only against their opposers but against all those too who concurre not with them in every tittle and Ioâ—a whether negative Errours condemned or positive Doctrines asserted So that now Ecclesiam quaerimus in Ecclesiâ we have even lost the Church among so many Conventicles we have as many Religions as Families and those too not seldome disagreeing yet all appropriating Salvation to themselves Every one takes upon him to be a Pope the name so much in shew detested and seats himselfe in his usurped Chaire as an infallible Judge guided by the Dictates of the Spirit so that one knows not whom to adhere to especially weake and ignorant Christians are most dangerously scandalized And we heard of one not long agoe in Holland who whether out of Pride or Despaire I know not had contracted the Church within the small compasse of his own Microcosme and upon that Ground true Baptisme being annext unto the true Church he Baptized himselfe thence called the Se-Baptist Now what course might be taken to heale these numerous wounds sure they would all close up of themselves if all Christians would have recourse to this Ancient Catholick and undoubted Rule beleeving as much requiring no more And by the way we may account it none of the least Blemishes in the face of our Church that so many private Catechismes with other Tracts of the like nature have been suffered to fly abroad from every quarter not a few of them for I should offend as much against Truth as modesty to censure all erronious most of them defective in the maine Points yet stuff'd with uncertainties and impertinencies which instead of Fundamentals give us Circumstantials and Appendixes instead of a sound Body of Credenda's haire and nailes if not boiles and botches Thus have the tender Plants in the faire Garden of this Church been partly infected with a poysonous joyce partly made crooked and deformed in their Infancy whilst they have bent themselves towards this or that Pamphleter like those heretofore in the Church of Corinth who said I am of Paul I of Apollo's and I of Cephas and 't were well they had no worse Tutours to the great prejudice of verity and utter bane of unity Now all this might have been prevented if they had not thus from the Birth been put forth to strange Nurses but caused to suck the Brests of their true Mother the Church of England for S. Paul cals the first Rudiments of the Christian Religion Milke a nourishment fit for Babes a good portion of which Milk is contain'd in the Creed which therefore is stiled by S. Cyril Patriarch of Jerusalem ParvuloruÌ„ in Christo lactea Introductio Catech. 4. But before I enter upon the Body of the Creed which I purpose to treat of hereafter as God shall give me life and strength meanes and leasure I conceave it will be expedient if not wholy necessary to lay down by way of Preface or Introduction some Prolegomena which I shall reduce to these five Heads the Bounds of my insuing Discourse 1. That the Apostles were the Authours or Composers of the Creed which beares their Name 2. The Grounds upon which and the Ends for which the Apostles framed it where I shall speak also of the Sufficiency of the Creed for the Rule of the Christian Faith 3. The severall Reasons of the name 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is the Title it beares in the Originall Greek 4. The Division or Parts of it 5. By way of Appendix I shall adde two Diatriba's or Discourses concerning the Nicene Creed and that of Athanasius especially the latter because most questioned which the Catholick Church and particulary the Church of England in her eighth Article hath joyntly received with that of the Apostles and are larger explications of it especially in the two maine Points of the Trinity and Incarnation then called in question and perverted by Arius and Macedonius But before I proceed to the handling of these particulars it will be requisite to remove some Doubts which may arise against what I have already writteÌ„ thus clearing my way as I go of al Imaginary rubs obstacles Ob. 1. The denying of the Apostles to be the Authours of the Creed doth not seem to weaken or shake any Ground by which we may prove a Trinity first because every Article of the Creed is confess'd to be in Scripture Then because no other Argument is pretended to be fetcht from the Creed for the proofe thereof but this that the Phrase Credo In is attributed to the Sonne and Holy Ghost as well as to God the Father but not so to the Catholick Church or to the Articles which follow it whereas this seemes to be a groundlesse Proofe for in the Scripture and the best Authours Credere in Deum in Deo Deo are promiscuously taken as signifying the same Thing So we Read Exod. 14. 31. Crediderunt in Dominum in Mosem They beleeved in God and in Moses which the 70 render ' 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thus construing it for a meere Historicall assent So also 1 Sam. 27. 12. Achish beleeved in Davidem in David according to the Heb. that is he beleeved David And 1 Joh. 5. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he beleeved not in the Testimony is no more but to believe the testimony not to be true The Creed of Nice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And in some auncient Latine Copies of the Apostles Creed we read Credo in Ecclesiam Catholicam in remissionem Peccatorum c. Particularly in a very old MS. in BIBL BODL we have Credo in Spiritu Sancto Sanctâ Ecclesiâ remissione Peccatorum c. Answ Every Article of the Creed is confest to be in Scripture either in expresse words or by necessary Consequence one of which Consequences or Conclusions is the Doctrine of the Trinity gathered by Apostolicall hands and placed in their Creed for who else could Infallibly collect it and impose it on the Faith of Christians As for the particle Credo in which as Stephanus observes in his Thesaurus is a phrase peculiar to Christian Divines it s being applied to the three Persons in the Sacred Trinity to none else in Propriety of speech is a sufficient Argument for the proof of that high Mistery so generally understood by the Latine Fathers S. Aug. Serm. 181. De Temp. upon those words of the Creed Sanctam Ecclesiam Catholicam saith thus Sciendum est quod Ecclesiam credere non tamen in Ecclesiam credere debemus quia Ecclesia non Deus sed domus Dei est we must know that we ought to beleeve the Church not in the Church for the Church is not God but the Household of God Ruffinus in his Exposition of the Creed on the same Article of the Church non dixit in Sanctam Ecclesiam nec in remissionem Peccatorum nec in carnis Resurrectionem si enim addidisset In praepositionem una eademque vis fuisset cum Superioribus nunc
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
which it plainly appeares that they esteemed it essentiall to these but pleonasticall unto those The like may be said of some old Latine Copies of the Creed which yet are very few wherein In redounds by the like Hebrew Pleonasme Ob. 2. The Socinians say they doe all acknowledg the Apostles Creed for the matter though they doubt whether it were composed in this Forme by the Apostles wherein they are not the first nor alone Erasmus seems to have first made question of it after him Calvin and most of his followers wholy yet deny not the Authority but acknowledge the matter to be true Nay the Socinians complaine that whereas the Creed containes all Fundamentall Truthes yet other Articles are obtruded as necessary such as be not contained in the Creed how then can the denyall of the Composure of this Creed by the Apostles any way advantage the Socinians Answ The Socinians deny some Articles of the Creed in the Sense which the Ancient Fathers understood them from whom they received the Creed it selfe for words and ought to have done for meaning and the denyall of the Authors makes them in all likelihood the bolder in their mis-interpretations Then although they hold that the Creed containes all Fundamentall Truthes yet they hold not all the Articles thereof Fundamentall On the other side they unjustly complaine of other Articles obtruded on their Beleefe whereas the Church hath only explained some few Articles of the Creed and vindicated them from Hereticall Glosses and Corruptions warranting those her Expositions by old Catholick Tradition upon a due legall search in an Oecumenicall Synod Lastly the denyall of the Composure of this Creed by the Apostles as a Summary of Truthes ordinarily necessary to Salvation which was the maine end of Composing it much advantageth the Socinians who beleeve not all to be necessary and some not true as they are construed in the old received Sense If Erasmus began first to doubt of the received Authors of the Creed he cannot well be excused for questioning so ancient and establish'd a Tradition whereby no Benefit could redound to the Christian Church but the Faith of many might be startled and Heresies awaked as we have seen by the Event and I am sorry that the Socinians should look on him as they doe though I hope amisse as their first Founder or chiefe Patron in this latter Age by reason of this and some other extravagancies of his Pen so that what Posseuine from others saies of him in relation to Luther may be verified in respect of Socinus in some of his Errours Erasmus innuit Socinus irruit And this Nescio of Erasmus which others have since improved to a Nego was presently censured by the Parisian Divines As for Mr Calvin though he saith indeed that he will not contend with any one about the Authors of the Creed as a Thing in his judgment not overmuch materiall yet he produceeth two Arguments in the same place which evince the Apostles and none others to have been the Composers thereof namely the concordant suffrages of Antiquity and the publike receiving or use thereof presently upon the Rise or originall of the Christian Church Instit lib. 12. cap. 16. 6. 18. But of his Testimony more fully hereafter Ob. 3. It seemes that the Creed containes not the whole Body of the Credenda or Christian Beleefe not all Credenda in generall for there are many thousand more which lie scattered in the Scriptures no nor all Fundamentall Points or necessary Doctrinall Truthes E. G. faith in the Trinity the Canon of Scripture that we are to worship God and goe to the Father by the Sonne the doctrine of Repentance good Works Baptisme Imposition of hands which are expresly called a Foundation Heb. 6. 1 2. none of which are in the Creed Adde hereunto the Deity of the Sonne of God which seems not to be proved by those words in the second Article His only begotten Sonne for he is called the Sonne of God in Scripture in respect of his Conception and Resurrection both which relate to his Humane Nature See Luk. 1. 35. Act. 13. 32 33. Rom. 1. 4. Answ The Creed containes all Fundamentall Points purely Doctrinall or Speculative that is necessary Credenda as opposed to the Agenda or Practicalls of Christianity The Canon of Scripture containes these Fundamentalls dispersedly and is delivered downe to us as the Creed is by Tradition but not comprehended in the Creed for when we name Fundamentals we speake of Matters or Points to be beleeved not of the Bookes which containe those Points The Points cited out of Heb. 6. are all Practicall so also is the worship of God and comming to the Father by the Sonne Baptisme is a Sacrament one of the Agenda's in the Church yet referr'd in the Nicene Creed to the 10th Article as the outward ordinary meanes for remission of Sinnes The Mystery of the Trinity is included in the Creed as hath been already shewed And so is the Divinity of our Saviour in those fore-cited words Vnigenitum Patris Filium The only begotten Sonne of the Father For though he be called the Sonne of God in relation to his Humanity in Luk. 1. 35. because in his Conception or Incarnation the Holy Ghost did supplere vicem Patris by a miraculous overshadowing or rather not simply as man but as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God and man in one Person in respect of that strange Vnion of the Humane Nature in one Hypostasis with the Divine by the supernaturall operation of the Holy Ghost as also in relation to his Raising againe whereby he was chiefly demonstrated to be the true Messiah or Sonne of God the first begotten of the Dead Act. 13. 32 33. Rom. 1. 4. Col. 1. 18. and Revel 1. 5. comp Col. 1. 15. Rom. 8. 29. Yet in the second Article of the Creed he is called the Only begotten Sonne of God with relation to God the Father and in respect of his Divinity which he received of the Father by an ineffable Generation from all Eternity for this Article is placed before his Conception by the Holy Ghost and his Nativity of the Virgin Mary much more before his Resurrection which manifested not made him the Sonne of God and therefore cannot relate to his Manhood but to his Godhead not to his Conception or Resurrection in time but to his Generation from Everlasting CAP. II. The History of the Apostles Composing the Creed out of Ruffinus Five Reasons why the Apostles delivered it to the Church not in Writing but by an Orall Tradition An objection against the preserving of it by Tradition Answered TOuching the Composing of the Creed by the Apostles which is my first Head Ruffinus Presbiter of Aquileia St Jeromes Contemporary and great Emulatour gives us this Relation in the beginning of his Exposition on the Creed Tradunt majores nostri quod post Ascensionem Domini cum per adventum Sancti Spiritus super singulos quosque Apostolos igneae
