith if so be it ought to be whole and perfect 8. Grinaeus de Eccles contin Primitiva Ecclesia habuit Symbolum Apostolorum cujus plena in Scripturis explicatio non abit ab hoc quod in Irenaeo extat Symbolum lib. 1. cap. 2. That is The Primitive Church had the Creed of the Apostles which is fully explained in the Scriptures This Creed is not diverse from that which is extant in Irenaeus 9. Nicol. Selneccerus in his Paedagogia Christiana Tria Symbola usitate nominantur Apostolicum Nicenum Athanasianum Apostolicum majus in quarta Apostolorū Synodo conscriptum fuisse arbitrantur 1. De electione Matthiae 2. De Ordinatione Diaconorum 3. De Abdicatione legalium 4. Vt existimatur de conscribendis his Fidei Articulis ut certa norma 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 praecipuorum Capitum doctrinae Christianae cum Apostolis jam esset in totum terrarum orbem abeundum extaret confessio quae unanimem ipsorum consensum exhiberet ut autem hoc se habeat certum tamen est in hoc Symbolo quod internae nostrae Fidei Professio concordia est contineri omnia Capita totius Religionis Christianae recte perspicue ordine That is There be three famous Creeds the Apostles the Nicene and that of Athanasius the Apostles Creed is of the greatest account and is supposed to have been compiled in the fourth Synod of the Apostles whereof the first was concerning the election of Mathias the Second concerning the Ordination of Deacons the Third concerning the disanulling of Ceremonies Act. 15. the Fourth as is conceived concerning these Articles of Faith which should serve as a certaine Rule or Modell of the cheife Heades of Christian Doctrine and seeing that the Apostles were now to goe forth into the whole world there might be extant a Confession which should exhibite their unanimous consent unto all But however this businesse was ordered 't is certaine that in this Creed which is the concordant profession of our inward Faith are conteined all the Heads of the whole Christian Religion Rightly Clearely and Orderly 10. Alex. Nowell in his Catechisme giveth two Reasons why the Creed is entituled to the Apostles whereof the First and Cheife and to which he principally enclines is this that it was ab Ore Apostolorum exceptum Received from the mouthes of the Apostles and his following words confirme this reason of the Name wherein he declares that it hath been Ab initio usque Ecclesiae receptum received from the very begining of the Christian Church and from that Time hath perpetually abode in it firme Authentick immoved amongst all Pious Christians ut certa atque constituta Christianae Fidei Regula as a sure setled Rule of the Christian Beliefe As for his latter conjecture of the name Apostolick that
of Theology most necessary to be established and in that most especially the Creed as the Foundation of the rest and this for three Reasons A double abuse of the Creed which occasioned this Treatise together with the abuse of Catechismes The five Heads of the ensuing Treatise The Creed containes all and only Fundamentals The Trinity and Incarnation of the Sonne of God cleared out of it AMongst the severall parts of Divinity which brancheth it selfe forth so largly and variously the Positive or Dogmaticall is Best and most necessary As for Controversies it had been happy for the Church if shee had never been exercised with any they arose as accidentally as unfortunately for Ignorance or Malice hath been the Mother of them All Ignorance when men could not Malice when they would not see and acknowledge the Truth Truth it selfe is still but one which requires establishing rather then questioning for whilst we call all things into Dispute even the maine Grounds of our Religion some begin to doubt others deny Now amongst the Dogmaticks in Divinity which are reducible to these foure Heads the Principles of the Christian Catechisme viz. The Creed the Commandements the Lords Prayer and the Sacraments I have thought good to pitch upon the first named the Creed as the most necessary and Fundamentall Part of Christianity and so most requisite to be premised unto the other three for without a right Faith whereof the Creed is the Rule and Ground we can neither Pray nor Obey nor use the the Sacraments as we ought this it is which directs our Prayers which quickens our Practice and disposeth us aright for all Sacred Mysteries But this necessity is more pressing in these distracted Times and that for these following Reasons 1. Some we have and those who would be thought the most Orthodoxe Reformers who dare cavill at the Authority of the Creed and question the letter of it yea not only question but dash out and abolish the Article of Christ's Descent into Hell either in words or in the ancient and received Sense though generally attested by the Verdict of Antiquity and guarded by the third Article of our Church on purpose inserted as we may in all likelyhood suppose for setling the minds of her Children in this particular because it began to be controverted or at least perverted in the exposition thereof by some Divines in those Dayes 2. Others we have of a farre higher straine who overthrow the very Foundations of Religion especially in the Articles of the Sacred Trinity and the Incarnation of our Blessed Saviour the eternall Sonne or word of God made flesh by which he became 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both which are asserted in the Creed as will appeare by the following Discourse And that they might the more boldly vent their desperate Tenents have slighted the authority of the Creed as an humane Invention or Compilemēt as falsly bearing the Apostles name in the Front so the followers of Servetus Valentinus Gentilis Socinus and others The Framers of which Sects were not ashamed to divulge their project to the world as well by the Pencill as the Pen. They drew a Picture wherein the Church of Rome was described under the forme of a great Edifice on the Roofe whereof sate Luther and his Assistants throwing away the Tiles the Roofe being thus bared Zwinglius Calvin and others beate downe the Walls when this was done to perfect the worke come these Tritheits Photinians Arians with the rest of their Consorts armed with Spades and Pick-axes to digge up the Foundation Here be Rooters with a witnesse whose designe it is not to Prune the Tree by cutting of some superflous Branches but utterly extirpate it that they may plant a new Gospell of their owne such who instead of repairing fall to ruining and instead of of restoring the Decayes of Gods Church by a deliberate and well-ordered Reformation indeavour to erect a new Building in the Desolations of the old 3. The Age miserably labours with as many Religions almost as men every one strongly confidently pretending to the True and Excommunicating as Reprobates all those who are either contrarily or but diversly minded in a word who agree not with them in every Point though of the smallest Concernment Amongst which various Sects and Divisions it concernes us first to search out then to adhere unto some constant Rule whereby to regulate and establish our Faith Now this Rule is at Hand for the Creed was anciently stiled and I hope is still accounted by all good Christians Regula Fidei A short plaine certaine and Compleat Rule Short without Tediousnesse Plaine without Perplexednesse or Obscurity Certaine without Crookednesse or Errour and Compleat without Defect It comprehends the whole Body of our Beleefe omnes Articulos all the Joynts or Members of that Body no one wanting If all Christians would but hold to this as the Primitive Church did then all Heresies and Sects would soone vanish and the severall Members of the Church which now lie distracted and torne asunder like the Bones in Ezekiels vision the severed Parcels of a Skeleton rather then a Body would quickly come together Bone to his Bone the sinewes flesh and skinne would soone cover them and then the Breath of the Lord the Spirit of Christ who is the Head of this Body would Reenter into them and give them life There have been two Grand Causes as I conceive of these miserable Divisions both sprung from an abuse of the Creed what by adding to it what by altering of it 1. The Church of Rome contrary to S. Peters Rule from whom shee boasts to derive her Prerogative Lording it over Gods Heritage 1 Pet. 5. 3. And contrary to that of S. Paul her Joynt Founder taking upon her to have Dominion over our Faith 2 Cor. 14. hath added new Articles to these of the Apostles especially in her last Councill of Trent and these she hath enjoyned to be beleeved under an Anathema and made the so beleeving necessary to Salvation Which domineering carriage of hers hath bred many heart-burnings and stirs in the world that otherwise would never have arisen if she had kept her self entirely unto the old Rule which only was required to be profest by the Genuine Orthodoxe Sons of the Chuerh in the Primitive and Best Times for the Nicene Chalcedon other succeeding Creeds were only expositions of not Additions to the Apostles Creed as will be made appeare 2. Bold Sectaries under the specious Title of Reformers taking occasion and advantage from hence what from the Tyranny and what from the example have fil'd the world with Institutions and Catechismes and I know not what severall Tracts of their false hereticall Tenents arrogating the name of Truth and of the true Church unto themselves Some Tenents they have urged all to beleeve which are besides and not a few quite contrary to this Creed of the Apostles promised Salvation to their own Disciples but denounced damnation not
being indeed the Articles of the Creed viz That there is but one God who made all things of nothing That this God sent his Sonne our Lord Jesus Christ begotten of the Father before every Creature by whom all Creatures were made He was incarnate and made man assuming a Body like in all things to us but that it was borne of the Virgin being conceived by the Holy Ghost He truly Dyed not in apearance the comon death of all men for he truly rose againe Having converst with his Disciples after his Resurrection he was taken up into Heaven That the Holy Ghost is associate with the Father and Sonne in the same Honor and Dignity there shall be a time for the Resurrection of the Dead when this body which is sowne in corruption shall rise in incorruption and that which is sowne in dishonor shall rise in glory This world was made and had a certaine time of begining and by reason of ' its corruptability shall be at length dissolved That there are certain Angels of God and good spirits which minister unto him in procuring the salvation of man kind He adds at last an other Traditionall Foundation viz. That the Scriptures were written by the Holy Ghost After all he concluds oportet igitur velut elementis ac fundamentis hujusmodi uti That we ought to make use of these as the first Elemens and Grounds of Christian Religion which he accordingly explaines at large in those foure bookes of his entituled therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Principles of Christianity a worke fit for his office of Catachist which he bore for many years in the Church of Alexandria 4. Marcellus Bishope of Ancyra in Gallatia fellowsuferer with the great Athanasius being accused by the Arians of Sabellianisme as Athanasius also was and by their means expeld his Bishoprick flies unto Iulius Bishope of Rome for succour and having long there in vaine expected his adversaries comming by confronting of whom he desired to have accquitted himselfe at length weary of longer stay he takes his leave of Iulius and leaves behind him an Epistle wherein he makes this Profession of Faith exceeding conformable to that of the Apostles as we read it at this Day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is I Believe in God Almighty and in Jesus Christ his only-begotten Sonne our Lord conceived by the Holy Ghost and borne of the Virgin Mary crucifyed under Pontius Pilate and buried the third Day he rose againe from the Dead he ascended into the Heavens and sitteth at the right hand of the Father whence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead And I believe in the Holy Ghost the Holy Church the forgivenesse of sinnes the resurrection of the Body the Life Everlasting But this is not all to shew that this Creed was not of his own framing a little after he subjoynes these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Having received this Faith from the holy Scriptures and being taught it of my spirituall Progenitors or Divine Ancestors I both Preach it in the Church of God and have now wrote it unto thee O Iulius This Epistle with the foresaid Creed inclosed we find recorded by Epiphanius in his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Haeres 72. Now whom doth Marcellus meane by his Progenitors or Ancestors 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to or in God Sure he understands either his Godfathers at the Font or the Bishops of the Church by whom he was instructed in the Ancient Faith Or lastly which seemes to me most probable the Apostles themselves who were the true and proper Fathers or Founders of the Christian Church whence that of S. Paul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Though you have ten thousand Instructers or Pedagogues in Christ yet have ye not many Fathers It followes there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For in Iesus Christ I have begotten you through the Gospell 1 Cor. 4. 15. 5. S. Basil the Great in his Tract 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 concerning the Creed or Christian Faith sets downe this Symbole or Confession thereof 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is We Believe and professe one only true and good God the Father Almighty of whom are all Things the God and Father of our Lord and God Jesus Christ and one only begotten Sonne of his our Lord and God Jesus Christ the only True one by whom all things were made both visible and invisible and by whom all things consist who was in the Begining with God and was God and afterward according to the Scripture he appeared upon Earth and conversed with men being in the forme of God he thought it not robbery to be equall with God yet he made himselfe of no reputation and taking upon him the forme of a Servant by being borne of a Virgin and being found in fashion as a man he fulfilled all things which concerned him and were written of him according to the commandment of his Father he became obedient to the Death even the Death of the Crosse and the third Day arising from the Dead according to the Scriptures he appeared to his holy Disciples and to the Rest according as it is written he ascended into the Heavens and sitteth on the right hand of the Father from whence he shall come at the end of this world to raise up all and to render to every one according to his workes when the righteous shall be taken into Life Eternall and the Kingdome of Heaven and the sinners shall be condemned to everlasting punishment where their worme dieth not and the fire is not quenched And in one only Holy Ghost the Comforter by whom we are sealed to the day of Redemption the Spirit of Truth Here we have all the Articles of the Creed but two viz. The Beleefe of the Holy Catholick Church and the forgivenes of sinnes which he sets downe in the ensuing words wherein he largely descants on the gifts of the Holy Ghost towards the Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. By which Spirit we are sealed unto the day of Redemption the Spirit of Truth the Spirit of Adoption by whom we cry Abba Father which distributeth and effecteth in every one the Graces of God unto edification according to his pleasure the good Spirit which leadeth into all Truth and establisheth all that believe in the true and exact knowledge in the Godly and Spirituall service and worship and true confession of God the Father and his only-begotten Sonne c. Concluding thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thus we think and thus we baptize 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into a coessentiall Trinity according to the command of our Lord Jesus Christ who said goe and teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Sone and of the Holy Ghost A little after he intimates from whom he received the foresaid confession of faith namely from Christ and his Apostles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. I beseech you saith
VI. Testimonies of the Authors and Authority of the Creed taken out of the Protestant Divines who have unanimously received and acknowledged this Creed of the Apostles together with the Nicene Creed and that of Athanasius ALthough the Testimonies of the Fathers might well suffice in this Busines the Ancient Doctours of the Church being the most apt and able Witnesses of so ancient a Tradition yet because the Church at this day especially this Western Part of it is so unhappily broken into severall divisions whereto diverse too pertinaciously addicting themselves think nothing right or true but what their owne side allowes and their heades maintaine thus measuring all Religion by the private judgment of some late masters of the Reformation whom though choise Instruments in that worke we ought not sure to looke on as infallible dictatours least in a crosse ridiculous vanity we be found to imitate what we so much blame in our Adversaries by giving that unto them which we have taken from the Pope and so setting up many for one I thought it not amisse by declaring their Judgment also in this Point to comply a little with these prejudices and so give satisfaction even to the most partiall who look upon the Fame of the Author rather than the Force of the argument and value the proofe according to the esteeme they have of the Person as if the Truth were commended by the Teacher not the Teacher by the Truth contrary to that short and sharpe expostulation of Tertullian num ex Personis aestimamus Fidem an ex Fide Personas In compliance I say with these I have thought good to subjoyne unto the consent of Antiquity the suffrages of our latter Protestant Divines many of them the prime Instruments of the Reformation who fully agree with the Fathers in this Point whereby also I shall shew the convincing evidence of this Truth which hath obteined a free confession from the Mouthes Pens of those who have rejected so many other doctrines received in the Church of Rome Especially matters of Tradition such as the Creed is which hath been so universally received by them who have repudiated or Reformed all that they could find any fault with after a most severe examination who in other Points not a few have shewed themselves not only of a contrary judgment unto the Church of Rome but even of a Different among themselves These Testimonies then may justly much prevaile with those who professe themselves of the Reformed Churches not only because of the Dignity of their Name and the uncorruptnesse of their writings as being composed of late not at all suspected of coruption by any Romish fraud but also that when they speake of the Apostles Creed they questionlesse meane that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the same in expresse Termes which is now extant and so are not liable to that Exception which some though without just Ground have made against those Creeds set downe in the writings of the Fathers that they vary from the Forme we now have at least in some words and in the manner of expression Hereby also two sorts of men may likewise see their errour First the Romane-Catholik who with alike loudnes and lying proclaimes to the world that the Protestant or Reformed Churches have brought in a new Religion whereas their endeavour hath been to restore the old unto its Primitive Simplicity by paring off from it as well eroneous superstructures in matter of Doctrine as Superstitious or Burdenous Appendixes in matter of Ceremonies Discipline Government and Manners Secondly the Novellist who though he seemes outwardly much to honour the Prime Reformers yet adheres not to their Principles but runs wildly after his owne Inventions foolishly measuring the Truth of Religion by its opposition to the Church of Rome as if shee had wholy apostatized from the Faith Now betweene these two extreames the old Catholick Truth keeps a mean though for this cause much suffering on both sides Mat. 11. 19. But Wisdome is justifyed of her Children Among these Protestant Divines I have already produced the Testimonies of Calvin Beza Grynaeus and Paraeus in their Comments on the fore-alleaged Places of Scripture viz. Beza and Grynaeus on Rom. 12. 6. Calvin and Paraeus on Heb. 1. 6. To these I shall now adde the Testinnies of others and withall cite Calvin and Grinaeus in their other writings 1. Martin Luther in his Tract of the three Creeds which we find extant in the seventh Tome of his workes hath these words Because some after Confession of my Faith Questioned my Religion I have thought good to Publish these three Symboles as they are cald or confessions of the Christian Faith packt up as it were in one bundle which Creeds the universall Church hitherto hath with generall Approbation taught read sung quas quidem hactenus universa ecclesia magno consensu docuit legit cantavit Quare iterum testatum volo sentire me unice cum vera Christianâ ecclesiâ quae ista Symbola magno consensu hactenùs tum docuit tum retinuit e contra toto Pectore abhorrere ac dissentire a falsâ illâ hypocriticâ ecclestâ quae est saevissimus hostis verae ecclesiae Christi quaeque neglectis obscuratis istis pulcherrimis Symbolis multiplicem interea Idololatriam in ecclesiam invexit Whereby saith he I againe desire to testify that I wholy cōforme my judgment to that true Christian Church which hath hitherto concordantly retained and delivered those Creeds and on the contrary doe cordially dissent from and abhorre that false and hypocriticall Church which is the most cruell enemy of the true Church of Christ which neglecting and debasing those most excellent Creeds hath in the meane time introduced manifest Idolatry into the Church Thus he in his preface to the Reader He proceedes thus Est autem primum illud Apostolorum Symbolum ex reliquis pulcherrimum maximeque concinnum utpote quod brevissime quodam ceu compendio omnes fidei christianae Articulos complectitur quo nomine facilius à Pueris Simplicioribus percipi ac disci potest Alterum Athanasii sc Symbolum est paulo prolixius estque hoc velut propugnaculum primi illius Apostolici Symboli ab eo contra Arianos haereticos conditum est That is The first of these is the Apostles Creed the most excellent best composed of the rest as which most briefely compendiously comprehends all the Articles of the Cristian Beliefe in which regard it may be more easily learned and understood of Children and the more simple sort The Second is the Creed of Athanasius which is somewhat larger and is in the nature of a Bulwarke to that first Creed of the Apostles It was framed by him against the Arrians The Third which he there sets downe is Te Deum being as well a Creed as an Hymne Then after In Symbolo Apostolorum jactum est fundamentum Christianae Fidei Subjiciemus sub finem ad
succeeding Creeds which the whole Church hath for many Ages imbraced they were Framed in generall Councels or confirmed by Generall Practise Now the Catholick Church which received the Creed from the Apostles and preserved â—t as an inviolable Depositum may justly be presumed best to know the meaning of it the Common Mother of Christians can best informe us which is the true sence of the Common Faith and hath sufficienâ— authority to impose it upon Her Children Reas 4. Those Fathers who wrote since the Nicene Councell set downe and explaine that Creed which beareth the Apostles name not that which was framed in the Councell of Nice as appeares by the fore-cited Testimonies Now this they would not nor could have done if the Nicene Creed had been the first The first Father whom we find to meddle with or handle the Nicene Creed is St Cyril Patriarch of Alexandria who flourished an whole Century after the making of it Doth not this plainly shew that the Church had still the prime if not the sole respect to that Symbole or Rule of Faith which the Apostles left her as the maine Basis on which the Faith of her Children was built the Root whereout other Creeds as so many Branches sprung the Fathers who since the celebration of that Councell have explained and commented on the Apostles Creed I have already mentioned viz. Chrysostome Augustine Chrysologus Venantius Eusebius c. Reason 5th It is a received Rule which S. Augustine laies downe lib. 4. De Baptismo cont Donat. cap. 24. Quod universa tenet Ecclesia nec Conciliis institutum sed semper retentum est non nisi authoritate Apostolicâ traditum rectissimè creditur That is That which the universall Church holdeth and hath alwaies retained not being ordained by a Councell is most justly believed to have been derived unto us by the Authority of the Apostles And this rule is grounded upon good Reason besides the Authority of the deliverer for a generall effect must have as generall a cause they must be both of the same latitude and extent now there is no Generall cause imagineable of a publiquely received Doctrine Goverment Ceremony or Discipline in the Catholicke Church such especially as is derived to it from hand to hand time out of mind but the Authority of a Generall Councell which is the Church Representative or the concordant preaching of the Apostles who first planted Christianity in the Churches of the whole world So then to apply this Rule unto our present purpose That the whole Church holds the Apostles Creed experience demonstrates that it hath been alwayes reteined in the Church the Testimonies of the fore-aleadged Fathers shew and that it was not Framed in any Genenerall Councell sufficienty appears both by the copies of those Creeds which were framed in them found varying from that of the Apostles as also by the writing of those Fathers who lived before the first General Councel held at Nice wherein they make mention of a Rule of Faith derived downe to them from the Apostles which some of them also set downe as Irenaeus Tertullian Origen Reason 6th Before the Nicene Creed was framed both the Easterne and Westerne Churches had an Ancient Symbole or Creede Socrat. lib. 5. cap. 6. Which could be no other than that of the Apostles since no other is assigned or mentioned by any good Author First That the Westerne or Romane Church had such an Ancient Symble appeares 1. By the words of Vigilius Byshop of Rome lib. 4. De Eutiche Roma antequam Nicena Synodus conveniret a temporibus Apostolorum usque all nunc ita fidelibus Symbolum tradidit viz. in Jesum Christum Filium ejus Dominum nostrum leaving out the Particle Vnicum That is The Church of Rome even before the Nicene Councell from the very Apostles times till this present in these termes delivered the Creed unto Believers And in Jesus Christ his Sonne our Lord leaving out the Particle Only 2. By Ruffinus in his Tract on the Creed who compares the Aquilean Creed with the Romane and withall tells us that the Creed was believed so ancient in his time that it was then held for an Apostolicall Tradition Now this Ruffinus was a man of note in the Church nine yeares before the first Councell of Constantinople viz. in the yeare 372. when he went with Melama from Rome to Alexandria about which time also S. Ierome wrote letters to him namely his Epist 5. 41. Secondly that the Easterne Churches had an ancient Creed too before the Nicene Councell appears by the same Ruffinus who compares the Aquilean Creed with that of the East as well as with the Romane The same appears by Cyril of Ierusalem who explaines it at large in his Catecheses and this Creed of his explaining we shall find much consonant to that which we now call the Apostolicall only cutting off some few exegeticall Particles which were added to fore-arme his Auditors and other orthodox Christians against succrescent Heresies to which Creed of his he adjoynes also some practicall Grounds for the more compleat instruction and Preparation of them against the time of Baptisme This Cyril was first Catechist then Patriarch of Ierusalem and sate afterwards in the first Councell held at Constantinople where the Easterne Bishops were only present and composed a Creed almost in the same termes with this of Cyril He composed these Catecheses in his youth about the yeare 350 and died in the yeare 386 five years after the celebration of that Councell as the learned Vossius demonstrates out of Leo and S. Jerome compared with a passage in his sixt Catechesis Now as the Fathers of the first Councell at Constantinople laboured not to frame a new Creed but were contented to enlarge the Article concerning the Holy Ghost against Macedonius who perverted it so we may justly suppose that the Nicene Fathers retained the words of that Creed which had been of old received in the East least they might otherwise seeme to have framed a new Faith amplifying only the Article concerning the Divinity of our Saviour which was then called in question by Arius that so it might appeare to the World quaedam tantummodo explicatius dici as the same Vossius rightly conceives Cut off therefore from the Nicene or Constantinopolitan Creed or from that of Cyril which much symbolizeth with it the Additionals unto those two Articles and you have the whole Creed of the Apostles for the Communion of Saints is not a distinct Article but a part or Paraphrase of what goes before Saints being implyed in in Holy and Communion in Church or Congregation Ecclesia which is an Assembly of selected People and Christs descent into Hell is presupposed to the Article of his Resurrection Therefore to think that Cyril in his old Age or Iohn the Patriarch his Successor added all that to the Jerosolymitan Creed which followes the Articles of the Holy Ghost is nothing probable because Cyril doth not barely
