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
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
whom the objectour cites I shall returne a more particular Answer First Cyril indeed in that place tels us that the mysteries of the Faith ought not to be delivered unto the Catechumeni simply nakedly but as clothed with scripture and that they should not simply believe him unlesse he brought proofes from thence for what he delivered because the safety of our Faith saith he depends not on the pleasingnes of Rhetorick but on the demonstration of Gods Word written The reason whereof he assignes in the begining of the same Homily 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. The Disciples of the Hereticks by their elegancy of speech and fair soothing tongues under the name of Christians deceive the hearts of the simple they hide the poysoōusdartes of their ungodly Doctrines with sugred expressions of all whom joyntly our Lord saith beware least any man deceive you then he goes on 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for this cause the doctrine of Faith is delivered with expositions thereon So that he would not have the Creed or himselfe believed without Scripture not that the Creed but the Times required such proofe for the Heretickes of those Dayes partly framed new Creeds of their own partly added to altered and perverted the old withall indeavouring to make their doctrine good by seeming probabillities of Reason and flourishes of Rhetorick It was necessary therefore in this case to discover these false Creeds and Interpretations by bringing all unto the Text of Scripture Secondly The other Father Paschasius in the begining of his Booke De Spiritu Sancto written against Macedonius taxeth a false reading of the Creed crept into it through the ignorance of some Transcribers who wrote I believe in the holy Church for I believe the holy Church by this error enervated an Argument usually alleadged by the Fathers for the Deity of the holy Ghost against Macedonius and his Followers Paschasius therefore proves by certeine Places of Scripture that they are commanded to believe in God alone but never in man wherefore seeing the Church consists of a company of men that reading of the Creed must consequently be false which enjoynes us to believe in the Church But what of all this He appealed not in this from the Creed unto Scripture but by Scripture corrects a false reading of the Creed as the Fathers in their polemicall writings against Hereticks frequently correct their corrupt quotations of some places of Scripture by other undoubted places Ob. 8th The Reason assigned why the Apostles composed this Creed discovers the vanity of the Tradition what was that That it might be forsooth to the Apostles a Canon or Rule according to which they should square and conforme their Preaching what to the Apostles to whom Christ promised his Blessed Spirit that should lead them into all Truth Certeinly they needed it not for their owne sakes amongst whom there was no ground of difference nor doubt of the Principles of Christianity And whereas others more probably say it was framed for the Churches sake that shee might have a short plaine yet full confession of Faith as a Formula of Beliefe to be publickly recited at the Time of Baptisme neither will this hold for in the Apostles Age the Confession of Faith was plaine and simple when they came to be Baptized namely in Jesus Christ or in the Father Son and holy Ghost as appeares by the History of the Acts so that the Church had then no need of such a Formula It began not to be required till diverse Heresies brake into the Church Answ First It is readily confest that the Apostles needed no Rule of Faith whereby to square their Preaching as if otherwise they should have erred yet they might well agree one a Canon or Rule of Fundamentals wherewith they thought fit to acquaint all Christians as with Points necessary to Salvation whereas otherwise they might have Preached more at large and intermixt matters of lesser Consequence As for the Authors who bring the Reason alleaged in the objection they lay it downe not in these Termes least the Apostles being seperated each from other ipsi inter se in varias scinderentur partes much lesse thus ne subinde alii abaliis in doctrinâ abirent as is odiously alleaged but Ruffinus renders the reasō thus Ne diversum aliquid his qui ad fidem Christi invitabantur exponerent S. Austin in like words Ne diversum vel dissonum praedicarent his qui ad fidē Christi invitabantur Now diversum and abversum dissonum and absonum are two things there was no feare that the Apostles by being severed each from other should Preach ought contrary to the Truth or to one Another if they had not before agreed uppon a Forme yet they might have Preached somewhat diverse from the Fundamentalls of Christianity namely other Points of inferiour concernment or at least the same in other wordes if they had not agreed on this Rule at their setting forth whence their Auditours might have taken occasion to suspect and argue them of falsehood not believing they were all guided by the same Spirit or to part themselves into factions as it fell out in the Church of Corinth about Paul and Apollos although they taught the same Gospell And what stirres arose in the Church about a Ceremony viz. the time of observing Easter derived frō a different tradition of S. Iohn to the Churches of Asia frō the rest of the Christian world though they all agreed in the main the keeping of the Feast Eusebius others will sufficienly informe us But to come closer to our Subject A notable instance in the very same kind namely in matter of of Doctrin such as the Creed is we find in the Greek and Latine Church about the middle of the fourth Century touching the Grand mystery of the Trinity which yet upon due examination proved only a difference of the tongue language The Controversie is thus set down by Greg. Naz Orat. 21. written in praise of the Great Athanasius Num. 46. 47. The Orientals saith he held one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Essence and three Hypostases or or subsistences The Latines by Reason of the barrennesse of their Tongue and the narrownesse of expression could not distinguish Hypostasis from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Subsistence from Essence therefore insteed of Hypostasis brought in the new-coind word Persona Gr. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to signify the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the proper distinctive Relations of the Three as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signified the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Nature what was the effect of this saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The effect deserved laughter or rather Lamentation this small difference of wordes seemed a diversity of Beliefe for the Orientals suspected the Westrne Church of Sabilianisme because they would not acknowledge three Hypostases but caled them by the name of three Persons And the Western Church suspected the Orientals of Arianisme for holding three Hypostases
not three Almightyes but one Almighty Againe The Father is God the Sonne is God and the holy Ghost is God yet there be not three Gods but one God Which last passage he repeats word for Word in his 174th Epistle written to Pascentius So in his Enchiridion cap. 36. Sicut anima rationalis Caro unus est homo ita Deus homo unus est Christus As the Reasonable Soule and the Body are one man so God and man are one Christ Now these are the Passages for which the Sectaries chiefly deny the Authenticalnesse of this Creed The same father shuts up his Soliloquies whih this Prayer O tres coaequales coaeternae personae Deus unus c. O three Coequall and Coeternall Persons one God c. Neither can we with any probability say that such 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 were casuall S. Augustine lighting by chance on the same expressions as Athanasius had used writing on the same Subject for besides the unlikelinesse of hitting upon the same very words in severall passages without the least variation we may please to take notice that the Fathers of the first Ages were very punctuall in following the steps of their Ancestors not only in the matter of Faith but in the very forme of expression not accustoming themselves to vary or invent new Phrases except upon necessity and the urgency of Hereticks The sight of these passages