may not we justly referre that custome to the Age of the Apostles whereof we can find no beginning in the Church But to give you a more Positive and Expresse proofe that place in the First Epistle to Timothy cap. 6. v. 12. where he is said to have made a good Profession before many witnesses is understood of the Profession of the Creed at his Baptisme by S. Jerome and Occumenius And that other passage in Heb. 6. 1 2. of Faith towards God and the doctrine of Baptismes which are there joyned together is understood in the same sense by Chrysostome Augustine Oecumenius Theophylact and of latter times by Calvin and Panaeus as hath been shewed before Then for the instance of S. Peters 3000 cōverts it is not said that they were Baptized all in one day which can hardly be judged probable at that time for want of hands enough to the worke want of water about Jerusalem and the danger of making so publique a Baptisme but added to the Church that is dederunt nomina Christo they put themselves in the list of Disciples or Catechumeni and so became Candidates of Baptisme a custome anciently used in the Church as appears by Tertullian De Baptismo But if by Adding we must needs understand Initiating into the Church by Baptisme we must interpret The same day thus About the same time Day being put for Time by an usuall Hebraisme for which see Deut 27. 2. compared with Ios 8. 30. c. and Luk. 19. 42. As for their Confession of Faith whether the same Day or afterwards I readily grant that it could not be then framed in the words of the Apostles Creed which was not so early composed but instead of that they publiquely attested to the Truth of Saint Peters Sermon which contained the fundamentalls of Christianity that were after succinctly gathered into one Body in the Summary of the Creed which was thence forward the sole forme of Confession or Beliefe used at the time of Baptisme for none other we finde then used Besides some of the first conversions were miraculous and so not to be drawn into example as ordinary set Patternes of the Churches succeeding Practise the Apostles had the gift of discerning faith in the heart and so needed not alwaies expect an open Profession whereas others in following Times who had not the same Gift were tied to the ordinary Rule and method of proceeding thus the same Apostle caused Cornelius and his friends to be Baptized without any formall Profession of their Faith that we read of because he perceived that the Holy Ghost was powred on them Act. 10. 47 48. Reason 3d. The Creeds or Confessions of Faith which were framed by the Councells of Nice Constantinople Chalcedon and the rest that followed or which we find in the writings of the Fathers as in Athanasius Ierome and others are no new Creeds but comments on the old explanations of some points not so fully and clearly exprest which were then called in question and misinterpreted by some Hereticks of those times Now this may serve for a third Argument to prove that these Councells and Fathers had still a very carefull Eye on some former Creed derived from the Apostles unto their Times as a Rule or patterne to square their Symboles by To instance in the two most famous the Nicene and Athanasian The Nicene Creed enlargeth it selfe chiefly in the Point of our Saviours Divinity and that of the holy Ghost withall adding here and there some small Particles by way of Explication 1. To the first Article it addes and of all things visible and invisible thus more distinctly setting downe the parts ornaments and inhabitants of Heaven and Earth and withall condemning the opinion of some ancient Hereticks who made the Angels the Creatours of the world and so exempted these invisible Spirits from the ranke of Creatures 2. To the third Article it addes who for us men and our Salvation came downe from Heaven and was incarnate c. thus setting downe the end of our Saviours Incarnation 3. To the fift Article it addes according to the Scriptures thus shewing how our Saviours Resurrection answered to the foregoing Prophecies of the Old Testament 4. To the seventh Article it addes whose Kingdome shall have no end thus setting downe the necessary consequent of the generall Judgment namely the eternity of his heavenly Reigne Christ having then fully vanquisht and trodden all enemies under his feet 5. To the eight Article it addes these two Epithets which are applied unto the Church by way of explication viz. one and Apostolick the first included in the word Church which is of the singular number the second in the word Catholick for as the Apostles Commission was vniversall so also was their doctrine on which the Church was Founded 6. To the tenth Article it addes I acknowledge one Baptisme for c. thus shewing the meanes or Ordinance of Gods appointing whereby he forgives and cleanseth us from sin Then for the Creed of Athanasius If we cut of the Preface and conclusion which to speake properly are no parts but Adjuncts of it as wherin he shewes the necessity of the Catholick Faith to Salvation that is the evident danger of denying opposing or corrupting any Article of the Faith as the Arians and other Hereticks of those dayes did 1. He explaines at large the mystery of the Trinity which lies infolded in the First Second and Eight Articles of the Apostles Creed wherein we professe to believe in God the Father in his Sonne Iesus Christ and in the holy Ghost for this believing or putting our whole trust and confidence in the Sonne and holy Ghost as well as in God the Father shewes their coequality of power Goodnesse Wisedome and All sufficiency with him and consequently their Identity of nature whence the holy Scripture every where forbids us to place our Faith in or rely upon any Creature but to trust in God alone and when the Creed comes to the Article of the Church which is but an assembly of men though of the best and highest rancke it changeth the style saying not as before I believe in the Holy Catholick Church but I believe the Holy Catholick Church 2. He distinctly unfolds illustrates at large the mystery of our Saviours Incarnation especially by the similitude of the Soule and Body Now this is nought but a Paraphrase on the third Article of the Apostles Creed 3. To the tenth Article namely that of the Resurrection he adds these words all men shall give an account for their workes which shew the end of the Resurrection are besides involved in the precedent Article of Christs comming to judgment for there can be no Judging of mens Actions without a previous examination and giving an Account 4. To the last Article namely that of Life eternall for the good he addes and they that have done evill shall goe into everlasting Fire which necessarily followes by way of opposition besides that it
and Dignity of each Person so named so that they are Three in the manner of Subsistence but one in the Consent Socr. Hist lib. 2. cap. 7. The Fourth was Framed on this occasion Certaine Bishops being sent by Constantius to his Brother Emperour of the West for to give an account of the Casting out of Paulus Athanasius concealed the precedent Formula of Beliefe made at Antioch and exhibited this other of their owne composure viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. We believe in one God the Father Almighty Creator and maker of all Things of whom the whole Family in Heaven and Earth is named and in his only-begotten Sonne our Lord Jesus Christ begotten of the Father before all Worldes God of God Light of Light by whom all things were made both in the Heavens in the Earth whether Visible or Invisible who is the Word and the Wisdome and the Power and the Life and the true Light who in these last Dayes was for our sakes made Man and Borne of the holy Virgin was Crucified Dead and Buried and rose againe the third Day from the Dead he ascended into the Heavens sitteth on the right hand of the Father and shall come at the end of the World to Judge the Quicke and the Dead to render unto every one according to his workes Whose Kingdome never ceasing endureth unto all eternity for he sitteth at the right Hand of God not only in this world but also in that which is to come We believe also in the holy Ghost that is in the Comforter whom according to his Promise he sent to his Apostles after his ascent into Heaven to teach them bring all things to their remembrance by whom also the Soules of those who syncerely believe in him are Sanctifyed But those who say the Sonne was made of nothing or of any other Substance and was not of God and that there was a Time when he was not the Catholick Church doth not acknowledge them for her owne Socr. hist lib. 2. cap. 14. The Fift Creed is that which was rehearsed by Vrsacius and Valens two Arian Bishops in the Synod of Ariminum had bin not long before Composed by the Bishops of that Faction in the Synod of Sirmium The Forme is this which followes We believe in one only and true God the Father Almighty Creator Framer of all things in one only-begotten Sonne of God begottten before all Worlds before all Begining before all imaginable Time which we can possibly conceive or comprehend begotten of God without sense or passion by whom the Worlds or Ages were set in order and all things were made the only Son of his Father God of God like unto the Father who begat him according to the Scriptures whose Generation no one knoweth but the Father who begat him This only-begotten Sonne of his we know came from Heaven for the puttting away of sinne by the will of his Father was borne of the Virgin Mary conversed with his Disciples fulfilled every Part of his office according to the will and Councell of his Father was crucifyed suffered and Dyed descended into the lower Partes of the Earth and ordered all things there the Porters of Hell Trembling at his sight he rose againe the Third Day Conversed with his Disciples and after forty Dayes was taken up into Heaven and sitteth at the right hand of the Father and shall come at the last Day in the Glory of his Father to render unto every one according to his workes And in the holy Ghost whom the same only-begotten Sonne of God Jesus Christ promised to send unto mankind the Comforter according as it is writtē I depart unto my Father I will beseech the Father and he shall send you another Comforter the Spirit of truth he shall receive of mine and shall teach you and bring all things to your remembrance As for the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 essence because it being set downe by the Fathers without explication and not understood by the People gives cause of offence and because the Scriptures have no such word we have thought good to take it away and to make no mention at all hereafter of it when we speake of God because the holy Scriptures mention not at all the essence of the holy Ghost or the Sonne but we say that the Sonne is like unto the Father in all Things as the holy Scriptures say and Teach Soc. lib. 2. cap. 29. The sixt Confession of Faith is that new Formula which Acacius Bishop of Caesarea in Palestine one of the Arian Party proposed in the Synod of Seleucia by Leo a great officer in the Emperours Court The Forme was this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. We professe and believe in one God the Father Almighty maker of Heaven and Earth of things Visible and Invisible we believe also in our Lord Jesus Christ his Sonne begotten of him without Sense or Passion before all worlds God the Word the only-begotten of God the light the life the Truth the Wisdome by whom all Things were made both which are in Heaven and which are on Earth whether visible or invisible we believe that in the latter Age of the World he tooke flesh of the holy Virgin Mary for the putting away of sinne was made man suffered for our sinnes rose againe was taken up into Heaven sitteh at the right hand of the Father and shall come againe in Glory to judge the Quicke and the Dead we believe also in the holy Ghost whom our Lord and Saviour called the Comforter when he promised to send him to his Disciples after his departure and accordingly sent him by whom also he sanctifyeth those in the Church who believe and are Baptized in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost Those who Preach any other Faith than this wee Judge them aliens from the Catholick Church See for this Socr. Hist lib. 2. cap. 32. The Seventh Confession of Faith is that of the Macedonians exhibited by them to Liberius Bishop of Rome when they fled to him and the Emperour Valentinian for succour from the Persecution of his Brother Valens and the Arian Bishop Eudoxius The Forme was this We believe in one God the Father Almighty maker of all things visible and invisible and in one only-begotten God the Lord Jesus Christ the Sonne of God begotten of the Father that is of the Substance of the Father God of God light of light very God of very God begotten not made consubstantiall to the Father by whom all Things were made both which are in Heaven and which are on Earth who for us men and for our Salvation came downe was incarnate and made man suffered and rose againe the third Day he ascended into the Heavens and shall come to Judge the Quick and the Dead And in the holy Ghost But those who say of the Sonne of God that there was a Time when he was not a Time
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
Division become none as a great entire streame looseth it self and is quite dried up when parted into severall small Channels Now that this day is neere approaching these sad Prognosticks tell us especially the latter wherewith the present Age so greivously labours all which mischeife both heretofore arose amongst us and now tyrannizeth over us for want of a sure Rule or Ground of faith rightly understood and applied The holy Scripture indeed is an aboundantly sufficient Ground of our Beleife and Rule of manners but being exposed as now adayes it is to every mans private Fancy the Glosse too too oft wyer-drawes and corrupts the Text so that we look upon Gods word through a false-coloured Glasse Pretences of a private Spirit and enthusiasticall Revelations with the Anabaptist of right Reason with the Sosinian which is as diverse in men as their fancies or faces make what they please of Scripture and force it to speak their mind thus by perverting it to their own sense they are not judged by but judge the Law and become as S. James in a like Case saith James 4. 11. Not Doers or Beleevers of the Law but Judges The Apostles those renowned Patriarchs of the Christian faith foreseing this evill left us a double Remedy both by Tradition preserved in the Church to be delivered down unto all Ages from hand to hand viz. a Rule or Ground of faith and the exposition or right applying of this Rule The Ground or Rule in the Creed composed by themselves as a Summary of the points of Faith which lie dispersedly here and there in the large volume of the Scriptures The undoubted Exposition and right applying of this Rule they have left us in the writings of the Fathers who were their Successours to whose care and custody they not only committed the Oracles of God in writing and the Creed by word of mouth but the interpretation also of both as they heard them expounded from their own mouthes whil'st they lived and preached amongst them for in vaine had the Apostles given them the words if they had not given them the sense withall whereby to stop the mouthes of Hereticks who arose even at the first preaching of the Gospell as we may see in S. Pauls Epistles This orthodoxe sense is that which is so frequently mentioned in the writings of the Ancient Fathers under the name of Depositum Catholica seu Apostolica Traditio fides Ecclesiae and the like expressions and which Tertullian makes use of to confound the whole Hydra of Heresies in his Book De Praeser adu Haeret. bidding the Hereticks goe to those mother-Churches which the Apostles founded and personally resided in and to which they committed the true genuine Faith where saith he yee shall heare no newes of your upstart heterodoxe Doctrines invented by yourselves wherewith this proud factious Generation infested the Church and led away after them many seduced Proselytes Of this Tradition S. Paul speaks to his Disciple Timothy whom he had left behind him as his Deputy at Ephesus The things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses the same commit thou to faithfull men who shall be able to teach others also 2 Tim 2. 2. And to the Church of Thessalonica Brethren stand fast and hold the Traditions which yee have bin taught whether by word or our Epistle 2 Thes 2. 15. comp v. 5. 