Canon of Scripture for if you say it pertaines to unwritten Traditions as S. Jerome and others tell us we must know that those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 concerne only the Goverment and Rites of the Church whereas the Creed is a Rule of Faith or Doctrine required to be profest by Christians at their Baptisme Answ First To retort a like question why is not the number of the Canonicall Bookes put into the Canon that so we might the more certainly know what Bookes are of Divine Authority and what are Supposititious This sure is a Doctrinall Point the maine Fundamentall one and highly concernes our Faith if any thing doe and yet it is derived unto us by Tradition why may not the Creed in like manner Secondly the Creed is taken out of the Canon of Scripture either in expresse words or by evident and necessary Consequence whereof the Apostles were unerring Iudges reduced only to a Method and set Forme Thirdly The Apostles thought not fit to commit it unto writing but delivered it by word of mouth to the Pastours or Bishops of the Churches whom they left to succeed them and who in a continued Succession downe from the Apostles delivered the Creed unto us Fourthly That unwritten Traditions comprehend not only matters of Practise such as are the Rites Regiment of the Church but also matter of Doctrine I appeale not only to the former instance of the Canon of Scripture and to this of the Creed constantly witnessed by St Ierome with many other Fathers whose testimony deserves much credit but to a Third also the perpetual Virginity of the Mother of God of which Mr Perkins no friend of Romish Traditions saith thus That the Virgin Mary lived and died Virgin is received for Truth but yet not recorded in Scripture and in Ecclesiastical Writers many worthy sayings of the Apostles and other holy Men are Recorded and received of us for Truth which neverthelesse are not set downe in the Bookes of the Old or New Testament and many things we hold for Truth not written in the Word if they be not against the Word Thus he in his Reform Cath. of Tradit Concl. 2. Ob. 6th The Creed hath not been preserved so safe from Addition Detraction Mutation as the rest of the Scriptures alwayes have been therefore not likely to have come from the Apostles Answ I could wish that the holy Scriptures had beene kept so safe as the Objectour beares us in hand the Church then would have been more pure and more peaceble But First For Additions Doth not our Church cut off those Apocryphall pieces which were long a goe an next to Daniel and Hester And doe we not find the 151 Psalme added unto the rest a Copy whereof we have in Sixti Sen. Bibliothecâ And in the New Testament for some Ages the Booke called Hermae Pastor was joyned to the Bookes we now have and esteemed by many for Canonicall Secondly For Detraction Have not whole bookes been taken a way by diverse Hereticks who would acknowledge no scripture that made against them For Instance Marcion acknowledged none of the four Gospels but only that of St Luke neither his entirely as Tertullian witnesseth Examples of other Hereticks are almost infinite Yea which is more some Canonicall Bookes for a while were denied or at least doubted of and so left out in diverse Copyes by some Orthodox Doctors of the Church till the Truth became afterwards better cleared as the Epistles of James Iude the Second Epistle of Peter the Second Third Epistles of St Iohn the Epistle to the Hebrewes the Revelation of St Iohn For this we may consult the Syriack Translatiō of the New Testament Thirdly For Mutation The Hereticks of old time who were bold to cut off whole Bookes did much more boldly adventure on changing of verses wordes letters and points The fraud of the Arians both old and new is notorious in this kind Neverthelesse for all these subtile and various Devices of Satan to overthrow Religion and pervert the Word of Truth by these his mischievous Instruments yet some ancient copies both of the Scripture Creed by Gods especiall Providence have been kept entire whereby the rest might be examined and amended Ob. 7th Although the Creed hath ever been much esteemed in the Church yet was it never accounted Canōicall The Ancient Doctors were so far from equalling it with Scripture that they appealed from it thereunto as to an higher Authority so did Cyr. Catech. 4. And Paschasius in his Booke against Macedonius Bib. Pat. Tom. 9. Which without question they never would have done had they thought it had bin from the Apostles in such Forme and as now wee have it Answ First Whether the Creed were accounted for Authority Canonicall that is Divine and unquestionable and for Frame Apostolicall I appeale to all those Ancient Fathers which I have already produced amongst whom Tertullian one very Ancient expresly tels us that the Creed was ordained by Christ viz. by the Ministery of his Apostles who were Authorised by him and assisted by his Spirit to compose it according to that saying of his He that heareth you heareth me Luk. 10. 16. Whence he sends the Hereticks to the Churches founded by the Apostles to find this Doctrine or Rule of Faith there left by them De praesc adv haer cap. 21. Withall he cals it The Canon or Rule of Faith as Irenaeus had done before him and tels us that no part thereof may be cald in question Seconly 'T is not unlikly that some of the Fathers may cite places of Scripture in confirmation of the Creed as the Apostles themselves in their writings bring forth places out of the old Teastament to back and vindicate the truth of what they said yea our Blessed Saviour himselfe oft cites Moses the Prophets and authorizeth his doctrine by their Testimony bidding his Auditours to Search the Scriptures of the old Testament for they are they saith he which Testify of me Io. 5. 39. See also Act. 26. 22. 2 Pet. 1. 19. Iam. 2 14 23. And it is the usuall practise of our preachers at this day to bring proofes for their textuall observations though oft expresse wordes of Scripture out of other paralell Places But as well those citations of the Fathers as these of our Blessed Sauiour and his Apostles are brought not so much to confirme the truth of what they said as to satisfy the mindes of their Auditours which were more fully cōfirmed whē they they saw the joynt correspondence of the Creed with the Scripture and the Gospell with the Law And we find at this day though divine Authority doe abundantly suffice to confirme us in the Grounds of our Religion yet it doth more fully content the judgment of the Learned when they see the probates of Reason to conspire with the dictates of Faith for Instance in the Vnity of the Godhead and the immortality of the Soule Thirdly As for the two Fathers
alleadgeth to disparage it amongst the Reformed Churches is more then hath been proved but if it were it maketh nothing against its Dignity and Authority for such a Conveyance will argue the Church only for the Deriver as the Head Mother or Principall Church of the West not the Originall Composer of the Creed and 't is generally acknowledged that the Church of Rome in the first Ages was most famous for the purity of the Orthodoxe Faith and the uncorrupt keeping of Traditions especially Doctrinall Lastly that the Easterne Churches used other Creeds hath been also disproved if by others be meant Creeds diverse in meaning and in the substance of the Articles Therefore the conclusion namely that the Creed was framed by the Bishop and Clergy of Rome of its own accord falles unto the Ground Thus have I endeavoured not only to bring positive Arguments for the asserting of this Ancient Tradition but withall to answer all those Objections which are brought against it a Taske farre the more difficult of the two First because it is an untrodden Path wherein I had neither Helpe nor Guide no man till these late busy Times having ever presumed to write against the Authority or the Authors Secondly because it is usually a farre easier labour to establish a received Truth then to demolish all the specious objections which are raised against it I shall desire to meet with the same candor in my Reader whosoever he be that shall compare these Arguments and Answers together which I have used towards the Objectors whose Persons I have not so much as named as having no quarrell to them but only contended with their Objections and whatsoever my Answers be their Arguments I am sure are set down at full and to the best advantage least otherwise I might seeme to have fought with my own shadow Let the indifferent Reader see and judge Yet if after all this I be farther asked by the more curious enquirer which of all those Creeds or Symboles that wee meet with in Antiquity and which I have here produced came 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in expresse words from the Apostles neither more nor lesse not the least particle varied I Answer First That this question as it hath much difficulty in it so it hath little necessity for as long as those Creeds agreed in the substance of the Faith it matters little or nothing though there be some variety of expression This indeed might make way for a difference in substance if done rashly upon a private judgement and a designe of countenancing some new opinion but not so when done by the generall consent of the Church assembled in a Synod which is supposed not only to have the words of the Creed but also the true sense thereof kept in her by Tradition as an inviolable Depositum and withall to be directed by the Holy Ghost so as not to erre in any necessary fundamentall Poynt such as the Articles of the Creed are The Socinians indeed would have the Nicene Creed to differ in substance from that of the Apostles but such a censure is not to be much wondered at in them who renew the Heresies condemned by that Creed and by the two Councels which composed it Secondly Amongst all the forementioned Creeds those which we may have most probable recourse unto as the exact Patternes or Modells of the rest the Apostles genuine Births as well for words as matter are the Creed of the Jerosolymitan Church explained by Cyril and the Creed of the Romane Church which we of the West now commonly call the Apostles Creed for these two are most compleat in themselves and most consonant to each others First The Creed of the Jerosolymitan Church is likely to be the Apostles because that was the Antient mother Church of the whole World where Christianity first began and from thence was communicated unto all Nations and wherein the Apostles are said to have composed the Creed before they went unto the Gentilks Secondly The Church of Rome also hath a very faire Plea for her Antiquity and Integrity First Because that Church was founded by the two Prime Apostles Peter and Paul Secondly Because she was in the greatest Repute for the first Ages as the most uncorrupt preserver of the Catholick Faith and keeper of Apostolicall Tradition when other Churches swerved from the Apostolick Doctrine whence it is that the Fathers of those Ages frequently appeale to her in their writings against Hereticks Thirdly Because Heresies arising in other Churches forced them to adde some explicatory Particles to the Creed thereby to vindicate the Faith from Imposture and distinguish themselves from unsound Professors but the Church of Rome had this happinesse for a long while that no Heresy sprang up in her which by infecting her Children inforced her to this necessity for that of the Novatians was about Ecclesiasticall Discipline rather a Schisme then a Heresy and Blastus was a Quartadecuman Erring only about the time of keeping Easter As for Florinus and Praxeas the one was no Romane but a stranger and soon discovered and both upon Discovery were banished as it seems for we heare not of any great harme they did or store of Disciples they led after them Now this felicity of the Romane Church caused them to keep their Creed entire according as they had received it from the Apostles their first renowned Founders without any Alteration or Addition so much as in the manner of expression to which purpose we may consult these three following Testimonies First S. Amb. in his forecited Epistle to Syricius Bishop of Rome exhorts all to believe the Apostles Creed which the Church of Rome hath alwaies preserved intemeratum untoucht and inviolate Secondly Ruffinus in his Exposition of the Creed upon those words I believe in the Father Almighty gives us this Admonition Illud non importunè commonendum puto quod in diversis Ecclesiis aliqua in his verbis inveniuntur adjecta in Ecclesiâ tamen urbis Romae hoc non deprehenditur factum quod ego propterea esse arbitror quòd neque haeresis ulla illic sumsit exordium mos ibi servatur antiquus eos qui gratiam Baptismi suscepturi sunt publicè id est fidelium populo audiente Symbolum reddere utique adjectionem unius saltem sermonis eorum qui precesserunt in fide non admittit auditus in caeteris autem locis quantum intelligi datur propter nonnullos haereticos addita quaedam videntur per quae novellae doctrinae sensus ceederetur excludi That is I think it not unseasonable to give notice that in diverse Churches somewhat is added to these words but not so in the Church of Rome the reason whereof I suppose to be this because neither any Heresy there took its Rise and the ancient custome is there also kept that the Persons who are to be baptized publiquely rehearse the Creed in the audâ—ence of the Church which would not endure to heare the least
false Brethren who had privily crept into the Church and corrupted the Gospell from those who sincerely bound themselves by Oath in Baptisme to the service of Christ 5. A Catechisme taken out of the Workes of Costerus Pet. de Soto and others set forth by the command of the Arch-Bishop of Triers respons ad 2am qu. saith thus Haeretici quosdam Articulos vel penitùs negant vel interpretationibus depravatis in novas alienasque Sententias detorquent neque ulla unquam extitit haeresis quae non hoc Symbolo damnari potuerit That is The Hereticks doe either wholly deny some Articles of the Creed or by their corrupt interpretations wrest them into new and strange senses neither did there ever arise any Heresy which might not be condemned by this Creed of the Apostles Now how the Church of Rome which gives this Testimony of the fulnesse of the Creed for the Rule of Faith and makes it the Distinctive marke whereby to know her true genuine Children from the Bastardy of Hereticks can justly adde many other Articles to it as Pius 4. doth in his Bull De professione fidei to be believed as necessary to Salvation and for the not receiving of them as undoubtedly Catholick necessary Truths together with the Apostolick Articles condemne the Reformed Churches of Heresy I can see no shadow of Reason except she include these her Dictates in the body of the ninth Article and so inforce them upon us by vertue of the Apostles pretēded Authority interpreting the Article thus I believe the Holy Catholick Church That is I believe whatsoever the Church of Rome usurping the Title of Catholick requireth of me to be believed But this Interpretation will be found obnoxious to a double Errour First Because shee beggs the maine thing in question namely That she is the Catholick Church whereas shee is but a member thereof and that a very diseased one Secondly Because the sense of the word Credo I believe must in all reason be taken in the same sense here as it is in the following Articles unto which it is in like manner referred viz. I believe there is a Remission of Sinnes that there is to be a Resurrection of the Body and Life everlasting So here I believe there is an Holy Catholick Church that is That the Christian Church is Holy and Catholick or Universall Holy for Doctrine and Manners and universall for Place not tied to Greece or Rome or Geneva but generally diffused throughout the whole world To conclude this Point I shall adde some concurrent Testimonies of the Protestant Divines whose agreeing in this with the Church of Rome though much differing in others shewes the Power and cleerenesse of this Truth which extorts a Confession from all Mouthes and withall may serve to stop the violence of some zealous Reformatists who even Reprobate all those that goe not along with them in every new-broached Doctrine and in the Resolution of each Theologicall Controversy These Divines shall be six 1. Luther in his larger Catechisme after he hath set downe the Creed the Commandements and the Lords Prayer he subjoynes In hisce tribus partibus summatim ac nuditér quoad ejus fieri potuit simplicissimè comprehensa sunt omnia quicquid passim in sacris literis longè lateque tractamus That is In these Three are summarily and plainly comprehended whatsoever Things are handled at large in the holy Scriptures The Creed being the Breviary of the whole Scripture for matter of Faith as the ten Commandements are for matter of of Practise and the Lords Prayer for our Petitions Each perfect in its kind 2. Selneccerus in his Paedag. Christianâ saith Certum est in hoc Symbolo Apostolorum contineri omnia Capita totius Christianae Religionis rectè perspicuè ordine That is It is certain that in this Creed of the Apostles are contained all the Heads of Christian Religion rightly clearely and methodically 3. Ioan Gerardu◠a late Learned and Moderate Lutherane in the Epistle Dedicatory to his second Tome of Common Places speaks thus of the Creed Quotquot Doctrinae Christianae c. Whatsoever Collections or Systems of Christian Doctrine which Saint Luke calls Catechises Luke 1. 4. Act. 18. 25. Saint Paul The forme of sound words 2 Tim. 1. 13. The Epistle to the Hebrewes The first Principles of the Oracles of God chap. 5. 12. and the Principles of the Doctrine of Christ cha 6. 1. Clemens of Alexandria 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rude Draughts Origen Principles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dionysius of Alexandria Elements of Divinity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eusebius lib. 3. cap. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A breviary of the Elements of Religion Nazianzen Theology Theophilus and Lactantius Institutions The most at this day call them Common Places Whatsoever Collections I say in this kind of Christian Doctrine have been written and set forth by diverse Authority from the most ancient times of the Primitive Church the first lineaments as it were and chiefe Heads of them are set forth in the Apostles Creed This Rule of Faith set downe by Irenaeus and Tertullian and styled an Apostolicall Tradition if any one compare with the words of the Apostles Creed he will easily find a great agreement between them sometimes the Apostles Creed sometimes the Scripture it selfe is called the Rule of Faith by the Ancients namely by reason of the exact harmony or concord between both which lookes on the holy Scripture as the fountain and the Creed as a streame thence derived As in Ages past when new Disputes ever and anon arose the Fathers who succeeded the Apostles were enforced to set forth larger and more expresse summaries of the Apostolick Doctrine partly to unfold it more fully partly to vindicate it from corrupt Glosses So also in this latter Age of ours wherein the mindes of many are very farre withdrawn from the Apostolick simplicity by the subtilty of Satan the shortnesse of the Creed is to be explained more at large out of the fulnesse of Scripture and thereby fortified against the corruptions of Hereticks that so we may faithfully preserve in our own persons and deliver over to Posterity the sacred Depositum of the Christian Faith Thus for Jo. Gerardus 4. Calvin Instit lib. 2. cap. 16. § 18. Of this we are undoubtedly assured saith he Totam in eo Symbolo Apostolorum fidei nostrae historiam succinctè destincteque recenseri That the whole History or subject of our Beliefe is contained in the Apostles Creed briefly and orderly 5. Beza on Rom. 12. 6. the place before cited tels us That the Apostles Creed was composed at the very beginning of the Gospels Preaching veluti Evangelii Epitome as a Compendium or short summary of the Gospell and therefore was deservedly called the Rule of Faith by Tertullian 6. Bullinger in the Preface to his Decads tels us That the Generall Councells in setting forth their Creeds changed nothing in the Doctrine of the Apostles neque quicquam novi
The word signifies Tessera militaris a watch-word whereby Souldiers of the same Army or Campe know one an other and discerne themselves from the Enemy Which signification among all the Rest seemes most proper to the Creed because by this profession of the Faith Christians are distinguisht not only from Iewes Turkes and Infidels but more especially from Hereticks those Renegados and Deserters of the Christian Faith For as watch-wordes are most necessary in civill warres where the Difference is between the same Countrymen who use the same Language apparell armes and manner of fighting these being the only signes and tokens whereby they may try those whom they suspect discover whether they be true friends or concealed Enimies so Hereticks professe Christ in outward shew and take his name upon them but doe not truely Preach him secundum Apostolicas Regulas non integris Traditionum lineis nunciantes to use the words of Ruffinus what out of Pride Curiosity or discontent what for gaine or Belly they frame new Doctrines of their owne some besides some against the Foundation which they obtrude upon the Faith of others Now the watch word to discover these false Apostles these Deceitfull workers who transformed themselves into the Apostles of Christ 2 Cor. 11. 13. Was anciently the Creed If upon examination they embraced this in the old Catholick sense they were received as Brethren if not they were rejected and avovded as spies false Brethren Corrupters of the Faith The Heathens also had the like Custome to give for their wathwords the names of their Gods their suposed Deityes as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Minerva and the like what fitter watchword then for a Christian than the profession of his Faith in the true God the thrise-holy Trinity which he makes in the Creed And this may be therefore judged the most proper in this Place and most likely to be intended by the first entitlers because the Ancient Church of God following his Patterne in holy Scripture useth many other the like military Termes and seemeth to delight in the metaphor The Church her self is described Terrible as an Army with Banners Cant. 6. 4. Our Blessed Saviour is styled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The cheife Captaine or Generall of our Salvation Heb. 2. 10. And S. Paul exhorts Timothy whom he had left his Lieutenant at Ephesus to endure hardnesse as a good Souldier of Iesus Christ 2 Tim. 2. 3. In opposition to which that I may give this note by the way the heathen Souldiers under the Christian Emperors got the name of Pagani because when they refused to renounce their Idolatry and so become Christians they were dimissi in Pagos cashiered and sent into the Villages and so returned unto their country Life To proceed our Christian Virtues or graces are styled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Compleat Armour of God Eph. 6. 11. 13. The particulars whereof are there described The grand mysteries of our Salvation have the name of Sacraments given them now Sacramentum properly signifies that Oath of obedience which Souldiers took unto their Generall lastly that part of the Church which here on Earth is styled Millitant that in Heaven Triumphant Suitably then doth the Creed weare the name of Symbolum a watchword The Reason of the name we find given by Clemens Romanus Ruffinus Maximus Taurinensis and Isidore Bishop of Sevil. CAP XI The fourth Head of this Discourse namely The Division or Parts of the Creed THE Apostles Creed hath a double Division among Divines to wit A greater and a lesse The one distributes into foure generall Partes The other Anatomizeth it into twelve Articles limbes or joynts for this is the literall signification of the word Articulus which make up the entire Body of Christian Faith As to the first Division The foure generall Parts of the Creed have for their Object God and man viz. The three Persons of the sacred Trinity and the Church instructing us what we should believe of either 1. The first part is touching God the Father and consists but of one Article 2. The second Part is touching God the Sonne and comprehendeth six Articles 3. The third part is touching God the holy Ghost and consists but of one Article as the first did 4. The fourth Part is concerning the Church and a threefold benefit conferd by God upon it answerable in number to the Persons of the sacred Trinity viz. The Remission of sinnes by the Father Eph. 4. 32. Resurrection of the Body by the Sonne Io. 6. 39. Mat. 24. 31. everlasting Life by the holy Ghost the Spirit of life and Glory Gal. 6. 8. Rev. 11. 11. Pet. 4. 14. Then for the Second division The Creed brancheth it selfe into twelve Articles vsually referred to the twelve Apostles in severall but however answerable to their number The Articles we have already distinctly set downe and compared them with six other succeeding Creeds These twelve Articles are compared by some to the twelve Stones which Ioshua in his passage over to Jericho took out of the middest of Iordan to frame an Altar within Gilgal in memory of having gotten possesion of the promised land For the holy Scriptures wherout these Articles of our Beliefe are taken are the true waters of life a spirituall Iordan The river it selfe was sanctifyed by the the very Person of our Saviour when he descended into it at his Baptisme in which solemnity all his Disciples have since made a Publicke profession of their Faith by attesting to the Creed The twelve Articles thereof compiled into one Body well resemble those twelve Stones framed into an Altar and that Altar erected in memory of the Promises now obteined the heavenly Canaan typifyed by the earthly for the Creed conteines the great benefites of God towards his Church heretofore possessed in shadow but now in substance by vertue of our Blessed Saviours Purchase who was the Antitipe of Iosua In whom the promises of God are yea and Amen 2 Cor. 1. 20. But by others they are more appositely compared to the twelve foundation-stones mentioned in Reve. 21. 14. Which are there said to support the wall of the new Ierusalem and wherein as it is there expresly set downe the Names the twelve Apostles of the Lambe were written This new Ierusalem is Christs Church on Earth for it is there styled The Tabernacle of God with men ver 3. The wall of this Citty is the Faith or professed doctrine of the Church whereby it is guarded against her enimies and seperated from all other Religions And the twelve Stones in the foundation of this wall are the twelve Articles of the Creed which be the Groundes of our Faith the Fundamentalls of Christian Religion To the same sense and purpose S. Paul compares the Church to an holy Temple built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Iesus Christ himselfe being the cheife Corner Stone Eph. 2. 20 21. Now this foundation of the Apostles and Prophets cannot be understood of their Persons for they