caused the great Annalist Baronius to use these words Aliquod Symboli Athanasiani exemplar c. I easily perswade my selfe that a Copy of the Athanasian Creed was convayed unto the Churches beyond Sea by some African Bishop who as it oft fell out at other Times was present at that Romane Synod under Julius seeing it seemes to have come unto S. Austins knowledge whose writings appeare interlaced with some Passages thereof especially in his Comment on Psal 120. v. 6. The Sunne shall not burne thee by day nor the Moone by night where according to Possevins citation Apparat Sac. voce Athanasius though now the reading be somewhat varied he useth these words De hoc Sole c. Concerning this Sunne the holy Father Athanasius Patriarch of Alexandria thus excellently spake The Sonne of God is from the Father alone neither made nor created but begotten 15. An old Manuscript containing the Historicall Fragments of S. Hilary which came forth of the Library of P. Pithaeus and was Printed at Paris in the yeare 1598. sets downe this Creed and entitles it to Athanasius with this Preface Fides dicta a S. Athanasio sive Symbolum quod ejus nomen praefert The Faith pronounced by S. Athanasius or the Creed which bears his name 16. But the most Ancient and pregnant Proofe of this Creed we have from the mouth of Gregory Nazianzen in his 21 Oration which he wrote in the praise of Athanasius num 44 45. the words are these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is Athanasius presented the Emperour with a Gift truly Royall and magnificent a Pious writing against an unwritten Innovation that so one Emperour Speech and writing might overcome the other This Confession of his is received with much veneration both by the Westerne Christians and those of the East as many as have the life of Faith in them of whom some believe it in their heart if you will believe what they say but they bring it not forth to light so that it lies like a dead Embryo in the Mothers Wombe others somewhat blow and kindle this sparke of Faith so farre as to accord with the Time and to give satisfaction to the more Godly and zealous of the Orthodox Laity but others there be who boldly professe the Truth of which party I desire to be To this agrees the Author of that Greeke Book of the Procession of the Holy Ghost which was given to Lazarus Bayffius K. Francis 1. Embassador at Venice in the yeare 1533. Who not only Entitles this Creed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Confession of S. Athanasius but farther confirmes its Authority by this Testimony of Nazianzen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Gregory the Divine saith he makes mention also of this Confession in his Encomiastick Oration of Athanasius in which he saith He first of all and alone This Confession of his is received with much veneration c. Where he cites the Oration and sets downe the words The Author of this Book who ever hee were lived in the time when the Controversy of the Procession was hotly agitated between the Greekes and Latines which was about the ninth and tenth Centuries But for the more cleere understanding of these words we must take notice of a three-fold Creed or Confession of Faith written by Athanasius 1. A Synodicall Epistle written to the Emperour Jovianus by Athanasius and the other Bishops of his Patriarchate assembled at Alexandria in the name of Egypt Thebais and Lybia wherein they confirme and set downe the Nicene Creed with a premised explication of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 See for this Theod. lib. 4 cap. 3. and Niceph. lib. 10. cap. 42. About the same time a Synod of Bishops assembled at Antioch under Meletius the Patriarch of that See send the like Epistle unto the Emperour prefixing also the Explication of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and subjoyning the Nicene Creed For which see Soc. lib. 3. cap. 21. and Sozom. lib. 6. cap. 4. 2. His 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Exposition of the Faith which we find in his Workes distinct both from the Nicene and his own Creed It seemes a larger Paraphrase or Explication of the Nicene Creed or of his own 3. His 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Confession Creed or Symbole which now commonly goes under his name and is usually Printed with his other Workes This is that which I conceive to be understood in Greg. Nazianzens Oration and that for these Reasons First because it appears by Nazianzen that it was distinct from the Nicene Creed whereof Osius not Athanasius was the Composer as will appeare by the next Appendix And Athanasius his own workes shew that it was diverse from his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is but a Paraphrase on the Nicene and not sent to any Emperour or received by the Westerne Church as this is witnessed to be Nor can any man shew a Third Creed or Confession of Faith ascribed to Athanasius besides that which now bears his name It is That therefore and none other Secondly Nazianzen heere tels us that both the East and West honoured this Creed for which no better reason can be assigned then that which agrees to this Creed of Athanasius which was twise written first in the West for the satisfaction of Julius Bishop of Rome after that in the East for the Emperour Jovianus his satisfaction which can be affirmed of no other Creed but this Thirdly This Creed commended so much by Nazianzen is styled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Confession of Faith to which
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
following their example are said next to have added it and after them the Romane As for our Church of England venerable Bede tels us hist. eccl lib. 4. cap. 17. That Theodore Archbishop of Canterbury though a Grecian in a Synod which he with his fellow-bishops held at Hatfeild in the yeare 680. Spiritum sanctum ex Patre Filio inenarrabilitur procedentem praedica verunt that is declared the ineffable procession of the holy Ghost from the Father and the Sonne Yet in the Canons entitled Cresconiana the Article touching the holy Ghost runs in the ancient Forme Et in Spiritum sanctum Dominum vivâ—ficatorem ex Patre procedentem cum Patre Filio adorandum conglorificandum qui locutus est per sanctos Prophetas that is And I believe in the holy Ghost the Lord and giver of life who proceedeth from the Father who with the Father and the Sonne together is worshipped and glorifyed who spake by the holy Prophets This Collection of Canons is extant in the Publick Library at Oxford Then for the French Churches Aeneas Bishop of Paris in a Booke of his not extant in Print which he wrote against the errours of the Greekes witnesseth for his Time In fide Catholicâ quam die Dominicâ decantat ad missam universalis Galliarum Ecclesia sic canitur inter caetera Credo in Spiritum sanctum Dominum vivificantem qui ex Patre Filioque procedit qui cum Patre Filio simul adoratur conglorificatur qui locatus est per Prophetas that is In the Catholick Faith or Creed which the whole Church of France singeth at the Communion-Service they sing this among the rest And I believe in the holy Ghost the Lord and giver of life who proceedeth from the Father and the Sonne c. But to examine this controversy more particularly and in order In the yeare 767 there was a Synod held at Gentilliacum in France under Pipin Father to Charlemagne in which the Greeks and Latines disputed concerning the Procession of the holy Ghost So Ado viennensis Facta est tunc temporis Synodus anno Incarnationis Domini 767 quaestio ventilata inter Graecos Romanos de Trinitate utrum Spiritus sicut procedit a Patre ita procedat a Filio that is There was a Synod called in the yeare of our Lord 767 wherein the question concerning the Trinity was agitated between the Greeks and Romans as also whether the holy Ghost proceeds from the Son as he doth from the Father Then in a Synod at Aquisgrane the question was renewed and decided as it seemes upon this occasion because the Particle Filioque was usually added in the singing of this Creed throughout the Gallicane Churches he who moved the question was one John a Monke of Jerusalem The wordes of Ado in his Chronicle concerning this Synod are these Syuodus magna Grani Aquis câ—ngregatur Anno Incarnationis Dom. 809 in qua Synodo de Processione Spiritus sancti quaestio agitatur utrum siâ—â—â— procedit a Patre ita procedat a Filio Hanc quaestionem Joannes Monacus Hierosolymitanus moverat cum Regula Fides