6. Observe here the cunning of Satan whereby in all Times but especially in these last and worst he makes way by these his fore-runners for the comming of that great Anti-christ He hath set men on work under pretence of honouring Scripture as the sole Al-sufficient Rule of Faith and of withdrawing themselves from all dangerous Dependance on mens erroneous judgments seeing every man is a liar wholy referring and submitting themselves to the Holy Ghost to be enlightened guided and directed by him some to render suspected others by degrees to enervate and secretly subvert a third sort openly to decry the judgment and Decisions of the Church in the Councils and Fathers when in the interim they are grossly and willingly ignorant that what they denie to Her they ascribe to themselves strongly and confidently asserting that to be the sole meaning of the Holy Ghost which agrees with their opinions confirmes their fore-received Tenents and favours their Side and Faction Now let all the world judge if it will be but an indifferent Arbiter whether it be not more equall to be judged in point of Religion by reverend Antiquity then by upstart giddy Novelty By the Consent of so many Auncient Worthies who living long before our Times are uninteressed and disengaged in our Quarrels then by the partiall Determinations of men educated in and addicted to a Faction By the joynt consent of many then the singular opinion of some one By men eminent for Learning who therefore well could not and for Piety who therefore would not deceive us then by the conceited Ignorance and factious spirit of some proud Novellist start up in this declining wicked Atheisticall Age By those who lived neerest the Apostles Times when the Church was one undevided into Greeke and Latine Romish and Reformed Lutheran and Calvinian when Tradition was fresh and uncorrupted like a streame running pure neere the Fountaine-head which afterwards gathered Dreggs by running farther into the more remote and succeeding Ages then by the Schismatical Directions of latter degenerate corrupt Times Lastly which is farre the most effectuall Argument by those who as they had newly received so constantly unanimously and uncorruptly held the Doctrinall Traditions of the Apostles the genuine sense of Scripture which they themselves left behind them who left the Scripture it selfe then to pinne our Religion upon the sleeves of some Idolized Innovatour who though he pretend the Authority of Gods Word an unerring spirit or the cleare inducements of Reason yet in truth hath nothing but Impudence and his Ipse dixit to maintaine his Assertions This Tradition it is which made the Auncient Bishops and Doctors of the Primitive Church so unanimous among themselves in what Part of the World soever they lived as having the same Deliverers of it who planted all those Churches wherein they succeeded and so taught in all as who received it from the same spirit who received it from the same Christ who received it from the same God the Father as Tertullian deduceth its Pedegree out of St Iohns Gospel Ch. 16. 13. 14 and Ch. 8. 28. Else if they had followed their own private judgements they must needs have often varied in their Determinations Hence it is that they make a great Distinction betweene what they received and published to the world as Depositaries Witnesses Historians and what Expositions or Conclusions they drew from their owne Braines as being their private Opinions in the latter they leave every man to his owne Censure and Judgment to receive or reject them as they find them Consonant to Scripture Antiquity and right Reason but
in the former they require an absolute Assent and condemne them all for Hereticks who goe not along with them in the same Path in that they shewed there modesty in this their Piety The Fathers being thus cashired and appealed from as unmeet illegall Judges because obnoxious to errour which hath been laboured to be made good by publishing som few paradoxicall Tenents found in the writings of some one or few of them which they conceive to be Errours though many of them perhaps will not appeare such upon due examination and after all their undutifull malicious Search whereby like Cham they have laid open their Fathers nakednesse they cannot finde one palpable Errour which they can justly lay to the charge of all or a major part of them thus at last missing their aime they proceed farther to call the Creed in question that undoubted Rule and Foundation of the Christian Faith which the Apostles with so much care Composed and left unto the Church as a most pretious Depositum the lydius lapis or Touchstone of the Catholick Beliefe and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Orthodoxe Professours They have called both the Authors and Authority in question first by doubting of and raising scruples against it then absolutely denying and laying down Arguments to disprove those Authours to whom it hath been constantly entitled for they both fall together take away the Authours and the Authority will soone vanish for if the Creed were not framed by the Apostles but collected out of Scripture by some uncertain and obscure Composer or Composers whose names are buried in forgetfulnesse seeing it containes some Articles which are not set down totidem verbis in any determinate Place of Holy Writ 't were possible that some Points might be mistaken not rightly gathered or deducted as by a fallible Hand and so the whole Frame of it of no more Authority then some peice of a Father or the Canon of a Councill if so much For though it be granted that all the Articles of the Creed be either expresse words of Scripture or by an undoubted consequence deducible from it yet the drawing of these Articles forth of Scripture requires an unerring and Divinely-guided Hand First because none else can know which is an Article of Faith that is a Fundamentall or Point necessary to Salvation who is not divinely informed of Gods will and pleasure in this matter Secondly because the Judge of the consequence must be infallible for otherwise it oft fals out that what in one mans judgment is a necessary Deduction is not so in anothers but probable only or perhaps false else we should have had lesse about the Trinity and Incarnation two maine points of our Faith to name no lesser ones Having removed these two Forts out of their way and demolished these Propugnacula fidei thē after they may safely build what new Fabricks they please upon the abused Groundwork of Scripture or rather having digg'd up the Groundwork of the Creed lay Reason for a new Foundation on which to build Castles in the Aire imaginary structures much like the enchanted Fortresses dream't of in the Monkish Romances then they may entertaine whatsoever strange fancies they please Fancies which unconstantly hover up and down in the Braine like so many Cloudes in the middle Region carried hither and thither by the wind and presenting now this now that monstrous shape having removed these two Bounds of Faith they may wander in the large field of Scripture at randome scatter here there what pernicious seeds they please root up what was already sowen confound the furrowes mixe adulterate graines with the pure seed of the word thus making havock of all and turning the field into a Wildernesse And though they seem to honour Scripture and appeale to it as the sole adequate Rule of Theologicall Truth yet in truth they use it but as a colour to set off their new-fangled Inventions the opinions bred within themselves and so wrest it to serve their own Turnes for where ever it seems to oppose them they strait accuse the Copie of Bastardy that such or such a Passage hath crept out of the Margin or Glosse into the Text or the place hath been interlaced by some of the adverse Party some opposite Father they alter at pleasure points letters words yea dash out whole verses and after all torture the poore Remainder till they have forced it to beare witnesse on their side and speak what they would have it take but for instance the beginning of S. Johns Gospell as 't is expounded by Volkelius If they should openly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 reject Scripture they would be exploded and expell'd out of Christian Common-wealths and so hindered from doing mischiefe but now the Divels craft makes use of those to undermine and subvert holy Scripture who seem most to stand for it and to perswade the doctrines of men who seem most to decry them In a word the body of Socinianisme to which we may now adde some other new Sects is compounded like some Hydra or Chymera or what other horrid Poeticall monster of the must pestilent poysonous Heresies which the Church hath ever laboured under or cōdemned in all Ages And wheras this Age hath bin much given to Systems and Compendium's least we should want one in any kind these men have furnisht us with an Epitome of Heresies a Breviary of Epiphanius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yea which is worse yet they have opened a large Gap for more by making weak depraved Reason without any other light or guide however the Scripture be pretended the sole Judg of Truth by abolishing faith that Reason may be exalted in her Place that Reason which is never the same or constant to it self either in diverse men or the same man at diverse times yet though they so much cry up liberty of Opinion they themselves are unwittingly though willingly Slaves to Socinus else why doe they all follow him so close was he the only unerring Guide the monopolizer of Reason The Socinians indeed outwardly receive the Canon of Scripture much extoll it to keep up their credit with the Christian world but expounding it as they doe in their own Sense contrary to the received Interpretation of the Ancients from by whose hands they received the Canon it selfe they doe as good as not receive it for the Scripture consists in the sense not in the words And whosoever shall take a full survey of their opinions will find that they imbrace no mystery therein revealed but only what is demōstrable by or at least fals within the Sphere of bare Reason the light of nature All the rest which appeare either opposite unto Reason or placed above it as the mysteries of the Trinity the Hypostaticall union Christs satisfaction for the sin of mankind the Resurrection of the same numericall Body the everlasting punishment of the damned for temporall faults c. they cannot away with because they can
see no reason for them diverting in the meane time all those Testimonies of Scripture which are produced to confirm these Principles by altering as I said of words letters points wresting of phrases affixing to the words new contrary Glosses by perverting other places to serve their own turn by false unheard-of Expositions so that this right Reason proves a crooked Rule and instead of imforming us of the Truth deformes the Originall the Touchstone of its Triall The Church of England in her 21 Article saith indeed that Generall Councils may erre and have erred But shee saith not that they have erred in matters of Faith only shee infers from hence wherefore things ordained by them as necessary to Salvation have neither strength nor authority unlesse it may be declared that they be taken out of Holy Scripture And good reason because the Scripture containes all things necessary to salvation But by whom are these things to be so declared Sure by the Fathers assembled in a Generall Councill So she makes these Fathers Declarers or Collectours of those necessary Points out of Scripture and for ought I can see judges of that necessity A very great Priviledge and as much as was ever challenged by them But she more expresly ties her Clergy to submit unto the judgment of the Fathers whether in or out of a Councill in weighty Points of Religion Synod Lond. An. 1571. Tit. 19. De Concionatoribus Imprimis videbunt Cincionatores ne quid unquam doceant pro Concione quod a Populo religiose teneri credi velint nisi quod consentaneum sit doctrinae veteris aut Nâ—vi Testamenti quodque ex illa ipsâ doctrinâ Catholici Patres veteres Episcopi collegerint Where she makes the Orthodoxe Fathers the sole Interpreters of Scripture who are to be followed by Preachers in matters of Consequence and ranks their Collections out of Holy Scripture with the letter it selfe which if it imploy not infallibility in expounding Scripture I am sure it comes very neere it Reason then is not the Judge of all Truth to which our Church may seeme to referre us by making Councils fallible that is bare naturall Reason but Reason enlightned neither were the Fathers guided by it in the maine Principles of Religion but by Faith relying on Authority divine or universall Tradition She may indeed yea ought to search into and examine Tradition whether it be genuine or spurious as the Beraeans Acts 17. 11. examined S. Pauls Citations of the Old Testament touching the Prophecies of the Messiah But when the Tradition is found to be good and cleare old and Catholick then Reason must submit to it although it may seeme to thwart or exceed her Neither doth S. Peter bid us to give a reason of our faith but to be ready to give an answer to every one that asketh us a reason of the hope that is in us 1 Peter 3. 15. that is upon what Grounds we expect eternall Happinesse by the Profession and Practice of the Christian Religion and this answer or reason to be given not rashly or conceitedly but with meeknesse and feare Indeed who the most Learned much lesse every ordinary Christian who hath the charg there given him can give a Reason or Demonstration of all Mysteries in Religion some of which as the Trinity and Incarnation we cannot so much as conceive or comprehend fully and distinctly Besides the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 there may be as fitly rendred a Reckoning or Account for the word is thus elsewhere taken 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Give an Account of thy Stewardship Luk 16. 2. and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they shall give an Account thereof viz. of every idle word Mat. 12. 36. but never as farre as I remember is the word used for a medium or Demonstrative Argument a Priori Is it not then the ready way to the Introduction of all Sects of Libertinisme yea at last of Atheisme it selfe to bring all Points of Religion to the Censure and Tribubunall of this conceitedly-blind Iudge which according to the mad wish of that Roman Tyrant cuts off the very neck of Religion at one blow For all Religions which hitherto have dared to shew their face to the world have grounded themselves on Authority either true or false on Reall or Pretended Revelations The Grecians had their Oracles Numa his Egeria and Mahomet his pretended Gabriel as well as the Jewes had their Moses and Christians their Jesus Humane Reason left to its own light and guidance never presumed in any Nation to be the Mother of a new Religion or a sufficient Directresse in it yea the light of Nature is acknowledged by the most acute Philosopher to be dim and darke in relation to Divine Objects compared therefore by him to the eye of an Owle at mid-day 't is not able therefore of it self to shew us the way to Heaven who converse here in a spirituall Aegypt a land of darknesse which is our naturall state no getting into Canaan but by a pillar of fire supernaturally raised and divinely moved Now as Anabaptisme is more suitable to the dreggs of the People and worketh on the grosser humours of the Body Politicke to whom Community of goods and freedome from the power of Magistrates are pleasing Tenents so this as a poyson farre more deadly seazeth on the subtler wits as on the finer animal-spirits therefore the more dangerous because abler Instruments of mischeife Reason at the best is fallacious enough but when thus cried up as the sole supreme Judge of all from whom lies no Appeale no marvell if she extreamly please he selfe in novell Inventions and become much enamoured of them as her owne genuine Birthes Shee is therefore a most dangerous Guide being thus left to her selfe in matters of Religion which as Vincentius Lir. tels us is not Res inventa sed tradita not found out by our selves but received from our Auncestours Sure then Eternall Salvation is a businesse of more weight then to be intrusted to her Dictates and Directions whence it is that holy Scripture every where cries downe the wisdome of the world the judgment of the naturall man the vaine deceits of the Heathen Philosophers who were the great Masters and Admirers of Reason and the darknesse of our understanding in things Divine in the Mystery of Godlinesse And methinks when Reason decives us so oft in smaller matters in objects farre lower such as lie within its owne Spheare it should a loud proclaime this Caveat to an indifferent and experienced man that we are not to trust it in things of the greatest moment which lie so farre above its reach that we are not to follow a false wandering Meteour an Ignis fatâ—us here below when we have the bright Morning Starre to guide us in this vale of darknesse untill the Sunne of Righteousnesse arise with healing in his winges But to returne to the Argument which I have in hand As I dare not be so rash as