Fides Apostolica OR A Discourse asserting the received Authors and Authority of the APOSTLES CREED TOGETHER WITH The Grounds and Ends of the Composing thereof by the APOSTLES the sufficiency thereof for the Rule of Faith the Reasons of the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Originall Greeke and the Division or Parts of it Hereunto is added a double Appendix the First touching the ATHANASIAN the Second touching the NICENE Creed By GEO. ASHWELL B. D. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jud. v. 3. Christianus mihi nomen est Catholicus vero Cognomen Pacian Ep. ad Symp. I shall believe that the Apostles Creed was made by them such Reverence I beare to the Churches Tradition untill other Authors be certainly found out K. Ch. 5 Paper to M. Henderson OXFORD Printed by LEON LICHFIELD Printer to the University for Jo. Godwin and Ric. Davis 1653. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE and my much Honoured Lord Thomas LORD Wenman Baron of Kilmaynham and Viscount Tuam MY LORD THE Age wherein we live as it is unhappy in too many Particulars so in nothing more then that it hath almost lost the ancient Faith amongst so many Factions which pretend to it and exclude others from it Some we have who have maimed it by cutting off certain Articles and others made a Monster of it by heterogeneous Additions Some have destroyed it by corrupting the substance thereof and others discoloured it by counterfeiting its appearance Some have poysoned the Body thereof by the venime of Heresies and others plucked it in pieces by the violence of Schismes But what Remedy to cure these Corruptions and Disorders Sure we can use no better meanes than what the Prophet adviseth us unto To aske for the old Paths and walke therein and so find rest unto our Soules Ier. 6. 16. Or to take that course which our Blessed Saviour made use of in deciding the question of Divorces namely to reduce the matters in Controversies unto the Primitive Institution Mat. 19. 8. By which meanes wee shall find if we make a sober and impartiall search what was the Faith which the ancient Church received from Christ and his Apostles that which she universally profest in the Primitive Times and delivered unto her Children in its native Purity and Perfection Now I shall think my paines most happily bestowed if I may be thought to have contributed in the least unto so good a Worke by this ensuing Discourse the first Rudiments whereof that I may give your Lordship an account of its Composure I drew some years agoe in pursuance of a Collegiate Office which then required me to pitch on some Fundamentall part of Divinity which might best fit the condition and capacity of the Youth who were then my proper Auditours and serve as a Ground-worke to settle them in the Principles of Religion In order to this I thought that I could not make a better choise then by fixing on the Creed which all ages of the Church have entitled to the Apostles and looked on as an exact summary of Christian Religion as to matter of Doctrine But before I pitched on the Body of the Creed it selfe I judged it very expedient if not absolutely necessary to prefixe somewhat by way of Preface touching the Authors and Authority thereof which to mee seeme to stand and fall together for if the Creed were not composed by the Apostles but afterwards gathered out of their writings by some obscure Hand not infallibly guided as theirs but obnoxious unto Errour I cannot as yet see how it can well make good its Title of Apostolick or justly challenge that sacred esteeme which it hath universally obtained from all Sorts and Sects of Christians even from the most pestilent of Hereticks And this I was the rather induced to doe by reason of a certain short Treatise of a Learned Countryman of ours wherein he hath been pleased to lay downe severall Arguments in disprovall of the received Authors the first I suppose who ever proceeded so farre and thought fit to imploy his wit and paines on so unhappy a Subject And these Arguments of his as Novelties usually spread farther and take much at their first appearance in the world we have found since not only entertained but improved also and augmented in number by a more Learned Forreiner I could heartily wish that they had bestowed their paines upon some other Subject whereby they might have gained a more safe repute unto themselves and a more solid advantage to the Publick both which are purchased not by battering and beating downe what is already well built and setled but by repairing the Decayes and Breaches of the Christian Church or by building on the old Foundations whereas we may too justly say of such endeavours as these in matters of Faith what the Apostle by an elegant antithesis speaks in a matter of fact viz. The eating of Things offered to Idols wherein the Trespasser most dangerously Scandalized his Brother that by this ill-managed knowledge of his he did aedificare fratrem in ruinam Edify his weaker Brother but in a most perverse sense not to feare God but to fall quite away from him As to my own particular the objections of these two Learned men served opportunely to awaken mee unto a more serious and exact Review of those ancient Records which the Primitive Church hath left us wherein finding just Ground as I conceived for asserting the received Authors and Authority of the Creed by many concordant Testimonies of those first and best Ages and those seconded by the suffrages of the most eminent Divines of these latter Times although divided into Parties and differing in many other Poynts I undertooke to examine the force of the Arguments alleadged to the contrary in which though I found at the first sight some faire Probabilities sufficient to startle an unwary Reader yet upon a deliberate comparing them with the Consent the Cleerenesse and the Authenticalnesse of the contrary proofes I could by no meanes see such a Proportion of weight and force in them as to overthrow the combined strength of such an Army of witnesses But whether or no my answers to these objections will appeare satisfactory unto others I must leave unto those others to judge who see not with my eyes as I doe not with theirs Yet I hope that these my endeavours will meet with Pardon at least though they come farre short of that perfection which they may chance to look for and I could wish for when they please to consider the ancient and acknowledged Right of the Cause I plead for the number and Authority of my witnesses by whom I am supported together with the newnesse of the contrary Arguments which as no Age before ever saw so no Man to my knowledge ever went about to solve The first attempts in any kind are usually rude and imperfect much more when they proceed from an unskilfull and unpractised Hand such as mine which never before ventured on ought which it durst expose unto
Division become none as a great entire streame looseth it self and is quite dried up when parted into severall small Channels Now that this day is neere approaching these sad Prognosticks tell us especially the latter wherewith the present Age so greivously labours all which mischeife both heretofore arose amongst us and now tyrannizeth over us for want of a sure Rule or Ground of faith rightly understood and applied The holy Scripture indeed is an aboundantly sufficient Ground of our Beleife and Rule of manners but being exposed as now adayes it is to every mans private Fancy the Glosse too too oft wyer-drawes and corrupts the Text so that we look upon Gods word through a false-coloured Glasse Pretences of a private Spirit and enthusiasticall Revelations with the Anabaptist of right Reason with the Sosinian which is as diverse in men as their fancies or faces make what they please of Scripture and force it to speak their mind thus by perverting it to their own sense they are not judged by but judge the Law and become as S. James in a like Case saith James 4. 11. Not Doers or Beleevers of the Law but Judges The Apostles those renowned Patriarchs of the Christian faith foreseing this evill left us a double Remedy both by Tradition preserved in the Church to be delivered down unto all Ages from hand to hand viz. a Rule or Ground of faith and the exposition or right applying of this Rule The Ground or Rule in the Creed composed by themselves as a Summary of the points of Faith which lie dispersedly here and there in the large volume of the Scriptures The undoubted Exposition and right applying of this Rule they have left us in the writings of the Fathers who were their Successours to whose care and custody they not only committed the Oracles of God in writing and the Creed by word of mouth but the interpretation also of both as they heard them expounded from their own mouthes whil'st they lived and preached amongst them for in vaine had the Apostles given them the words if they had not given them the sense withall whereby to stop the mouthes of Hereticks who arose even at the first preaching of the Gospell as we may see in S. Pauls Epistles This orthodoxe sense is that which is so frequently mentioned in the writings of the Ancient Fathers under the name of Depositum Catholica seu Apostolica Traditio fides Ecclesiae and the like expressions and which Tertullian makes use of to confound the whole Hydra of Heresies in his Book De Praeser adu Haeret. bidding the Hereticks goe to those mother-Churches which the Apostles founded and personally resided in and to which they committed the true genuine Faith where saith he yee shall heare no newes of your upstart heterodoxe Doctrines invented by yourselves wherewith this proud factious Generation infested the Church and led away after them many seduced Proselytes Of this Tradition S. Paul speaks to his Disciple Timothy whom he had left behind him as his Deputy at Ephesus The things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses the same commit thou to faithfull men who shall be able to teach others also 2 Tim 2. 2. And to the Church of Thessalonica Brethren stand fast and hold the Traditions which yee have bin taught whether by word or our Epistle 2 Thes 2. 15. comp v. 5. 6. Observe here the cunning of Satan whereby in all Times but especially in these last and worst he makes way by these his fore-runners for the comming of that great Anti-christ He hath set men on work under pretence of honouring Scripture as the sole Al-sufficient Rule of Faith and of withdrawing themselves from all dangerous Dependance on mens erroneous judgments seeing every man is a liar wholy referring and submitting themselves to the Holy Ghost to be enlightened guided and directed by him some to render suspected others by degrees to enervate and secretly subvert a third sort openly to decry the judgment and Decisions of the Church in the Councils and Fathers when in the interim they are grossly and willingly ignorant that what they denie to Her they ascribe to themselves strongly and confidently asserting that to be the sole meaning of the Holy Ghost which agrees with their opinions confirmes their fore-received Tenents and favours their Side and Faction Now let all the world judge if it will be but an indifferent Arbiter whether it be not more equall to be judged in point of Religion by reverend Antiquity then by upstart giddy Novelty By the Consent of so many Auncient Worthies who living long before our Times are uninteressed and disengaged in our Quarrels then by the partiall Determinations of men educated in and addicted to a Faction By the joynt consent of many then the singular opinion of some one By men eminent for Learning who therefore well could not and for Piety who therefore would not deceive us then by the conceited Ignorance and factious spirit of some proud Novellist start up in this declining wicked Atheisticall Age By those who lived neerest the Apostles Times when the Church was one undevided into Greeke and Latine Romish and Reformed Lutheran and Calvinian when Tradition was fresh and uncorrupted like a streame running pure neere the Fountaine-head which afterwards gathered Dreggs by running farther into the more remote and succeeding Ages then by the Schismatical Directions of latter degenerate corrupt Times Lastly which is farre the most effectuall Argument by those who as they had newly received so constantly unanimously and uncorruptly held the Doctrinall Traditions of the Apostles the genuine sense of Scripture which they themselves left behind them who left the Scripture it selfe then to pinne our Religion upon the sleeves of some Idolized Innovatour who though he pretend the Authority of Gods Word an unerring spirit or the cleare inducements of Reason yet in truth hath nothing but Impudence and his Ipse dixit to maintaine his Assertions This Tradition it is which made the Auncient Bishops and Doctors of the Primitive Church so unanimous among themselves in what Part of the World soever they lived as having the same Deliverers of it who planted all those Churches wherein they succeeded and so taught in all as who received it from the same spirit who received it from the same Christ who received it from the same God the Father as Tertullian deduceth its Pedegree out of St Iohns Gospel Ch. 16. 13. 14 and Ch. 8. 28. Else if they had followed their own private judgements they must needs have often varied in their Determinations Hence it is that they make a great Distinction betweene what they received and published to the world as Depositaries Witnesses Historians and what Expositions or Conclusions they drew from their owne Braines as being their private Opinions in the latter they leave every man to his owne Censure and Judgment to receive or reject them as they find them Consonant to Scripture Antiquity and right Reason but
only against their opposers but against all those too who concurre not with them in every tittle and Ioâ—a whether negative Errours condemned or positive Doctrines asserted So that now Ecclesiam quaerimus in Ecclesiâ we have even lost the Church among so many Conventicles we have as many Religions as Families and those too not seldome disagreeing yet all appropriating Salvation to themselves Every one takes upon him to be a Pope the name so much in shew detested and seats himselfe in his usurped Chaire as an infallible Judge guided by the Dictates of the Spirit so that one knows not whom to adhere to especially weake and ignorant Christians are most dangerously scandalized And we heard of one not long agoe in Holland who whether out of Pride or Despaire I know not had contracted the Church within the small compasse of his own Microcosme and upon that Ground true Baptisme being annext unto the true Church he Baptized himselfe thence called the Se-Baptist Now what course might be taken to heale these numerous wounds sure they would all close up of themselves if all Christians would have recourse to this Ancient Catholick and undoubted Rule beleeving as much requiring no more And by the way we may account it none of the least Blemishes in the face of our Church that so many private Catechismes with other Tracts of the like nature have been suffered to fly abroad from every quarter not a few of them for I should offend as much against Truth as modesty to censure all erronious most of them defective in the maine Points yet stuff'd with uncertainties and impertinencies which instead of Fundamentals give us Circumstantials and Appendixes instead of a sound Body of Credenda's haire and nailes if not boiles and botches Thus have the tender Plants in the faire Garden of this Church been partly infected with a poysonous joyce partly made crooked and deformed in their Infancy whilst they have bent themselves towards this or that Pamphleter like those heretofore in the Church of Corinth who said I am of Paul I of Apollo's and I of Cephas and 't were well they had no worse Tutours to the great prejudice of verity and utter bane of unity Now all this might have been prevented if they had not thus from the Birth been put forth to strange Nurses but caused to suck the Brests of their true Mother the Church of England for S. Paul cals the first Rudiments of the Christian Religion Milke a nourishment fit for Babes a good portion of which Milk is contain'd in the Creed which therefore is stiled by S. Cyril Patriarch of Jerusalem ParvuloruÌ„ in Christo lactea Introductio Catech. 4. But before I enter upon the Body of the Creed which I purpose to treat of hereafter as God shall give me life and strength meanes and leasure I conceave it will be expedient if not wholy necessary to lay down by way of Preface or Introduction some Prolegomena which I shall reduce to these five Heads the Bounds of my insuing Discourse 1. That the Apostles were the Authours or Composers of the Creed which beares their Name 2. The Grounds upon which and the Ends for which the Apostles framed it where I shall speak also of the Sufficiency of the Creed for the Rule of the Christian Faith 3. The severall Reasons of the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the Title it beares in the Originall Greek 4. The Division or Parts of it 5. By way of Appendix I shall adde two Diatriba's or Discourses concerning the Nicene Creed and that of Athanasius especially the latter because most questioned which the Catholick Church and particulary the Church of England in her eighth Article hath joyntly received with that of the Apostles and are larger explications of it especially in the two maine Points of the Trinity and Incarnation then called in question and perverted by Arius and Macedonius But before I proceed to the handling of these particulars it will be requisite to remove some Doubts which may arise against what I have already writteÌ„ thus clearing my way as I go of al Imaginary rubs obstacles Ob. 1. The denying of the Apostles to be the Authours of the Creed doth not seem to weaken or shake any Ground by which we may prove a Trinity first because every Article of the Creed is confess'd to be in Scripture Then because no other Argument is pretended to be fetcht from the Creed for the proofe thereof but this that the Phrase Credo In is attributed to the Sonne and Holy Ghost as well as to God the Father but not so to the Catholick Church or to the Articles which follow it whereas this seemes to be a groundlesse Proofe for in the Scripture and the best Authours Credere in Deum in Deo Deo are promiscuously taken as signifying the same Thing So we Read Exod. 14. 31. Crediderunt in Dominum in Mosem They beleeved in God and in Moses which the 70 render ' 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thus construing it for a meere Historicall assent So also 1 Sam. 27. 12. Achish beleeved in Davidem in David according to the Heb. that is he beleeved David And 1 Joh. 5. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he beleeved not in the Testimony is no more but to believe the testimony not to be true The Creed of Nice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And in some auncient Latine Copies of the Apostles Creed we read Credo in Ecclesiam Catholicam in remissionem Peccatorum c. Particularly in a very old MS. in BIBL BODL we have Credo in Spiritu Sancto Sanctâ Ecclesiâ remissione Peccatorum c. Answ Every Article of the Creed is confest to be in Scripture either in expresse words or by necessary Consequence one of which Consequences or Conclusions is the Doctrine of the Trinity gathered by Apostolicall hands and placed in their Creed for who else could Infallibly collect it and impose it on the Faith of Christians As for the particle Credo in which as Stephanus observes in his Thesaurus is a phrase peculiar to Christian Divines it s being applied to the three Persons in the Sacred Trinity to none else in Propriety of speech is a sufficient Argument for the proof of that high Mistery so generally understood by the Latine Fathers S. Aug. Serm. 181. De Temp. upon those words of the Creed Sanctam Ecclesiam Catholicam saith thus Sciendum est quod Ecclesiam credere non tamen in Ecclesiam credere debemus quia Ecclesia non Deus sed domus Dei est we must know that we ought to beleeve the Church not in the Church for the Church is not God but the Household of God Ruffinus in his Exposition of the Creed on the same Article of the Church non dixit in Sanctam Ecclesiam nec in remissionem Peccatorum nec in carnis Resurrectionem si enim addidisset In praepositionem una eademque vis fuisset cum Superioribus nunc
which it plainly appeares that they esteemed it essentiall to these but pleonasticall unto those The like may be said of some old Latine Copies of the Creed which yet are very few wherein In redounds by the like Hebrew Pleonasme Ob. 2. The Socinians say they doe all acknowledg the Apostles Creed for the matter though they doubt whether it were composed in this Forme by the Apostles wherein they are not the first nor alone Erasmus seems to have first made question of it after him Calvin and most of his followers wholy yet deny not the Authority but acknowledge the matter to be true Nay the Socinians complaine that whereas the Creed containes all Fundamentall Truthes yet other Articles are obtruded as necessary such as be not contained in the Creed how then can the denyall of the Composure of this Creed by the Apostles any way advantage the Socinians Answ The Socinians deny some Articles of the Creed in the Sense which the Ancient Fathers understood them from whom they received the Creed it selfe for words and ought to have done for meaning and the denyall of the Authors makes them in all likelihood the bolder in their mis-interpretations Then although they hold that the Creed containes all Fundamentall Truthes yet they hold not all the Articles thereof Fundamentall On the other side they unjustly complaine of other Articles obtruded on their Beleefe whereas the Church hath only explained some few Articles of the Creed and vindicated them from Hereticall Glosses and Corruptions warranting those her Expositions by old Catholick Tradition upon a due legall search in an Oecumenicall Synod Lastly the denyall of the Composure of this Creed by the Apostles as a Summary of Truthes ordinarily necessary to Salvation which was the maine end of Composing it much advantageth the Socinians who beleeve not all to be necessary and some not true as they are construed in the old received Sense If Erasmus began first to doubt of the received Authors of the Creed he cannot well be excused for questioning so ancient and establish'd a Tradition whereby no Benefit could redound to the Christian Church but the Faith of many might be startled and Heresies awaked as we have seen by the Event and I am sorry that the Socinians should look on him as they doe though I hope amisse as their first Founder or chiefe Patron in this latter Age by reason of this and some other extravagancies of his Pen so that what Posseuine from others saies of him in relation to Luther may be verified in respect of Socinus in some of his Errours Erasmus innuit Socinus irruit And this Nescio of Erasmus which others have since improved to a Nego was presently censured by the Parisian Divines As for Mr Calvin though he saith indeed that he will not contend with any one about the Authors of the Creed as a Thing in his judgment not overmuch materiall yet he produceeth two Arguments in the same place which evince the Apostles and none others to have been the Composers thereof namely the concordant suffrages of Antiquity and the publike receiving or use thereof presently upon the Rise or originall of the Christian Church Instit lib. 12. cap. 16. 6. 18. But of his Testimony more fully hereafter Ob. 3. It seemes that the Creed containes not the whole Body of the Credenda or Christian Beleefe not all Credenda in generall for there are many thousand more which lie scattered in the Scriptures no nor all Fundamentall Points or necessary Doctrinall Truthes E. G. faith in the Trinity the Canon of Scripture that we are to worship God and goe to the Father by the Sonne the doctrine of Repentance good Works Baptisme Imposition of hands which are expresly called a Foundation Heb. 6. 1 2. none of which are in the Creed Adde hereunto the Deity of the Sonne of God which seems not to be proved by those words in the second Article His only begotten Sonne for he is called the Sonne of God in Scripture in respect of his Conception and Resurrection both which relate to his Humane Nature See Luk. 1. 35. Act. 13. 32 33. Rom. 1. 4. Answ The Creed containes all Fundamentall Points purely Doctrinall or Speculative that is necessary Credenda as opposed to the Agenda or Practicalls of Christianity The Canon of Scripture containes these Fundamentalls dispersedly and is delivered downe to us as the Creed is by Tradition but not comprehended in the Creed for when we name Fundamentals we speake of Matters or Points to be beleeved not of the Bookes which containe those Points The Points cited out of Heb. 6. are all Practicall so also is the worship of God and comming to the Father by the Sonne Baptisme is a Sacrament one of the Agenda's in the Church yet referr'd in the Nicene Creed to the 10th Article as the outward ordinary meanes for remission of Sinnes The Mystery of the Trinity is included in the Creed as hath been already shewed And so is the Divinity of our Saviour in those fore-cited words Vnigenitum Patris Filium The only begotten Sonne of the Father For though he be called the Sonne of God in relation to his Humanity in Luk. 1. 35. because in his Conception or Incarnation the Holy Ghost did supplere vicem Patris by a miraculous overshadowing or rather not simply as man but as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God and man in one Person in respect of that strange Vnion of the Humane Nature in one Hypostasis with the Divine by the supernaturall operation of the Holy Ghost as also in relation to his Raising againe whereby he was chiefly demonstrated to be the true Messiah or Sonne of God the first begotten of the Dead Act. 13. 32 33. Rom. 1. 4. Col. 1. 18. and Revel 1. 5. comp Col. 1. 15. Rom. 8. 29. Yet in the second Article of the Creed he is called the Only begotten Sonne of God with relation to God the Father and in respect of his Divinity which he received of the Father by an ineffable Generation from all Eternity for this Article is placed before his Conception by the Holy Ghost and his Nativity of the Virgin Mary much more before his Resurrection which manifested not made him the Sonne of God and therefore cannot relate to his Manhood but to his Godhead not to his Conception or Resurrection in time but to his Generation from Everlasting CAP. II. The History of the Apostles Composing the Creed out of Ruffinus Five Reasons why the Apostles delivered it to the Church not in Writing but by an Orall Tradition An objection against the preserving of it by Tradition Answered TOuching the Composing of the Creed by the Apostles which is my first Head Ruffinus Presbiter of Aquileia St Jeromes Contemporary and great Emulatour gives us this Relation in the beginning of his Exposition on the Creed Tradunt majores nostri quod post Ascensionem Domini cum per adventum Sancti Spiritus super singulos quosque Apostolos igneae