Ecclesiastica firmet Spiritum sanctum a Patre Filio procedere non Creatum non Genitum sed Patri Filio coaeternum Consubstantialem To give a finall determination unto this question Bernarius Bishop of Amiens and Jesse or Asius Bishop of Wormes were sent by the Synod together with Adelhardus Abbot of Corbey unto Leo 3 Bishop of Rome who confirmes the decree of the Synod concerning the Procession as agreeing with his Opinion yet speakes very honorably of the Constantinopolitan Fathers who added not the particle Filioque unto whom he would not presume to equall himselfe but withall he expresly chargeth them to raze it out of the Creed The sending of these three by the Synod is mentioned by a Monke of S. Eparch in the life of Charlemaigne the Answer of Leo is set downe in the Acts of the Synod collected by Smaragdus and out of him by Baronius in the yeare 809 wherein after much discourse the said Legates of the Synod thus aske the Pope Ergo ut videmus illud a vestra Paternitate decernitur ut primo illud de quo quaestio agitur desaepe fato Symbolo tollatur tunc demum a quolibet licite ac libere sive cantando sive tradendo discatur doceatur P. Leo answers Ita procul dubio a nostrâ parte decernitur ita quoque ut a vestra assentitur a nobis omnimode suadetur After this as I said before he tooke order that this Creed should be engraven in a silver Table or Scutcheon without that Addition which he well foresaw would prove the Aple of contention between the Churches of East and West and so to be publikly hanged up and exposed to the view of all that so the whole world might see the Romane Church had added nothing to the Creed So Pet. Lâ—mb witnesseth lib. 1. Sent. Dist 11. Anastas in the life of Leo 3. Euthymius Zygabenus in Panopliâ Dogmat Tit. 12. Photius in Epist ad Aquil. Episc apud Baronium A. 883. § 9. Nicetus Choniates in Orthod fid Thesauro Tom. 21. Thus Leo 3d left the Nicene Creed as he found it without the insertion of this Particle Then for Nicholas 1. and his Successour Adrian who deceased in the yeare 872. They seeme not to have added it for Andrew Bishop of Colosse who pleaded in this cause against the Greekes in the Councell of Florence having diligently revised all that belonged thereto denies that Photius although their bitter enemy for their opinion of the Procession ever objected to them their corrupting of the Creed These are his words Photius Romanae Ecclesiae inimicus acerrimus nullam de Synodi additione faciens mentionem in Nicholaum ac Adrianum summos Pontifices literis invectus est Plurimum Much lesse did Iohn the 8. the successour of Adrian make this Addition who sate in the Romane See till the yeare 882. For this Pope allowed the Restitution of Photius to his See and sent his Legats to the Synod held at Constantinople in the yeare 879. of which Synod Photius was President and wherein with the assistance of the Popes Legats whatsoever had been determined against Photius in the times of P. Nicolas and Adrian was abrogated amongst which chiefely that Synod was condemned which had been held in the yeare 869. against Photius by Ignatius then Patriarch of Constantinople and is now counted by the Church of Rome for the 8. Oecumenicall whereas the Church of Greece gives that Title to this wherein Photius Presided in which among other Things there transacted the Nicene Creed was also read without the Addition of Filioque and so subscribed to yea that Addition was interdicted and all this done Consentientibus Ioannis Papae Legatis by the consent of the said Legats of Iohn 8. The Greekes lay the blame of this Addition on Pope
autem in illis quidem vocabulis ubi de Divinitate fides ordinatur In Deum Patrem dicitur In Jesum Christum Filium ejus in Spiritum Sanctum In caeteris verò ubi non de Divinitate sed de Creaturis ac Mysteriis sermo est In praepositio non additur ut dicatur In Sanctam Ecclesiam sed Sanctam Ecclesiam credendam esse non ut in Deum sed ut Ecclesiam Deo congregatam Remissionem Peccatorum credendam esse non in remissionem peccatorum resurrectionem carnis non in resurrectionem carnis Hac itaque Praepositionis syllabâ Creator à Creaturis secernitur divina separantur ab humanis that is He said not In the holy Church nor in the forgivenesse of sinnes nor in the resurrection of the Body for if he had added the Preposition In there had been the same sense with what went before but now in those passages of the Creed wherein our faith concerning God is digested we say In God the Father and in Jesus Christ his Sonne and in the Holy Ghost but in the residue which speak of the Creatures and the mysteries relating to them the Preposition In is not added for we say not I beleeve in the Holy Church but I beleeve the Holy Church not as in God but as the Church gathered to God likewise we are to beleeve the remission of sinnes not in the remission of sinnes and the resurrection of the Body not in the resurrection of the Body So by this short Preposition the Creatour is distinguished from the Creature and God from man Now Ruffinus was one very well skill'd in the Greek Tongue as who Translated much of Origen out of that Language as well as in the Latine and so deserves the more credit in judging of the Phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Credo in Paschasius also in his Book de Spiritu Saucto written against Macedonius vindicates the true Writing and sense of the Creed as touching this particular in these words Credimus Ecclesiam quasi Regenerationis Matrem non in Ecclesiam credimus quasi in Salutis Authorem nam cum hoc de Spiritu Sancto universa confiteatur Ecclesia numquid in seipsam credere potest qui in Ecclesiam credit in Hominem credit non enim Homo ex Ecclesiâ sed Ecclesia esse caepit ex Homine recede itaque ex hac Blasphemiae persuasione ut in aliquam humanam te aestimes debere credere Creaturam cum omninò nec in Angelum nec in Archangelum sit credendum nonnullorum imperitia praepositionem hanc In velut de proximà vicinaque sentintiâ in consequentem traxit ac rapuit ex superfluo imprudentur apposuit in nullis autem Canonicis de quibus textus Symbolipendet accepimus quia in Ecclesiam credere sicut in Spiritum Sanctum Filiumque debeamus Et ideò cum ab hoc Honore Creatura omnis aliena sit hic in quem credere praecipimur viz. Spiritus Sanctus Deus est quod verbum Divinitati specialiter vox Domini Salvatoris assignat ita dicens Credite in Deum in me credite Et iterum Qui credit in me non credit in me sed in eum qui me misit that is We beleeve the Church as the Mother of our new Birth not in the Church as in the Authour of Salvation For when as the whole Church professeth this of the Holy Ghost can she beleeve also in her selfe He who beleeveth in the Church beleeveth in man for man sprung not from the Church but the Church from man be farre therefore from this Blasphemous perswasion as to think that thou oughtest to beleeve in any humane Creature whereas our Faith is not to be placed no not in an Angel or Archangel The unskilfulnesse of some hath caused them to take the Preposition In from the neighbouring sentence which went before and to apply it to the subsequent rashly imprudently and superfluously whereas we are not warranted by any of the Canonicall Books on which the Text of the Creed depends to beleeve in the Church as we ought to beleeve in the holy Ghost and the Sonne and therefore seeing this Honour is not communicable to any Creature he in whom we are commanded to beleeve namely the holy Ghost is God hence also our Saviour especially applieth this word unto the Divinity saying thus yee beleeve in God beleeve also in me And againe He that beleeveth in me beleeveth not in me but in him that sent me Thus did these Fathers read this Article of the Creed and thus they understood it Credo in that is Colloco fiduciam in Deo which the Scripture appropriats to God alone as to the peculiar object of our Trust and Confidence and wholy denies to Creatures See Psal 146. 3. 44. 7. Jer. 17. 5. 1 Tim. 6. 17. As for that place Exod. 14. 