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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A75723	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 symbolon 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.	Ashwell, George, 1612-1695.	1653 (1653)	Wing A3997; Thomason E1433_2; ESTC R208502	178,413	343

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

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

the Saints not to coine a New Thirdly The Church upon occasion hath added some Explicatory Particles to severall Heads of the Creed especially in the two first Synods of Nice and Constantinople partly to vindicate the Faith from the corrupt Glosses of Hereticks partly the more fully to instruct her Children in the mysteries of Christianity But all these exegeticall Additions referre to some Article or Limbe of this Body of Faith like Physick or nourishiment to the part but make not any new Article thereby to render the Body monstrous The Fathers in those two Synods did neither on the one side dislocate or deprave any limbe of the Creed nor on the other side supplyed any defective member they only gaue a new growth or Augmentation as Burnishing to some Articles or restored that naturall vigour and vitall juce unto some parts which the Hereticks had deprived them off The Nicene Creed that is the Apostles by this meanes become vegete and growen was afterwards used in the Greeke Church yet not presently either that alone or Principally but only once in the year afterward indeed in the time of Timotheus Patriarch of Constantinople which was about six-score yeers after its first composure it was ordained to be used every Sunday But before this we may well presume that the Apostles Creed was used in their Litturgies without these explications except it can be shewen that for foure hundered yeeres and upward they either used no Creed in their Church-service ordinarily which is most improbable or that they used some other Creed which no man yet hath demonstrated To demonstrate this more fully and distinctly it will not be unworthy our labour to compare some Creeds together in which Collation we may contemplate with no small delight and satisfaction The consent of Antiquity in matter of Faith the great care of the Church in preserving that Faith entire and the growing Perfection of our sacred Mother according as shee grew in yeares These Creeds shall be Sixe The Apostles Creed The Easterne Creed or Ierosolymitan set downe by Cyril and compared by Ruffinus The Nicene The Athanasian The Aquileian set downe by Ruffinus and compared with the Easterne and Romane Creeds The Chalcedon Creed And to these we will adde That of the Church of Antioch a good part whereof is set downe by Cassianus Article I. Apost I believe in God the Father Almighty maker of Heaven and Earth East I believe in one God the Father Almighty maker of Heaven and Earth and of all things visible and Invisible Nice hath the same words Aquil. I believe in God the Father Almighty Invisible and Impassible Athan. There is one Person of the Father The Father is God The Father is Almighty Antioch I believe in one only true God maker of all Creatures Visible and Invisible Article II. Apost And in Jesus Christ his only or only-begotten Son our Lord East And in one Lord Jesus Christ the only-begotten Son of God begotten of the Father before all worlds Nic. And in one Lord Iesus Christ the only-begotten Son of God begotten of the Father before all worlds light of light very God of very God begotten not made of one Substance with the Father by whom all Things were made Aquil. And in Jesus Christ his only Unicum Son our Lord. Athan. The right Faith is that we believe confesse that our Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God is God God of the Substance of the Father begotten before the worlds perfect God equall to the Father as touching his Godhead Chalc. We professe the Son our Lord Jesus Christ to be one and the same and all us with one accord pronounce him to be perfect as concerning his Godhead consubstantiall to the Father according to the same Godhead begotten of his Father before the worlds as touching his Godhead Antioch And in our Lord Jesus Christ his only-begotten Sonne the first-borne of every Creature begotten of him before all Worlds and not made very God of very God consubstantiall to the Father by whom the Worlds were framed or Ages set in order and all things made Artic. III. Apost Conceived by the Holy Ghost borne of the Virgin Mary East Incarnate and made man Nic. Who for us men and for our Salvation came downe from Heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary and was made man Aquil. Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost borne of the Virgin Mary Athan. It is necessary to everlasting Salvation to believe rightly in the Incarnation of our Lord Iesus Christ for the right Faith is that we believe and confesse that our Lord Iesus Christ the Sonne of God is God and man Man of the substance of his Mother borne in the World perfect God and perfect Man subsisting of a reasonable soule and humane flesh inferior to the Father touching his Man-hood who although he be God and Man yet he is not two but one Christ one not by conversion of the God-head into flesh but by taking of the Man-hood unto God one altogether not by confusion of substance but by unity of Person For as the reasonable Soule and Flesh is one Man so God and man is one Christ Chalc. We professe the same to be perfect God when he was made man very God and very Man the same subsisting of a Reasonable Soule and Body of the same substance with us according to his Humanity in all things like unto us without sinne the same in these last Daies for us and for our Salvation was borne according to his Manhood of the Blessed Virgin the Mother of God one and the same Iesus Christ the Sonne the Lord the only-begotten made known in two natures without confussion conversion division or seperation thereof the distinction of the natures being not at all taken away by reason of their union but the propriety of each nature being preserved and both meeting in the same Person not severed or devided into two Persons but one and the same only-begotten Son God the Word and Lord Iesus Christ according as the Prophets have from the begining or from above instructed us concerning him yea and Christ himself and as the Creed of the Fathers hath deliverd unto us Antioch Who for our sakes came and was borne of the Virgin Mary Article IV. Apost Suffered under Pontius Pilate was crucifyed dead and buried East Crucifyed and Buried Nic. He was Crucifyed also for us under Pontius Pilate he suffered and was buried Aquil. Crucifyed under Pontius Pilate and buried Athan. Who Suffered for our Salvation Antioch Crucifyed under Ponitus Pilate and Buried Article V. Apost He descended into Hell the third Day he rose againe from the Dead East The third Day he rose againe from the Dead Nic. And the third day he rose againe according to the Scriptures Aquil. The third Day he rose againe from the Dead Athan. Descended into Hell rose againe from the Dead Athan. Descended into Hell rose againe the third Day from the Dead Antioch And the

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