extitissent diversisque nominibus columbam Dei atque Reginam lacerare per partes scindere niterentur nonne cognomen suum Plebs Apostolica postulabat quo incorrupti Populi distingueret unitatem ne intemeratam Dei Virginem Error aliquorum per membra laceraret Where we may observe First That he mentions not at all the applying of the word Catholick to the Church or whole Company of Believers as it is placed in the Creed for this was not cal'd in question by Sympronianus but the aplying of it to particular persons which in the Apostles times were called Disciples or Christians not Catholicks as Sympronianus objected Secondly That Pacianus absolutely granteth not that the word Catholick was not so used in the Apostles Times but only indulgeth so much unto his adversary because notwithstanding this supposall he was otherwise able to convince him upon his own concessions which kind of supposall or indulgence is most usuall amongst Polemick writers there by to winne over and worke upon the Adversary Thirdly That the Reason of the name brought by Pacianus and urged upon Sympronian namely the distinguishing of the true Church from the severall Sects led by denominated from their severall factions and Hereticall heads is very agreeable to the Apostles dayes and so required the like distinctive Epethete for S. Paul blames the Church of Corinth for Schismes and addicting themselves factiously to severall Idolised Teachers which they had chosen to themselves for though he names only Peter Apollos and himselfe yet his Discourse cheifly aimes at some other Popular Preachers and false Apostles as appeares by comparing 1 Cor. 4. 6. 2 Cor. 11. 13 20. And S. John expresly names the Nicolaitans denominated from one Nicolas in his Revel ch 2. v. 15. As for S. Austins involving the word Catholick in the Epithet Holy it proves not that it was not then in the Text of the Creed for it was usual with the Fathers in their Paraphrasticall explications to omit the expression of severall Particles sometimes one sometimes another which yet were cōfessedly in the Creed are expresly mentioned by them in their other Homilies or Tractates as wee may see in Chrysollegus Eusebius Gallicanus and others Thirdly Hereticks arose not only after but even in the very Apostles Times the Tares were scattered presently upon the sowing of the Wheat in the lateplowed field of the Church S. Luke mentions Simon Magus that First-borne of the Devill and Father of Hereticks as the Auncients Style him Act. 8. 9. 24. S. Paul tels us of Hymenaeus and Phyletus 2 Tim. 2. 17. And of Alexander Phygellus and Hermogenes 1 Tim. 1. 20. 2 Tim. 1. 15. Yea S. John informes us in more generall Termes That there were many Antichrists in the world even whilst he lived who denyed the Father and the Sonne 1 Io. 2. 18. 22. These Antichrists then were Hereticks who taught contrary to the Faith of Christ wherefore it is most probable that the word Catholick was placed in the Creed even by the Apostles themselves for the reason before assigned Fourthly The Christian Church might justly be styled Catholick or universall to distinguish it from the Church of the Jewes which was a particular Church confined if not within the Bounds of one Country yet unto one Nation whereas the Christian Church comprehended all Nations and had no other Bounds than those of the world although not actually at the time of making the Creed yet in vertue and power according to that generall Commission of our Saviour to his Apostles Goe teach all Nations Mat. 28. 29. And gaine Ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and all Judea and in Samaria and to the uttermost part of the Earth Act. 1. 8. The Jewes were so envious and proud as not to receive the Gentiles into their communion or acknowledge them partakers in the promises of the Messiah they would have had them all circumcised and submit to the Ceremonial Law but God broke downe this Partition wall Eph. 2. 14. As he made appeare by the Vision of the Sheet which he sent to S. Peter Act 10. 11. 15. And by the Decree of the Councel at Jerusalem Act. 15. And so gathered all into one Body or Church Catholick so called in respect of Time Place Persons Faith which is therefore called the Common Faith Tit. 1. 4. For this Reason at least the Apostles might justly frame the Article at the very first Composure in these words I believe the holy Catholick Church Ob. 4th The different relation of the Story bewrayes the uncerteinty of it for they give not all the same Article to the same Apostle and some marshall them one way some another Answ First Diversity of opinions in Circumstances not materiall cannot justly call the maine Point in doubt So all Christians believe the Gospell of St Mathew and the Epistle to the Hebrwes to be the Word of God though Divines differ about the language in which and the time when they were writen and they all agree there is an Hell though they doe not about the place where Therefore notwithstanding some slight groundlesse