the Diuids of Pythagoras Socrates c but what we find written I Answer The Creed is best preserved by Tradition for the sense and substance of the Articles because daily in publike use in the Catechumen's mouthes and the Liturgies of the Church yet subject to variation in point of expression by reason of severall Tongues and Dialects in the Christian World as also because of some exegeticall Additions interserted upom occasion of some particular Heresies which arose in this or that Church So Lawes are best preserved by continued Practise though somewhat varying if received in diverse Nations as the Romane Lawes are in some specialty of expression or by way of application to the exigence of the Times and Genius of the People in diverse Countries As for the dependance of Tradition it relies not only upon Memory but upon continuall use and Practise a better means of Preservation then Writing which is daily subject to the fraud negligence and ignorance of Transcribers many differences arising from whence have raised no small trouble unto Learned Criticks how to reconcile them or if irreconcileable to descerne the true Copie The Hebrew Bible was preserved entire in the true reading thereof as being constantly used in the Jewish Synagogues without any Points or Vowels written as now we have it and that for many hundred yeares according to the most received Opinion a Thinge infinitely more difficult then the Preservation of the Creed Wherefore we may not without Reason say that a short Summary of the Faith such as the Creed is is best kept by Tradition especially such an one as is in continuall use and Practise whereof the Fathers here cited give us good reason in summe that Non sunt evulganda fidei mysteria nisi Initiatis Magistro Duce seu Interprete ne sc derisui Profanis habeantur aut malignantium Calumniis paâ—eant ne erroneis Ignorantium aut male feriantium glossematis obiiciantur The whole Word of God was committed to writing because large and full of Variety yet occasionally and by Degrees The like may be said of the many long various Discourses of Pythagoras and Socrates committed to Paper by their Schollers Our Saviours Sermons and Discourses were oft very large his Miracles and memorable passages of his Life almost infinite and so could not otherwise be well preserved then by Writing yet Irenaeus tels us that many Christian Nations had no Scripture amongst them in his Time who notwithstanding kept Christianity diligently amongst them by an old Tradition And on the other side the Fathers tell us that where the Scriptures were to be had the Hereticks oft set forth unsound Books under the Apostles names and corrupted the true Copies of Scripture which they got into their Hands by this means seducing many troubling more to neither of which inconveniences a knowne practised breife Tradition is obnoxious As for the doctrine of the Druids it was carefully preserved as long as the Religion stood by an unwritten Tradition now Christianity hath a promise of continuance unto the end of the world Mat. 28. 20. so needs no more to feare a failing of its doctrine then its Disciples If it be farther objected that all in generall are commanded to confesse Christ and to give an account of the hope that is in them 1 Pet. 3. 15. which seems to make against the second Reason assigned by Cyril of Ierusalem That the Creed was of old committed to writing by Irenaeus Tertullian that when these Reasons and exhortations were made by Ruffin Cyril and Chrysologus the Creed was committed to writing both by themselves and others I answer first that those Precepts belong properly to Christians that is to Persons entered into the Church by Baptisme who had the whole Creed explained unto them but if they extend to the Catechumeni the Confession and Account must be understood more indefinitely and at large to wit of those more easie and generall Principles whereof they were informed by their Teachers Secondly the Creed is therefore call'd a Tradition because not committed to writing by the Apostles as the Gospell and Epistles were though in after Ages it were put in writing by the Fathers and Councills for the more publike Conviction of Hereticks Yet it clearly appeares by the fore-cited Fathers who cannot well be thought ignorant of the Churches custome in their own Times that the Creed was not delivered in writing to the Catechumeni but taught them by word of mouth to learne and professe this teaching or delivery not without an explication of the Catechist or Bishop least otherwise they might chance to erre in the meaning withall it was not delivered all together but line after line as they were able to receive it CAP. III. Testimonies of Scripture touching the Composure of the Apostles Creed especially out of S. Pauls Epistles as the places are accordingly interpreted by Divines of good note both Auncient and Moderne Some doubts against these Testimonies solved THUS much for the History of the Creeds Composure and its manner of Conveyance to after Ages But that the Apostles did first Compile and then deliver this Creed by an orall Tradition to the Christian Church will need farther Confirmation I shall endeavour to prove it by Scripture Antiquity and Reason all which I hope will be found to attest this Truth as joynt-witnesses of what hath bin already produced out of Ruffinus And first by Scripture for though the Creed be not expresly set down in any place of the New Testament because the Apostles for the foremention'd reasons thought not good to commit it unto writing yet S. Paul in diverse places of his Epistles not obscurely alludes unto it under severall phrases of speech apt metaphours which we find afteward applied to the Creed by the auncient Fathers as they may be most probably interpreted are so understood de facto by the judgment of good Authors both of the Primitive and latter Times 1. First Rom. 6. 17. The Apostle tels us of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That Forme of Doctrine and expressly cals it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Tradition as the Ancients constantly stile the Creed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ye have obeyed from the Heart that Forme of Doctrine which was delivered you that is whereas before Baptisme ye were the Servants of Sinne now now yee have professed your obedience to the Faith by the publike rehearsall of the Creed delivered to the Church in a set Forme by the Apostles to be openly recited before the Congregation at the time of Baptisme a Custome used from the Beginning and still retained in the Church Thus is the place expounded by Anselme our Learned and Renowned Archbishop of Canterbury Quae doctrina est Forma quia imaginem Dei deformatam restituit which Doctrine saith he is stiled a Forme because it restores the defaced Image of God to wit by Baptisme which the Apostle elsewhere calls The Laver of
Regeneration Tit. 3. 5. whence it followes in the very next verse Being then made free from sinne that is saith the same Anselme Per Spiritum Sanctum quem accepistis in Baptismo By the Holy Ghost which yee received in Baptisme 2. Secondly Rom. 12. 6. He chargeth those who have the Gift of Prophecy to Prophecy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the Analogy or Proportion of Faith Now by the Gift of Prophecy in this place Divines usually understand the Interpretation of Scripture and by Faith they understand the object of Faith or the Principles of Christian Religion which are contained in the Creed thus expounding it Let them so interpret Scripture that they give no sense thereof but what bears Analogy and due correspondence with the main Grounds of Religion comprehended in the Rule of Faith or Articles of the Creed Thus Beza on the place expressly Significat Apostolus verum Canonem Prophetiae id est interpretationis Scripturarum verae à falsa discernendae nempe si ad Christianae fidei Axiomata 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exigantur Symbolo comprehensa quod Apostolicum vocant quod jam inde ab initio Evangelicae Praedicationis veluti Evangelii Epitome scriptum fuit ideoque norma regula fidei meritò à Tertulliano vocatur Where he tels us that the Creed is the Epitome of the Gospell the Rule of Faith and more particularly the Rule of Prophecy that is of discerning the true Exposition of Scripture from the false then that it was framed at the first Preaching of the Gospell therefore by the first Preachers of it the Apostles Lastly that the Articles thereof are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ex se fide digna that is require our Assent without farther proofe therefore framed by Divine Inspiration With him agrees the Learned Estius though of a diverse Religion Let him Prophecy saith he according to the proportion of Faith id est sic ut sequatur rectae fidei dictamen diligenter caveat nequid vel pronunciet quamvis sibi videatur praeditus spiritu Prophetico vel pro Scripturae Interpretatione adferat quod à Regula fidei discrepet And before him Anselme secundùm rationem fidei ut nihil extra fidei regulam loquamur aut sapiamus To whom we may adde the Testimony of Simon Grynaeus Scripturarum Epitome saith he est Symbolum Apostolorum quod ideo Tertullianus normam Regulam fidei appellat quia ea tantùm vera habenda ac proinde credenda sunt quae revera cum illis consentiunt that is The Apostles Creed is the Epitome of the Scriptures which therefore Tertullian calls the Rule of Faith because those things only are to be held for true beleeved which agree with the Articles thereof 3. Thirdly 1 Cor 3. 2. He thus bespeaks his Corinthians I have fed you with Milke and not with meat for hitherto ye were not able to beare it neither yet now are ye able Then v. 10. He useth another Metaphor As a wise Master-builder I have laid the foundation and another buildeth thereon but let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon Now under these Metaphors of Milke and a Foundation the Apostle seems to allude unto the Creed calling it Milke because it contains the first principles of Christianity the proper food of new borne Babes 1 Pet. 2. 2. Who were lately regenerated by Baptisme Ioh. 3. 3 5. Rom. 6. 4. Whence Cyrill of Ierusalem alluding to this place calls the Creed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Milkie introduction Catech. 4. And calling it a foundation because it is the very Ground-worke of Christiany comprising the fundamentalls of our Religion whereas other Doctrines are but superstructures which if good and profitable he compares here to Gold Silver and precious stones if Bad to wood hay and stubble Comp. 1. Thess 2. 7. Rom. 15. 20. Eph. 2. 20. Rev. 21. 14. Heb. 5. 12 13. 6. 1 2. Also 1 Cor. 4. 15. 2 Cor. 10. 16. 4. Fourthly The same Apostle in his Epistles to the Churches of Galatia and Philippi reprehending those who made a mixture of two Religions joyning Judaisme and Christianity together endeavours to bring them back to the true and undoubted Rule whereof they had formerly made profession in their Baptisme To the Galatians thus Cap. 6. v. 15 16. In Christ Iesus neither circumcision availeth any Thing nor uncircumcision but a new Creature And as many as walk according to this Rule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Peace be on them and mercy Whence I observe three things 1. That the Apostle opposeth a new Creature to the outward state of Circumcision and uncircumcision now we are regenerated or made new Creatures in Baptisme by Profession of our faith in Christ 2. That he immediately inferrs upon this the walking according to a set Rule such a rule as hath a manifest Reference to the fore-mentioned new Birth or Creature now what Rule can this be but the Creed which hath been allwaies profest in Baptisme and borne the same Title in all Antiquity Irenaeus cals it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Greeke as he is cited by Epiphanius and Tertullian the most ancient of the Latines usually cals it Regula Fidei 3. The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies more then 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an ordinary walking for it is not a walking at randome but an orderly walking as the same word is rendred Act. 21. 24. an exact keeping of a Path without the least Declination either to the right hand or to the left which signification well sorts with the accurate observation of the Creed without varying from it in the least Particular And least I should seem to goe alone in this Interpretation please but to consult the judgment of these Fathers whose expositions follow and you will find them to understand this new Creature of Regeneration in Baptisme by the Rule or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Rule of Doctrine of Faith then profest Chrys on the place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Apostle saith he meanes by this new Creature our Christian law or discipline for our soule grown old in Sin is at once or altogethr renewed by Baptisme receiving as it were a new Creation Theophilact expounds it in the same sense the like words Jerome -- nos qui nunc jam in Baptismate Christo consurreximus in novum renati hominem nec Circumcisioni nec praeputio serviamus sed quod futuri sumus jam nunc nos esse credamus Regulam Ad normam omnia diriguntur ut utrùm prava rectave sint cum Regula apposita fuerit arguantur ita ut doctrina Dei quaedam quasi norma sermonis sit c. Where he expoundes the new Creature of Baptisme and the Rule of that divine Doctrine whereby all others are to be examined the Summe whereof is the Creed which was solemnly rehearsed and professed at the time of Baptisme as for the divine Doctrine at large comprised in the New Testament
some cal'd in question Secondly because the Forme is now on all hands confessedly ancient fully setled and strictly enjoyned for so many Ages whereas the Fathers lived in a Time when severall Churches used to vary in the expression of severall Articles and they themselves were knowne Champions of the Faith against the Heretickes which then a rose The case is much the same in the number of Canonicall Bookes which is now a like aknowledged by all and entirely setled at leastwise in those of the New Testament but not so heretofore Or in the Translations of the Bible which every one at the first who had some skill in the Greek Tongue tooke upon him to performe as S. Aug tells us Doct Christ lib 2. cap 12. Yet it is Prudence in the Church to tie her children ordinarily to the use of one translation now though not debarring the learneds recourse unto the Originals when as there are so many Divisions Opinions Suspicions Controversies about matter of Religion and such a multitud of Schismes thence arising which might be probably continued and increased by such a promiscuous license Thirdly that the Fathers in their Catechisticall Paraphrases on the Creed which they made to the Catechumeni before they were admitted unto Baptisme somtimes intermixed matter of a diverse kind viz. Practicall Heads or Points of Christianity equally necessary for the instructioÌ„ of their Auditours so doth Cyril of Jerusalem in his Catacheses And in their other Tracts wherin they dogmatically explain it they ofteÌ„ adde some exegeticall Particles against the Hereticks of those dayes the more clearly to confute them and forearme their Disciples against their poysonous doctrines so some of the Easterne Churches in the First Article of the Creed added these two Attributes by way of exposition to God the Father viz. Invisible and Impassible thus contradistinguishing God the Father to God the Sonne and contradistinguishing themselves to the Sabellians and Patri-passians who confounded the two Persons Yet notwithstanding all these seeming Differences the indifferent Reader will easily find that the aforesayd Symboles or Rules of Faith which they set downe in their writings doe plainly relate to this Creed of the Apostles First because they affirme that they received them from the Apostles whereas no Creed ever bore their name but this one which the Church now acknowledgeth under that Title Secondly because they use the same method in setting downe the Articles and commonly they make use of the same words This premised I come now to set downe their Authorities in order as they lie begining with the most ancient and so descending to latter times And first of the Greeke Fathers who shew what Rule of Faith was received in the Churches of the East These witnesses are eight in number viz. Thaddaeus cited by Eusebius Ignatius Origen Marcellus of Ancyra S. Basil the Great Gregory Nyssen Cyril of Jerusalem and S. Chrysostome 1. Eusebius in his Ecclesiasticall History lib. 1. cap. 13. speaking of the History of our Saviour and Abagarus King of Edessa tels us how Thaddaeus one of our Saviours Disciples being sent to the King after his Ascension was desired by him to relate the History of the Power and comming of his Master to which he replyed that for the present he desired to keepe silence but on the morrow when the King should have caused a publicke Assembly of his People he would then at large discourse upon these following Heads which are the Articles of the Creed concerning our Saviour touching whom only the King wisht him to discourse namely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Where we have these Articles 1. Christs Birth or Incarnation exprest under the name of his Comming and being Sent of the Father answerable to the Scripture language Act. 7. 52. Joh. 17. 3. 2. His Sufering Crucifying and Death 3. His Descent into Hell an Article now so much questioned amplyfied with this circumstance that hee broke in sunder that Hedge mound or Partitian-wall which had of old seperated us from the Communion and Priviledge of the People of God Eph. 2. 14. 4. His rising againe from the Dead amplyfied with the circumstance of raising other Dead with him who had slept in their graves for many Ages for which see Mat. 27. 52 53. 5. His Ascension unto his Father amplyfied with the circumstance of a great multitude which ascended up with him wheras he descended alone which great multitude may be understood either of those Saints whom he raised up with himselfe having rescued them from the power of Death wherof the Devil is the Prince see Col. 2. 15. Heb. 2. 14. Rev. 1. 18. Or rather of the Angels who waited upon him in his triumphant Ascension into Heaven Psal 24. 7 8. And 68. 17 18. Heb. 1. 6 7. And 2. 5 9. As for his Descent into Hell Christ only is mentioned in it not any that bore him company thither for which see Act. 2. 29 31. Esa 63. 1 3. Whence he thus bespeakes the Thiefe upon the Crosse To day shalt thou be with me in Paradise not To day thou shalt descend with me into Hell But if any make doubt of the truth of this story wherin Eusebius brings in Thaddaeus rehearsing these Articles of the Creed I shall desire them impartially to consider that it was found by him in the Records of the Citty Edessa where this Thaddaeus Preached and translated by the same Eusebius out of the Syriaâ—k tongue wherin it was originally written as being the language of that City into Greek according to what he there sets downe thus Eusebius in that place expresly tels us Now what better proofe can we reasonably desire of an historicall Passage than the Publick Records of that place where the Thing was done And what better witnesse of those Records then he that saw them and copied out the originall with his owne hand 2. Ignatius that famous Martyr and Patriarch of Antioch contemporary to the Apostls having occasion to confute som Hereticks of those Times who perverted the true Faith concerning our Saviour thus layes downe the Articles of the Creed which concerne him by way of an Antidote against this poyson of theirs In his Epistle to the Church of the Magnesians thus I desire saith he that ye may have the full knowledg of Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Then in his Epistle to the Church of Tralles he sets downe the same Articles in like words which will not be unworthy our comparing Stop your ears saith he when any one speakes to you excluding Jesus Christ 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Compare these to gither and they present us with these Articles which touch our Saviour 1. That he is the Sonne of God begotten of the Father before all Worlds 2. That he was borne in time of the Virgin Mary without the company of man borne truly of the Virgin as as he was begotten of God but not in like manner God and Man being of diverse natures 3. That he suffered was crucifyed died under
Pontius Pilate 4. That he descended into Hell and rose againe after three Dayes 5. That he ascended up to his Father into Heaven and sitteth on his right Hand 6. That he shall come at the end of the world to judge both the quicke and the dead and to render to every man according to his workes But because the doctrine of the Trinity lies more implicitely couched in the Creed he expresseth it more at large in his Epistle to the Church of Philippi in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is There are not three Fathers nor three Sons nor three Comforters but one Father and one Son and one comforter wherfore the Lord sending his Apostles to teach all Nations commanded them to Baptize in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost not into one with three names or into three made man but into the name of three of the same Dignity for one of them only was made man not the Father nor the Comforter but the Sonne alone and that not in opinion or appearance but in Truth If any one question the truth of these Epistles out of which I have produced these passages whether they were written by Ignatius or no I shall desire him as well to disprove as to deny for Else nothing of Antiquity which agrees not with every on s fancy shall escape the note of Bastardy I am sure the Epistle to the Church of Tralles out of which I cited the Articles of the Creed which concerne our Saviour agreeing in substance method and very much in words with the forme we now have is acknowledged for the genuine Epistle of Ignatius not only by Eusebius and St Jerome of old by Maestreus a D. of the Sorbon of late but also by Rivet Videlius two protestant Divines who have narrowly examined the Epistles which are entitled to him purged them of what they suspected as asciticious If any would know more of this Ignatius his Antiquity and Esteeme in the Church which may as well establish as ennoble whatsoever he shall testify in this or any other Particular I shall refer him to Nicephorus Eccles Hist lib. 2. cap. 35. Where he expressly tels us that he was that very child whom we find mentioned Mat. 18. 3. Whom our Blesed Saviour set in the midst of his Disciples as a Patterne of Humility he therefore styles him in the same Place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is One Taken by Christ borne in his Armes which Relation seemes to give light unto that Title of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the same Ignatius cōstantly assumes to himself in the Front of his Epistles as a peculiar Epithete wherby he specificates himselfe endears his Person to the Churches his Age well accords to the story so doth that passage of his in his Epistle to the Church of Smyrna 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 After the resurrection saith he I saw Christ in body and believe that he remaines so for so not only Maestreus translats it vidi and understands the word of a corporall vision in the presence of our Saviour but Videlius also in his Edition both cōsonantly to Jeron in Ca. Ep. in Dial. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before them Eus l. 3. 30. as I find thē cited And therfore as I conceive the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ought not be takē in an Active sence Deum ferens i in pectore vel mente accoding to that of Damascene speaking of the Greeke Fathers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but in a Passive Borne in Christs armes or led by his hand for though I deny not that the Ancient Fathers of the Church may in a good pious sense be called by succeeding writers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â Deo inflati though inspired by God in a far lower Degree then the Prophets and Apostles yet for Ignatius himselfe to assume the Speciall style of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one divinly inspired as a distinctiue Character severing him from and exalting him above his fellow-Byshops might be not undeservedly censured of Arrogancy a vice which he was least guilty of as appeares by severall pasages in his Epistles Origen in the Proeme of his Bokes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 translated out of the Greeke by Ruffinus thus informes us Cum seruetur ecclesiastica Praedicatio per successionis ordinem ab Apostolis tradita usque ad praesens in Ecclesiis permanens illa sola credenda est veritas quae in nullo ab Ecclesiasticâ discordat Traditione Illud tamen scire oportet quoniam Sancti Apostoli Fidē Christi Praedicantis de quibusdam quidem quaecunque necessaria crediderunt omnibus credentibus etiam his qui pigriores erga inquisitionem divinae scientiae videbantur manifestissimè tradiderunt Species verò eorum quae per praedicationem Apostolicam manifestè traduntur istae sunt Primo quod unus est Deus qui omnia creavit atque composuit quique ex nullis fecit esse universa quod hic Deus in novissimis diebus sicutper Prophetas suos ante promiserat misit Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum Tum deinde quia Jesus Christus ipse qui venit ante omnem creaturam natus ex patre est qui cum in omnium conditione Patri ministrasset per ipsum enim omnia facta sunt novissimis temporibus seipsum exaniniens homo factus est incarnatus est cum Deus esset Homo mansit quod Deus erat corpus assumpsit nostro corpori simile eo solo differens quod natum ex virgine de Spiritu Sancto est quod hic Jesus Christus natus passus sit in veritae non per imaginem communem hanc mortem verè mortuus est verè enim a mortuis resurrexit post resurrectionem conversatus cum Discipulis suis assumptus est Tum deinde Honore ac Dignitate Patri ac filio sociatum tradiderunt Spiritum sanctum erit tempus resurrectionis mortuorum cum corpus hoc quod in corruptione seminatur surget in incorruptione quod seminatur in ignominiâ surget in gloriâ quod mundus iste factus sit a certo Tempore caeperit pro ipsa sui corruptione solvendus esse Angelos Dei quosdam virtutes bonas quae ei ministrent ad Salutem hominum consummandam Then he ads as the fundamentall principle of all ad extra Quod per Spiritum sanctum Scripturae conscriptae sint The summe of what he saith for he paraphrastically enlargeth some points is this The Doctrine of the Church being successively derived from the Apostles and abiding till that present in the Churchees that only is to be credited as a Truth which in nothing differs from that Eclesiasticall Tradition withall that the Holy Apostles preaching the Faith of Christ most clearly delivered to all Beleevers even to the more dull and simple whatsoever Points they conceived necessary for them the Particular Heads whereof were these which follow
he that leaving off superfluous questions and unhandsome contentions about words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 you would be contented with those Doctrines which have bene delivered by word of mouth from the Holy Apostles and the Lord himselfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Doctrines not writen but spoken spoken by the Saints and holy Apostles by the Direction inspiration of the Lord he the Author they the instruments Doctrines opposed to curious or superfluous questions and strifes about words that is Doctrines of moment or fundamentall points such as the Creed conteines And this he dilivers more plainly in the closing up of all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Beware of false Prophets and withdraw your selves from every Brother that walketh disorderly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. And not after the Tradition which they received of us let us exactly and orderly walke according to the Rule of the Saints as being built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Jesus Christ our Lord being the head-corner-stone in or by whom the whole building fitly joyned together groweth into an holy Temple in the Lord. This Tradition this exact Rule this Foundation of the Apostles to what can it be applyed more congruously than unto the Creed of the Apostles the substance whereof he sets downe before 6. Gregory Nyssen Brother to the Great S. Basil explaines the Heads of the Creed in that Oration of his which is entituled Catachetica Oratio magna 7. Cyril Patriarch of Jerusalem sets downe the whole Creed in distinct Articles and explaines it at large in severall Catecheticall Orations as whose office it was to instruct all his Auditors not to oppose one Heretick which as I said caused some of the. Fathers to set downe the Creed more imperfectly leaving out those Articles which were not impugned Cyrils Creed is this which followes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is I believe in one God the Father Almighty maker of Heaven earth of all things visible invisible and in one Lord Jesus Christ the only begotten son of God begotten of his Father before all worlds incarnate and made man crucifyed and buried he rose againe from the Dead the third Day he ascended into the Heavens and sitteth at the right hand of the Father and shall come to judge the quick and the dead And I believe in the Holy Ghost the Comforter who spake by the Prophets one holy Catholick Church one Baptisme of Repentance for the remission of sinnes the Resurrection of the Body and the Life Everlasting Any one at the first sight may perceive that this is the same with that which we now call the Apostles Creed in the full sense and substance of it only a little altered in some few words and explayned in two or three Articles by some Additionall Particles This was the confession of Faith received in the Church of Ierusalem the mother Church of the Christian World where this Cyril was Catechist and afterward Patriarch Ruffinus cals it Symbolum Orientale the Creed of the Easterne Church and compares it in his Exposition with the Romane and Aquileian But of this more hereafter 8. Chrysostome hath wrote two Homelies upon the Creed in the former whereof he sets the Creed downe in this forme which I am to give you out of the Latine Edition of Erasmus having not as yet met with the Greeke Originall although sought for both in Sr H. Saviles Edition and that of Fronto ducaeus Credo in Deū Patrem Omnipotentem in unicum Filium ejus Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum iste natus est de Spiritu Sancto ex Mariâ Virgine crucifixus est sub Pontio Pilato sepultus est postquam mortuus tertia die a mortuis resurrexit sedet ad dextram Patris inde venturus est judicare vivos mortuos credo in Spiritum sanctum Iste spiritus perducet ad sanctam Ecclesiam ipsa est quae dimittit peccata promittit carnis resurrectionem promittit vitam aeternam that is I believe in God the Father Almighty and in his only Son our Lord Jesus Christ conceived by the holy Ghost borne of the Virgin Mary crucifyed under Pontius Pilate dead and buried the third Day he rose againe from the dead he sitteth at the right hand of the Father from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead I believe in the holy Ghost He bringeth us to the holy Church shee it is which forgiveth sinnes promiseth the resurrection of the Body promiseth Life Everlasting The consonancy of this Creed to that of the Apostles is sufficiently manifest without farther Descant To these Testimonies I shall crave leave to adde that Confession of Faith which the Arch-heretick Arius with his companion Euzoius presented to the Emperour Constantine in writing who being perswaded by a certaine Presbyter whom his Sister Constantia at her death had commended to him sent for Arius to Constantinople after he had beene banished from Alexandria for not subscribing to the Nicene councill whither being come with Euzoius the Emperour asked him whether or no he assented to the Nicen Creed Arius feigning that he did was straitwaise commanded by him to put his Beleefe in writing which he did in this Forme in the name of himselfe and Euzoius we find it thus recorded by Socrates in his Ecclesiasticall History lib. 1. c. 19. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i.e. We believe in one God the Father Almighty and in the Lord Jesus Christ his Sonne begotten of him before all worlds God the word by whom all things were made both which are in Heaven and which are one Earth who came downe and was incarnate and Suffered and Rose againe and ascended into the Heavens shall come againe to judge the Quick and Dead And in the Holy Ghost the Resurrection of the Body the life of the world to come and the Kingdome of Heaven and one Catholick Church of God spred over the whole world This Confession of Faith as I conceive by the Forme was the Ancient Creed of the Church of Alexandria wherof this Arius was Presbyter deposited therein by its first Bishop S. Marke who received it from the mouths of the Apostles and more particularly from St Peter who sent him thither for it was common with the Hereticks to shelter themselves under the generall Tearmes of the Apostles Creed which admitted of diverse constructions and so lay the more open to be abused and perverted by their unsound Glosses thus did Photinus aworse than Arius some years after thus doe his Disciples the Socinians at this Day Only Arius may be thought to have somewhat enlarged this Apostolicall Creed in the second Article touching the Divinity of our Saviour the better to counterfeit his assent to what the Nicene Fathers had declared in that Point and decreed to be held From these Testimonies of the Greeke Fathers who can best witnesse the Faith of the Easterne Churches we may raise these observations but