31. the Hebrew word there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 used signifies properly to beleeve the truth or Fidelity of one so may well agree to Moses who spake to the People in Gods name and had so often confirmed the truth of his words by the following miraculous Successe now the word is usually joyned in Construction with a Noune of the Ablative Case having the particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 prefixt which is the signe of that Case and therefore should be rather translated if we follow the Hebraisme close Crediderunt in Deo in Mose However the sense is this They beleeved Gods word spoken to them by Moses God as the Author Moses as the Messenger So here 's no opposition but a Subordination and therefore no Derogation to Gods Prerogative But 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Greeke and Credo in in the Latine are phrases implying more and answer to the Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to depend or rely on an Infinite Power and goodnesse which therefore both can and will deliver us from all evill and conferre in due time all Good upon us now this is peculiar to God alone and therefore appropriated to him both in the Scripture and Fathers The Particle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Hebrew is I confesse oft superfluous Thence 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Greek and In in the Latine which answer to it sometimes redound in the Scriptures Creeds and Fathers in their translations out of the Hebrew or imitations of that sacred Tongue yet not alwayes Now to know when these Particles redound when not we are to compare them with other Parallell places of Scripture and Copies of the Creed and then we shall find that though some Greeke Copies of the Creed prefixe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the Article of the Church and the three subsequent ones yet others as those of Marcellus Anoyranus and Chrysostome hereafter to be alleaged omitt it as superfluous but still religiously retaine it in the precedent Articles of the Sonne and Holy Ghost by
linguae sedissent ut loquelis adversis variisque loquerentur per quas nulla eis Gens extera nulla linguae barbaries inaccessa videretur invia praeceptum eis a Domino datum ob praedicandum Dei verbum ad singulas quemque proficisci nationes Discessuri itaque ab invicem normam priùs futurae Praedicationis in commune constituunt ne fortè alias ab alio abducti diversum aliquid his qui ad fidem Christi invitabantur exponerent Omnes Ergò in uno positi Spiritu Sancto repleti breve istud futurae sibi ut diximus Praedicationis Indicium conferendo in unum quod sentiebat unusquisque componunt atque hanc credentibus dandam esse Regulam statuunt c. The summe is this We have received from our Auncestours that after the Ascension of our Saviour into Heaven and the Descent of the Holy Ghost from thence in the shape of Fiery Tongues on the Day of Pentecost the Apostles inabled with the gift of Tongues to Preach unto the most remote and Barbarous Nations prepared themselves accordingly to fulfill their Lords Command for the more convenient and ready Discharg of which Duty though authorized they were to Preach indifferently unto all yet they sorted themselves into severall Provinces But before they went on this Embassie being assembled together and inspired from above they Compiled the Summary of the Christian Faith as the Ground-worke of all their Preaching and as a constant uniforme Rule of Beleefe to all their Auditours whom they perswaded to imbrace the Christian Beleefe least otherwise they might Preach more variously and at randome And this they left behind them both as a Symbole or Token of their Faith munimentum fidei ex lapidibus vivis margaritis Dominicis which neither Winds nor Stormes can subvert and of their Unanimity as being now ready to depart each from other not as the Sonnes of Noah built the Tower of Babel and were therefore punish'd with confusion of Language being not able to understand each others Speech for these indued with the knowledge of all Tongues Turrim fidei unanimes construebant ut illud Peccati hoc Fidei probaretur Indicium Thus far Ruffinus Now the Apostles having thus Composed their Creed they committed it not to writing but delivered it by word of mouth to the Bishops of the Churches their Successours So witnesse besides Ruffinus here St Ierome Cyril of Ierusalem and Chrysologus yea many yeares before them Irenaeus and Tertullian as I shall shew anon The reasons of which manner of Delivery are thus assigned by the same Fathers 1. Vt certum esset neminem haec ex lectione quae interdum peruenire etiam ad infideles solet sed ex Apostolorum traditione didicisse sufficeret So Ruffinus That it might not come by some unhappy chance into the hands of Heathens and Infidels to whom as Dogs these holy Mysteries of the Christian Faith were not to be cast least they should misconstrue or deride Profane or pollute them to their own greater Damnation the Discouragement and Scandall of the weake Christian and the Dishonour of Religion And to this well agrees the signification of the word Symbolum which Title the Creed of old hath borne and most properly imports a watchword now a watchword we know is given by word of mouth not in paper least the Enemy hap to come unto the knowledge of it 2. Observa fidem saith Cyril of Jerusalem à solâ Ecclesiâ tibi nunc traditam ex omni Scripturâ munitam non in Chartâ scribendo sed in Corde memoriam ejus insculpendo necubi Catechumenus ea qua vobis tradita sunt exaudiat Catech. 5. It seemes by him in this Place that the very Catechumeni who were instructed in the Principles of the Christian Catechisme were not acquainted yet with all the Mysteries of the Creed untill they came to Baptisme some Articles were to hard meat even for them to digest Our Saviour hath a like speech to this purpose Jo. 16. 12. 3. Accepturi Symbolum saith Chrysologus Pectora parate non Chartam quia committi non potest caducis corruptibilibus Instrumentis aeternum coeleste Secretum sed in ipsa areâ animae in ipsa Bibliothecâ interni spiritus est locandum ne profanus Arbiter ne improbus quod dilaceret Discussor inveniat fiat ad contemnentis ignorantis ruinam quod confitentis credentis donatum est ad Salutem It suits with the Dignity of the Creed to be ingraven in no other Table then the Heart of man with the safety of Christians that they receive it no otherwise then from the mouth of their Pastour with his short but sound exposition thereof Serm. 58. 4. The same Father in his 61 Sermon gives this Reasan Hoc monemus ne quis committat literis quod est Corde mandaturus ut credat Apostolo sic monente Corde creditur ad justiam Ore autem confessio fit ad salutem Rom. 10. 10. The Confession of our Faith which we make in the Creed hath the Heart for its Mother the mouth for its Midwife the Pen hath nothing to doe here So the Groundwork of this Tradition is laid by S. Paul if we may trust the judgment of Chrysologus 5. The Creed is best and most safely preserved by Tradition especially being so short an Epitome of the Christian faith whereas Memory trusting to Paper is lesse carefull of retaining and we daily see what doubts and disputes there arise amongst Criticks about the diversity of Copies in the Transcription of our Sacred Books and what Errours of the Transcribers Nihil securum quod extra animum fertur Those two great Philosophers Pythagoras and Socrates whom we may justly stile the Fathers of the Rest are observed to have wrote nothing neither did a far greater then They our Blessed Saviour Lycurgu's Laws by a bare Tradition were kept inviolate above 500 years when those of Solon diligently engraven in wood carefully laid up were notwithstanding soon forgoten frequently broken in the Lawgivers own life-time Yea we see by experience both in ludicrous toyes as in Childrens sports and in weightier matters as in the severall Habits Customes of Nations that without any Law written they are both more easily retained and more carefully observed But because I foresee that this last Reason will meet with opposition I shall indeavour to cleare and confirme it both by satisfying those Doubts which probably may arise against it It will be objected that the Creed is not most safely preserved by Tradition because severall Copies thereof doe not a little vary That it seemes very strange a Thing should be safer kept by Tradition then by writing seeing Tradition depends on no other help but memory whereas Things committed to Paper are conveyed to Posterity and remaine by two Helps Memory and Writing If Tradition were the safest way to preserve Things why were the Scriptures written What is preserved of the doctrine of