differences some of them of latter inconsiderable Authors wee have no just reason to disbelieve the Apostles Composing of the Creed Secondly As to the various marshalling and order of the Articles it cannot justly argue the uncerteinty of the Tradition because the Bookes of the holy Scripture are also placed in a various method according unto severall Editions and Translations some following the order of the Hebrew Text as the Protestant Churches others that of the Septuagint and the old Latine Translation as the Churches of Greece and Rome Thirdly Neither can the diverse ascribing of them to severall Apostles raise any just doubt of the Composers of the whole for we find not a few Controversies agitated amongst Divines concerning the Authors of severall Bookes of Scipture in the Old Testament of the Bookes of the Judges Kings and Chronicles of the Booke of Job in the New Testament of the Second and Third Epistle of St Iohn and of the Revelation whether Iohn the Elder were the Author of these Epistles and Iohn the Divine of the Revelation as distinct Persons from Iohn the Evangelist Or whether Iohn the Ap. were the Author of all three under 3 several Titles But more especially the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrwes is questioned whether it were Paul or Barnabas Luke or Clemens And yet not withstanding all these Controversies the Christian Church now doubts not of the Authority of these Bookes why should we more doubt of the Authority of the Creed although we know not how certainly to assigne the Distinct Articles to their severall Apostles whenas in truth the more probable opinion is that they joyntly concurd to the framing of them all Ob. 5. If the Creed for matter and forme were from the Apostles and they delivered it precisely in those words wherein we now have it why is it not placed in the
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
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
who believe in Christ having the Doctrine of Salvation written by the Spirit in their Hearts without inky characters and diligently keeping the old Tradition Believing in one God Maker of Heaven and earth and of all Things therein through Jesus Christ the Sonne of God who out of his most eminent love towards his Creature undertooke to be borne of a Virgin thus uniting God and man in his owne Person he suffered under Pontius Pilate and Rising againe was gloriously receiued into Heaven He shall come againe in Glory the Saviour of those who are to be saved and the Judge of those who are to be condemned casting into everlasting fire the corrupters of the Truth the Despisers of his Father and contemners of his comming 3. Turtullian Lib. 1. adu haeret cap. 13. Having en gaged himselfe in the combate with the whole body of Heretiâ—kes produceth against them the Body of the Faith or Apostolicall Creed under the Title of Regula Fidei which he sets downe in these words Regula est fidei ut jam hinc quid credamus profiteamur illa sc quâ creditur unum omninò Deum esse nec alium praeter mundi conditorem qui universa de nihilo produxerit per verbum suum primò omnium emissum Id uerbum Filium ejus appellatum in nomine Dei variè visum patriarchis in Prophetis semper auditum Postremò delatum ex Spiritu Dei Patris virtute in Virginem Mariam carnem factum in utero ejus ex eâ natum Hominem esse Jesum Christum exinde praedicasse novam legem novam promissionem regni Coelorum virtutes fecisse fixum Cruci tertiâ die resurrexisse in Coelos ereptum sedere ad dextram Patris misisse vicariam vim Spiritus Sancti qui credentes agat venturum cum claritate ad sumendos Sanctos in vitae aeternae promissorum caelestium fructum ad prophanos judicandos Igni perpetuo facta utriusque Partis resuscitatione cum carnis resurrectione that is The Rule of Faith whereby we professe what we believe is this that there is one only God the same with the Creator of the world who made all things of nothing by his Word which he first of al sent forth or which first of all came from him This Word called also his Sonne variously or in diverse Formes appeared in the name of God unto the Patriarches was alwayes heard to speake in the Prophets at length conveyed by the Spirit and Power of God the Father into the Virgin Mary was incarnate in her Womb of her born Man and is Jesus the Christ After this he Published a new Law and the new Promise of the Kingdome of Heaven wrought miracles was fastned to the Crosse rose againe the third Day being taken up to Heaven sitteth on the right Hand of the Father sent the Deputy-power of the Holy Ghost to guide those who believe shall come with Glory to assume the Saints unto the enjoyment of everlasting Life and the Heavenly promises and to adjudge the Profane to everlasting Fire having raised up both Parties by the Resurrection of the Body Then he concludes Haec Regula â Christo ut probabitur instituta nullas habet apud nos quaestiones nisi quas Haereses inferunt quae Haereticos faciunt This Rule instituted as will be