and convince the perversnesse of Hereticks For we have received by Tradition that after the Ascension of our Lord and Saviour to the Father when his Disciples being inspired with fiery tongues by the holy Ghost comming on them spake all manner of languages they being to depart each from other and goe unto all Nations to preach the Word of God decreed first by common Consent to frame a Rule or Prescript to themselves of their after-preaching least departing thus a sunder they might Preach any thing Diverse or differently sounding to those who were invited unto the Faith of Christ All of them therefore being gathered together and filled with the holy Ghost Collected into one a short Summary of their Preaching every one contributing what he thought meet and this they appointed to be given as a Rule unto Beleevers The same Father in his 115th Sermon De Tempore sets downe distinctly all the Articles of the Creed and distributes them in severall according to the number of the Twelve Apostles to each of them one Then in his little Booke De fide Symbolo he also sets downe all the Articles of the Apostles Creed withall he tells us lib 1. Retract cap. 17. Concerning this small Tract that he wrote it as an exposition of the Creed which he was commanded to make before a full Councill of African Bishops Assembled at Hippo Regia when he was yet but Presbyter Ut tamen non fiat illa verborum contentio quae tenenda memoriter competentibus traditur Yet not tying himselfe to that forme of words which is delivered unto the competentes to be got without booke Whence we may observe 1. That there was a certaine Forme of Beleefe delivered to the Competentes or Petitioners of Baptisme which they were to rehearse Memoriter when they came to be Partakars of that Sacrament 2. That St Austin had liberty to vary from this when he made the said exposition namely to vary from it not in the matter but in the manner of expression as other Doctours of the Church before him had done in their more Learned Tracts which they published to the world as we have seene in some former examples Lastly In his Enchiridion to Laurentius cap. 7. he hath these words Ecce tibi est Symbolum Dominica Oratio quid brevius auditur aut Legitur Behold thou hast the Creed and the Lords prayer canst thou heare or Read any thing more breife Where Hearing refers to the Creed as being an Orall Tradition and Reading to the Lords prayer as being written in the Gospell A little after he addes Quomodò invocabunt in quem non crediderunt Propter hoc Symbolum How shall they call on him on whom they have not believed For this cause the Creed was Framed Where he makes Prayer necessarily to depend on the Creed according to that of the Apostle Rom. 10. 14 Therefore according to St Austin the Creed was as necessary from the Begining of Christianity as the Lords Prayer and the Apostles Creed it is which he there explaines 7. Maximus Bishop of Turin in his Homily entituled De Traditione Symboli having spoken before of the word Shiboleth where by the Ephraimites were discouered at the Fourds of Jordan he thus applies it to the Creed Quod Beati Apostoli ut ego reor exemplum sequentes Ecclesiae Dei quam adversus malitiam Diabolici furoris armabant mysterium Symboli tradiderunt ut quia sub uno Christi nomine Credentium erat futura Diversitas signaculum Symboli inter fideles Persidosque secerneret alienus a Fide atque hostis apareret Ecclesiae aut tanquam Baptizatus nescisset aut tanquam Haereticus corrupisset That is Which Patterne saith he as I suppose the Blessed Apostles setting before their Eyes delivered unto the Church of God the mystery of the Creed thereby arming it against the malice of the Divels fury that because under the same name of Christ there would be as they foresaw no small diversity of Professours the Creed as a Marke or Seale should distinguish betwene the true Beleevers and mis-beleevers and he might appeare an Alien from the Faith and an enimy to the Church who pretending to be Baptized was found ignorant thereof or by his Heresy had corrupted it 8. Petrus surnamed Crysologus Bishop of Ravenna hath left behind him sixe Homilies one the Apostles Creed viz. From his 56th Sermon to the 63. 9. Leo the Great Bishop of Rome in his eleventh Sermon of the Passion hath these words Hac Fidei Regula quam in ipso exordio Symboli per Authoritatem Apostolicae Institutionis accepimus Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum quem Filium Dei patris Omnipotentis unicum dicimus eundem quoque de Spiritu Sancto natum ex Maria Virgine confitemur That is By this Rule of Faith which in the Begining of the Creed we have received by the Authority of an Apostolik Institution we confesse the same Jesus Christ our Lord whom we call the only Sonne of God the Father Almighty to be also borne of the Virgin Mary by the Power of the holy Ghost The same Leo in his thirteenth Epistle written to the Emperesse Pulchcria speakes more fully and distinctly of the Creed Ipsius Catholici Symboli brevis perfecta confessio duodecim Apostolorum totidem est signata Sententiis That is That briefe and perfect confession of Faith in the Catholick Creed is distinctly marked forth with twelve Sentences equall to the number of the Apostles 10. Cassianus S. Chrysostomes Deacon and afterwards Presbyter of Marceilles in France at the command of Leo the great wrote seven Bookes De Incarnatione Domini against Nestorius as he himself tels us in his Preface in the sixt whereof he hath these words touching the composure of the Creed Quod Graece 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dicitur Latine Collatio nominatur Collatio autem ideo quia in unum ab Apostolis Domini totius Catholicae legis fide quiquid per universum Divinorum voluminū Corpus immensa funditur copia totum in Symboli colligitur Brevitate perfecta Hoc est breviatum verbum quod fecit Dominus Fidem sc duplicis Testamenti sui in pauca colligens sed sensum omnium Scripturarum in breuia concludens sua de suis condens vim totius legis compendiocissimâ brevitate perficiens consulens sc in hoc ut piissimus Pater vel negligentiae quorundam filiorum suorum vel imperitiae ut non laboraret utique quamvis simplex imperita mens capere quod possit facile etiam memoria contineri vides ergo in Symbolo authoritatē Dei esse verbum enim breviatum faciet Dominus super terram sed Hominum fortasse quaeris ne id quidem deest per Hominem enim id Deus fecit sicut enim immensam illam Scripturarum sacrarum Copiam qer Patriarchas Prophetas maxime suos condidit ita Symbolum per Apostolos suos Sacerdotesque constituit Nihil ergo
sentences in memory might have at hand a sufficient knowledge of Salvation To these words he subjoynes the history of the Creeds composure out of Ruffinus which we have had already 14. Rabanus Maurus that Ancient Archbishop of Mentz and the most Learned Man of his Age may well be added unto the former who lib. 1. De Instit Cleric c. 26. thus informes us Catechumenus dicitur qui doctrinam Fidei audit necdum tamen BaptismuÌ„ recepit Competentes sunt qui jam post doctrinam Fidei post continentiam vitae ad Gratiam Chrsti percipiendam festinant ideoque appellantur competentes id est gratiam Christi petentes nam Catechumeni tantùm audiunt necdum petunt competentes autem jam petunt c. Istis traditur salutare Symbolum quasi commonitorium Fidei sanctae Confessionis Indicium quo instructi agnoscant quales jam ad Gratiam Christi exhibere se debeant That is He is cal'd a Catechumene who heareth the Doctrine of the Christian Faith but hath not as yet received Baptisme Competentes are they who after the Dâ—â—â—â—ine of Faith and Strictnesse of life hasten to be made Partakers of the Grace of Christ therefore are called Competentes That is Petitioners for the Grace of Christ for the Catechumeni are only Auditours not Askers but the Competentes are Petitioners c. To these CoÌ„petentes the saving Creed is delivered as a Remembrancer of the Faith and a breviat of that holy confession wherein being instructed they may take notice what manner of persons they ought to shew themselves in reference to the Grace of Christ Where by the Grace of Christ he understands the Priviliges of Baptisme at the Participation whereof they constantly made a Publick profession of their Faith by the Rehearsall of the Creed therefore the Creed could not come much short of the Institution of that Sacrament consequently froÌ„ no other Composers but the Apostles Now for a conclusion to these Testimonies of the forenamed Ancient Fathers both Greek and Latine I shall summe up what they say and proove in this Argument in three short observations 1. They affirme that the Apostles by joynt consent the speciall Concurrence or Inspiration of the holy Ghost framed a certaine set Rule of Faith or Forme of Beliefe and that those Confessions or Rules of Faith which they rehearse in their writings were received from the Apostles and this they build upon the constant tradition of their Ancestours the same evidence which we have for the number Authors and Authority of the Canonicall Books of Scripture This is affirmed by Origen and Marcellus of Ancyra for the Esterne Church By Irenaeus and Tertullian for the Western all foure very Ancient to name no latter ones 2. That in setting downe these Rules or Confessions of Faith they keepe themselves often to the same words ordinarily to the same method but constantly to the same heads or Articles of Faith that is no Head or Article of Beliefe set downe in the Creed of one Church or Father is different in sense from the same proportionably set downe in another much lesse opposite to any diverse Article either precedent or subsequent and for the Difference of expression it is not considerable as being caused by the diversity of Tongues and opposition of Heretickes the Church in those Times both practising and allowing it As for the Imperfection of the Formes though they omit some of them to expresse some of the Articles of the Creed in those full and exact Termes wherein we now have them because either not pertaining to the subject they were handling or not questiond by the Hereticks against whom they wrote or as implyed and inclosed in the Body of those Articles which they set downe by a necessary Dependance so S. Chrys in his fore-cited Homily involves the foure last Articles in that of the holy Ghost as appeares by his explication yet some of them set downe all the Articles as Marcellus Cyrill Jeros Augustin Chrysologus Eusebius Gallicanus Irenaeus also and Tertullian scarce want any one especially Tertullian And for those Fathers whose Formes are more defective they canot be said to differ in substance from the other who deliver the Creed more fully especially seeing they had severall Grounds and occasions for what they so did this is a Diversity only quoad majus minus in quantity not in substance some Articles made for one Fathers purpose some for another more for this fewer for that And they who cite the Creed defectively say that the Formes set downe by them came from the Apostles as well as they who set it downe more fully their meaning is that those imperfect Formes came from the Apostles though not so imperfectly for they affirme not that the Apostles delivered no more Articles than what they there set downe but that what they so set down came from no other than the Apostles St Austin and Leo the Great sufficiently informe us that the Apostles joyntly delivered all the twelve Articles according as we now have them for they distinctly mention and reckon up so many with reference to the same number of the Apostles who composed the Creed but the Fathers in their writings set them not alwayes downe entirely but those only which were opposite unto those Heresies that they were in hand with to confute for urging the Creed as they did by way of Argument and Convictions they might well omit those Articles which made not for their purpose Now as some of the Fathers have thus contracted the Creed so others have enlarged part of the Articles by way of Paraphrase that so they might both distinguish themselves and defend the Church from the Hereticks of those Dayes who seemingly received the Apostles Creed and subscribed to the words but perverted it to a wrong sense by their false erroneous Glosses Withall in their prefaces to this subject they have shewed the severall Reasons or ends for which the Apostles framed it the Delivery thereof by an orall Tradition and the Ancient Custome of rehearsing it in Publick at the time of Baptisme 3. That some of these fore-alleadged Fathers lived before others since the Nicene Councell wherein that Creed was framed which beares the name of the Councell the first which was ever publickly authorized by the Church assembled in a Synod yet they who lived before the Councell make mention of a former Creed as Ireneus Tertullian Origen and Marcellus of Ancyra and they who lived afterward set not downe or explaine the Nicene Creed but one farre more ancient received as they themselves say from the first Founders of the Christian Church as St Basil Cyril Chrysostome among the Greeks St Austin Maximus Chrysologus Eusebius Gallicanus among the Latines which Generall Tradition so fully witnessed by the Fathers of so distant Churches who had no intercourse with each other and in the most ancient uncorrupt Times aloud Proclaimes the Authors and Antiquity of the Apostles Creed CAP.
it might be so cal'd quia ex eorum scriptis summa fide collectum because the Creed was most faithfully gathered out of the Apostles writings he might well indulge to the doubtfull speaking of some Divines in his Time 11. Confessio Saxonica Artic. 1. Affirmamus clare coram Deo universa Ecclesia in Coelo in Terra nos vera Fide amplecti omnia scripta Prophetarum Apostolorum quidem in hac ipsa nativa sententia quae expressa est in Symbolis Apostolico Niceno Athanasiano Et haec ipsa Symbola eorum nativam sententiam sine corruptelis semper constanter amplexi sumus Deo Juvante perpetuo amplectemur Damnamus etiam constantissimè omnes furores qui pugnant cum Symbolis ut sunt Samosateni Serveti Arii Pneumatomachorum portentosae opiniones aliae condemnatae veris Ecclesiae Judiciis That is We openly affirme before God and the universall Church in Heaven and in Earth that with a true faith we imbrace all the writings of the Prophets and Apostles in that very genuine primitive sence which is exprest in the Creeds of the Apostles Nic. and Athanatius and that we have alwayes constantly imbraced and by Gods helpe will alwayes imbrace these Creeds and their true native meaning without falsifying or depravation we also most resolutely condemne all those mad heresies which are repugnant to the Creeds namely those of Samosatenus Servetus Arius and the portentous opinions of the Pneumatomachi and what others condemned by the Just censures of the Church 12 Bohemica Confessio Fides Apostolica in duodecim Articulos digesta tradita in Symbolo per Nicenam Synodum atque adeò alias confirmata exposita est That is The Apostolick Faith being digested into twelve Articles and dilivered in the Creed hath been confirmed and explained by the Nicene and other succeeding Synods 13. Galliae Confes Art 5. Tria illa Symbola nempe Apostolicum Nicenum Athanasianum idcircò approbamus quod sint verbo Dei Scripto consentanea That is Those three Creeds the Apostolick the Nicene and that of Athanasius we therefore approve of because they are agreeable to the written Word of God And Serrarius the Jesuit whom we may well credit in such a matter in his Tract of the Athanasian Creed informes us that the Calvintan Divines in an Assembly of theirs at Lausanna profest that they agreed with the Lutherans concerning those Ancient Creeds and ascribed to them together with the Sciptare a Judiciary Power or Authority which all ought to obey Whence we may gather that they Judged them to proceed from the same Fountaine to wit from Divine or Apostolick Tradition otherwise they would not have conjoyned them with the Scriptures as the Authentick Judges or Rules whereby all Controversies are to be decided 14. The Church of England in her eight Art of the three Creeds agrees with the rest The three Ceeds Nic. Creed Athanasian Creed and that which is commonly cal'd the the Apostles Creed ought thorowly to be received and observed for they may be proved by most certaine warrants of the holy Scripture From these Foure last Testimonies taken out of the Confessions of the Reformed Churches I gather 1. That they concordantly receive these three Antient Creeds and reject whatsoever Heresy or opinion is repugnant to them from whence it will appeare that they have introduced no new Faith or Religion different from the old much lesse opposite unto it 2. They not only receive the Apostles Creed but also acknowledge it for such and by that name contra distinguish it to the Nicene and Athanasian therefore by that Title they are as justly presumed to acknowledge the Apostles for the composers of the one as the Councell of Nice and Athanasius for the Composers of the other Two 3. The Bohemick Confession tels us that the Nicene Councell and the rest that followed did confirme and expound that Faith which had been delivered in the Creed of the Apostles and distributed according to their number into twelve Articles so then the Apostles Creed was the First and not only the First but the Entire and Compleat Summary of the Christian Faith to which succeding Ages added nothing in their severall Formes of Confession or Beleefe but only explained them 4. The Gallican Church and our Mother of England say indeed that they receive the three Creeds because agreeable to the holy Writ but they say not that they receive them only for that Reason so that this expression doth not any way crosse the fore-delivered Tenent of deriving the Creed immediatly from the Mouthes of the Apostles no more than our Blessed Saviour and his Apostles confirming the Doctrine they taught by the testimonies of Moses and the Prophets prejudiced the truth and infallibility of the Spirit by which they spake See Jo. 5. 39 46 47. Act. 26. 22. Chap. 28. 23. Such an Accessory confirmation renders the Truth more cleare and Full and serves not so much to confirme the Doctrine it selfe as the Persons to whom it is delivered CAP. VII Six Reasons evincing the Apostles to have been the Composers of the Creed which commonly bears their name Some Objections against these Reasons answered The Place where the Creed was Made Of Fundamentalls and Traditions TO the Testimony of Scripture Consent of Antiquity and the joynt concordant Suffrages of our latter Protestant Divines I shall subjoyne in the last Place the Verdict of Reason which waits upon the forementioned Authorities giving strength unto some and light unto others Reason 1. The Title which it bears of the Apostles Creed or Symbole hath been generally acknowledged throughout all ages of the Church never questioned till of late cheefly by our moderne Antitrinitarians That Arch heritick Photinus their Fore-father perverted it indeed with the comments Vt fideliter simpliciter dicta ad argumentum sui dogmatis traheret That he might pervert the generall wordes thereof to the countenancing of or complying with his corrupt Tenents as Ruffinus informes us but he never durst deny either its Authority or its Authors Sure this Generall Tradition and unanimous consent of the Church is no weake Argument to evince the true Authors But to this Reason I find three things Objected Ob. 1. Against the Name Symbolum From whence some draw an Argument that it was joyntly composed by the Apostles because the Word is derived from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Conferre in unum and so signifies a Collation of many the Metaphor being drawne from Caena collatitia a Supper in common whereto every one of the guests brought his dish of meat or were he laid downe his shot equally with the rest whereas it might be called a Symbole or Collation not because it was gathered a Pluribus sed ex Pluribus not by many men but out of many materialls and this Collation made out of Scripture not by the Apostles themselves but by Apostolick men and their Disciples ab Ecclesiarum Patribus as Eusebius
is involved also in the Article of the Generall Judgment as the Account of our workes was If it be objected here that the Creeds or confessions of Faith which we find in the Councels and Fathers cannot be justly called Expositions of the Apostles Creed seeing that those Formes extant in Irenaeus and Tertullian want many Articles which the Creed now hath much lesse have they all which the Creeds of Nice Calcedon and that of Athanasius have I answer that the Creed as it is set downe in Irenaeus and Tertullian is I confesse somewhat defective for which I have before given some Reasons if we will find it full and entire we must have recourse to some famous ancient Church where it was deposited by the Apostles as that of Jerusalem or Rome now to the Creeds of these Churches the Nicene Chalcedon and that of Athanasius have added nothing in substance as appears by what hath been said but only in explication As for Tertullians Creed though it be more imperfectly set downe in his Booke De virg Vel. and that against the heretick Praxeas yet in his Book De Praescrip adv haer Wherein he oppugneth all Hereticks which had infested the Church untill his time some of which scarce left any one Article of the Creed inviolate he sets it downe more fully only he expreseth not distinctly and at large the Article of the Catholick Church and that of Remission of Sinnes for the former had not been yet oppugned by Novatus or Donatus nor the latter by Pelagius who were not then risen notwithstanding we may find even some hints of these wherein the substance of them lies implicitely hid 1. Those words of his qui credentes agat and those other ad sumendos sanctos wherein he expresseth how the Holy Ghost doth guide all Believers and work in them and that our Saviour will come at the last to take the Saints unto himselfe will serve to make up the ninth Article of the Church and Communion of Saints for the Title of Believers is the usuall stile of Christians and of the Christian Church under the New Testament and one Beliefe or Holy Faith is that which makes the Church a Communion of Saints that is of Persons severed and discriminated from those of other Religions but united among themselves Adde hereunto that which the same Tertullian hath in his Booke against Praxeas viz. That the holy Ghost is the Sanctifier of the faith of those who believe in the Father and in the Sonne and in the holy Ghost that is Of the Catholick Church which is a Communion of Saints or Believers 2. Those words applyed to our Saviour That he Preached the new Law and the New promise of the Kingdome of Heaven imply the tenth Article viz. I believe one Baptisme for the Remission of sinnes as it is more amply set downe in the Nicene Creed for by Baptisme we are initiated into this new Law of Christianity and engage our selves to performe it as the condition of the Gospell-Covenant required on our Part as necessary to Salvation whence by a Metonomie 't is taken somtimes as including the Law or doctrine Preached by the Party Baptizing as in that question of our Saviour to the Pharaisees The Baptisme of Iohn whence was it From Heaven or of men Mat. 21. v. 25. Where our Saviours maine end was to convince them that he was the true Messiah from the Word or Testimony of Iohn the Baptist whereby he gave witnesse to him at that time especially when the Pharasees were sent unto Iohn in a solemne Embassy to enquire whether He were the Christ or no Io. 1. v. 19 20 24 26 27. And as by Baptisme we are initiated into this new Law and thereby entituled unto the Kingdome of Heaven and made Inheritours of it so is Remission of sinnes the new Promise the first and newest of the whole Gospell which reconciling us unto God makes us capable of his other Favours to introduce which and prepare us for it Repentance was first Preached by Iohn the Baptist our Saviour and his Apostles Repent for the Kingdome of Heaven is at hand and from which our Saviour tooke his Name thereby signifying the cheife end of his comming Thou shalt call his Name Iesus saith the Angell to Ioseph For he shall save his People from their Sins Mat. 1. 21. 3. As for the last Article viz that of Everlasting Life it is partly implyed in the Article of the Resurrection which as it lookes backward unto Death so it lookes forward on Life Everlasting Death the last enemy being by it subdued partly exprest in the Article of our Saviours Coming to Iudgment the cheife end whereof is setdowne in these words ad sumendos sanctos in Vitae Aeternae fructum to assume his Saints unto the injoyment of Life Everlasting Now this Creed of Tertullian which so nearely symbolizeth with that of the Apostles deserves no meane regard First because he is a very ancient Doctor of the Church as who flourished about the end of the second Century Secondly because his workes are confessedly genuine Thirdly and Chiefly because this Creed of his setting downe was not Framed by him but as he expressely tells us derived from Christ by the mouthes of his Apostles before ever any Heretick appeared in the Church so it was not made because of heresies now risen whereof many arose even in the Apostles Times but before any of them arose not for Remedy but prevention and therefore must needs be very ancient But in the two other places he sets down this Creed or Rule of Faith more imperfectly omitting what made not for his present purpose yet those imperfect Creeds he calls Regulas immobiles irreformabiles inviolable and unchangeable Rules that is in regard of those Heades of Beliefe which he had occasion th … to set downe So that all the Creeds which wee meet with in the Fathers or Councells are to be compared with that which the Church for so many Ages hath acknowledged for the Apostles as so many Copies with the Patterne or Structures with the modell not so well with one another for so they may differ in poynt of quantity and proportion like so many Pictures or Statues made to represent the same body whereof the originall is entire and exactly proportioned but the copies diversely shaped and drawn some too Giant like others too defectively to the middle only or the shoulders If it be farther objected that the Romanists affirme all their new Articles to be only Explications of the old and confesse that Articles cannot increase quoad numerum credibilium sed quoad explicationem yet that we condemne them justly for obtruding those explications as necessary to salvation I answer that the Romanists are justly blamed for obtruding their explications on other Churches as necessary to Salvation because themselves make but a particular Church and yet presume upon a false priviledge of universall primacy and Apostolick Infallibility But as to the Exegericall