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
being indeed the Articles of the Creed viz That there is but one God who made all things of nothing That this God sent his Sonne our Lord Jesus Christ begotten of the Father before every Creature by whom all Creatures were made He was incarnate and made man assuming a Body like in all things to us but that it was borne of the Virgin being conceived by the Holy Ghost He truly Dyed not in apearance the comon death of all men for he truly rose againe Having converst with his Disciples after his Resurrection he was taken up into Heaven That the Holy Ghost is associate with the Father and Sonne in the same Honor and Dignity there shall be a time for the Resurrection of the Dead when this body which is sowne in corruption shall rise in incorruption and that which is sowne in dishonor shall rise in glory This world was made and had a certaine time of begining and by reason of ' its corruptability shall be at length dissolved That there are certain Angels of God and good spirits which minister unto him in procuring the salvation of man kind He adds at last an other Traditionall Foundation viz. That the Scriptures were written by the Holy Ghost After all he concluds oportet igitur velut elementis ac fundamentis hujusmodi uti That we ought to make use of these as the first Elemens and Grounds of Christian Religion which he accordingly explaines at large in those foure bookes of his entituled therefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the Principles of Christianity a worke fit for his office of Catachist which he bore for many years in the Church of Alexandria 4. Marcellus Bishope of Ancyra in Gallatia fellowsuferer with the great Athanasius being accused by the Arians of Sabellianisme as Athanasius also was and by their means expeld his Bishoprick flies unto Iulius Bishope of Rome for succour and having long there in vaine expected his adversaries comming by confronting of whom he desired to have accquitted himselfe at length weary of longer stay he takes his leave of Iulius and leaves behind him an Epistle wherein he makes this Profession of Faith exceeding conformable to that of the Apostles as we read it at this Day 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is I Believe in God Almighty and in Jesus Christ his only-begotten Sonne our Lord conceived by the Holy Ghost and borne of the Virgin Mary crucifyed under Pontius Pilate and buried the third Day he rose againe from the Dead he ascended into the Heavens and sitteth at the right hand of the Father whence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead And I believe in the Holy Ghost the Holy Church the forgivenesse of sinnes the resurrection of the Body the Life Everlasting But this is not all to shew that this Creed was not of his own framing a little after he subjoynes these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Having received this Faith from the holy Scriptures and being taught it of my spirituall Progenitors or Divine Ancestors I both Preach it in the Church of God and have now wrote it unto thee O Iulius This Epistle with the foresaid Creed inclosed we find recorded by Epiphanius in his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Haeres 72. Now whom doth Marcellus meane by his Progenitors or Ancestors 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to or in God Sure he understands either his Godfathers at the Font or the Bishops of the Church by whom he was instructed in the Ancient Faith Or lastly which seemes to me most probable the Apostles themselves who were the true and proper Fathers or Founders of the Christian Church whence that of S. Paul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is Though you have ten thousand Instructers or Pedagogues in Christ yet have ye not many Fathers It followes there 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For in Iesus Christ I have begotten you through the Gospell 1 Cor. 4. 15. 5. S. Basil the Great in his Tract 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 concerning the Creed or Christian Faith sets downe this Symbole or Confession thereof 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is We Believe and professe one only true and good God the Father Almighty of whom are all Things the God and Father of our Lord and God Jesus Christ and one only begotten Sonne of his our Lord and God Jesus Christ the only True one by whom all things were made both visible and invisible and by whom all things consist who was in the Begining with God and was God and afterward according to the Scripture he appeared upon Earth and conversed with men being in the forme of God he thought it not robbery to be equall with God yet he made himselfe of no reputation and taking upon him the forme of a Servant by being borne of a Virgin and being found in fashion as a man he fulfilled all things which concerned him and were written of him according to the commandment of his Father he became obedient to the Death even the Death of the Crosse and the third Day arising from the Dead according to the Scriptures he appeared to his holy Disciples and to the Rest according as it is written he ascended into the Heavens and sitteth on the right hand of the Father from whence he shall come at the end of this world to raise up all and to render to every one according to his workes when the righteous shall be taken into Life Eternall and the Kingdome of Heaven and the sinners shall be condemned to everlasting punishment where their worme dieth not and the fire is not quenched And in one only Holy Ghost the Comforter by whom we are sealed to the day of Redemption the Spirit of Truth Here we have all the Articles of the Creed but two viz. The Beleefe of the Holy Catholick Church and the forgivenes of sinnes which he sets downe in the ensuing words wherein he largely descants on the gifts of the Holy Ghost towards the Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. By which Spirit we are sealed unto the day of Redemption the Spirit of Truth the Spirit of Adoption by whom we cry Abba Father which distributeth and effecteth in every one the Graces of God unto edification according to his pleasure the good Spirit which leadeth into all Truth and establisheth all that believe in the true and exact knowledge in the Godly and Spirituall service and worship and true confession of God the Father and his only-begotten Sonne c. Concluding thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thus we think and thus we baptize 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into a coessentiall Trinity according to the command of our Lord Jesus Christ who said goe and teach all nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Sone and of the Holy Ghost A little after he intimates from whom he received the foresaid confession of faith namely from Christ and his Apostles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. I beseech you saith
in Symbolo deest quod ex scriptis Dei per Apostolos Dei conditum totum in se quantum ad authoritatem pertinet habet quicquid vel hominum est vel Dei quamvis etiam quod per homines factum est Dei existimandum sit quia non tam illorum per quos factum est quam illius credendum esse qui fecit i That which in Greek is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Latines call a Collation a Collation I say because the Apostles of the Lord gathered into one in the perfect Breviary of the Creed wherein they faithfully summed up all the Points of the Catholik Beleef whatsoever is largely diffused through the whole Body of the Scriptures This is that short word which the Lord utterd collecting the Faith of both Testaments and concluding the sense of the whole Scripture in a few briefe Sentences framing this Modell out of his owne materialls and comprising the virtue of the whole Divine Law in a most compendious Summary in this manner consulting as a most indulgent Father to apply a Remedy unto the negligence and Ignorance of some of his Children that so the most simple and unskilfull Novice should not be troubled to comprehend it which might also be easily conteined in memory thou seest therefore in the Creed the Authority of God himselfe for a short worke or word will the Lord make upon the Earth Rom. 10. 28. But perhaps thou requirest the Authority of Men neither is that wanting for God made the Creed by the Ministery of men for as he composd the great Bulke of holy writ cheifly by his Patriarchs and Prophets so he framed the Creed by his Apostles Prejsts There is nothing therefore defective in the Creed which being compiled by the Apostles of God out of the Scriptures of God hath perfectly in it selfe for matter of Authority whatsoever either God or men can contribute although indeed that which was thus framed by men is to be esteemed the Worke of God it not being so much to be ascribed unto those by whome it was made as to him who made it nor to be thought the worke of the Instruments but of the Author Afterward he thus sets downe the Text of the Creed Credo in unum Solum verū Deum Patrem Omnipotentem Creatorem omnium visibilium invisibilium Creaturarum in Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum Filium ejus unigenitum primogenitum totius Creaturae ex eo natum ante omnia Secula non factū Deum verum ex Deo vero homoousion Patri per quem secula compaginata sunt omnia facta qui propter nos venit natus est ex Maria Virgine Crucifixus sub Pontio Pilato sepultus tertiâ Die resurrexit secundùm Scripturas in Coelos ascendit iterum veniet judicare vivos mortuos reliqua in Symbolo quòd Ecclesiarum omnium Fidem loquitur c. I believe in one only true God the Father Almighty maker of all Creatures both visible and invisible and in Jesus Christ our Lord his only begotten Sonne the first Borne of every creature begotten of him before all worlds and not made very God of very God of one substance with the Father by whom the worlds were Framed or Ages set in order and all things made who for our sakes came and was borne of the Virgin Mary Crucifyed under Pontius Pilate and buried the third Day he Rose againe according to the Scriptures and ascended into the Heavens and shall come againe to judge the Quicke and the Dead And the rest that Followes in the Creed which speakes the Beleefe of all the Churches By this Creed he confutes Nestorius through his whole First Booke as by that Faith which was received throughout the whole world concluding in these words Licet omnium ecclesiarum sit quia una omnium fides peculiariter tamen Antiochenae urbis atque Ecclesiae est illius sc in qua tu editus in qua institutus in qua renatuses That is Although this be the Faith of al the Churches which believe al alike yet it is more peculiarly the Faith of the Citty and Church of Antioch to wit of that Church wherein thou O Nestorius wert Borne Bred and Baptized 11. Eusebius Emesenus or rather Gallicanus hath three Homilies extant on the Apostles Creed wherein he sets downe the Creed verbatim and after explaines it Gaigneus Chancellour of Paris set forth these Homilies under the name of Eus. Emesenus grounding his opinion on two places of the Decret wherein these Homilies are cited under his name others have ascribed them to Caesarius Bishop of Arles a third sort to Eucherius Bishop of Lyons a fourth unto Faustus Bishop of Regium because the Author of these Homilies saith that he was made Bishop ex Abbate lirinensi as Faustus was so Bellarmine But the Learned Andreas Schottus more probably entitles them to Eusebius not Bishop of Emesa in Syria a Bishop of Gaule sprung perhaps from that or some other Emesa and thence denominated the Latine style being too elegant for a Translation and savouring of the French Dialect and to confirme this he cites an ancient verse made by a Scholler of Rabanus Maurus wherein such an one is set downe by name though his Diocesse be not mentioned But whoever were the Authour of them his Testimony is of good credit each one of the Five mentioned having beene Ancient and famous Bishops 12. Venantius fortunatus Bishop of Poictiers hath written an explication of the Apostles Creed in the Preface whereof he hath these words Collata Apostolis scientia linguarum adhuc in uno positi hoc est inter se Symbolum unusquisque quod sensit dicendo condidere That is The Apostles having conferd on them the gift of Tongues before their dispersion framed the Creed by mutuall consent among themselves every one contributing what he thought meet And a little after Symbolum Collatio dicitur Graece quia hoc ipsi interse per spiritum Sanctum salubriter condiderunt That is The word Symbole in Greek signifies a Collation because the Apostles joyntly framed it for the common benefit through the assistance of the holy Ghost 13. Isidore Bishop of Sevil lib. de off Eccles cap. 22. speakes thus of the Creed Symbolum competentes accipiunt in quo pauca 〈◊〉 verba sed omnia continentur Sacramenta de totis enim Scripturis haec breviatim collecta sunt ab Apostolis ut quia plures Credentium literas nesciunt vel qui sciunt prae occupationibus Seculi Scripturas legere non possunt haec corde retinentes habeant sibi sufficientem scientiam salutarem That is The Competentes receive the Creed wherein there are but few words but all misteries are therein contained which were breifly gathered out of the whole Scriptures by the Apostles because that many of the Beleevers being unable to read and they who can being hindred by their worldly businesses reteining these few