proved by Christ himselfe admits of no doubts amongst us but such as Heresies produce and produce Heretiks Thus ye see Tertullian writing in generall as he doth in this Booke against all Heretiks puts downe all the Articles thereof which were opposed by any Heretik either before or in his Age For. 1. Christs descentâ— into Hell is included in the Article of the Resurrection or presupposed by it as in some other Creeds but of this more hereafter 2. The Article of the Catholik Church is not so clearly put downe as the rest because not oppugned till Novatus and Donatus arose which was after Tertullians Death 3. Forgivenesse of Sinnes is implyed in the New Promise of the Kingdome of Heaven whereof this is the First and the Foundation to the rest Yet in another booke of his he makes mention of these two latter Articles namely this of the Church and The Forgivenesse of Sinnes as solemnly profest at Baptisme Cum sub tribus testatio fidei sponsio salutis pignerentur necessariò adilcitur Ecclesiae mentio quoniam ubi Tres id est Pater Filius Spiritus Sanctus ibi Ecclesia quae trium Corpus est That is When the Confession of our Faith and the Covenant of our Salvation are engaged under the Authority of Three the Church is of necessity mentioned with them for where those Three are the Father Sonne and holy Ghost there is that Church also which is the Body of those Three De Bapt adu Quintillan cap 6. And alittle after giving the reason why Christ himfelfe did not Baptize in Person he shewes how incongruous it had beene for him to have used the received forme of the Church Ne moveat quosdam quòd Ipse non tinguebat in quem tingueret In paenitentiam Quò ergò illi Praecursorem In peccatorum remissionem quam verbo dabat In semetipsum quem humilitate celabat In Spiritum Sanctum qui nondum a Patre descenderat In Ecclesiam quam nondum Apostoli struxerant That is Let it not trouble any that Christ himselfe did not Baptize in whose name or to what end should he have Baptized To Repentance Why then had he a fore-runner For Remission of sinnes which he gave by his Word In his owne Name which in humility he concealed In the Holy Ghosts who as yet was not descended from the Father into the Church which the Apostles had not as yet built cap. 11. A litle after him S Cyp. in his Epistle to Magnus being the 76. speaking of the Novatians who retained the old wounted forme of wordes in the baptismall Intertogatories expresseth one of them thus Credis remissionem peccatorum vitam aeternam per sanctam Ecclesiam Dost thou believe the Remission of sinnes and Life Eternall by the Holy Church in which words it is cleare that these two Articles were part of the confession of Faith used at Baptisme that Life Eternall was a distinct Article from that of the Resurrection and that the Particle In which Tert. prefixeth to the Articles of the Church and Remission of sinnes is not significant but redundant seeing that S. Cyp. here omitts it compare his Epist to Januarius c. viz. the 70. in Pamel Edit But in two other Tracts he sets downe the Creed more briefly First lib. de virg vel cap. 1. Regula fidei una omninò est sola immobilis irreformabilis Credendi sc in unicum Deum Omnipotentem mundi conditorem Filium ejus Jesum Christum natum ex Virgine Maria crucifixum sub Pontio Pilato tertia die resuscitatum a mortuis receptum in Coelis sedentem nunc ad
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
relation to those other Articles of the Creed which in them lye hid imbosomed for the History of the Acts doth not expresse Passages at large especially such as were ordinarily knowne and practised as the profession of the Creed at Baptisme but briefly toucheth the heads of things the Evangilists doe the like in relation of speeches miracles of our Saviour so that we are faine to compare thē together to find out the several circumstances and make up the Relation entire To prosecute this point a little farther and illustrate it by the like Instance As the Apostles are said to require Faith in Christ and nought else mentioned of the Persons who came to be Baptized so are they said and that oftner to Baptize in the name of Christ without naming any other Person of the Trinity Act. 2. 38 41. And 10. 48. And 19. 5. And yet we cannot imagine that they omitted the mention of the other two Persons First because it was Christs expresse command that they should Baptize all Nations in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost Mat. 28. 