substance with the Creed for so all Creeds and Confessions of Faith if true might be called the Apostles Creed nay the Scripture of the New Testament contains nothing else in Substance the Apostles Creed is that only which is delivered in this Forme and in these wordes which distinguish it from all other Creeds If any now among us who receive it as framed by the Apostles should even for explication or under any other pretence offer to alter the least word or tittle we should count it and that justly high Presumption and Sacriledge and should not esteem it so altered though containing nothing but Truth to be the Apostles Creed Answ The fore-cited places of Scripture evince thus much that a Forme containing the Heads of Religion was delivered not after but before the New Testament was written for else the New Testament could not have born witnesse of it Now the Church saith the Apostles Creed is that Forme for she hath delivered us none other nor entitled any other to the Apostles name in any age past therefore let the Objectours either produce another or subscribe to the Churches Testimony The like Argument may be urged touching any Book of Scripture As for Instance Antiquity tels us that S. Paul wrote an Epistle to the Romans the Church tels us that the Epistle we now have so entitleed is that Epistle and none other therefore if any man will doubt of or deny it let him ether shew another Epistle which S. Paul wrote to the Romans or accept this upon the Church's word As for what the Expositours say on the fore-alleaged Places of Scripture hath been already shewen Those Principles mentioned Heb. 6. 1 2. are some of them Practicall Heads of Christianity which were taught the Catechumeni together with the Creed and because Practicall Points not included in it the Creed being composed for a Summary of pure Doctrinals yet they all refer to the Tenth Article of the Creed namely to Remission of sinnes Repentance as the Antecedent or preparative Baptisme as the outward means and Imposition of Hands in Confirmation as the Complement or Perfection thereof As for other Summaries of Faith they cannot be either so truely or so properly called the Apostles Creed because they want the Attestation of the Church which never acknowledged them for such though otherwise perhaps in substance they agree with it as Paraphrases or parts thereof The New Testament containes many things besides the fundamentall Articles of Beleefe as smaller Doctrinall Points Evangelicall Rules of Practice matters of History Disputes Prophecies c. All extra Fidem besides the Creed the Forme and wordes whereof were delivered by the Apostles as well as the Heads and Substance of the Faith though some now doubt which they were 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in expresse wordes As for explicating or altering the Creed we may safely paraphrase or comment on it now though not alter the Text thereof in wordes or sense because it hath been delivered to us totidem verbis by a confest evident Tradition of above 1200 years as the Oppugners of its Authors are forced to yeeld Before it was thus setled there was more liberty of expression because diverse Churches somewhat varied the Forme by reason of succresent Heresis but now it hath triumphed over all and is long agoe setled in full possession of the Christian Faith Besides in all those former variations though the Forme was changed in some few Particulars yet the heads or Articles of Beleefe continued the same It was not therefore sufficient for any confession of Faith to gaine the Title of the Apostles Creed in that it contained nothing but Truth CAP. IV. Testimonies concerning the Creed and the composure thereof by the Apostles taken out of the Greeke Fathers who beare witnesse for the Easterne Churches Some objections against these Authorities partly answered partly prevented YOU have seene what light the Holy Scripture gives us concerning this Creed of the Apostles but this Truth will be farther cleered and confirmed by the concordant Testimonies of the Fathers and most of those the most ancient for Time as living neerest the age of the Apostles and the most venerable for Authority who therefore may best be credited in this matter and well speake for the rest Now in reciting their Testimonies when I produce some of them who in their writings set downe the Creed or Rule of Faith not agreeing totidem verbis expressely in every word and tittle with that which the Church now receives for the Apostles I shall desire my Reader to take notice of these three things 1. First that diverse of the Fathers writing against the Heretickes of their Times mentiond only or chiefly those Articles which were then cald in question by those against whom they wrote whence it is that they doe not alwaies set the Creed downe whole and entire which by the way may well be one Reason why the Article of Christs descent into Hell was omitted in many latter Creeds because never question'd by any of the Hereticks of those dayes The same reason induced the Nicene Fathers to proceed no farther in their Creed than this Article in Spiritum Sanctum And I believe in the Holy Ghost although the old Creed was larger as will appeare more fully in what I shall produce hereafter namely because the Arian controversy required no more 2. Secondly That the Fathers maine care in setting down this Rule of faith was to keep themselves to the same Heads or Articles of the Creed giving themselves somtimes liberty to vary words phrases whence it is that though they alwayes set downe the Creed wheresoever they mention it as the only necessary unchangeable Rule of faith the immoveable Basis of Christianity the distinctive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or assured marke of a true orthodoxe Christian contradistinguishing him to Pagans Jewes and Hereticks yet somtimes as learned Discoursers they enlarge the parts of the Creed by way of Paraphrase otherwhiles as short Comprisers thereof they contract the sum of it into fewer words according as they saw cause or had occasion offered So Tertullian though he lay downe this for a ground that Regula fidei una omninò est sola immobilis irreformabilis The Rule of faith is only one soley immoveable and umchangeable De Virg. vel chap. 1. Yet whereas he thrise rehearseth it in three severall Tracts he never useth the same words exactly but varyeth his expression now extending now contracting it at pleasure Besides there is an other reason why some of the Creeds end with the Article of the Holy Ghost viz because the four following Articles are virtually included in it which appeares by S. Chrysostomes first Homily on the Creed as shall be shewen by and by As for us of this Age we are not unjustly abridged the like liberty in varying of words or phrases First because these are suspected times wherein the very Grounds of Faith are by many very doubtfully held and by
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
command for the observation of these in holy writ nor for many other Church ordinances that might be named Our Church indeed justly blames the Romish for obtruding upon us and other Churches her owne Rituall Traditions as of necessity to Salvation some of which are uncertain others frivolus burthenous superstitious and even contrary to Gods word so did St Augustin long agoe sharply taxe Vrbicus a Romane Presbyter for pressing the Weekly Fast one Saturday as necessary to be observed by all Christian Churches whereas the vsuall Fasting-dayes at that time in all Churches were Wensday Fryday the Saturday fast being a peculiar custome of the Church of Rome But our Church abolisheth not all Traditions as appeares by this of the Creed which she with other Reformed Churches retaines as also by her 34th Article which was on purpose framed touching this subject wherein she intreateth only of Rituall not Doctrinall Traditions telling us that they need not to be alwayes and every where alike but may be diversified according to Times Countries and mens Manners so that nothing be ordained against Gods Word that what soever Private Person purposey and openly breaketh such ought to be openly rebuked and that every particular or nationall Church hath Authority to ordaine change and abolish Cerimonies or Rites of the Church ordained only by mans authority so that all Things be done to Edifying CAP. VIII Severall Objections which some have alleadged against the fore-assigned Authors of the Creed answered at large Certain Creeds compared together whereby their conformity appears to one another and to that of the Apostles HAving thus confirmed the first of the Five Poynts which I proposed to my selfe in the beginning namely that the Apostles were the Framers or Composers of the Creed which commonly bears their name I should now proceed in order to the Rest but that I conceive it necessary to cleare my passage as I goe on by the removall of such Doubts and Objections which like so many rubbs or stumbling-blocks hinder my farther proceeding and obstruct the way The Truth though sufficiently cleare in it selfe yet will shine forth unto others more gloriously when these mists are scattered though firmely establisht yet her strength will appeare more formidable in the overthrow of her Adversaries For there be some and those of no vulgar ranke who have taken great Paines and still delight themselves in overthrowing those ancient fabricks which our forefathers left us building in their roome some slight painted Toy without either strength or use to please the fancy of the contriver not satisfy the judgement or conduce to the profit of the sober Christian A course if prosecuted which will ere long bring the Doome of the Jewish Temple upon the Christian Church that shee will not have one stone left upon another that shall not be thrown downe Math. 24. 