Church 2. That this Creed is produced by Tertullian against those Hereticks who denyed the Scriptures 3. That the Nicene Creed although a full and compleate Forme yet was not the first which the Christian Church had for which he refers us to Tertullian Now that Creed which was older than the Councell of Nice can be no other than the Apostles Creed seeing no other Creed was ever mentioned before the time of that Councell nor other Authors assigned And for Tertullians Testimony to whom we are referd he clearely assignes the Apostles for the Authors 6. Bullinger in the Begining of his Decads whereto he prefixeth the Ancient Creeds hath these words Sufficiebat hactenus Symbolum Apostolorum sufficisset Ecclesiae Christi etiam Constantini Seculo confitentur enim omnes omnes Ecclesias non alio Symbolo quam Apostolico usas eodemque fuisse per totam terrarum orbem contentas quoniam verò Constantini magni aetate emerfit impius blasphemus Arius qui Christianae fidei puritatem corrupit simplicitatem doctrinae Apostolicae pervertit coacti sunt ipsa necessitate Ecclesiarum ministri sese impostori opponere ac Symbolo editio verum id est veterem fidei confessionem damnatâ Arii novitate declarando ex Scripturis canonicis illustrare neque enim in aliis mox sequentibus tribus conciliis Generalibus editis Symbolis quicquam mutatum est in Doctrinâ Apostolorum neque quicquam novi adiectum quod prius ex Scriptura sancta Ecclesiae Christi habuerunt crediderunt sed corruptionibus novitatibus Haereticorum antiqua veritas illustrata per Symbola prudenter utiliter religiose est opposita That is Hitherto the Creed of the Apostles sufficed and had sufficed the Church of Christ even in the Time of Constantine for it is confest by all that all Churches used no other Creed than that of the Apostles and were contented therewith all the world over but because in the Time of Constantine the Great there sprang up that impious and blasphemous Arius who corrupted the Purity of the Christian Faith and perverted the Simplicity of the Apostolick Doctrine the Pastors of the Churches were compeld out of necessity to oppose themselves unto such an Imposture and setting forth a Creed to illustrate the True that is the Ancient Confession of Faith by manifesting it out of Scriptures thereby condemning the novelty of Arius for neither in the three other generall Councels which followed that of Nice was there any thing changed by setting forth their Creeds in the doctrine of the Apostles nor any new thing added unto what the Churches of Christ formerly had and believed out of the Holy Scripture but the Ancient Faith being illustrated by the Creeds was prudently profitably and piously opposed unto the Corruptions and Novelties of the Hereticks 7. Christopher Barbarossa in the Preface to his Catecheticall Analysis wherein he hath drawne into Method the Catechisticall Meditations of seventeene Protestant Divines set forth by the Deane and Colledge of Divines in the Academy of Rostock hath these words Apostoli Synodi brevibus Symbolis doctrinae Christianae Summam complexi sunt quilibet Apostolorum suum contulit ad hoc Symbolum Ratio quare Apostoli composuerunt hoc Symbolum duplex est 1. Suiipsius causâ ut certam haberent Regulam Amussim doctrinae postquam exire vellent in totum Mundum 2. Propter nos ipsos ut haberemus Regulam Amussim Fidei contra Haereticos Nomen Articuli requirit integram omnium Fidei Articulorum cognitionem confessionem si modò Fides perfecta integra esse debet That is The Apostles and Synods comprehended the summe of Christian doctrine in certaine breife Creeds Every one of the Apostles contributed his part to the Creed There is a double Reason why the Apostles composed the Creed 1. For their owne sake that they might have a certaine Rule or measure of Doctrine after they had resolved to goe forth into the whole world 2. For our sakes that we might have a Square or Rule of Faith against the Hereticks The word Article requires an entire knowledg and Confession of all the Points of Faith if so be it ought to be whole and perfect 8. Grinaeus de Eccles contin Primitiva Ecclesia habuit Symbolum Apostolorum cujus plena in Scripturis explicatio non abit ab hoc quod in Irenaeo extat Symbolum lib. 1. cap. 2. That is The Primitive Church had the Creed of the Apostles which is fully explained in the Scriptures This Creed is not diverse from that which is extant in Irenaeus 9. Nicol. Selneccerus in his Paedagogia Christiana Tria Symbola usitate nominantur Apostolicum Nicenum Athanasianum Apostolicum majus in quarta Apostolorū Synodo conscriptum fuisse arbitrantur 1. De electione Matthiae 2. De Ordinatione Diaconorum 3. De Abdicatione legalium 4. Vt existimatur de conscribendis his Fidei Articulis ut certa norma 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 praecipuorum Capitum doctrinae Christianae cum Apostolis jam esset in totum terrarum orbem abeundum extaret confessio quae unanimem ipsorum consensum exhiberet ut autem hoc se habeat certum tamen est in hoc Symbolo quod internae nostrae Fidei Professio concordia est contineri omnia Capita totius Religionis Christianae recte perspicue ordine That is There be three famous Creeds the Apostles the Nicene and that of Athanasius the Apostles Creed is of the greatest account and is supposed to have been compiled in the fourth Synod of the Apostles whereof the first was concerning the election of Mathias the Second concerning the Ordination of Deacons the Third concerning the disanulling of Ceremonies Act. 15. the Fourth as is conceived concerning these Articles of Faith which should serve as a certaine Rule or Modell of the cheife Heades of Christian Doctrine and seeing that the Apostles were now to goe forth into the whole world there might be extant a Confession which should exhibite their unanimous consent unto all But however this businesse was ordered 't is certaine that in this Creed which is the concordant profession of our inward Faith are conteined all the Heads of the whole Christian Religion Rightly Clearely and Orderly 10. Alex. Nowell in his Catechisme giveth two Reasons why the Creed is entituled to the Apostles whereof the First and Cheife and to which he principally enclines is this that it was ab Ore Apostolorum exceptum Received from the mouthes of the Apostles and his following words confirme this reason of the Name wherein he declares that it hath been Ab initio usque Ecclesiae receptum received from the very begining of the Christian Church and from that Time hath perpetually abode in it firme Authentick immoved amongst all Pious Christians ut certa atque constituta Christianae Fidei Regula as a sure setled Rule of the Christian Beliefe As for his latter conjecture of the name Apostolick that
it might be so cal'd quia ex eorum scriptis summa fide collectum because the Creed was most faithfully gathered out of the Apostles writings he might well indulge to the doubtfull speaking of some Divines in his Time 11. Confessio Saxonica Artic. 1. Affirmamus clare coram Deo universa Ecclesia in Coelo in Terra nos vera Fide amplecti omnia scripta Prophetarum Apostolorum quidem in hac ipsa nativa sententia quae expressa est in Symbolis Apostolico Niceno Athanasiano Et haec ipsa Symbola eorum nativam sententiam sine corruptelis semper constanter amplexi sumus Deo Juvante perpetuo amplectemur Damnamus etiam constantissimè omnes furores qui pugnant cum Symbolis ut sunt Samosateni Serveti Arii Pneumatomachorum portentosae opiniones aliae condemnatae veris Ecclesiae Judiciis That is We openly affirme before God and the universall Church in Heaven and in Earth that with a true faith we imbrace all the writings of the Prophets and Apostles in that very genuine primitive sence which is exprest in the Creeds of the Apostles Nic. and Athanatius and that we have alwayes constantly imbraced and by Gods helpe will alwayes imbrace these Creeds and their true native meaning without falsifying or depravation we also most resolutely condemne all those mad heresies which are repugnant to the Creeds namely those of Samosatenus Servetus Arius and the portentous opinions of the Pneumatomachi and what others condemned by the Just censures of the Church 12 Bohemica Confessio Fides Apostolica in duodecim Articulos digesta tradita in Symbolo per Nicenam Synodum atque adeò alias confirmata exposita est That is The Apostolick Faith being digested into twelve Articles and dilivered in the Creed hath been confirmed and explained by the Nicene and other succeeding Synods 13. Galliae Confes Art 5. Tria illa Symbola nempe Apostolicum Nicenum Athanasianum idcircò approbamus quod sint verbo Dei Scripto consentanea That is Those three Creeds the Apostolick the Nicene and that of Athanasius we therefore approve of because they are agreeable to the written Word of God And Serrarius the Jesuit whom we may well credit in such a matter in his Tract of the Athanasian Creed informes us that the Calvintan Divines in an Assembly of theirs at Lausanna profest that they agreed with the Lutherans concerning those Ancient Creeds and ascribed to them together with the Sciptare a Judiciary Power or Authority which all ought to obey Whence we may gather that they Judged them to proceed from the same Fountaine to wit from Divine or Apostolick Tradition otherwise they would not have conjoyned them with the Scriptures as the Authentick Judges or Rules whereby all Controversies are to be decided 14. The Church of England in her eight Art of the three Creeds agrees with the rest The three Ceeds Nic. Creed Athanasian Creed and that which is commonly cal'd the the Apostles Creed ought thorowly to be received and observed for they may be proved by most certaine warrants of the holy Scripture From these Foure last Testimonies taken out of the Confessions of the Reformed Churches I gather 1. That they concordantly receive these three Antient Creeds and reject whatsoever Heresy or opinion is repugnant to them from whence it will appeare that they have introduced no new Faith or Religion different from the old much lesse opposite unto it 2. They not only receive the Apostles Creed but also acknowledge it for such and by that name contra distinguish it to the Nicene and Athanasian therefore by that Title they are as justly presumed to acknowledge the Apostles for the composers of the one as the Councell of Nice and Athanasius for the Composers of the other Two 3. The Bohemick Confession tels us that the Nicene Councell and the rest that followed did confirme and expound that Faith which had been delivered in the Creed of the Apostles and distributed according to their number into twelve Articles so then the Apostles Creed was the First and not only the First but the Entire and Compleat Summary of the Christian Faith to which succeding Ages added nothing in their severall Formes of Confession or Beleefe but only explained them 4. The Gallican Church and our Mother of England say indeed that they receive the three Creeds because agreeable to the holy Writ but they say not that they receive them only for that Reason so that this expression doth not any way crosse the fore-delivered Tenent of deriving the Creed immediatly from the Mouthes of the Apostles no more than our Blessed Saviour and his Apostles confirming the Doctrine they taught by the testimonies of Moses and the Prophets prejudiced the truth and infallibility of the Spirit by which they spake See Jo. 5. 39 46 47. Act. 26. 22. Chap. 28. 23. Such an Accessory confirmation renders the Truth more cleare and Full and serves not so much to confirme the Doctrine it selfe as the Persons to whom it is delivered CAP. VII Six Reasons evincing the Apostles to have been the Composers of the Creed which commonly bears their name Some Objections against these Reasons answered The Place where the Creed was Made Of Fundamentalls and Traditions TO the Testimony of Scripture Consent of Antiquity and the joynt concordant Suffrages of our latter Protestant Divines I shall subjoyne in the last Place the Verdict of Reason which waits upon the forementioned Authorities giving strength unto some and light unto others Reason 1. The Title which it bears of the Apostles Creed or Symbole hath been generally acknowledged throughout all ages of the Church never questioned till of late cheefly by our moderne Antitrinitarians That Arch heritick Photinus their Fore-father perverted it indeed with the comments Vt fideliter simpliciter dicta ad argumentum sui dogmatis traheret That he might pervert the generall wordes thereof to the countenancing of or complying with his corrupt Tenents as Ruffinus informes us but he never durst deny either its Authority or its Authors Sure this Generall Tradition and unanimous consent of the Church is no weake Argument to evince the true Authors But to this Reason I find three things Objected Ob. 1. Against the Name Symbolum From whence some draw an Argument that it was joyntly composed by the Apostles because the Word is derived from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Conferre in unum and so signifies a Collation of many the Metaphor being drawne from Caena collatitia a Supper in common whereto every one of the guests brought his dish of meat or were he laid downe his shot equally with the rest whereas it might be called a Symbole or Collation not because it was gathered a Pluribus sed ex Pluribus not by many men but out of many materialls and this Collation made out of Scripture not by the Apostles themselves but by Apostolick men and their Disciples ab Ecclesiarum Patribus as Eusebius
Emes tels us Hom. 1. in Symb. which appellation agrees to those who lived in latter Times So Canones Apostolorum are called by the Apostles Names though not compiled by them but by Clemens as the Title of those Canons witneseth Yea both Greeke and Latine Fathers have communicated the name Apostle to others to any Bishop the Church of Rome keepe the old stile still The Apostolick See The Apostolick Bulles Our Saxon Predecessours gave the Bishop of Rome the Title of Apostle and Apostolicall Pope Bed hist lib. 2. c. 2 11. Austin the Monke is called Anglorum Apostolus Philip the Deacon is called an Apostle by Tertullian and Epaphroditus by St Paul Phil. 2. 25. So many others besides the Twelve whom St Chrysostome by way of Distinction calls 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apostles by way of Eminency were called Apostles who might give name to the Creed as well as the Twelve therefore it is no concluding or necessary Argument It is called the Apostle Creeds Ergo it was made by the Twelve Then for the Title Symbolum that doth not signify such a Collation or Feast in Common but rhe word Symbola and therefore cannot imply or allude to any such composing of the Creed by the joynt concurrence of the Apostles Besides Cajetan ad 2am 2ae qu. 1. art 8. Tels us that Aquinas thinking fit to number the Articles ex parte rei creditae with relation to the matter not the makers of the Creed for this cause passed by that famous distribution of them according to the number of the Apostles because it is accidental to the Articles of Faith whether they be gathered by many or by one as that of Athanasius Answ Good Authors indeed assigne that for the reason and etymology of the Apostolick Symbole that it was an Apostolicall Collation or Collection of the Fundamentall Points of Beliefe by the twelve Apostoles yet not as the principall argument but by way of Appendix and Congruity unto the forementioned Tradition But this distinction saith the objectour or Collation of severall Articles might be made by Apostolick Men and their Disciples out of the holy Scripture and from thence obtaine the name of the Apostolick Symbole But it might be so and it was so are two things If it might be so it might be otherwise sure this private groundles conjecture may well give place to the constant assertion of so many Ancient and learned Authors who affirme the Apostles to have been the Composers of the Creed and give that for the reason of the name which it beares As for the Testimony of Eusebius Hom. 1. in Symb. who is there produced to say that the Creed was written not by the Apostles but by the Fathers of the Churches he hath no such exclusive words as non ab Apostolis quidem but saith that the Fathers of the Churches whom a litle after he calls Magistri the Masters of the sayd Churches Composed the Creed Now who be these but the Apostles exprest by way of Periphrasis for they and they only may properly be called the Fathers or Masters not of this or that Church in particular but of all the Churches in the World their Comission Being generall Goe and Teach all Nations Math. 29. 