monumentis a fidelibus confirmata qui ibi antiquitùs pulchram eo intuitu aedificarunt Ecclesiam sub titulo S. Marci Evangelistae ut in vetusto MS. libello de locis sanctis exaratum inveni meminit Fr. Anselmus non modica illius fundamenta ruinae adhuc cernuntur Subtùs est pulchra oblonga cisterna in râ—pe montis excisa duodecim habens in eadem rupe excisas naviculas sivè arcas in memoriam duodecim Apostolorum qui unà ibi collegerunt caelestis doctrinae aquas salutares quibus totus mundus imbibendus erat Ad eam descenditur per angustum ostium quod Civitatem respicit Thus both opinions agree in the maine that there was a certaine place wherein the Apostles assembled to compose the Creed although they somewhat differ about the assignation thereof which circumstance is not much materiall especially seeing Adrichomius delivers his opinion but as a probable conjecture which may therefore well give place unto the latter as being fortified with the more convincing circumstances of an ancient well-grounded Tradition preserved by the Neighbouring Inhabitants and of a Church built in the memoriall thereof with a large Cisterne underneath hewen out of the maine Rock having twelve cavities in it according to the number of the Apostles And thus at length have I run through my Proofes drawne from Scripture Antiquity and Reason which I hope may prevaile with any indifferent judgment to acknowledge this Creed for the Composure of the Apostles rather than upon some few weak conjecturall Grounds to deny those Composers which the Title points us to and then ascribe it to I know not what Namelesse and uncertain Authors at an indefinite and uncerteine Time that is to they know not whom nor when contrary to so old and generall a Tradition This destructive Divinity which hath been so frequently broached in this All-reforming Age will not be found altogether so good in the Issue it is not safe tempering with the maine Grounds of our Religion If we deny or doubt of the Infallible Authority of the Creed as we doe if we deny that it had infallible Authors what will become of Christianity If the Foundations be destroyed what can the Righteous doe Ps 11. 3. The profession of our Beliefe is that which makes us Believers and ranks us in the number of the Faithfull The Creed is the maine ground worke of our Religion take which a way with the succeeding Creeds that have explained it in some poynts by assigning the true sense thereof in opposition to Hereticall Glosses and the whole frame of Christianity falls instantly to the Ground Leave men once to the bare letter of Scripture which being large and made up of severall pieces whereof all were not generally received till the end of the fourth Century since that by reason of its dark and ambiguous expressions and not a few seeming contradictions hath been found unhapily abnoxious to the weaknes and malice of erroneus interpreters by taking a way the Creeds which as they are more short so they are more cleare and plaine Summaries of the Christian Faith together with the consentient judgment of Antiquity which hath acknowledged and established them and delivered them over to us And then with out the spirit of prophecy we may soone foretell what will become of Religion Then what with Marcionis Machaera and Valentini Stilus to use the words of Tertullian What with chopping off whole Bookes at a blow yea an whole Testament With the Anabaptist what with razing out whole chapters and verses scraping out words and letters altering of points and comma's What with wresting and torturing the poore remainder untill it speakes the tormenters mind which hath been the desperate Project and Practise of Hereticks in all Ages a very small portion of our Religion will be left entire yea no meanes will be at all left to convince many errours or to satisfy Pilats so necessary question What is Truth Jo 18. 38. Now Pilate mist of an answer because he would not stay to heare it but we may stay long enough without one even till our Saviour who was asked the question come againe and discover the hidden things of Darknesse This made Tertullian bold to say Non provocandum est ad Scripturas nec in his constituendum certamen in quibus aut nulla aut incerta victoria est aut parum certa De praesc adv haer cap. 19. that is There 's no appealing to the Scriptures nor can we determine the controversies out of them from which we may expect but an uncerteine victory or none at all Scripturas obtendunt saith the same Tertullian of the Hereticks hac suâ audacia statim quosdam movent in ipso verò congressu firmos quidem fatigant infirmos capiunt medios cum scrupulo dimittunt cap. 15. that is They pretend Scripture with this boldnes of theirs they presently move some but when they come to dispute they weary the strong catch the weake and send away the indifferent or midling sort with scruples in their brests St Paul therefore chargeth Titus whom he had left as his Deputy in Crete to oversee the Churches which he had there planted not to dispute with Hereticks as being men condemned of themselves but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to reject or excommunicate them after the first or second 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Publick Admoniton or Reprehension for they who are so in love with their new opinions as not to yeeld unto the Authority of the Church will les yeeld unto the force of Arguments which are easily illuded or evaded by the subtilty of Hereticks who will fly to any shifts rather then acknowledge a victory and looke upon their superiors as their equals when they see them thus descende into the ranke of Disputants whom they can Combat with upon even Ground Now that which hath caused some latter Protestant Divines to call in question or deny the assigned Authors of the Creed is this as far as I can conjecture that the Creed comes to us under the name of a Tradition and they are loath to acknowledge any such for Divine or Apostolicall least Popery should breake in at this Gap and therefore they think it safest to adhere only to the word written But why should this so much fright us For the question betweene the Church of Rome and the Reformed is not as I conceive whether there be any certeine Tradition and consequently to be received But what traditions are certeine and allowable For have we not received the Scripture it selfe by Tradition viz. The number Authors and authority of the Canonicall Bokes Whence have we the Baptisme of Infants but by Tradition For though we have a faire plea for it upon Scripture-Grounds yet we have neither cleare precept nor precedent for it that hath hithertoo been shewen or the setting a part of the Lords Day and other Festivals for Gods publick Service For we have no expresse
contentions dayly growing hotter betweene them had like to have seperated the East and West about a syllabicall difference But Athanasius saith he with much patience and prudence calling unto him and hearing both Parties having examined their meaning and the sense of the words when he found them agreeing in the thing signifyed and at no difference about the doctrine it selfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 granting them the diversity of their Termes he unites them together in the same Truth Secondly Though we hold it most certaine that the Apostles considered single and apart delivered nothing to the Church either by word or writing but what they were specially assisted in by the holy Ghost and therefore most undoubtedly true yet for ought I know as the holy Ghost revealed not all truths to the Apostles at once no not when he descended on them at the Feast of Pentecost but delayed the manifesting of some till afterwards as for example the Conversion of the Gentiles to Peter in the vision of the sheet Act. 10. So he might not reveale some truthes unto them when they were single and apart but only when they met and consulted together For though every one of them by himselfe was infallible in all necessary Points that is so as to deliver nothing contrary to the Faith or Truth of Christian Religion yet without any Derogation to his priviledge they might need the more especiall assistance of the holy Ghost upon their Assembly to instruct them which Points of Faith were necessary to Salvation which not We have a famous Instance of this recorded Act. 15. For when there arose a great question in the Church of Antioch whether the Gentiles newly converted in Syria and Cilicia should be circumcised and obey the Law of Moses That Paul and Barnabas were sent unto Jerusalem about it v. 2. that the Apostles and Elders came together to consider of this matter v. 6. What needed this considering in a solemne meeting if they had been ascertained what to resolve before they met It followes v. 7. That there was much disputing or debate in the Councell Why not even among the Apostles themselves who were the chiefe members thereof At least this disputing might have been spared or cut short by the Apostles as a thing unnecessary if it had not beene thought a good and needfull Preamble unto a finall Decision If the Church had conceived S. Peter or any other of the Apostles an infallible Judge in this Point with out due examination thereof and the speciall assistance of the holy Ghost in a Synod they might have spared both their meeting and dispute But when there had been much disputing and not before they joyntly determined what Lawes to free them from and what to impose upon them as things necessary to be observed v. 28. Namly the abstaining from Bloud and consequently things strangled v. 29. According to that primitive law given to the Sons of Noah Ge. 9. 4. a Law still observed by the Greek Church by the Moscontieth their neighbour churches of Polād which have admitted the Reformation and long observed generally by the whole Western Church even til the Times of Ludovicus Pius as appeares by his and his Father Charles capitular together with the abstaining from Fornication and things offered to Idols which the Apostle makes a species of Idolatry 1 Cor. 10. 19 20 21. And are more clearly against the Morall Law though not so esteemed by the generality of the Gentiles Then and not before they use that stile It seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us that is To us in the Plurall to us assembled together Consonantly to this S. Paul tells us more plainly Gal. 2. 2. that long after his conversion and calling unto his Apostleship he went up to Jerusalem by Revelation and communicated the Gospell which he Preached among the Gentiles unto the Apostles who there resided namely to Iames Cephas and Iohn giving this for a Reason least saith he by any meanes I should run or had run in vaine Gal. 2. 2. Now the composing of the Creed wherein were to be comprised the maine Grounds of Christian Religion was a matter of the highest consequence and so might very well require the joynt and serious deliberation of the Twelve together with the speciall assistance of Gods spirit Thirdly To the Reply against the second Reason I Answer That 't is a groundlesse supposall to think that the Persons to be Baptized in the Apostles times were required to believe only in Iesus Christ or in the Trinity alone for First we find other Principles of Christian Doctrine distinctly set downe in Heb. 6. 1 2. And Preached by the Apostles before they Baptized their Auditors for instance the Article of Remission of Sinnes by Peter Act. 10. 43. And by Paul Act. 13. 38 39. The Article of the Creation of the World by the same Paul Act. 17. 24. Secondly As for beliefe in Iesus Christ the Apostles indeed required it as the maine poynt as we read in the History of the Eunuch Act. 18. 37. and of the Jaylor Act. 16. 31. Yet not as the sole poynt for beliefe in the holy Ghost was also required as appeares by the history of the Disciples at Ephesus Act. 19. 2 3 6. 'T is mentioned therefore as the principall and that which virtually includes all the rest for to believe in Jesus Christ as wee ought is to believe the Doctrine which he taught revealed unto the world from the Father as the guide or light to true Blessednesse now what was this but the Gospell of Salvation whereof the Creed for mater of Doctrinalls is the Epitome consult to this purpose Io. 17. 3. And chap. 3. 13. 36. Thirdly As for beliefe in the most Holy Trinity it gives us more scope as that which comprehends all the Articles of our Faith for as to believe in Jesus Christ implicitely conteines all the mysteries of our Redemption viz. His Godhead Incarnation and Birth Passion Buriall Descent into Hell Resurrection Assension Sitting on the right hand of the Father and second comming to Judgment so to believe in God the Father conteines his workes of Creation and Providence which are the Visible effects of his eternall Power and Godhead Ro. 1. 20. And to believe in the holy Ghost involves the whole worke of Sanctification the applying of Christs Benefits to his Church and compleating the Salvation of mankind which are distinctly set downe in the foure last Articles And this S. Chrysostome teacheth us in his first homily on the Creed already cited where his Text ends thus I believe in the holy Ghost but in his explication he thus unravels the Article and layes it open to view in its full extent who brings us to the holy Church she remiteth our sinnes promiseth the Resurrection of the Body and life everlasting This beliefe therefore in Christ or in the Trinity is not to be nakedly simply understood as if no other Particulars were required but with
time of Preaching the Gospell to the Gentiles and incorporating them into the Church was not before revealed as appears by the Series of the story now this conversion of Cornelius is placed by Baronius Aº 41. the very same yeare wherein S. Mathews Gospell according to him was written It is most probable therefore that this Dispersion of the Apostles happened in that Persecution of Herod mentioned Act. 12. for presently after this we find Paul and Barnabas solemnely consecrated and sent away from Antioch by the holy Ghosts command for the performance of this great worke the conversion of the Gentiles Ast. 13. 2 3 4. Whereas before the Gospell was Preached unto the Jewes only or at the most unto the Hellenists who were Jewes by Nation or Religion that is Jewish Proselites at least though they speake the language of the Grecians amongst whom they lived This appears Act. 11. 19 20. And to this accord the words of S. Chrysostome Apostoli praedicaverunt Iudaeis longoque temporis spatio caesi slagellati in Iudaeâ manentes ac demum ab ipsis propulsi in Gentes profecti sunt That is The Apostles Preached unto the Jewes and having been a long time scourged and beaten yet abode in Iewry till at length being driven out by them they went forth unto the Gentiles Hom. 70. in Mat. cap. 22. Compare herewith Act. 1. 8. chap. 13. 46 47. Thirdly S. Austins meaning in those words may well be thus construed The Articles of the Creed lye disperst in the Scriptures of both Testaments which in his Time were fully and compleatly extant and were collected from thence That is partly from the Old Testament then written partly from the History of the New which the Apostles were eye and eare-witnesses of and shortly after committed to writing Otherwise we must make him palpably to contradict himselfe for elsewhere he more then once affirmes that the Twelve Apostles composed the Creed which now bears their name and which he there explaines Object 10th If the Creed were composed by the Apostles latter Ages out of respect unto them would not have added ought unto it as we see they did in the Creeds of Nice Chalcedon and that of Athanasius for the Church of Rome was very slow to adde one particle unto the Constantinopolitan Creed viz. Filioque thereby to signify the Procession of the Holy Ghost from the Son as well as the Father though fully perswaded of the Truth thereof so greatly did they respect those 150 Bishops who composed it although they had made some Canons in prejudice of the former Dignity not only of the Alexandrian but of the Roman See Sure succeeding Ages owed far more reverence to the Apostles Answ Succeeding Ages added nothing to the Apostles Creed but only explained some Articles which by reason of their briefnesse or obscurity had been perverted by hereticall Glosses Now this was no disrespect but in honour of the Apostles thus to vindicate their Creed from false Interpretations and so restore it to its primitive Lustre and Integrity Secondly The Constantinopolitan Creed Framed by those 150 Fathers of the Easterne Church had been confirmed by the Church of Rome in the Synod under Damasus no marvaile then if they were not over forward to adde the Particle Filioque without their consents who were the prime Framers of that Creed least by so doing they should seeme to vary as well from themselves as the Fathers of that Councell Howsoever then that Councell might exalt the Dignity of the Constantinopolitan Patriarch now seated in the Head City of the Empire to the seeming prejudice of the Bishop of Rome yet in matter of Faith such as the Creed there was no disagreement at all and so no ground of Alteration If it be replyed That to charge the Creed writen for the capacity of the meanest with obscurity is something hard that to insert ought or adde to it though by way of explication would be thought great presumption that to think they would adde any thing to it who would not endure that of filioque to be put into a Creed of humane Composure when they agreed in the matter is hardly credible Besides that succeeding Ages have added to the Creed in some Particulars is apparent in the Nicene and if those additions be only explications yet to joyne them with the other Articles and to urge them as necessary accounting all those Heretickes who receive them not is all one as to make new Articles or fundamentall Truthes and withall it secretly taxeth the Apostles Creed of insufficiency and obscurity without those Additions I rejoyne First That the Creed in it selfe is plaine for the capacity of the meanest yet the briefnes generally indefinitenes of some Articles hath laid it open to variety of Glosses and those oft Hereticall which hath forced the Church to deliver the true meaning thereof by exegeticall Additions Seconly As for these explicatory Particles the Fathers fecht them not from their owne Braines but from Apostolicall Tradition Conserved in the Church from hand to hand and attested by the writings of precedent Bishops to whom the Apostles both delivered the wordes of the Creed and the true sence of each Article and hence it is that they urged and imposed their explications on the Church as necessary to be believed Neither Thirdly Is the Apostles Creed hereby argued of Insufficiency or obscurity seeing nothing is added to it as if it were Defective in it selfe or explaind as if it were of it selfe obscure 'T is only vindicated by this meanes from corrupt Glosses and restored to its primitive sense and meaning so the Scripture in like manner though cleare in all necessary Points and more copious by far than the Creed yet hath been abused in all Ages by curious and Daring Heads whence so many large comments on it for remedy to this mischiefe and we see dayly that lawes though as clearly framed as may be yet stand in need of Glosses and Additionall Interpretations when abused by reason of their Generality Lastly As to the addition of the Particle Filioque it is not of the same Nature because it was annext to the Creed contrary to the Decree of the third Generall Councell contrary to the mind and open protestation of the Greeke Church which had framed that Creed at Constantinople and by on part of the Church only viz. The See of Rome her adherents in the west Ob. 11h. If after Ages were forced by new succrescent Heresies to adde something unto the Apostles Creed yet sure if they had thought it to be theirs they would never have taken ought frō it for this had been a ready course to make way for new Heresies wheras we find severall Articles of the Creed omitted by them in their new-framed Symboles Answ The Councels and Fathers which have delivered unto us new Symboles or Confessions of Faith occasioned by emergent Heresies or rather explications of the old Creed in some particulars which were
third Day he rose againe according to the Scriptures Christs descent into Hell as we see in this Collation is expressely set downe but in two Creeds namely this of the Apostles and the Athanasian although the Fathers of the first Ages generally acknowledge it and mention it in their writings for which we may looke back on the Creeds of Thaddaeus and Ignatius set downe before The reason therefore why it is omitted in other Creeds I conceive to be this That they held it involved or presupposed in the following word The third Day he rose againe from the Dead For Christ may not improperly be said to have risen the third Day according to both Parts from the Grave in his Body from Hell a low place especially in comparison of Heaven in his Soule So both Parts in this Rising met together from two severall Places whether they had before Descended both which places are set downe in holy Scripture as the Receptacles of the Dead as well Good as Bad so 't is in either a Rising from the Dead and are joyntly called by the names of Sheol Hades Inferi This also S. Chrysostome in setting downe the Creed passeth by Christs ascension into Heaven as being included in or presupposed by that which followes His sitting at the Right Hand of the Father See Gen. 37. 35. Job 26. 6. Psal 86. 13. 139 8. Prov. 15. 11. Isa 13. 9. Luk. 16. 23. Rev. 1. 18. chap. 20. 13. Artic. VI. Apost He ascended into Heaven and sitteth at the right Hand of God the Father Almighty East And ascended into Heaven and sitteth at the right hand of the Father Nic. hath the same Aquil. the same Athan. He ascended into Heaven he sitteth on the right hand of the Father God Almighty Antioch And he ascended into Heaven Article VII Apost From whence he shall come to judge the quicke and the dead East And he shall come to judge the quicke and the dead Nic. Who shall come againe with glory to judge the quicke and the dead of whose kingdome there shall be no end Aquil. From thence he shall come to judge the quicke and the deade Athan. From whence he shall come to judge the quicke and the Dead Antioch And he shall come againe to judge the quicke and the dead Article VIII Apost I believe in the Holy Ghost East And in the Holy Ghost the comforter who spake by the Prophets Nic. And in the Holy Ghost the Lord and giver of life who proceedeth from the Father and the Sonne according to the Latines who with the Father and the Sonne together is worshipped and glorified who spake by the Prophets Aquil. And in the Holy Ghost Athan There is another Person of the Holy Ghost the Holy Ghost is God the Holy Ghost is of the Father and of the Son Neither made nor created nor begotten but proceeding Article IX Apost I believe the holy Catholick Church the Communion of Saints East One holy Catholick Church Nic. One holy Catholick and Apostolick Church Aquil. The holy Catholick Church Where Ruffinus in his explication interprets Holy by that which preserves the Faith or Religion of Christ entire and opposeth the Church to the Conventicles of severall Hereticks which he calls Concilia vanitatis thus explaining the word Catholick and the Communion of Saints Article X. Apost The forgivenesse of Sinnes East One Baptisme of Repentance for the Remission of Sinnes Nic I acknowledge one Baptisme for the Remission of Sinnes Aquil. The Remission of Sinnes Article XI Apost The Resurrection of the Body East And the Resurrection of the Body Nice And I look for the Resurrection of the Dead Athan. At whose comming All men shall rise againe with their Bodies and shall give an account for their own Workes Aquil. The Resurrection of this Body In the Exposition whereof Ruffinus hath these words Et ideo satis cautâ providâ adjectione Ecclesia nostra Aquilegiensis docet quae in eo quod a caeteris traditur Carnis Resurrectionem uno addito pronomine tradit Hujus Carnis Resurrectionem hujus sine dubio quam is qui profitetur signaculo Crucis fronti imposito contingit That is our Church the Aquileian hath warily and providently added the Pronoune This to the Article of the Resurrection of the Body which is delivered without it in other Churches This Body that is which he toucheth who maketh profession of the Creed having the Signe of the Crosse made upon his Forehead whence we may observe not only the Antiquity of the Crosse in Baptisme but the custome also of the ancient Church in adding some exegeticall particles to the Creed as a Thing publickly received and practised in the Christian World Article XII Apost And life Everlasting East And life Everlasting Nic. And the life of the World to come Athan. And they that have done good shall goe into life Everlasting and they that have done Evill into Everlasting fire Aquil. Incloseth it in the precedent Article of the Resurrection in the explication whereof Ruffinus hath these words Dabitur peccatoribus incorruptionis immortalitatis ex Resurrectione conditio ut sicut Deus justis ministrat ad perpetuitatem Gloriae ista peccatoribus ad prolixitatem confusionis ministret paenae That is Sinners also shall rise to an immortall and incorruptible estate so that as God affourdeth the rightious everlasting Glory he also prepareth the sinners for length of shame and sorrow Ob. 14th That Creed which was neithe made by the Apostles nor by any Generall Councell nor was recieved by the Greeke or Easterne Churches but in the Church of Rome and had beene so long recited and used in the Church now about the yeare 400 that then it was held an Apostolicall Tradition which it is certaine was conveyed also by the Church of Rome to other Churches of the West the Easterne Churches in the meane time using other Creeds that Creed was composed by those who had the Government of the Romane Church but there is nought of this which agreeth not to the Creed that we call the Apostles therefore the Bishop and Presbyters of the Church of Rome composed it Answ This is the summary Argument used to disprove the Authors of the Creed and which we have already answered by Parts For that the Creed was composed by the Apostles we have proved at large both by Authorities and Arguments That it was received for the full sense and substance thereof in the Greeke or Easterne Churche appears both by what we have before cited out of the Greeke Fathers especially Marcellus and Chrysostome as also by the foresaid Parallell of the Jerosolymitan Nicene Antiochian and Athanasian Creeds with the Romane and Aquileian That it was held an Apostolicall Tradition by the Church of Rome before the yeare 400 appeares by the forecited Testimonies of the Laine Fathers Irenaeus Tertullian Ambrose and others That it was convaied by the Church of Rome to other Churches of the West which the Objector invidiously