2. As for this present Argument though the Reasons which some have brought against it seeme to the objectors more then probable yet I suppose that upon due triall they will appeare lesse then necessary so that they will prove unsufficient to overthrow the constant Tradition of so many Ages and to sway against the streame of so maine a current the joynt Authority and Testimony of so many Doctors of the Church as well Moderne as Ancient I shall therefore set downe their Reasons fully and faithfully yea somewhat more distinctly than they have done and then subjoyne their Answers in severall Object 1. Were the Creed compiled by the Apostles it is not likely that S. Luke writing the history of their Acts would have omitted so principall a matter Sundry other things of farre lesse consequence he hath carefully recorded as the Apostles Decree concerning Ceremonies and things indifferent but of this so important and weighty a businesse the Decree concerning the Rule of Faith he makes not so much as one word mention which certainly he would never have failed to doe had they made any such At least if S. Luke had omitted it in the Acts yet it cannot be conceived how S. Paul and the rest of the Apostles should not speake a word of it in their Epistles I answer First that this is but a negative argument and concludeth not S. Luke makes no mention thereof in the Acts therefore it was never done To give a like instance or two S. Mathew undertakes to write the History of our Saviours Life and Death with the Precedents of the one and the Consequents of the others and yet there be many weighty Passages omitted by him which we find afterwards related by S. Luke and S. Iohn S. Iohn especially composed his Gospell of those particular Actions and Speeches of our Saviour which were left unmentioned by the three former Evangelists yet he himselfe tells us in the conclusion of his Book that There were many other things which Iesus did the which if they should be written every one he supposed that even the World it selfe could not containe the Bookes that should be written Ioh. 21. 25. But to come closer yet to the Argument S. Luke in that Booke of his which is entituled The Acts of the Apostles mentions very few Acts of the Apostles in generall yet hath large Digressions concerning S. Stephen and S. Philip who were no Apostles but Deacons Then he prosecutes the story of S. Peter and S. Barnabas but more at large that of S. Paul whose companion he was in his Apostolicall Peregrinations and yet how many materiall Passages even touching S. Paul doth he omit some of which we find afterwards occasionally recorded by himselfe in his Epistles especially in those of his to the Churches of Galatia and Corinth As for example his Travailes into Arabia after his conversion his Coming to Ierusalem three yeares after and communicating his Gospell with Peter Iames and Iohn his withstanding Peter at Antioch his rapture into Paradise and unto the third Heaven together with many other particulars things sure of greater consequence than his making of Tents at Corinth or the signe of the Ship wherein he sailed to Italy and yet these are exprest the other excluded If it be replyed that this Argument is produced only as probable and yet will hold good unlesse some probable cause of the omission can be assigned why a poynt of so great importance and so necessary is not mentioned when others of lesse weight are and that the Evangelists omit indeed diverse Things which Christ said and did yet set downe all Things necessary to Salvation which was their main end I rejoyne That whosoever goes about to overthrow so old and received a Tradition may justly be required to bring more than probabilities and conjectures if he expect to be believed that this Probability grounded on S. Lukes omission is sufficiently overthrowne by the positive Testimonies of the Ancients which I haue produced to the Contrary that the Composure of the Creed by the Apostles was a businesse confessedly of great importance but the mentioning of it by S.
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
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
guidance of the Streame or Current 1. Protestant Churches generally receive it under the title name of Athanasius together with the Apostles Creed and that of the Nicene Councell for which wee are to consult the forecited Testimonies of Luther Io. Pappus anb Nic. Selneccerus with the two Confessions of the Churches of Saxony and France attested by the Ingenuous Confession of Serrarius the Jesuit who tels us in his Discourse on this Creed that the Calvinian Divines in an Assembly at Lausanna agreed with the Lutherans as touching the three Creeds ascribing unto them as well as to the Holy Scriptures a Judiciary Power or Authority which all ought to obey which sure they would never have done if they had not thought that the Creed of Athanasius as well as the other two had been derived from the same fountain whence the Scriptures flowed to wit from the Holy Ghost as the Author and the Apostles as the Deliverers which Faith so derived Athanasius more largely paraphrased on especially in those two main Poynts of the Trinity and Incarnation then perverted by Hereticks by this means not altering but clearing the old Apostolick Tradition 2. Ioan. Cazonovius though a profest enemy to the contents of this Creed yet is forced to acknowledge in his first Epistle unto M. Calvin that this Creed is received under the name of Athanasius Non solum in Latina Ecclesiâ sed etiam Constantinopolitanâ Servianâ Bulgaricâ Russicâ Moscoviticâ Not only in the Latine Church but also in that of Constantinople Servia Bulgaria Russia and Moscovia Now this Cazonovius as Genebrard tels us was a Polonian Knight of an eminent Family and together with Gregorius Pauli a Minister the Chiefe of the Trinitarians He wrote against those two Epistles which M. Calvin sent Ad Fratres Polonos and in the Colloquy between the Tritheits and the Orthodox Divines held at Petricow in Poland during the Assembly of the Estates Anno 1565. he was the Scribe or Secretary on the Tritheits behalfe When in that Colloquy hee and his Adherents were urged againe and againe to produce that Greeke Copy of Athanasius his Creed which they gave out to bee different from that received in the Latine Church for he confest a Creed of Athanasius received in the Greeke Church but diverse from the Latine one they could not doe it the truth is the diversity is only in the particle Filioque added by the Latines in the Article of the Procession so that they might as well have said that our Nicene Creed is diverse from theirs whereto it is likewise added But of this more heareafter 3. Gennadius Scholarius Patriarch of Constantinople in his Booke which he wrote in Defence of the the Florentine Councell the yeare after it was Celebrated clearly names Athanasius for the Author of this Creed These are his words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Where he styles Athanasius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Confessor from this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Confession of his Faith and withall sets downe the Beginning of his Creed in expresse Termes as now we read it 4. Eugenius the fourth Bishop of Rome in his Instructions to the Armenians given by him unto them in the forecited Councell of Florence which was celebrated in the yeare 1439 