19. Whereas others were limited to this or that Church as the Apostles pleased to dispose of them and were the Sonnes or Disciples of the Apostles as St Paul termes Timothy and Titus in his Epistles which he wrote unto them 1 Tim. 1. 2. Tit. 1. 4. Hence also it is that St Paul tels his Corinthians 1 Cor. 4. 15. Though ye have ten thousand instructers in Christ yet have ye not many Fathers for in Christ Jesus I have Begotten you through the Gospell And St James in his Epistle to the dispersed Jewes secretly taxing the proud-conceited Rabbins who affected the highest seats in the Synagogues the office of teaching their Brethren My Brethren saith he Be not many Masters Jam. 3. 1. This conjecture therefore deserves as litle faith as it hath foundation that is none at all for the Fathers constantly say it was called The Apostles Creed because Framed by and derived to the Christian Church from the Apostles of Christ and this may justly sway us in this Case for the Title prefixt doth not only beare this construction but more directly points out and inclines us to this meaning Titles being therefore given that they may designe the Authors or Composers of that worke unto which they are prefixt and the Fathers living in the first Ages should best know the Tradition the Title then of the Apostles Creed is not nakedly produced as a convincing Argument but as backt and seconded with the Attestation of Antiquity As for the contrary Instance of the Canons of the Apostles although they beare the name of Clemens in the Inscription who first gatherd them into one Body yet they may well challenge the Apostles for the Authors who first instituted and put them in Practise Then as to the promiscuous use of the name Apostle and Apostolick and the applying of them to the Ancient Bishops it will not hurt at all or prejudice the Title of the Creed Because the Fathers entitle it to the Apostles so cal'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by way of Eminency some of them expresly naming the Twelve as Ambrose Ruffine and Augustine others decyphering them by such circumstances as can agree to none other than The Apostles who left the Srciptures to us so Irenaeus Such Apostles who received this Rule from Christ their Master at the very begining of the Gospell and before the rise of any Heresy so Tertullian Such who left us the Faith per successionis Ordinem by a continued line of Episcopall successours so Origen And all the rest name the Apostles indefinitly not limited to a particular See charge or place by any determining circomstance now it is a knowne Rule in Logick concerning ambiguons Termes Analogum per se positum stat pro famosiori Analogato Neither indeed do the instances alleadged shew that the Name was commonly given to every Bishop at large but either to some Episcopall See which the Apostles had personally founded as to that of Rome founded by Peter and Paul or to some speciall Person who planted a New Church or converted a whole Nation to Christianity which is a worke properly Apostolicall as to Epaphroditus of Collosse and Augustin of our Saxon nation in his sense did our Saxō Kings probably give the Title of Apostolick to the Bishop of Rome as well as for the former reason because Gregory the Great sent over Augustine hither with certaine coadjutors to convert our Ancestours from Paganisme The like may be said in proportion of Philip the Deacon who was sent by the holy Ghost with a speciall Commission to convert the Eunuch of Queene Candace and by his meanes the whole Nation of Ethiopia as Church-story tels us But to the criticall quarrell against the word Symbolum that not it but Symbola
signifies such a Collation I shall endeavour to evidence the contrary out of good Authors and by the judgement of learned Criticks 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 collecta caena collectitia saith Budaeus in his Lexicon 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so Jul. Pollux in his Onomasticon lib. 6. cap. 1. the accent whereof shewes it is the Gen. case plurall of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Athenaeus hath the same instance lib. 8. circa finem reading the gen case 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 so Budaeus cites it though Casaubon in his Edition read it otherwise Latine Authors also agree to this Reading in whose writings we find Symbolum taken in this sense as well as Symbola Ter. in Andr. Act. 1. Scen. 1. Symbolum dedit caenavit ubi Symbolum quidam imperitè corrigunt saith Budaeus cum utrumque dicatur aequè rectè Plautus in Sticho Eo condictum Symbolum ad caenam ac ejus conservum Sangurinum Syrum And in his Curcul 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vocat Symbolorum Collectores-Legimus apud Gellium Talia Symbola saith H. Steph. in his Thesaurus though in his own Edition of Gellius Parâ—â— 1585. he read Tales Symbolae this being in likelyhood the ground of the difference that Symbola is the more usuall word whereas in the old copies it was written Symbolum this correction therefore is corrected by Budaeus The same Stephanus in his Thesaurus tells us Apud Plautum ac Terentium non solum Symbolam sed Symbolum legimus And concerning this Etymology of the Apostles Symbole he is cleare and plaine ut ut sit saith he 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Apostolicum potius ab hac 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 significatione quam ab altera ad quam id nonnullos referre dixi viz. Tessera militaris appellatum fuisse Augustini etiam testimonio confirmari potest Serm. de Temp. Then he adds Symbolum tamen est potius quod confertur id est collatum quà m collatio haec enim est ipsa conferendi actio Which words apply the Title of Symbolum more closely and genuinely to the Creed which is nothing but Corpus Fidei è duodecim Articulis collatum sive collectum Although then we might say of this word Symbolum as of some others that the Holy Scriptures and Fathers take not a few Termes in another sense then they are commonly used in by prophane Authors as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Sacramentum c. Yet in this particular we need not make use of any such refuge because the Fathers who used the Title of Symbolum were many of them skilled in the Greeke tongue and use it in the same sense as other heathen Authors before them did Lastly to that Division of the Creed which Cajetan mentions out of Aquinas which relates to the matter not to the makers of the Creed it is scarce worth the answering for Cajetan there speakes of Symbolum in generall not of the Apostles Creed precisely he grants that the Distribution of the Articles according to the number of the Composers was one very known and famous he brings such a reason of the word Symbolum as contradicteth not the other but rather alludeth to it and lastly apologizeth for Aquinas because he passed by the usuall distinction Ob. 2. Against the Title Apostolick It might be so called not that it was composed by the Apostles but because it is a Compendium of the Apostles Doctrine and of all other Creeds comes neerest the very words of the Apostles and Evangelists So the Symbole of the Church at Jerusalem is styled by Cyril 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Tradition of the Holy and Apostolick Faith Or it might be called the Apostles Creed because it was received from the Apostolick See that is the Romane founded by Peter and Paul two famous Apostles and thence usually honoured with that Title Answ Here 's another might be a private conjecture without any ground or Proofe whereas he that will deny an Ancient and publiquely received Tradition ought to bring more then his bare conjecture if he would be believed against the joynt Testimonies of so many Authors both Ancient and Moderne It is a maxime indeed in Controversies that Affirmantis est Probare that it behooves the Affirmer of a Tenent to shew not only that it may but that it must be thus to evince the opinion he maintaines by some convincing Argument but this is to be exacted when he broacheth some new opinion of his owne or maintaines one lately held and taken up by some few not so when the Affirmer relies upon a Tradition of so many yeares standing and this Tradition confest by the Adversary as this of the Creed is for such a Tradition as this is a sufficient must be unlesse the falsity or mistake thereof can be demonstrated Besides the reason of the name delivered in the objection doth notat all oppose but agree with the Tradition for the Apostles might well deliver in the Creed the summary of what they were to Preach more at large and that the Apostles Creed comes nearest of any other to the words of the Apostles in their writings argues them rather than any other for the Composers of it As for the testimony of Cyril he calls not the Jerosolymitan Creed in the place here cited 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Tradition or Declaration of the Holy Apostolick Faith as the objector alleadgeth but he tells his Auditors that in the precedent Daies of Lent he had discoursed unto them as farre as his Catecheses would permit of the Holy and Apostolick Faith delivered unto them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is to make open Profession thereof at their Baptisme which Holy and Apostolick Faith was delivered in that Creed of his which he there sets downe and explaines and is so called by him in opposition to hereticall senses and Interpretations but that Creed which he there Comments on being the Jerosolymitan differs not from that of the Apostles as we shall shew more cleerely anon Lastly for the Denomination of the Apostles Creed from the Apostolick See of Rome we shall examine it when we come to answer the Objections Ob. 3. Against the Traditio Majorum the received Tradition and Consent of the Primitive Fathers who were best like to know the Authors as being nearest the Apostles Times it is objected That Ruffinus counts it not for a certaine story as appears by those generall and indefinite words Qui Symbolum tradiderunt Those who delivered the Creed to us as if he knew not who they were as also that no Author seemes to have wrote so before the yeare 400 nor after this except he lived in the westerne Church And the Ethiopick Creed differs from ours and agrees more with the Nicene Besides St Aug. Testimony Serm. 115. seemes to be supposititious Answ The weaknesse of these Arguments which are brought to overthrow so old and
set downe the Articles but Catechetically explaine them also together with the rest which precede and there hath been no reason ever yet assigned to make us doubt of the composing of these Catecheses by the same man and at the same Time when he was Catechist which was in his youthfull Age seeing they all alike relish of the same juvenile extemporary stile the consideration whereof hath made some to doubt whether any of them were Cyril's or no because they seemed not elaborate enough for so grave a Patriarch though they seeme indeed to have beene set forth by his Successor Iohn and thence became entitled unto him by some latter unwary Transcriber which may serve to satisfy that objection taken out of Simlerus who in his Index of those Bookes which the City of Auspurgh bought of Antony Eparch of Coreyra reckoneth Joannis Jerosol Catech. Illuminat duâ—deviginti Mystagogicus quinque If any yet desire to have this more fully and clearly demonstrated viz. That the Easterne Churches had an Ancient Forme of Beliefe derived to them from the Apostles and whereto they profest to adde nothing in their following confessions because as it is more obscure so it is more oppugned they may please to consult these following Testimonies 1. Epiphanius in his Booke called Anchoratus having set downe the Nicene Creed as we now have it at large adjoynes these wordes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 This Faith saith he was delivered by the holy Apostles and in the Church the Holy City by all the holy Bishops together above 310 in number The same Creed then was delivered by both by the Apostles as the Primitive Authors by the Nicene Fathers as the Expositors The Nicene Creed thus at full set downe by Epiphanius was written seaven years before the first Councell of Constantinople which first added all after the Article of the Holy Ghost unto that forme which the Nicene Fathers had delivered although they were not the first framers of those additionall Articles and having thus compleated the Creed by borrowing the remaining Articles from that of the Apostles confirmed the entire forme by their Synodicall Authority and so commended yea prescribed the whole to the Catholick Church 2. The succeeding Councells in the Easterne Church expressely tell us that they and their Predecessors were neither Authors of any new Faith nor Adders to it but only Establishers and Exposirors of the old The first Councell of Constantinople which was the second Generall calls the Nicene Creed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 most ancient although that Synod was celebrated but 56 years before the reason therefore of this Title is that they looked upon that Creed not as first composed by the Bishops of the Nicene Synod but as derived and declared out of a Creed ab ultima antiquitate in Ecclesiâ recepto received in the Church from all Antiquity as the Reverend and Learned Primate of Armagh hath rightly exprest it They also decreed to retaine it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as most agreeable to the Sacrament of Baptisme Theod. lib. 5. hist cap. 9. The Bishops Assembled at Tyre Anno 518. professe to embrace the Nicene Creed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 expounded not made by that Synod Act. Concil 5. Constant sub Mennâ And againe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is That holy Creed whereinto we were all Baptized the Nicene Synod with the assistance of the Holy Ghost hath publickly declared that of Constantinople hath ratified that of Ephesus hath confirmed and in like manner the Great holy Synod of Chalcedon hath sealed The Councell of Chalcedon which was the fourth Generall styles the Creed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Doctrine unshaken or unmoved from the first Preaching of the Gospell and withall tells us that the Councells of Nice and Constantinople expounded the Faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not adding ought as if the faith of their Predecessors had been deficient but declaring their sense by Scripture Testimonies Evagr. lib. 2. cap. 4. To this agrees also that of the Emperour Iustinian writing to Epiphanius Patriarch of Constantinople we keepe saith he that decree of faith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Symbole which was explained by the 118 Fathers in the Councell of Nice which also the 150 Fathers in the first Councell of Constantinople farther declared 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not as though the ancient faith were defective but because the enemies of the Truth partly rejected the Divinity of the Holy Ghost partly denied the Incarnation of God the Word therefore the said Fathers by Testimonies out of Scripture explained this Doctrine more at large Thus he 7. leg Cord. De Summâ Trinitate Fide Catholicâ 3. To give you the Testimony of the Westerne Church for confirmation of the same Truth The Liturgy called Ordo Romanus a Book of known Authority and Antiquity in the Preface to the Nicene Creed hath these words directed to the Persons who were to pronounce it before their Baptisme Audite suscipientes Evangelici Symboli Sacramentum à Domino inspiratum ab Apostolis institutum cujus pauca quidem verba sunt sed magna mysteria In which words the Nicene Creed is called The Evangelicall Symbole inspired by Christ and ordained by his Apostles And another old Latine Liturgy in use about the yeare 700 hath these words of the same Creed Finito Symbolo Apostolorum dicat Sacerdos Dominus vobiscum Where it is also expressely called The Creed of the Apostles that is the same explained and enlarged For these Testimonies I am indebted to the said R. and Learned Bishop Now for a close to these Authorities and Arguments I shall subjoyne the testimony of Franc. Quaresimus of the Order of Minors a Person of good note in the Romish Church as who was made by the Pope his President and Apostolick Commissary in the Holy Land during which office of his he took incredible paines in searching out the Antiquities of Palestine now this Author in his Book called Elucidatio Terrae Sanctae Tom. 2. lib. 4. Perear 9. cap. 1. Brings two opinions concerning the Place wherein the Apostles composed the Creed The first that of Adrichomius who thinkes it probable that the place was Caenaculum Sion a Place famous for many other sacred Actions as wherein our Blessed Saviour celebrated his last Supper and instituted the most holy Eucharist wherein the Holy Ghost descended on the Apostles at Pentecost and wherein they held that famous Councell about the abrogating of the Ceremoniall Law Act. 15. consonantly to which Tradition he brings that saying of the Evangelicall Prophet Out of Syon shall goe forth the Law and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem Isa 2. 