ad divinam doctrinam certa humilitatis atque Charitatis firmitate surgentibus quod multis verbis exponendo esset perficiendum Secondly For the due bounding of our Faith and Charity There are many lesser circumstantiall Points in divinity which Christians may differ about Salva Fide Charitate without prejudice to either but others there be of farre higher Concernment requisite to the very beeing of a true and rightly grounded Christian these we call Fundamentall Points the Nescience of most whereof but the denyall of any is destructive of Salvation whithout ensuing repentance Now it was necessary that these should be knowen and severed from the rest that so the Church might know whome to admit to Baptisme and acknowledg for her Children and on the other side Whom to reject or cut off as Heretickes misbelievers Yea besides that every private Christian might know by this Rule whom to communicate with and whom to fly from and avoid as Heathens and Publicans in our Saviours Language To demonstrate this Father namely that the Creed conteines all Points which a good Christian is bound of necessity to believe I shall produce a Reason or two and thereto subjoine the testimonies of the Ancients which among other Corollaries hence deducible will serve to free the true reformed Churches from that just imputation of Heresy which the Church of Rome hath been pleased to lay upon Them for al of thē generally unanimously imbrace the Creed as appeares by their severall confessions and therfore cannot justly be charged with heresy in the ancient which is the true and genuine acception of the word The reasons are these two which follow First the End for which the Apostles Framed the Creed cannot be imagined to be any other than this viz. To give us a Breviary of the fundamentall Doctrines of Faith Dare we say that the Apostles came short of this their end It must be then either for want of Power or want of will Now to affirme they could not compasse it is little better then Blasphemy and to affirme they would not when they might must needs argue them of grosse negligence in their function and uncharitablnesse to the Christian church faults wholy uncompatible with the Apostolick office and Zeale Secondly The name of Symbole 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Greeke and Regula Fidei The Rule of Faith in the Latine whereby the Ancients style the Creed argue the compleatnesse of it for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies Nota or Indicium the Creed being the note of difference between the true Children of the Church and those who were either unbelievers or misbelievers And the Rule of Faith as Tertullian calls it or The Rule of Truth as Irenaeus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That unerring Rule of Truth which we received in Baptisme from whom Chrysostome and Austin borrowed the terme who opposed the Creed to the Placita of Hereticks and will have them examined ad hujus amussim by the line or Rule of the Creed must be adequate to the Faith or necessary Truth whereof it is a Rule niether larger nor narrower for else it looseth the very nature of a Rule To this Truth the Fathers give in their Suffrages I shall set downe the Testimonies of some who were the most Ancient and the most famous in their Times 1. The Creed is called Breve Evangelium the Epitome or breviary of the Gospell like Homers Workes inclosed in a nutshell according to the saying of S. Bartholomew recorded by Dionys Arear lib de myst Theo. cap. 1. 2. Clem. Romanus in his forecited Epistle Ad Fratrem Domini calls the Creed Summun totius Fidei Catholicae the Summary of the Catholick Faith and farther saith that in it Integritas credulitatis ostenditur The entire or whole Faith of a Christian is declared 3. Ignatius in his Epistle to the Magnesians after he had reckoned up those Heads of the Creed which touched our Saviour concludes thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He who fully knowes and believes these things is Blessed that is as fare as concernes these Articles or this part of the Faith which relates to our Saviour the same holdes in proportion of the rest otherwise not only a right beliefe although full and entire but a good life also are requisite to happinesse 4. Irenaeus tels us that many barbarous Nations who had not the Bookes of Scripture among them yet Sine Charactere vel atramento Scriptam habuerunt per Spiritum sanctum in Cordibus suis salutem Had Salvation wrote in their Hartes by the Finger of the holy Ghost without the helpe of Pen and Inke Where by Salvation he understands the Tradition of the Creed as appeares by the following words so called by a Metonymie because it is a meanes in its kind sufficient to Salvation Thus he lib. 3. cap. 4. The same Father elswhere gives this testimony of the fulnesse of the Creed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is Neither the most able Orator amongst the Pastors of the Church can say more than this for no man is above his Teacher or Master neither he who is weake in speech can distinguish or speake lesse than this Tradition for there beeing one and the same Faith neither he who is able to speake much of it hath augmented it nor he who is able to say litle hath lessened it at all 5. Origen in the preface of his Bookes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith that the Holy Apostles Preaching the Faith of Christ De quibusdam quidem c. Concerning some Points most plainly delivered unto all Believers even the most dull and slow whatsoever they judged necessary where by Necessaries he understandes the Articles of the Creed which he there reckons up 6. Cyril of Jerusalem in his fift Catechesis speaking of the Creed useth these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we comprehend saith he the whole Doctrine of Faith in a few versicles And afterwardes comparing it unto a small graine of mustard-seed which virtually containes many Branches 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so also doth this Creed in a few words comprehend the whole doctrine of Religion which is delivered in the old new Testament 7. Eusebius Galicanus commonly called Emesenus in the begining of his second Homily on the Greed hath these words Hanc nobis fidem velut magnam lampadem Christus adveniens errantibus viam monstraturus exhibuit per quem possit Deus ignotus requiri quaesitus credi creditus inveniri This Faith or Creed saith he like some great Lampe Christ exhibited for his comming thus shewing the way to those in errour By help wherof God who was before unknowne might be sought being sought might be believed on being believed on might be found The same Father in his first Homily derives the name Symbolum from Caena collatitia and then tels us that De utroque Testamento totius Corporis virtus in paucas est diffusa sententias ut facilius animae Thesaurus
are dead long agoe but of the maine Grounds of their Doctrine which are continued by their successors in the Church unto the worldes end CAP XII The fift Head of this Discourse touched in Generall viz. thé Supplementall or exegeticall Creeds framed in Succeeding Ages The Groundes whereon they were framed and their use Some Copies of Creeds set downe as well of the Hereticks as the Orthodoxe both consonant to this of the Apostles THIS Creed of the Apostles was in it selfe a Compleat Rule of Faith sufficient to establish the Church in her Beliefe but in processe of time certaine Hereticks arose who perverted the anciently received Faith in the old Catholck sense and meaning therof yet in outward shew Profession subscribed to the words Such were those Arch-hereticks Arius Macedonius Nestorius Eutyches against whom the foure first generall Councels were cal'd Now to detect and convince these close subtile Hereticks the Church was inforced to Frame some other Creedes or Symboles Nihil mirum videri debet saith S. Hilary quod tam frequenter fides exponi caeptae sint necessitatem hanc nobis furor haereticus imponit that is It is not to be marvelled that the Creed hath been so often explained in severall Formes of Confession the fury of hereticks hath forced us to it New Creedes then these were not for the Sense but only for the Frame and Composure they being nought else but Paraphrases or expositions of the old especially in those two maine Points of the Trinity and Incarnation which were then and I could wish they were not by some now chiefely oppugned the Divells malice and mans curiosity concurring together the Divells malice as being Points of the higest concernement and mans curiosity as farthest removed out of the Reach of our naturall Capacity and beyond the ken of human Reason Now that we may and how far we may lawfully thus explaine the Christian Faith and enlarge the Doctrinals of Christianity let us heare Vincentius Lirinensis who thus expresseth it with a like elegancy and Solidity Forsitan dicet aliquis nullusne in ecclesiâ Christi profectus habebitur Religionis Habeatur sanè maximus sed ita tamen ut verè Profectus sit ille fidei non permutatio Crescat oportet sed in suo duntaxat genere crescat in eodem sc Dogmate eodem sensu eademque Sententiâ Imitetur Animarum Religio rationem corporum quae licet annorum processu numeros suos evoluant explicent eadem tamen quae crant permanent multùm interest inter pueritiae florē senectutis maturitatem iidē tamen ipsi fiunt senes qui fuerant Adolescentes ut quamvis unius ejusdemque Hominis status habitusque mutetur una tamen nihilominus eadēque natura una eadēque Persona sit Parva lactantium membra magna juvenum eadem ipsa sunt tamen Quot parvulorum artus tot virorum siqua illa sunt quae aevi maturioris aetate pariuntur jam in seminis ratione proserta ut nihil novum postea proferatur in senibus quod non in pueris jam antea latitaverat Quod sihumana species in aliquam deinceps non sui generis vertatur effigiem aut certè addatur quippiam membrorum numero vel detrahatur necesse est ut totum Corpus vel intercidat vel prodigiosum fiat vel certè debilitetur Ita etiam Christianae Religionis dogma sequatur has decet profectuum leges ut annis sc consolidetur dilatetur tempore sublimetur aetate incorruptum tamen illibatumque permaneat universis partium suarum mensuris cunctisque quasi membris sensibus propriis plenum atque perfectum sit quod nihil praeterea Permutationis admittat nulla proprietatis dispendia nullam sustineat Definitionis varietatem The sum whereof is this That there may ought to be a proficiency in Religion the greater the better but it must be an increase not a change Religion must proceed on and grow but in the same sense Doctrine and substance like our Bodyes which in processe of Time grow bigger and yet abide the same There is much diference betweene the flower of Youth and the fading of Age yet they are the same still Their Bulke and stature diverse but the same nature and the same Person as before The limbes of Children are little of Men growen large yet both the same the Infant hath as many members as the fulgrowen neither appeares there ought new in the old which lay not hidden and as it were inclosed in the young so that riper Age doth but produce that to open view which the seminall vertue concealed and shut up in a narrower roome But if in processe of Time the humane shape should be changed into that of a diverse kind if ought should be added to the just number of Parts or taken from it the whole Body must of necessity perish grow prodigious or at least insensibly Pine away So the Doctrine of Christian Religion must observe these Rules of Growth that in processe of years it get strength spread hieghten yet stil remaine entire and unaltered in all its parts nothing added changed or cut off Thus he in his Commonitory against Heresies Chapter 28. 29. Now amongst those Explicatory Creeds which unfold and enlarge the Christian Faith in the severall Parts or limbes thereof the Nicene and Athanasian Creeds are the two Principall Framed both much about the same Time generally approved of by the Catholick Church in succeeding Ages and joyntly received with that of the Apostles particularly by our Church of England But before I come to treat of these two distinctly in a double Appendix According to what I proposed in the begining of my Discourse I shall conclude this Chapter and together with it this whole Treatise Concerning the Apostles Creed in setting downe some Ancient Formes or Cenfessions of Faith yet untouched which the Reader may please to compare with it and thereby discerne the variety of expression but agreement in Sense amongst other Bishops and Churches of that Primitive Age as yet unmentioned which will farther enlighten and establish what hath been already asserted And amongst these I shall Place some Confessions even of those Bishops who favoured Arius and Macedonius to shew how neere they came unto the Orthodoxe Formes who therein may serve to shame and testify against the Blasphemies of some moderne sectaries The first of these in Dignity as well as Time is that of Gregorius Thaumaturgus afterwards recited approved of in the fift Generall Councell held at Constantinople The Creed like his name is well worthy our wonder for not only Nicephorus lib. hist 6. cap 17. But Gregory Nyssen also in his Encomiastical Oration of Thaumaturgus gives us this Relation of its Originall and Composure That the Blessed Virgin revealed it unto him by the mouth of S. Iohn whereupon he strait committed it to Paper and left it to the Church which hath since kept and esteemed it as a sacred
before he was begotten and that he was made of nothing or had any other Essence or Substance than that of his Father or that he is obnoxious to change or Alteration such as these the Catholick and Apostolick Church of God doth Anathematize Socr. lib 4. cap. 11. THE FIRST APPENDIX Concerning the CREED of Athanasius CAP. I. Two Reasons why this Creed hath been more oppugned than the Rest It s Authority and Author are vindicated in generall more especially touching the severity of the Preface AMongst all the Creeds this of Athanasius hath met with most opposition First because it hath most resolutely and strictly oppugned the Ancient and Moderne Heresies about those great Poynts of the Trinity and Incarnation for whereas other Creeds proceed by way of simple Confession Narration or Exposition of the Faith I Believe c. This runnes in an higher style more directly repugnant to the corrupters of the Christian Faith Whosoever will be saved must believe c. Both in the Beginning and the close requiring an absolute Assent upon paine of Damnation and tacitely anathematizing all the Adversaries of the Faith So that we may compare the Apostles Creed to a Foundation the Nicene and other Exegeticall Creeds that followed unto a Superstructure but this of Athanasius to a Bulwarke or Defensive worke which guards the House and excludes the enemy from approaching no marvaile then it hath been so much oppugned Secondly because it was the worke and composure of a Private man whereas the other Creeds either challenge the Colledge of the Apostles for the Authors or the Catholick Church assembled in a Synod or at least the Tradition of some Patriarchall or other Ancient and famous Church time out of mind whereas this of Athanasius though relying but upon a single Fathers Authority yet speakes much bigger than the Rest and expressely requires a more exact obedience than any of the other Now this double reason hath raised both it and its Author many Adversaries whereof some have styled the Preface of it Proud and Insolent others have denied Athanasius for the Author so to leave it destitute of a Patron and deprive it of the Authority of so eminent a Champion of the Christian Faith a Third sort have more impudently defamed both Worke and Author and styled it Sathanasius his Creed as one Geo Niger and Valentinus Gentilis as Genebrard tells us in his Epistle to Charles Cardinall of Lorraine prefixed to his Book De Trinitate Among all which Adversaries 't is observable that none have either denied the Author or defamed the Creed but such whom the Church hath noted of Heresy and commonly have been the Ring-leaders to the Rest In this heat and fury of opposition it will concerne us calmely to examine the Truth whereby we shall at once vindicate the Credit both of the Creed and its Composer First for the Truth and Esteeme of the Creed it relies not on the Authority of one single Father who composed it though never so famous in his time and all Ages since among the Orthodox Professors but on the Testimony of the Catholick Church which hath received it and commended it to all her Children as the Buckler of the true Christian Faith neither only so but hath received it of old into her Liturgies and still retaines it an Honour not vouchsafed to any other Creed of a Private mans composing Constantinople Rome and the Reformed Churches have joyntly received it and exposed it to publique use although they very much differ in other Poynts a strong argument of its Verity and Authority Secondly For the credit of the Author whosoever consults Ecclesiasticall History and Nazianzens Encomiastick Oration must needs acknowledge his great fame throughout the Christian World for his Learning Vertue and unwearied Constancy in maintaining the true Faith against the Arian Faction under four Emperors Reignes especially under Constantius Valens when they swayed all which Undaunted constancy of his when the other Bishops generally either complyed with the Enemy or kept silence for feare deservedly purchased this peculiar honor to his Creed as the due reward of his unconquered Faith and delivered his Fame unto succeeding Ages with so loud a Trumpe that we heare Cosmas Laurens proclaime Cum ex S. Athanasii Opusculis aliquid inveneris nec ad scribendum Chartas habueris in vestimentis tuis scribe illud So Sophronii Prat. Spirit Thirdly As to the supposed Pride and Insolency of the Preface with which Termes some have been pleased to dignify it as being too stately for a private Mans worke and too peremptorily excommunicating all Christians who out of Ignorance or mysperswasion imbrace not all the following deepe misteryes contained in it they may please also to take notice that the Creed which followes though for the composure it Have Athanasius only for the Author yet the Faith therin set downe and explained is the common received Faith of the Church derived downe from the Apostles to his Times and since commended by our Catholick Mother to succeeding Ages as the Groundworke of Christian Religion most necessary to be first laid and relyed on and therefore may well beare such a Proeme which refers not so much to the Authority of the writer as to the Creed written the composure was a private Mans but the Creed was Publick the Frame of one but the Faith of All. Then for the strict exacting the beliefe of his Creed from all Christians they may please to observe that it was wrote in opposition to the Arians so that it doth not so directly exclude from Salvation the pure Ignorant as the stuborne Heretick nor somuch condemne the bare nescience as the negation of the Faith which was once delivered to the Saints Jud. 3. though I conceive it to be very hard if not utterly impossible for any Christian to be saved who doth not expresly believe the Substance of the Faith therein explayned especialy in those two Points which he so much insists upon viz. The Trinity and Incarnation the Vision or Fruition of the Blessed Trinity being the last End or Happinesse of mankind and the Incarnation of our Saviour with the consequents thereof being the meanes appointed by God for to compasse it So that the great Athanasius shewed not his Pride in prefixing such a Proeme but rather his mercy and Paternall care towardes the Church by a more expresse Declaration of the necessity of the Catholick Faith which some otherwise might have more oscitantly hearkned to and been lesse carefull to entertaine if not awakned by the Terror of this Preface CAP. II. Severall Testimonies Concerning the Author and Authority of the Athanasian Creed Hving premised thus much in way of a generall Vindication I shall now set downe some speciall Testimonies concerning the Author and Authority of this Creed begining with this latter Age wherein it hath begun to be questioned and so by degrees ascending to the Time of Athanasius himselfe thus at length arriving at the Fountaine Head by the
of Athanasius being originally wrote in Greeke and communicated to us from the Easterne Church 't is no marvaile if this Creed is omitted which was at First written in Latine especially when the Latines produced it with the addition of filioque in the procession of the holy Ghost which the Greeks so much abhor'd as an adulterate Insertion and repudiated the whole Creed some of them for that very Reason Pet. Felcmannus testifies that he met with a manuscript of the Palatine Lybrary wherein it was entitled to Athanasius The Reverend Armachanus also tels us it is found in a very old booke of Hymnes written part in Latine and part in Irish the Booke said to be composed in the Nicene Synod by three Bishops Eusebius Dionisius and a third unnamed We have already produced many Authorities to the same purpose all which the Tradition of the Church confirmes which no man can prove ever to have thought otherwise Genebrard withall informes us Quod in vetustiissimis Romanae Ecclesiae 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sub Athanasii nomine ejus ad primam recitatio usu recepta est That in the most ancient Horologies or liturgies of the Romane Church this Creed hath been usually rehearsed under his name at the first Service Ob. 3. If this were Athanasius his Creed he would have mentioned it some where in his Historical Tracts Epistles or Apologies or some writer of the same or the next Age. Or at leastwise some writer of his life Answ We have produced Testimonies to this purpose out of Nazianzene Hylary Augustine and Boethius who all lived neere his Time Ob. 4. They who ascribe this Creed to Athanasius say it lay a long while in the Romane Archives unknowne to the Church So Baronius and Possevine which is improbably affirmed of this writing if it had beene framed by so famous admired a Champion of the Faith as Athanasius was especially seeing so many succrescent Heresies might have been refuted by it Answ Those Authors affirme indeed that the Originall written by Athanasius his owne hand lay long in the Roman Archives together with the Acts of the Synod wherein he delivered it but they deny not that Copies there of might have been taken divulged yea Possevine affirmes there were such taken Baronius thinks it very probable and those parcells of it which we find in S. Augustine and Boetius confirme the same As for the refuting of heresies by it we find it alleaged by S. Aug. to that purpose and 't is likly that many others did the like whose workes are not come to our hands or not so diligently perused by the objector as touching this particular The Workes of Athanasius as of other ancient Fathers were alleaged by after Ages against succrescent Heresies as we may see by Nazianzen Object 5. If this Creed had been certainly believed of Athanasius his making the Latines had made use of it against the Greekes in the controversy of the Procession as being a Father of so great Authority amongst them whereas the first whom we read of to have made use of this Argument were the Apocrisiarii or Legats of Gregory the 9th When the Controversy had now continued almost 500 years and beene discussed in many Synods and Polemicall writings Answ Although we now read in the Athanasian Creed That the Holy Ghost proceeded from the Father and the Sonne yet in all likelihood it was not so put downe in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or originall written by Athanasius nor by any other for a good while after and therefore no marvaile if the Latines made not use of this Creed against the Greekes as a testimony on their side when there was no such testimony to be found My reasons are these 1. The Greeke Edition of Athanasius his Creed as we have it Printed by Commelinus in the yeare 1600. hath no such words as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 although the Latine read it Filioque that the Holy Ghost proceeded from the Sonne also The same we may say of the Parisian and other Printed Editions which have not it in the Greeke 2. Athanasius in his other Workes acknowledgeth no such Procession of the Holy Ghost from the Sonne though having oft-times occasion to speake thereof in his Tracts of the Trinity yea hee seemes rather to say the contrary in more Places than one 3. They who took upon them to adde the same clause Filioque to the Nicene Creed framed in a Synod of Easterne Bishops without asking the consent of the Church which framed it yea contrary to the Decree of the third Generall Councell might well be more bold in adding to the Creed of Athanasius which was the Composure of one single Father made at Rome in the Latine tongue and kept in their own Archives Now the Church of Rome did the one why not the other too which might be done with lesse noyse and notice 4. This Additionall particle Filioque was not added to the Nicene Creed untill the ninth Century at the farthest For Leo the third Bishop of Rome who flourished in the beginning of that Century not only denyed to insert this Particle into that Creed and perswaded the French Bishops that they should not adde it but withall caused the Creed to be engraven in a Silver Table and that Table publiquely placed in S. Pauls Church at Rome without the Particle Filioque so witnesseth Pet. Lombard Sent. lib. 1. Dist. 11. It is likely that the same was added to the Athanasian Creed about the same time as it was to the Nicene and so afterwards made use of by those Apocrisiarii Object 6. Jo. Belethus who slourished above Three Hundred years since tels us of some who thought it to be the Creed of Anastasius now this Anastasius surnamed Sinaita was Patriarcb of Antioch and lived in the reigne of the Emperour Iustinian and of Iustine the younger and was some two Ages juniour to Athanasius Answ The conjecture of those whosoever they were seemes so groundlesse that Belethus who mentions it not so much as names the Authors as being men of small or no credit much lesse produceth any reason to justify their conjecture yea he professedly condemneth this their opinion of falshood The mistake probably was this because this Anastasius wrote a Booke 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Concerning the Faith now extant in the French Kings Library at Paris Ob. 7. Meletius Patriarch of Alexandria in his letter which he wrote to Io. Douza Aº 1597. acknowledgeth not this Creed as the writing of Athanasius Athanasio inquit falso ascriptum Symbolum cum Appendice illâ Romanorum Pontificum adulteratum luce lucidius contestamur We openly protest against that Creed saith he falsly entituled to Athanasius being corruptly set forth with that Appendix of the Romane Bishops where by the Appendix he means the particle Filioque in the Article of the holy Ghost Answ If Meletius his meaning extend to the whole Creed of Athanasius his Authority as a single and a late Author cannot in
13. his words are these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is They the Fathers of that Synod added to that Divine Confession of Faith made at Nice The Glory of the most Holy Spirit as a Person of equall Honour and Glory with the Father and the Sonne Gregory of Nyssa supplying what was defective in that Sacred Creed Not that they were the first framers of those additionall particles for we find them extant before the celebration of this Councell in Epiphanius his Anchoratus and for the most part in Cyrils Catecheses but the first who by their Synodicall Authority confirmed the entire Forme having left out something of the Nicene Creed viz. those three fore mentioned Passages but added more and so commended yea prescribed the whole unto the Christian Church This Creed so enlarged was presently received into the Publick service of the Church for Platina in the life of Damasus tels us Mandavit ut in principio celebrationis quam missam vocant Confessio diceretur ut hodie fit that is Damasus who lived at the time of the Constantinopolitan Creed commanded that in the Begining of Common-service this Creed or Confession should be rehearsed as now we use it And Walafridus Strabo de Reb. Eccles cap. 22. informes us that this was done in imitation of the Greeke Church Illud Symbolum quod nos ad imitationem Graecorum intra missas adsumimus Et mox Ab ipsis ergo ad Romanos ille usus creditur pervenisse Yet for some yeares though it were received into the Greeke Liturgy it was not Constantly used till the Time of Timotheus Patriarch of Constantinople who came to that See in the yeare 511. So Theodorus Lector in the Second Booke of his Eclogae or Collectanea 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. that is Timotheus at the desire of his Friends tooke order that the Creed of the 318 Fathers should be rehearsed at every Communion and this in reproofe of Macedonius who had not received it whereas before it was rehearsed only once in the yeare to wit on the Eve of the Passion at the Time when the Bishop Catechized By this it appeares that it was used Publickly in the Easterne Church though but once in the yeare whereas this Timotheus caused it to be constantly rehearsed at every Communion Not long after this we find it commanded to be used in the third Councell of Toledo a Nationall Councell of 78 Bishops assembled under K. Recaredus whereof Leander Bishop of Sevil was one This Councell was celebrated in the yeare 590 the second canon whereof runs thus Pro reverentia sanctissimae Fidei petitione Recaredi Regis constituit Synodus ut per omnes Ecclesias Hispaniae Galliciae secundum formam Orientalium Ecclesiarum Concillii Constantinopolitani hoc est 150 Episcoporum Symbolum fidei recitetur prius quam Dominica dicatur oratio voce clarâ— praedicetur quo fides vera sit manifesta testimonium habeat ad Christi corpus sanguinem praelibandum pectora populorum fide purificaâ—a accedant that is Out of a venerable regard of the most holy Faith and upon the motion of K. Recaredus the Synod hath ordeined that the Creed of the Constantinopolitan Councell that is of the 150 Bishops should be rehearsed after the use of the Eastern Churches throughout all the Churches of Spaine and Gallicia and that it be openly published before the saying of the Lords Prayer that so the true Faith may be manifested and witnessed and that the Hearts of the People being purifyed by Faith may come to the participation of Christs Body and Bloud From Spaine in likelihood it came over the Pyrenees into France part whereof namely Languedoc and the Country adjacent was then under the Dominion of the Gothish Kings of Spaine And as it was commanded to be rehearsed in the Spanish Churches on purpose to profligate the Arian heresy wherewith all their Princes had bin infected until K. Recaredus so was it more generally received in the Churches of France in the latter end of the 8 Century when Elipandus Archbishop of Toledo and Felix Bishop of Urgell had been condemned of Nestorianisme in two Synods namely at Ratisbone in the yeare 792. And at Frankfort where Charles the great was present in the yeare 794. So Walafridus Strabo de Rebus Eccles c. 22. Apud Gallos Germanos post dejectionem Felicis haeretici sub gloriosissimo Carolo Francorum Rege idem Symbolum latius crebrius in Missarum caepit officiis iterari that is The same Creed viz. the Nicene began to be used amongst the Galles and Germans after the deposition of the heretick Felix under Charles the most glorious King of the French more often and throughout more Churches in the Communion-service And the Synod of Frankfort to prevent the spreading of this Heresy tooke order that together with the Apostles Creed the Nicene also should be diligently delivered for the publick use of the Churches the thirty third Canon of which Synod set forth by Sermondus runs thus Vt fides Catholica sanctae Trinitatis id est Symbolum Constantinopolitanum oratio Dominica atque Symbolum fidei Apostolorum omnibus praedicetur ac tradatur That the Catholick Faith of the holy Trinity that is the Nicene or Constantinopolitan Creed and the Lords Prayer and the Apostles Creed be Preached and Delivered unto All. As for our Church of England it was probably brought hither by Augustine and his fellow Preachers who were sent to convert the Nation by Gregory the Great then Bishop of Rome CAP. II. When and by whom the Particle Filioque was added to the Nicene Creed is historically delivered and at large Severall other causes of the breach betweene the Churches of Greece and Rome IT will not be amisse for a close unto the Discourse on this Creed to shew as far as good Authors give us light the Time when and the Person by whom the Particle Filioque and from the Sonne was added to this Creed which declares the holy Ghost to Proceed from the Sonne as well as from the Father And this I thought fit to adde partly for that the matter is obscure and not generally knowne partly for the compleating of my discourse on this Creed and partly also for to shew the Originall and progresse of so chiefe a cause of Difference betweene the Churches of East and West which hath now lasted for some hundreds of years to which I shall adde some other causes of the Breach and so give a conclusion of the whole Treatise My collections on this Argument I have cheifely from the Learned Vossius who with his wonted industry and fidelity hath acquainted us with what he found recorded concerning it out of the best witnesses of Antiquity viz. Dissert 3a. De 3 bus Symb. The Churches of Spaine where the first who added this Particle to the Creed in a Synod held in Gallicia in the yeare 447 as it is cited by the R nd Armachanus The French Churches