19. Secondly because the Christian Church hath alwayes held that as water is the Essentiall matter so this composure of words is the essentiall Forme of Baptisme and so at no hand to be omitted Wherefore when the businesse of rebaptization was agitated in the Nicene Councell it was determined thus That the Persons Baptized with the formentioned Catholick frō should not be rebaptized as being rightly initiated into the Church though by an hereticall hand but as for the Pauliani the Disciples of Paulus Samosatenus who denyed the Trinity and therefore Baptized in a wrong Forme their Baptisme was pronounced null and invalid those who were so illegally initiated were received by a new Baptisme into te Catholick Church Let us say then with that most ancient Father Irenaeus In Christi nomine subauditur qui unxit ipse qui unctus est ipsa unctio qua unctus est unxit quidem Pater unctus est vero Filius in spiritu qui est unctio that is In the name of Christ is to be understood the Anointer the Anointed and the unction wherewith he was Anointed now he who Anointed is the Father the Person Annointed is the Sonne with the Spirit who is the unction Lastly That the Church had need of such a Formula of Beliefe will appeare both by the Reason mentioned in the objection for Heresies infested the Church from the begining to discover which such a Shibboleth was necessary and if those Heresies had not sprung up so early yet such a Symbole was as necessary at first for prevention as afterwards for Triall But of this more in the next chapter Ob. 9 h S. Aug. saith Verba Symboli per Scripturas sparsa sunt inde collecta ad unum reducta That the words of the Creed lye disperst in the Scriptures from whence they are gathered and reduced into a Forme De Symb. Catech. lib. 1. cap. 1. So likwise Paschasius If so how can the Apostles be the Authors thereof For out of the Old Testament they could not gather that Christ was borne of the Virgin Mary or That he suffered under Pontius Pilate And as for the new many of the Apostles were dead before all was written and James before any was written Answ First The Old Testament may well be said to conteine the whole Creed if not expresly and in the history yet typically and in the Prophecy To instance in those two Articles mentiond in the objection to wit our Saviours Birth and Passion Doth not the Prophet Esay say A Virgin shall conceive and bare a Sonne chap. 7. 14. Yea in the present Vnto us a Child is borne chap. 9. 6. And touching his Passion doth not the same Prophet tel us He was wounded for our Transgressions he was bruised for our Iniquities he is brought as a Lambe to the slaughter he was cut off the land of the living chap. 53. 5 7 8. And King David in his person They pierced my hands and my feet Psal 22. 16. comp Zach. 12. 10. As for the names of the Virgin and the Judge they are no such considerable Additions as to make a new or another Article so much may well be borrowed from the history of the Gospell yet the Article not improperly sayd to be extant in the Prophecy Secondly The Death of Iames mentioned Act. 12. 1 2. Is placed by Chronologers in the yeare 44. After our Saviours Birth But the writing of S. Mathewes Gospell a Booke sufficient to supply all those Articles which are not expresly conteined in the Old Testament as placed by them in the yeare 41. And so two or three yeers before the death of Iames. In the same yeere 44. Baronius and Lorinus place the Dispersion of the Apostles into their severall provinces and the framing of the Creed by joynt Consent as a necessary Preparative thereunto the dispersion caused by the persecution of Herod and the doore of Faith being now opened to the Gentiles as God himselfe had informed them by the Vision shewed to Peter before he converted Cornelius Act. 10. 11. and 15. 7. But this is agreed on all Hands that whether this dispersion were sooner as Corn. a lap placeth it Anno Domini 37. or latter as Appollonius cited by Eusebius lib. 5. cap. 17. that S. Mathew wrote his Gospell before it and that in the Hebrew Tongue the language of the Jewes amongst whom and for whose use he wrote it as Irenaeus Origen and others witnesse though it were soon after translated into Greek by Iames the Lords Brother and Bishop of Jerusalem for an Hebrew Transcript thereof was carried by S. Bartholomew into the Indies and found there by Pantaenus of Alexandria Origens Master as witnesse Euseb lib. 5. cap. 9. Ier. de Scriptor Eccles cap. 36. in Pantaeno And another Transcript thereof was carried by Barnabas S. Pauls fellow-Apostle unto the Gentiles whither he was sent which he used alwaies to carry about with him and which was after found buried with him in Cyprus in the time of Zeno the Emperour lying upon his Breast The same Authors also agree that the Creed was framed by the Apostles a little before this generall Dispersion Therefore when we are told that the Ancients place the composing of the Creed in the next yeare after our Saviours Ascension and consequently before the writing of S. Mathewes Gospell the matter is much mistaken Ruffinus and S. Augustine say indeed that the Apostles composed the Creed after our Saviours Ascension and after the Descent of the Holy Ghost at Pentecost but how long after they determine not They agree it was composed before their generall Dispersion into the severall quarters of the World which happened not in S. Stephens Persecution for then they abode all at Ierusalem Acts 8. 1. nor before the conversion of Cornelius by S. Peter Act. 10. For the set