3. The second that of Frier Anselme and others that the place where the Apostles framed the Creed was on Mount Olivet three Bow-shootes from the place where Christ is said to have wept over Jerusalem for which he gives this reason Quia est communis in partibus istis Traditio perpetuis
extitissent diversisque nominibus columbam Dei atque Reginam lacerare per partes scindere niterentur nonne cognomen suum Plebs Apostolica postulabat quo incorrupti Populi distingueret unitatem ne intemeratam Dei Virginem Error aliquorum per membra laceraret Where we may observe First That he mentions not at all the applying of the word Catholick to the Church or whole Company of Believers as it is placed in the Creed for this was not cal'd in question by Sympronianus but the aplying of it to particular persons which in the Apostles times were called Disciples or Christians not Catholicks as Sympronianus objected Secondly That Pacianus absolutely granteth not that the word Catholick was not so used in the Apostles Times but only indulgeth so much unto his adversary because notwithstanding this supposall he was otherwise able to convince him upon his own concessions which kind of supposall or indulgence is most usuall amongst Polemick writers there by to winne over and worke upon the Adversary Thirdly That the Reason of the name brought by Pacianus and urged upon Sympronian namely the distinguishing of the true Church from the severall Sects led by denominated from their severall factions and Hereticall heads is very agreeable to the Apostles dayes and so required the like distinctive Epethete for S. Paul blames the Church of Corinth for Schismes and addicting themselves factiously to severall Idolised Teachers which they had chosen to themselves for though he names only Peter Apollos and himselfe yet his Discourse cheifly aimes at some other Popular Preachers and false Apostles as appeares by comparing 1 Cor. 4. 6. 2 Cor. 11. 13 20. And S. John expresly names the Nicolaitans denominated from one Nicolas in his Revel ch 2. v. 15. As for S. Austins involving the word Catholick in the Epithet Holy it proves not that it was not then in the Text of the Creed for it was usual with the Fathers in their Paraphrasticall explications to omit the expression of severall Particles sometimes one sometimes another which yet were cōfessedly in the Creed are expresly mentioned by them in their other Homilies or Tractates as wee may see in Chrysollegus Eusebius Gallicanus and others Thirdly Hereticks arose not only after but even in the very Apostles Times the Tares were scattered presently upon the sowing of the Wheat in the lateplowed field of the Church S. Luke mentions Simon Magus that First-borne of the Devill and Father of Hereticks as the Auncients Style him Act. 8. 9. 24. S. Paul tels us of Hymenaeus and Phyletus 2 Tim. 2. 17. And of Alexander Phygellus and Hermogenes 1 Tim. 1. 20. 2 Tim. 1. 15. Yea S. John informes us in more generall Termes That there were many Antichrists in the world even whilst he lived who denyed the Father and the Sonne 1 Io. 2. 18. 22. These Antichrists then were Hereticks who taught contrary to the Faith of Christ wherefore it is most probable that the word Catholick was placed in the Creed even by the Apostles themselves for the reason before assigned Fourthly The Christian Church might justly be styled Catholick or universall to distinguish it from the Church of the Jewes which was a particular Church confined if not within the Bounds of one Country yet unto one Nation whereas the Christian Church comprehended all Nations and had no other Bounds than those of the world although not actually at the time of making the Creed yet in vertue and power according to that generall Commission of our Saviour to his Apostles Goe teach all Nations Mat. 28. 29. And gaine Ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and all Judea and in Samaria and to the uttermost part of the Earth Act. 1. 8. The Jewes were so envious and proud as not to receive the Gentiles into their communion or acknowledge them partakers in the promises of the Messiah they would have had them all circumcised and submit to the Ceremonial Law but God broke downe this Partition wall Eph. 2. 14. As he made appeare by the Vision of the Sheet which he sent to S. Peter Act 10. 11. 15. And by the Decree of the Councel at Jerusalem Act. 15. And so gathered all into one Body or Church Catholick so called in respect of Time Place Persons Faith which is therefore called the Common Faith Tit. 1. 4. For this Reason at least the Apostles might justly frame the Article at the very first Composure in these words I believe the holy Catholick Church Ob. 4th The different relation of the Story bewrayes the uncerteinty of it for they give not all the same Article to the same Apostle and some marshall them one way some another Answ First Diversity of opinions in Circumstances not materiall cannot justly call the maine Point in doubt So all Christians believe the Gospell of St Mathew and the Epistle to the Hebrwes to be the Word of God though Divines differ about the language in which and the time when they were writen and they all agree there is an Hell though they doe not about the place where Therefore notwithstanding some slight groundlesse differences some of them of latter inconsiderable Authors wee have no just reason to disbelieve the Apostles Composing of the Creed Secondly As to the various marshalling and order of the Articles it cannot justly argue the uncerteinty of the Tradition because the Bookes of the holy Scripture are also placed in a various method according unto severall Editions and Translations some following the order of the Hebrew Text as the Protestant Churches others that of the Septuagint and the old Latine Translation as the Churches of Greece and Rome Thirdly Neither can the diverse ascribing of them to severall Apostles raise any just doubt of the Composers of the whole for we find not a few Controversies agitated amongst Divines concerning the Authors of severall Bookes of Scipture in the Old Testament of the Bookes of the Judges Kings and Chronicles of the Booke of Job in the New Testament of the Second and Third Epistle of St Iohn and of the Revelation whether Iohn the Elder were the Author of these Epistles and Iohn the Divine of the Revelation as distinct Persons from Iohn the Evangelist Or whether Iohn the Ap. were the Author of all three under 3 several Titles But more especially the Author of the Epistle to the Hebrwes is questioned whether it were Paul or Barnabas Luke or Clemens And yet not withstanding all these Controversies the Christian Church now doubts not of the Authority of these Bookes why should we more doubt of the Authority of the Creed although we know not how certainly to assigne the Distinct Articles to their severall Apostles whenas in truth the more probable opinion is that they joyntly concurd to the framing of them all Ob. 5. If the Creed for matter and forme were from the Apostles and they delivered it precisely in those words wherein we now have it why is it not placed in the
Canon of Scripture for if you say it pertaines to unwritten Traditions as S. Jerome and others tell us we must know that those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 concerne only the Goverment and Rites of the Church whereas the Creed is a Rule of Faith or Doctrine required to be profest by Christians at their Baptisme Answ First To retort a like question why is not the number of the Canonicall Bookes put into the Canon that so we might the more certainly know what Bookes are of Divine Authority and what are Supposititious This sure is a Doctrinall Point the maine Fundamentall one and highly concernes our Faith if any thing doe and yet it is derived unto us by Tradition why may not the Creed in like manner Secondly the Creed is taken out of the Canon of Scripture either in expresse words or by evident and necessary Consequence whereof the Apostles were unerring Iudges reduced only to a Method and set Forme Thirdly The Apostles thought not fit to commit it unto writing but delivered it by word of mouth to the Pastours or Bishops of the Churches whom they left to succeed them and who in a continued Succession downe from the Apostles delivered the Creed unto us Fourthly That unwritten Traditions comprehend not only matters of Practise such as are the Rites Regiment of the Church but also matter of Doctrine I appeale not only to the former instance of the Canon of Scripture and to this of the Creed constantly witnessed by St Ierome with many other Fathers whose testimony deserves much credit but to a Third also the perpetual Virginity of the Mother of God of which Mr Perkins no friend of Romish Traditions saith thus That the Virgin Mary lived and died Virgin is received for Truth but yet not recorded in Scripture and in Ecclesiastical Writers many worthy sayings of the Apostles and other holy Men are Recorded and received of us for Truth which neverthelesse are not set downe in the Bookes of the Old or New Testament and many things we hold for Truth not written in the Word if they be not against the Word Thus he in his Reform Cath. of Tradit Concl. 2. Ob. 6th The Creed hath not been preserved so safe from Addition Detraction Mutation as the rest of the Scriptures alwayes have been therefore not likely to have come from the Apostles Answ I could wish that the holy Scriptures had beene kept so safe as the Objectour beares us in hand the Church then would have been more pure and more peaceble But First For Additions Doth not our Church cut off those Apocryphall pieces which were long a goe an next to Daniel and Hester And doe we not find the 151 Psalme added unto the rest a Copy whereof we have in Sixti Sen. Bibliothecâ And in the New Testament for some Ages the Booke called Hermae Pastor was joyned to the Bookes we now have and esteemed by many for Canonicall Secondly For Detraction Have not whole bookes been taken a way by diverse Hereticks who would acknowledge no scripture that made against them For Instance Marcion acknowledged none of the four Gospels but only that of St Luke neither his entirely as Tertullian witnesseth Examples of other Hereticks are almost infinite Yea which is more some Canonicall Bookes for a while were denied or at least doubted of and so left out in diverse Copyes by some Orthodox Doctors of the Church till the Truth became afterwards better cleared as the Epistles of James Iude the Second Epistle of Peter the Second Third Epistles of St Iohn the Epistle to the Hebrewes the Revelation of St Iohn For this we may consult the Syriack Translatiō of the New Testament Thirdly For Mutation The Hereticks of old time who were bold to cut off whole Bookes did much more boldly adventure on changing of verses wordes letters and points The fraud of the Arians both old and new is notorious in this kind Neverthelesse for all these subtile and various Devices of Satan to overthrow Religion and pervert the Word of Truth by these his mischievous Instruments yet some ancient copies both of the Scripture Creed by Gods especiall Providence have been kept entire whereby the rest might be examined and amended Ob. 7th Although the Creed hath ever been much esteemed in the Church yet was it never accounted Canōicall The Ancient Doctors were so far from equalling it with Scripture that they appealed from it thereunto as to an higher Authority so did Cyr. Catech. 4. And Paschasius in his Booke against Macedonius Bib. Pat. Tom. 9. Which without question they never would have done had they thought it had bin from the Apostles in such Forme and as now wee have it Answ First Whether the Creed were accounted for Authority Canonicall that is Divine and unquestionable and for Frame Apostolicall I appeale to all those Ancient Fathers which I have already produced amongst whom Tertullian one very Ancient expresly tels us that the Creed was ordained by Christ viz. by the Ministery of his Apostles who were Authorised by him and assisted by his Spirit to compose it according to that saying of his He that heareth you heareth me Luk. 10. 16. Whence he sends the Hereticks to the Churches founded by the Apostles to find this Doctrine or Rule of Faith there left by them De praesc adv haer cap. 21. Withall he cals it The Canon or Rule of Faith as Irenaeus had done before him and tels us that no part thereof may be cald in question Seconly 'T is not unlikly that some of the Fathers may cite places of Scripture in confirmation of the Creed as the Apostles themselves in their writings bring forth places out of the old Teastament to back and vindicate the truth of what they said yea our Blessed Saviour himselfe oft cites Moses the Prophets and authorizeth his doctrine by their Testimony bidding his Auditours to Search the Scriptures of the old Testament for they are they saith he which Testify of me Io. 5. 39. See also Act. 26. 22. 2 Pet. 1. 19. Iam. 2 14 23. And it is the usuall practise of our preachers at this day to bring proofes for their textuall observations though oft expresse wordes of Scripture out of other paralell Places But as well those citations of the Fathers as these of our Blessed Sauiour and his Apostles are brought not so much to confirme the truth of what they said as to satisfy the mindes of their Auditours which were more fully cōfirmed whē they they saw the joynt correspondence of the Creed with the Scripture and the Gospell with the Law And we find at this day though divine Authority doe abundantly suffice to confirme us in the Grounds of our Religion yet it doth more fully content the judgment of the Learned when they see the probates of Reason to conspire with the dictates of Faith for Instance in the Vnity of the Godhead and the immortality of the Soule Thirdly As for the two Fathers