recommends unto them the Creed of Athanasius in these wordes Compendiosam illam fidei Regulam per Beatissimum Athanasium editam cujus Tenor talis est Quicunque vult c. That short Rule of Faith set forth by the most blessed Athanasius according to this Tenor Whosoever will be saved c. 5. Manuel Caleca a Grecian but one who wrote against the Errours of his Countrymen presently after the Councell of Lions celebrated in the yeare 1274 under Gregory the Tenth in which Councell he is thought also to have been present in his Second book Cont. Graecos cap. 20. tels us that Athanasius wrote this Creed and sent it to Julius Bishop of Rome cum insimularetur non rectae fidei when he was accused of erring in the Faith and because some of his Countrymen dissented from him in this Poynt the chiefe if not only reason whereof was because the Latines produced copies of it with this Addition filioque in the Procession of the Holy Ghost he strengthens his Assertion by this double Reason First that Gregory Nazianzen whom he there calls the Divine by way of Eminency makes mention thereof of whose Testimony more anon Secondly That it is sung every Lords Day throughout all the Churches of the West and the Author thereof is so famous that even Children know him Then he subjoynes Let them therefore either produce some other Creed of so Famous a man which the Divine Nazianzen makes mention of and to which the Tradition of the Church bears witnesse or if they cannot let them imbrace that which the Church now receives 6. Jo. Beleth a Parisian Divine Explic. Divin Offic. cap. 40. having told us that there were foure Creeds allowed of by the Church Secundum inquit quod in Primâ recitatur quicunque vult salvus esse c. Quod ab Athanasio Patriarchâ Alexandrino contra Arianos haereticos compositum est licet plerique eum Anastasium fuisse falso arbitrentur The Second of these Creeds saith he is that which is rehearsed in the first service Whosoever will be Saved c. which was composed by Athanasius Patriarch of Alexandria against the Arian Hereticks although many falsely think that Anastasius was the Author 7. Gul. Durantes or Durandus otherwise called Mimatensis who flourished about the yeare 1280 assignes this Creed to Athanasius Rat. Divin Off. lib. 4. cap. 25. For thus he writes Secundum Symbolum Quicunque vult salvus esse c. ab Athanasio Patriarcha in civitate Treveri Compositum that is according to the Creed Whosoever will be Saved c. which was composed by the Patriarch Athanasius in the City of Triers 8. Rodolphus and Hagmo two Franciscan Friers sent with Hugh Peter two Dominicans by Gregory the ninth unto Constantinople in the yeare 1239 to reconcile the Greeks unto the Latines thence called Apocrisiarii Church-legats as well by the Latines as the Greeks have thus determined the difference cōcerning the procession of the holy Ghost from the Son as well as the Father out of the Athanasian Creed Propterea quicunque non crediderit spiritum sanctū a filio procedere in via perditionis est unde S. Athanasius dū exulabat in partibus occidentalibus in expositione fidei quam Latinis verbis reddidit sic ait Pater a nullo est factus c. Whosoever believeth not that the Holy Ghost proceedeth from the Sonne is in the way of Perdition whence S. Athanasius whilest he was an exile in the westerne Parts in his exposition of the Faith which he set forth in Latine saith thus The Father was made of none c. See for this Tom. 3. Eccles Annal. Abrah Bzovii Aº 1239. 9. Abbo Abbot of Floriack who lived about
the latter end of the tenth Century hath these wordes in his Apollogetick which he made to the Kings of France Hugh and Robert Father and Son Primitus de fide dicendum credidi quaÌ„ alternantibus Choris in Francia apud Anglorum Ecclesiam variari audivi Alii enim dicunt ut arbitror secundum Athanasium Spiritus Sanctus a Patre Filio non factus non Creatus sed procedens qui dum id quod est nec genitus subtrahunt Synodicum D. Gregorii se sequi credunt ubi ita est scriptum spiritus sanctus nec ingenitus est nec genitus sed procedens that is I thought meet to speak first concerning the Faith which I find diversly expressed in the French and English Churches for some say as I suppose according to Athanasius The holy Ghost not made nor Created but proceeding from the Father and the Son who in leaving out that particle nor begotten conceive they follow the Synodicall of S. Gregory in which it is thus written The holy Ghost is neither unbegotten nor begotten but proceeding To which words Baron in his Annals ad A. 1001 thus attests Vides lector in his jaÌ„ ante sexcentos annos Symbolum vere ejus esse absque dubitatione credituÌ„ praedicatum thou seest here Reader that above six hundred yeares agoe the Creed which goes under the name of Athanasius was verely believed to be his without the least doubt to the contrary And well might he say so for that ambiguous clause ut arbitror as I suppose in this Testimony of Abbo hath no reference to the Author but to the words and to the various Copies of Athanasius his Creed as appears by the scope and purpose of the Abbot in his Citation 10 That this Creed was asscribed to Athanasius in the Time of Charles the Bald will appeare first out of the second Book of Rathrannus Monke of Corbey written by him against the Greekes a Book not yet extant in Print Secondly out of the first Booke of Aeneas Bishop of Paris written also against the Greeks c. 19. Thirdly out of the Capitulum of Hincmarus Arch-Bishop of Rheims which he gave to the Presbyters of his Diocesse Aº 852. See the first Capit. in Apend Tom. 3-Conc Gall. set forth by Sirmondus But for all three See Armac de Symb. 11. The fourth Councell of Toledo held in the yeare of our Lord 671 according to the edition of Io. Garsia Loaisa and in the third yeare of K. Sisenandus by threescore and two Bishops whereof Isidore of Sevil was one thus professeth its Faith in the words of the Athanasian Creed only somewhat contracting them for thus the Fathers of the councell begin cap. 1. Secundum divinas Scripturas doctrinam quam a Sanctis Patribus accepimus Patrem Filium Spiritum Sanctum unius Deitatis atque Substantiae confitemur in Personarum diversitate Trinitatem credentes in Divinitate unitatem praedicantes nec Personas confundimus nec substantiam seperamus Patrem a nullo factum vel genitum dicimus Christus descendit ad Inferos ut sanctos qui ibidem tenebantur erueret devictoque mortis Imperio resurrexit mortui resuscitandi sunt ab eo Iesu Christo in die novissimo percepturi ab ipso alii pro justitiae meritis vitam aeternam alii pro peccatis supplicii aeterni sententiam Haec est ecclesiae Catholicae fides Hanc Confessionem conservamus atque tenemus quam quisquis firmissime custodierit perpetuam salutem habebit that is According to the Scriptures of God the Doctrine which we have received from the holy Father we professe the Father Sonne and holy Ghost to have the same Godhead and Substance believing a Trinity in a diversity of Persons and an Unity in the Godhead neither confounding the Persons nor dividing the substance we say that the Father was made of none nor begotten Christ descended into Hell that he might deliver the Saints that were there detained and having conquered the Power of Death he rose againe The Dead are to be raised up by him at the last Day to receive from him some for their righteous deeds life eternall others for their sins the sentence of everlasting punishment This is the Faith of the Catholick Church This Confession we preserve and hold which whosoever shall firmely keepe shall obteine everlasting Salvation 12. In two very Ancient Latine Psalters which are in S. Rob. Cottons Library we find Athanasius his Creed together with that of the Apostles conteining the same number of Heads with that of our Dayes In the former Psalter saith the Reverend Learned Armachanus which we gather to be as old as Gregory the first viz. 1050 years both by the old fashion of the Pictures the largenesse of the Characters Athanasius his Creed bears the name of Fides Catholica as it doth also in an other Psalter of S. Lewis 9th extant in King James his Library the other is called Symbolum Apostolorum In the latter Psalter which was once K. Athelstans That of the Apostles hath Symply the name of Symbolum the other is called Fides S. Athanasii Alexandrini The Faith of S. Athanasius Bishop of Alexandria 13. Boethius that great Scholler and Statesman in the Reigne of Theodorick the Goth in his Book De Trinitate hath these words at