and so rather the Mouth than the Head of the Apostles but there appears no Primacy of order or Jurisdiction over his fellow-Apostles But suppose we should grant said they that Peter had such an unerring paramount privilege yet this might well be personall and annext to his Apostleship not derivable to any Episcopall successour and if derivable why should the Bishop of Rome rather arrogate it to himselfe than the Bishop of Antioch in which City S. Peter first sate Or the Bishop of Alexandria a See instituted by the same Apostle under S. Marke before he ever appointed any Bishop at Rome As for the Grounding of this priviledge on S. Peters martyrdome at Rome where appears any such Dependance or legacy bequeathed by S. Peter that his Infallibility and Supremacy should be annexed to that Chaire alone as to the place of his Death and Buriall 'T is true they confest that the Bishop of Rome was of old accounted Primae Sedis Episcopus The Bishop of the Principall See but withall they said that there was a vast difference between Primacy and Power for if by this pretence he should challenge any Authority or Jurisdiction over the Bishop of Constantinople the Second See Why should not he of Constantinople likewise claime the same Power over the Bishop of Alexandria which is the third And so in like manner Alexandria over Antioch Antioch over Ierusalem An opinion never heard of or entertained in the Church of God The Bishop of Rome therefore had this primacy not by divine right but by humane or Ecclesiasticall that is not from any Apostolicall Priviledge derived from S. Peter but by the graunt of Emperours and Decrees of Councells It was fit that one Bishop should be chiefe for order sake this Honour was given to the Bishop of Rome for the Dignity of his Seat Rome beeing the Head of the Roman Empire For which cause Alexandria had of old the Second place as beeing Praefectura Augustalis the Peculiar of the Romane Emperour so ennobled by Augustus Caesar Antioch the third as the Metropolis of Syria and the Eastern Countryes adjoyning whereas if the preeminency of Sees had been derived from S. Peter the City of Antioch where he sate seven years in person should have beene preferd before Alexandria whether he only sent an other viz S. Marke and appointed him for the first Bishop And for this cause Caesarea too was made the Metropoliticall See of Palestine because it was the seat of the Roman Governor untill the Fathers of the Nicene Councel in honour of Jerusalem where S. James was made the first Bishop of the Christian world and whence the Gospell spread into the whole earth gave the Bishop therof a Patriarchall title that rather of dignity thē Authority for thus runs the seventh Canon of that Councell Quoniam mos antiquus obtinuit vetusta Traditio ut Aeliae id est Hierosolimorum Episcopo honor Deferatur habeat consequenter honorem manente tamen Metropolitanae Civitatis Caesareae propriâ Dignitate that is Because from an old Custome and Tradition honuor hath been given to the Bishop of Aelia that is of Jerusalem let him have Honour accordingly provided that the Dignity of the metropolitan City Cesarea remaine entire For the same cause also when Constantinople was reedifyed made the seat of the Empire and called new Rome by Constantine the Great it was thought fit by the Emperours and succeeding Councells that the Bishop of Alexandria should no longer have the Second but the third Place Constantinople now succeeding in that honour for thus runs the fift Canon of the first Councell of Constantinople Constantinopolitanae Civitatis Episcopum habere oportet Primatus honorem post Romanum Episcopum propter quod sit nova Roma that is The Bishop of Constantinople ought to have the next place of honour after the Bishop of Rome because his City is new Rome And because there could not be two Sedes primae two first or chief Sees the same Councell ordeined that the Bishop of Constantinople should be styled the second Patriarch but in all other things should be of equall Dignity and Authority with the Bishop of Rome So in all the rest whosoever will please to compare the Prelates Sees with the Notitia Imperii shall find that the Church still accommodated her Hierarchy of Mertropolitās Archbishops Bishops unto the state of the Empire the distinction of Provinces and the Dignity of the Cityes according to that ancient Rule Ecclesia est in Republicâ non Respublica in Ecclesiâ The Church is in the Commonwealth not the Common-wealth in the Church 2. The second cause of the Schisme was the Deposition and Excomunication of the Patriarch Photius and of the other Prelats and Abbots his adherents in a great Synod at Constantinople held under the Emperour Basiliu◠and the Patriarch Ignatius in the yeare 869 which businesse was mainly urged and furthered by two Bishops of Rome successively viz. Nicolas the first and Adrian the second 3. The third cause was the Rash and Inconsiderate Zeale of the said Patriarch Photius who first dared to accuse the Romane Church of Heresy because it held that the holy Ghost proceeded from the Sonne as well as from the Father whereas in all former disputes between the Greeks and the Latines whether by word or writing neither party accused his Adversary of Heresy for holding either opinion Yea the Latines Demōstrated that some of the Greeke Fathers spake as they did neither could the Greekes deny it And since this precipitate Censure of Photius not a few of the Romane Divines have in requitall accused the Greeke Church of the same Crime for holding the Contrary 4. The fourth cause was the contention about the Primacy between the Bishops of Rome and Constantinople For Iohn surnamed Iejunator and Cyriacus his successour Patriarchs of Constantinople were very earnest with the emperour Mauritius to obteine the Title Authority of Oecumenicall Patriarchs thereby challenging a Superiority over the Bishops of the whole Christian World from the Dignity of their City which was then the Head of the Romane Empire that of the West being utterly broken and Rome the Ancient Seate thereof for that Cause loosing its former Dignity Now against these their endeavours Gregory the great then Bishop of Rome publickly opposed himselfe and taxed them in expresse Termes of Antichristian ambition saying withall that Dato uni Episcopi universalis Titulo reliquos Sacerdotes honore debito privari The giving of the Title of Universall Bishop unto one doth deprive the other Bishops of their due Honour Yet with in lesse than two years after his Death Boniface the Third his Successour abtained the same Title of the Emperour Phocas which Gregory had so much Decried But the Greeke Prelates would never yeeld to it 5. The fift cause was the busines of Images which brake out after this contention about the Primacy For the Emperour Leo Isaurus and his sonne Constantinus Copronymus
Catholick a Tradition doth not a litle confirme me in my Beliefe that the Apostles were the Authors of the Creed First Ruffinus in that place shewes no doubt at all of the Authors as appears by the fore-cited Relation but having before recited the Tradition of his Ancestors and himself accordingly affirmed the Apostles to have been the Authors in these words Symbolum fecerunt Apostoli in his Sermonibus in unum conferendo quod unusquisque sensit Decessuri ad predicandum istud unanimitatis fidei suae Indicium Apostoli posuere Sure those following words qui Symbolum tradiderunt must needs relate to the Apostles as the antecedent Secondly that severall Authors have mentioned this Tradition before the yeere 400 as well as after and those not only of the Westerne but of the Easterne Church I appeale to the fore-cited Testimonies of the Fathers among whom Origen Marcellus of Ancyra and Cyril of Jerusalem were of the Greeke Church and before the yeare 400 whereof the two latter set the Creed downe and Origen tells us that the Apostles delivered it Tertullian and Ambrose were of the Lattine or Westerne Church whereof the former sets it downe and entitles it to the Apostles and the latter names the Twelve Apostles for the Authors citing for proofe both of the Creed and its Composers a perpetuall inviolate Tradition of the Church of Rome now St Amb. flourished before the end of the fourth Century Tertullian long before As for the silencing of the Apostles Creed since the Nicene Councell in the Easterne Church 't is cleere that it was extant amongst them since the Councell for Marcellus sets it downe and Chrysostome explaines it but when the Constantinopolitan Creed was framed it was by degrees it seemes disused because therein included Then as to the Ethiopian Creed it is the very same with the Nicene or Constantinopolitan and communicated from the Greeke Church by the neighbouring Patriarch of Alexandria as in all likelihood we may suppose to that more Southerne People Lastly To the Testimony cited out of the 115. Serm. de Temp. The objector confesseth that the Creed was first rehearsed entire and then explained only he questions the assignation of the severall Articles to distinct Apostles as a spurious piece inserted out of the Margine into the Body of the Sermon the rest he acknowledgeth for genuine but this passage I stand not much upon whether it were so or otherwise for notwithstanding this supposall the Creed may well be styled a Symbole or Collation because agreed on in common by the Apostles they reducing the Number of the Articles to Twelve because themselves were Twelve the Founders or Foundation of the Christian Faith as St Paul cals them Eph. 2. 20. St Jo. Re. 21. 14. Reason 2d. In the Primitive Church the Catechumeni were men instructed in the first Rudiments of Christianity chiefely in the time of Lent Then on Palme-sunday they were called Competentes that is joynt Petitioners of Baptisme and had the whole perfection of the Faith that is the whole Body of the Creed expounded unto them because Easter the assigned Time of their Baptisme then approached This is testified by S. Ambrose Epist 35. lih 5. Sequenti die erat autem Dominica post lectiones atque Tractatum dimissis Catechumenis Symbolum aliquibus competentibus in Baptisteriis tradebam Basilicae That is The next day being the Lords day after the Reading of the Scriptures and the Sermon having dismissed the Catechumeni I delivered the Creed to certain Competentes in that part of the Church which is assigned for Baptisme And by Isidore of Sevil lib. 1. De Eccles Offic cap. 27. De Domin Palm Hac autem die Symbolum Competentibus traditur propter confinem Dominicae Paschae solemnitatem ut quia jam ad Dei gratiam percipiendam festinant fidem quam confiteantur agnoscant That is On this day on Palmesunday the Creed is delivered to the Competentes by reason of the approaching solemnity of Easter that so they may more fully understand and embrace that Faith which they professe their Baptisme now hastening on And wee have already in part demonstrated the same out of the forecited Fathers particularly out of their Homilies on the Creed which they commonly made on Palmesunday to the Competentes who were now ready to be baptized But now when Easter came the solemne time of Baptisme as Pentecost also was before they were admitted to it they made an open confession of their Faith as our Infants now doe in the Person of their Godfathers I aske then what confession of Faith was this which they thus publiquely pronounced at Baptisme No man is so absurd to think that every one was left to his owne discretion to frame it as he pleased but that the Church had a certaine prescribed forme of words or Rule of Beliefe which the Competentes did openly rehearse the same forme no doubt which had been explained unto them on the foregoing Palmesunday now this was no other then the Apostles Creed as appears both by those Homilies of the Fathers upon it which were usually made to the Competentes on Palmesunday as preparatives to their Baptisme as also because we find no other Confession of Faith publiquely received in the Church for above 300 years after the Birth of our Saviour besides this of the Apostles To this agree the words of Saint Jerome cont Lucifer Solenne est in lavacro post Trinitatis confessionem interrogare Credis in sanctam Ecclesiam credis remissionem peccatorum That is It is the custome at Baptisme after confession of the Trinity to aske Believest thou the Holy Church believest thou the Remission of sinnes And long before him S. Cyprian Epist 70. ad Janu ar c. Ipsa interrogatio quae fit in baptismo testis est veritatis nam cum dicimus credis in vitam aeternam remissionem peccatorum per sanctam Ecclesiam Intelligimus remissionem peccatorum non nisi in Ecclesiâ dari That is The very questioning in Baptisme witnesseth the Truth for when we say believest thou the life everlasting and remission of sinnes by the holy Church We conceive that remission of sinnes is not given but in the Church If any one desire to have this Custome of rehearsing the Creed at Baptisme brought higher yet up to the Age of the Apostles that so we may know positively when this forme of Profession began and the rather because when the Apostles baptized 3000 in one day and presently after S. Peters Sermon either no forme was then used or it was a very short one and quickly learned I Answer That the custome of making Homilies on the Creed by the Catechists and Bishops of old for the better instruction of those who were to be Baptized shews that this confession was very anciently practised and Russinus who himselfe was ancient tells us of many Illustres Tractatores many famous expounders of the Creed in this kind before his Time why then
may not we justly referre that custome to the Age of the Apostles whereof we can find no beginning in the Church But to give you a more Positive and Expresse proofe that place in the First Epistle to Timothy cap. 6. v. 12. where he is said to have made a good Profession before many witnesses is understood of the Profession of the Creed at his Baptisme by S. Jerome and Occumenius And that other passage in Heb. 6. 1 2. of Faith towards God and the doctrine of Baptismes which are there joyned together is understood in the same sense by Chrysostome Augustine Oecumenius Theophylact and of latter times by Calvin and Panaeus as hath been shewed before Then for the instance of S. Peters 3000 cōverts it is not said that they were Baptized all in one day which can hardly be judged probable at that time for want of hands enough to the worke want of water about Jerusalem and the danger of making so publique a Baptisme but added to the Church that is dederunt nomina Christo they put themselves in the list of Disciples or Catechumeni and so became Candidates of Baptisme a custome anciently used in the Church as appears by Tertullian De Baptismo But if by Adding we must needs understand Initiating into the Church by Baptisme we must interpret The same day thus About the same time Day being put for Time by an usuall Hebraisme for which see Deut 27. 2. compared with Ios 8. 30. c. and Luk. 19. 42. As for their Confession of Faith whether the same Day or afterwards I readily grant that it could not be then framed in the words of the Apostles Creed which was not so early composed but instead of that they publiquely attested to the Truth of Saint Peters Sermon which contained the fundamentalls of Christianity that were after succinctly gathered into one Body in the Summary of the Creed which was thence forward the sole forme of Confession or Beliefe used at the time of Baptisme for none other we finde then used Besides some of the first conversions were miraculous and so not to be drawn into example as ordinary set Patternes of the Churches succeeding Practise the Apostles had the gift of discerning faith in the heart and so needed not alwaies expect an open Profession whereas others in following Times who had not the same Gift were tied to the ordinary Rule and method of proceeding thus the same Apostle caused Cornelius and his friends to be Baptized without any formall Profession of their Faith that we read of because he perceived that the Holy Ghost was powred on them Act. 10. 47 48. Reason 3d. The Creeds or Confessions of Faith which were framed by the Councells of Nice Constantinople Chalcedon and the rest that followed or which we find in the writings of the Fathers as in Athanasius Ierome and others are no new Creeds but comments on the old explanations of some points not so fully and clearly exprest which were then called in question and misinterpreted by some Hereticks of those times Now this may serve for a third Argument to prove that these Councells and Fathers had still a very carefull Eye on some former Creed derived from the Apostles unto their Times as a Rule or patterne to square their Symboles by To instance in the two most famous the Nicene and Athanasian The Nicene Creed enlargeth it selfe chiefly in the Point of our Saviours Divinity and that of the holy Ghost withall adding here and there some small Particles by way of Explication 1. To the first Article it addes and of all things visible and invisible thus more distinctly setting downe the parts ornaments and inhabitants of Heaven and Earth and withall condemning the opinion of some ancient Hereticks who made the Angels the Creatours of the world and so exempted these invisible Spirits from the ranke of Creatures 2. To the third Article it addes who for us men and our Salvation came downe from Heaven and was incarnate c. thus setting downe the end of our Saviours Incarnation 3. To the fift Article it addes according to the Scriptures thus shewing how our Saviours Resurrection answered to the foregoing Prophecies of the Old Testament 4. To the seventh Article it addes whose Kingdome shall have no end thus setting downe the necessary consequent of the generall Judgment namely the eternity of his heavenly Reigne Christ having then fully vanquisht and trodden all enemies under his feet 5. To the eight Article it addes these two Epithets which are applied unto the Church by way of explication viz. one and Apostolick the first included in the word Church which is of the singular number the second in the word Catholick for as the Apostles Commission was vniversall so also was their doctrine on which the Church was Founded 6. To the tenth Article it addes I acknowledge one Baptisme for c. thus shewing the meanes or Ordinance of Gods appointing whereby he forgives and cleanseth us from sin Then for the Creed of Athanasius If we cut of the Preface and conclusion which to speake properly are no parts but Adjuncts of it as wherin he shewes the necessity of the Catholick Faith to Salvation that is the evident danger of denying opposing or corrupting any Article of the Faith as the Arians and other Hereticks of those dayes did 1. He explaines at large the mystery of the Trinity which lies infolded in the First Second and Eight Articles of the Apostles Creed wherein we professe to believe in God the Father in his Sonne Iesus Christ and in the holy Ghost for this believing or putting our whole trust and confidence in the Sonne and holy Ghost as well as in God the Father shewes their coequality of power Goodnesse Wisedome and All sufficiency with him and consequently their Identity of nature whence the holy Scripture every where forbids us to place our Faith in or rely upon any Creature but to trust in God alone and when the Creed comes to the Article of the Church which is but an assembly of men though of the best and highest rancke it changeth the style saying not as before I believe in the Holy Catholick Church but I believe the Holy Catholick Church 2. He distinctly unfolds illustrates at large the mystery of our Saviours Incarnation especially by the similitude of the Soule and Body Now this is nought but a Paraphrase on the third Article of the Apostles Creed 3. To the tenth Article namely that of the Resurrection he adds these words all men shall give an account for their workes which shew the end of the Resurrection are besides involved in the precedent Article of Christs comming to judgment for there can be no Judging of mens Actions without a previous examination and giving an Account 4. To the last Article namely that of Life eternall for the good he addes and they that have done evill shall goe into everlasting Fire which necessarily followes by way of opposition besides that it
word added but in other Places according as we are informed some passages seeme to be added by reason of certain Hereticks on purpose to exclude the novelty of their Doctrines by expressing the true sense 1. Thirdly Vigilius Bishop of Rome in his 4th book against Eutyches hath these words Vniversitas profitetur Credere se in Deum Patrem omnipotentem in Jesum Christum filium ejus Dominum nostrum Huic Capitulo ob id iste calumniatur cur non dixit in unum Iesum Christum Filium ejus juxta Niceni decretum Concilii Sed Roma antequam Nicena Synodus conveniret à temporibus Apostolorum usque ad nunc sub Beatae memoriae Caelestino cui iste rectae fidei testimonium reddidit ita fidelibus symbolum tradidit nec praejudicant verba ubi sensus incolumis permanet That is The whole Church professeth to believe in God the Father Almighty and in Iesus Christ his Son our Lord Eutyches cavils at this last Article because it runs not thus In one Iesus Christ his Sonne according to the Decree of the Nicene Councell whereas the Church of Rome before the assembling of that Councell from the Times of the Apostles untill this present and under Caelestinus of Blessed memory the rightnesse of whose faith Eutyches acknowledged delivered the Creed in these Termes unto the faithfull neither be the words prejudiciall where the sense is entire So then That the Church of Rome kept the Creed inviolate this Apostolicall Tradition faithfully and entirely witnesse here S. Ambrose Ruffinus and Vigilius And that the Apostles distinguisht it into twelve Articles according to their own number witnesse as hath been shewn before the same S. Ambrose Augustine and Leo the Great But because these two Creeds of the Ierosolymitan and Romane Churches differ something in the Bulke that of Ierusalem being somewhat the larger we may if we please to make them exactly agree cut off those Additionall Particles from the Creed of Ierusalem which were added because of Heresies succrescent in those Easterne Parts But if we let them alone the difference will not appeare considerable rather an admirable Harmony will be observed betweene the so distant Churches of East and West in matter of Faith which otherwise in Discipline and Ceremonies did not a little vary Thus the Churches Coat like that of Christ her spouse was seamles though wrought with diverse Colours CAP IX The Second Head of this Discourse namely The Gounds on which and the ends for which the Apostles Framed the Creed The Suffiiciency also of the Creed fo the Rule of Faith is proved by the Testimonies of Divines as well Moderne as Ancient and those both Romish and Reformed HAving evinced as farre as in me Lyes the first and chiefe Head which I proposed to Treat off namely That the Apostles were the Composers of the Creed which commony beares their Name I come now to dispatch the other three in their order as they lie the which will require but a short discussion and first the Grounds and ends of composiing it First The Apostles had Ground and warrant for composing this Breviary of Faith from diverse Patternes in holy Writ of Gods owne setting King Solomon in the old law contracts the whole Duty of Man into these two precepts Feare God and keepe his Commandements Eccles. 12 13. And a wiser then he in the Gospell our Blessed Saviour reduceth the whole Law unto these two Heads The love of God and our Neighbour Mat. 22. 37. More particularly God the Father in the old Testament concluded the whole law of nature with al its Branches within the compasse of ten short Precepts and those ten he reduced into two Tables Thus we have a perfect Rule of Love and obedience from his Mouth Then God the Son under the New Testament at his Disciples request gave us an exact Forme of Prayer whereby to ground exercise and regulate our hopes and desires There remained now in the compiled some short compleat Rule of Faith which the holy Ghost heere did delivering this Creed unto the Church by the Mouthes of the Apostles to be for ever kept therein as a sacred Depositum Thus have we three Briefe but Full Rules of those Fundamentall Christian virtues Faith Hope and Charity namly The Creed The Lords Paryer and The Ten Commandements delivered unto us by the three Persons of the Sacred Trinity Secondly The Framing of the Creed was most necessary for these two ends tht preservation of Faith and Charity First For the ease and safety of Christians especially of the plainer weaker and more Ignorant sort Many have not the ability or leisure to peruse the whole Body of Scripture and thence to collect those Points of Faith which are necessary to Salvation for they lye confusedly scatterd heere there mixt with matter of a diverse kind yea some Articles of the Creed are not expresly and directly found in any determinate Place of holy writ as the eight and ninth together with the mystery of the Trinity which is therein conteined but depend on Consequences and Logicall deductions which though sufficiently cleare in themselves upon a just arguing or comparing of Places yet it cannot be presumed that every one hath the skill to Frame them so that there would be much feare of errour and danger of mistake in so weighty a Businesse Wherefore it was very expedient or rather absolutely necessary that there should be gathered a summary of these points digested into a method and exprest in plaine tearms and that by an unquestionable and unerring hand that so wee might know what to trust to and have alwayes at hand those maine grounds of our Religion which God requires to be believed by us as necessary to Salvation The whole Scripture is indeed a Perfect Rule of Faith so is it also of our hope and life A perfect Rule of our Life and manners in its precepts and prohibitions of our hope in its Promises severall Patternes of Prayer of our Faith in its Dogmaticall Positions yet as it pleased God to summe up the first in Ten short words as Moses calls the Commandements Deut. 10. 4. And to summe up the second in seven shorter Petitions so it was as requisite that upon the the same Ground the Third should be reduced unto some few Heads as they are now in the twelve Articles of the Creed which therefore we may not improperly call Sepes Credendorum The fence or mound of our Faith without which Boundary we should wander up and downe in infinito Campo in a large field at randome This Reason is touched by S. Austin De fide Symb. cap. 1. Est Fides Catholica in Symbolo nota fidelibus memoriaeque mandata quantum res passa est brevitate Sermonis ut incipientibus atque lactentibus eis qui in Christo renati sunt nondum Scripturarum divinarum diligentissimâ Spirituali tractatione atque cognitione roboratis paucis verbis credendum constitueretur proficientibus