the Beginning which referre us plainly enough to the Creed of Athanasius Fidei Catholicae haec de Trinitatis unitate Sententia est Pater inquiunt Deus Filius Deus Spiritus sanctus Deus igitur Pater Filius Spiritus Sanctus unus Deus non tres Dii That is This is the Decree of the Catholick faith concerning the unity of the Trinity The Father they say is God the Sonne God the Holy Ghost God therefore the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost are one God not three Gods On which words Venerable Bâ—de our Countryman makes this Glosse Haec est fides quâ credimus quae dicitur Catholica unde in Symbolo Haec est fides Catholica quam nisi quisque crediderit c. Haec est una apud omnes unde Apostolus una fides unum Baptisma that is This is the Faith wherein we believe which is called Catholick whence we say in the Creed this is the Catholick Faith which Whosoever doth not believe c. This Faith is the same among All whence that of the Apostle One Faith One Baptisme 14. S. Augustin in severall Parts of his workes takes whole sentences out of this Creed of Athanasius which shews that it was then extant and used by the Church In his Booke De Trinitate cap. 8. He hath these words Omnipotens Pater Omnipotens Filius omnipotens Spiritus sanctus tameÌ„ non tres Omnipotentes sed unus Omnipotens Ibidem Deus Pater Deus Filius Deus Spiritus sanctus tamen non tres Dii sed unus est Deus that is The Father is Almighty the Sonne Almighty the holy Ghost Almighty and yet there are
none other as the Confession or Creed of Athanasius whose judgment ought to prevaile with us above the the rashnesse of some Novellists who have questioned both the Authority the Author But because this Recrimination of Sabellianisme is but obscurely set downe in the writers of that Age and utterly denyed by some of ours I shall endeavour in a few worrdes to clear it First It was the custome of that Age that when any was advanced to a Bishoprick but more espepecially to a Patriarchall See such as Alxandria was whereof Athanasius was Bishop he sent about his Literae Formatae or Encyclicae wherein he testifyed his Faith unto the Christian world and his communion with the Catholick Bishops and this was in use whether the new Bishop were suspected of heresy or not Now there was far greater Cause for this in the case of Athanasius when he appealed to Iulius Bishop of Rome as the most Eminent Patriarch of the Church and one not engaged in the quarrell between him and the Eusebians For it had litle stood with the gravity impartiall uprightnesse of such a Judge to have presently with an overforward affection received a man into his Communion laden with so many and so heavy Accusations before he had given an Account of his Beliefe which that it was the custome then observed and particularly in the case of Athanasius and his fellowes is plainly set downe by Sozomen lib. 3. cap. 7. where having premised that Athanasius and three other Bishops being thrust out by the Arian faction fled unto Julius for succour he subjoynes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is The Bishop of Rome having learned the crimes objected against each of them after that he found them all agreeing in the Doctrine of the Nicene Councell he received them into his Communion as persons of the same judgement with himselfe Secondly Marcellus Bishop of Ancyra who was the chiefe of those three Bishops that were thrust out by the Arian faction and fled to Rome with Athanasius having formerly accused the Eusebians of the Arian Heresy and convicted them in the Nicene Councell was himselfe also scandalized with the crosse imputation of Sabellianisme whereupon he freely made an Orthodox Confession of his Faith at Rome such as the Synod lately held at Sardica had imbraced Now that Athanasius who was principally hated by the Eusebians had the charge of Heresy recriminated also upon him appears by a passage of the same Julius in his Letter to the Easterne Bishops then Assembled at Antioch 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now as concerning Marcellus saith he seeing ye have wrote touching him also as of one who thinkes impiously of or against Christ where the particle Also necessarily implies that the Orientall Bishops had accused the rest of the same crime and who but Athanasius as the principall of the Accused See the place in Athan. Apolog. 2. pag. 548. Edit Comm. And his Epistle ad Solitarios two leaves from the beginning Epiphanius also in his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Her 72. tels us that this Marcellus being accused by the Arians of Sabellianisme to Iulius Bishop of Rome voluntarily came to Rome and having long but in vaine there expected the appearance of his Adversaries upon his departure left an Epistle with Iulius wherein he sets downe a Confession of his Faith His case is just parallell to that of Athanasius who was accused of the same Heresy as Epiphanius there witnesseth and in like manner cleared himselfe Thirdly this imputation of Sabellianisme was so pertinaciously urged upon Athanasius by his Arian persecutors that Liberius successor to Julius in the Romane See was constrained to send a short Epistle to him for farther satisfaction wherein having set downe his own Faith concerning the Trinity he addes by way of Antithesis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wherefore I condemne the opinions of Sabellius and Arius and all the forementioned Heresies to everlasting punishment according to the voyce of our Saviour Then he concludes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If thou then agreest with mee Brother Athanasius in this Confession which is the only true Faith received in the holy Catholick and Apostolick Church as in the presence of God and his Christ write unto me thy consent agreement therin with me that so I may be ascertained thereof and without scruple performe thy commands This Epistle of Liberius with the rescript of Athanasius we find extant in the first Tome of Athanasius his workes The same Athanasius in his forecited 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or exposition of the Faith vindicates himselfe from Sabellianisme in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is We neither make the Father and the Sonne the same Person as the Sabellians doe in this destroying the relation of the Sonne neither doe we attribute to the Father that passible Body which the Sonne tooke on him for the Salvation of the whole world Fourthly Sulpitius Severus lib. 20 hist Tels us that Athanasius was condemn'd of Sabellianisme in a certain Councell by the Arians Adde hereunto that Arius himselfe in his Disputation before Probus the Judge taxeth Athanasius in these words somtimes saith he he makes three appeare One saying But these three are one God then I know not by what strang mixtion he makes them Triforms triple saying And this one God is the Trinity So Geneb To prevent such mistakes and cavils Athanasius hath a chapter in his Workes entitled Quod non tres Dii that there are not three Gods Thirdly As to my last Query in what Language this Creed of Athanasius was originally written I Answer it is most probable that Athanasius first wrote it in Latine as being a Language which he well vnderstood although some have been pleased to deny it and the Creed being exhibited unto Julius Bishop of Rome in a Synod of Latine Bishops My reasons are these First The Latine edition of this Creed is the same in all Copies whereas the Greek Copies vary as Translations use to doe Genebrard in his third booke De Trinitate hath set downe three severall versions there of out of the Latine into the Greeke namely Vulgatam Dionysianam Constantinopolitanam The first is that which is commonly Printed The last is that which the Church of Constantinâ—ple useth The middlemost is so called from Dionysius a Grecian Bishop entitled Zienensis Firmiensis who gave the foreeited Manuscript of the Procession to Lazarus Bayffius the Booke was fairly written by the Learned Nic. Sophianus And to these three which are set downe and compared by Genebrard we may adde a fourth found in an Horologium of Greeke hymnes composed by Thechara a Monke of Constantinople and is set downe by the R. Armach in his Tract de Symb. which besides that it hath much inserted heere and there by the Greeke Translator very much differs in the residue from all the three former as they also doe from each other Secondly As the Bishop of Rome wrote in Latine to the Bishops of the East