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
third Day he rose againe according to the Scriptures Christs descent into Hell as we see in this Collation is expressely set downe but in two Creeds namely this of the Apostles and the Athanasian although the Fathers of the first Ages generally acknowledge it and mention it in their writings for which we may looke back on the Creeds of Thaddaeus and Ignatius set downe before The reason therefore why it is omitted in other Creeds I conceive to be this That they held it involved or presupposed in the following word The third Day he rose againe from the Dead For Christ may not improperly be said to have risen the third Day according to both Parts from the Grave in his Body from Hell a low place especially in comparison of Heaven in his Soule So both Parts in this Rising met together from two severall Places whether they had before Descended both which places are set downe in holy Scripture as the Receptacles of the Dead as well Good as Bad so 't is in either a Rising from the Dead and are joyntly called by the names of Sheol Hades Inferi This also S. Chrysostome in setting downe the Creed passeth by Christs ascension into Heaven as being included in or presupposed by that which followes His sitting at the Right Hand of the Father See Gen. 37. 35. Job 26. 6. Psal 86. 13. 139 8. Prov. 15. 11. Isa 13. 9. Luk. 16. 23. Rev. 1. 18. chap. 20. 13. Artic. VI. Apost He ascended into Heaven and sitteth at the right Hand of God the Father Almighty East And ascended into Heaven and sitteth at the right hand of the Father Nic. hath the same Aquil. the same Athan. He ascended into Heaven he sitteth on the right hand of the Father God Almighty Antioch And he ascended into Heaven Article VII Apost From whence he shall come to judge the quicke and the dead East And he shall come to judge the quicke and the dead Nic. Who shall come againe with glory to judge the quicke and the dead of whose kingdome there shall be no end Aquil. From thence he shall come to judge the quicke and the deade Athan. From whence he shall come to judge the quicke and the Dead Antioch And he shall come againe to judge the quicke and the dead Article VIII Apost I believe in the Holy Ghost East And in the Holy Ghost the comforter who spake by the Prophets Nic. And in the Holy Ghost the Lord and giver of life who proceedeth from the Father and the Sonne according to the Latines who with the Father and the Sonne together is worshipped and glorified who spake by the Prophets Aquil. And in the Holy Ghost Athan There is another Person of the Holy Ghost the Holy Ghost is God the Holy Ghost is of the Father and of the Son Neither made nor created nor begotten but proceeding Article IX Apost I believe the holy Catholick Church the Communion of Saints East One holy Catholick Church Nic. One holy Catholick and Apostolick Church Aquil. The holy Catholick Church Where Ruffinus in his explication interprets Holy by that which preserves the Faith or Religion of Christ entire and opposeth the Church to the Conventicles of severall Hereticks which he calls Concilia vanitatis thus explaining the word Catholick and the Communion of Saints Article X. Apost The forgivenesse of Sinnes East One Baptisme of Repentance for the Remission of Sinnes Nic I acknowledge one Baptisme for the Remission of Sinnes Aquil. The Remission of Sinnes Article XI Apost The Resurrection of the Body East And the Resurrection of the Body Nice And I look for the Resurrection of the Dead Athan. At whose comming All men shall rise againe with their Bodies and shall give an account for their own Workes Aquil. The Resurrection of this Body In the Exposition whereof Ruffinus hath these words Et ideo satis cautâ providâ adjectione Ecclesia nostra Aquilegiensis docet quae in eo quod a caeteris traditur Carnis Resurrectionem uno addito pronomine tradit Hujus Carnis Resurrectionem hujus sine dubio quam is qui profitetur signaculo Crucis fronti imposito contingit That is our Church the Aquileian hath warily and providently added the Pronoune This to the Article of the Resurrection of the Body which is delivered without it in other Churches This Body that is which he toucheth who maketh profession of the Creed having the Signe of the Crosse made upon his Forehead whence we may observe not only the Antiquity of the Crosse in Baptisme but the custome also of the ancient Church in adding some exegeticall particles to the Creed as a Thing publickly received and practised in the Christian World Article XII Apost And life Everlasting East And life Everlasting Nic. And the life of the World to come Athan. And they that have done good shall goe into life Everlasting and they that have done Evill into Everlasting fire Aquil. Incloseth it in the precedent Article of the Resurrection in the explication whereof Ruffinus hath these words Dabitur peccatoribus incorruptionis immortalitatis ex Resurrectione conditio ut sicut Deus justis ministrat ad perpetuitatem Gloriae ista peccatoribus ad prolixitatem confusionis ministret paenae That is Sinners also shall rise to an immortall and incorruptible estate so that as God affourdeth the rightious everlasting Glory he also prepareth the sinners for length of shame and sorrow Ob. 14th That Creed which was neithe made by the Apostles nor by any Generall Councell nor was recieved by the Greeke or Easterne Churches but in the Church of Rome and had beene so long recited and used in the Church now about the yeare 400 that then it was held an Apostolicall Tradition which it is certaine was conveyed also by the Church of Rome to other Churches of the West the Easterne Churches in the meane time using other Creeds that Creed was composed by those who had the Government of the Romane Church but there is nought of this which agreeth not to the Creed that we call the Apostles therefore the Bishop and Presbyters of the Church of Rome composed it Answ This is the summary Argument used to disprove the Authors of the Creed and which we have already answered by Parts For that the Creed was composed by the Apostles we have proved at large both by Authorities and Arguments That it was received for the full sense and substance thereof in the Greeke or Easterne Churche appears both by what we have before cited out of the Greeke Fathers especially Marcellus and Chrysostome as also by the foresaid Parallell of the Jerosolymitan Nicene Antiochian and Athanasian Creeds with the Romane and Aquileian That it was held an Apostolicall Tradition by the Church of Rome before the yeare 400 appeares by the forecited Testimonies of the Laine Fathers Irenaeus Tertullian Ambrose and others That it was convaied by the Church of Rome to other Churches of the West which the Objector invidiously
false Brethren who had privily crept into the Church and corrupted the Gospell from those who sincerely bound themselves by Oath in Baptisme to the service of Christ 5. A Catechisme taken out of the Workes of Costerus Pet. de Soto and others set forth by the command of the Arch-Bishop of Triers respons ad 2am qu. saith thus Haeretici quosdam Articulos vel penitùs negant vel interpretationibus depravatis in novas alienasque Sententias detorquent neque ulla unquam extitit haeresis quae non hoc Symbolo damnari potuerit That is The Hereticks doe either wholly deny some Articles of the Creed or by their corrupt interpretations wrest them into new and strange senses neither did there ever arise any Heresy which might not be condemned by this Creed of the Apostles Now how the Church of Rome which gives this Testimony of the fulnesse of the Creed for the Rule of Faith and makes it the Distinctive marke whereby to know her true genuine Children from the Bastardy of Hereticks can justly adde many other Articles to it as Pius 4. doth in his Bull De professione fidei to be believed as necessary to Salvation and for the not receiving of them as undoubtedly Catholick necessary Truths together with the Apostolick Articles condemne the Reformed Churches of Heresy I can see no shadow of Reason except she include these her Dictates in the body of the ninth Article and so inforce them upon us by vertue of the Apostles pretēded Authority interpreting the Article thus I believe the Holy Catholick Church That is I believe whatsoever the Church of Rome usurping the Title of Catholick requireth of me to be believed But this Interpretation will be found obnoxious to a double Errour First Because shee beggs the maine thing in question namely That she is the Catholick Church whereas shee is but a member thereof and that a very diseased one Secondly Because the sense of the word Credo I believe must in all reason be taken in the same sense here as it is in the following Articles unto which it is in like manner referred viz. I believe there is a Remission of Sinnes that there is to be a Resurrection of the Body and Life everlasting So here I believe there is an Holy Catholick Church that is That the Christian Church is Holy and Catholick or Universall Holy for Doctrine and Manners and universall for Place not tied to Greece or Rome or Geneva but generally diffused throughout the whole world To conclude this Point I shall adde some concurrent Testimonies of the Protestant Divines whose agreeing in this with the Church of Rome though much differing in others shewes the Power and cleerenesse of this Truth which extorts a Confession from all Mouthes and withall may serve to stop the violence of some zealous Reformatists who even Reprobate all those that goe not along with them in every new-broached Doctrine and in the Resolution of each Theologicall Controversy These Divines shall be six 1. Luther in his larger Catechisme after he hath set downe the Creed the Commandements and the Lords Prayer he subjoynes In hisce tribus partibus summatim ac nuditér quoad ejus fieri potuit simplicissimè comprehensa sunt omnia quicquid passim in sacris literis longè lateque tractamus That is In these Three are summarily and plainly comprehended whatsoever Things are handled at large in the holy Scriptures The Creed being the Breviary of the whole Scripture for matter of Faith as the ten Commandements are for matter of of Practise and the Lords Prayer for our Petitions Each perfect in its kind 2. Selneccerus in his Paedag. Christianâ saith Certum est in hoc Symbolo Apostolorum contineri omnia Capita totius Christianae Religionis rectè perspicuè ordine That is It is certain that in this Creed of the Apostles are contained all the Heads of Christian Religion rightly clearely and methodically 3. Ioan Gerardu◠a late Learned and Moderate Lutherane in the Epistle Dedicatory to his second Tome of Common Places speaks thus of the Creed Quotquot Doctrinae Christianae c. Whatsoever Collections or Systems of Christian Doctrine which Saint Luke calls Catechises Luke 1. 4. Act. 18. 25. Saint Paul The forme of sound words 2 Tim. 1. 13. The Epistle to the Hebrewes The first Principles of the Oracles of God chap. 5. 12. and the Principles of the Doctrine of Christ cha 6. 1. Clemens of Alexandria 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rude Draughts Origen Principles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dionysius of Alexandria Elements of Divinity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Eusebius lib. 3. cap. 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A breviary of the Elements of Religion Nazianzen Theology Theophilus and Lactantius Institutions The most at this day call them Common Places Whatsoever Collections I say in this kind of Christian Doctrine have been written and set forth by diverse Authority from the most ancient times of the Primitive Church the first lineaments as it were and chiefe Heads of them are set forth in the Apostles Creed This Rule of Faith set downe by Irenaeus and Tertullian and styled an Apostolicall Tradition if any one compare with the words of the Apostles Creed he will easily find a great agreement between them sometimes the Apostles Creed sometimes the Scripture it selfe is called the Rule of Faith by the Ancients namely by reason of the exact harmony or concord between both which lookes on the holy Scripture as the fountain and the Creed as a streame thence derived As in Ages past when new Disputes ever and anon arose the Fathers who succeeded the Apostles were enforced to set forth larger and more expresse summaries of the Apostolick Doctrine partly to unfold it more fully partly to vindicate it from corrupt Glosses So also in this latter Age of ours wherein the mindes of many are very farre withdrawn from the Apostolick simplicity by the subtilty of Satan the shortnesse of the Creed is to be explained more at large out of the fulnesse of Scripture and thereby fortified against the corruptions of Hereticks that so we may faithfully preserve in our own persons and deliver over to Posterity the sacred Depositum of the Christian Faith Thus for Jo. Gerardus 4. Calvin Instit lib. 2. cap. 16. § 18. Of this we are undoubtedly assured saith he Totam in eo Symbolo Apostolorum fidei nostrae historiam succinctè destincteque recenseri That the whole History or subject of our Beliefe is contained in the Apostles Creed briefly and orderly 5. Beza on Rom. 12. 6. the place before cited tels us That the Apostles Creed was composed at the very beginning of the Gospels Preaching veluti Evangelii Epitome as a Compendium or short summary of the Gospell and therefore was deservedly called the Rule of Faith by Tertullian 6. Bullinger in the Preface to his Decads tels us That the Generall Councells in setting forth their Creeds changed nothing in the Doctrine of the Apostles neque quicquam novi
The word signifies Tessera militaris a watch-word whereby Souldiers of the same Army or Campe know one an other and discerne themselves from the Enemy Which signification among all the Rest seemes most proper to the Creed because by this profession of the Faith Christians are distinguisht not only from Iewes Turkes and Infidels but more especially from Hereticks those Renegados and Deserters of the Christian Faith For as watch-wordes are most necessary in civill warres where the Difference is between the same Countrymen who use the same Language apparell armes and manner of fighting these being the only signes and tokens whereby they may try those whom they suspect discover whether they be true friends or concealed Enimies so Hereticks professe Christ in outward shew and take his name upon them but doe not truely Preach him secundum Apostolicas Regulas non integris Traditionum lineis nunciantes to use the words of Ruffinus what out of Pride Curiosity or discontent what for gaine or Belly they frame new Doctrines of their owne some besides some against the Foundation which they obtrude upon the Faith of others Now the watch word to discover these false Apostles these Deceitfull workers who transformed themselves into the Apostles of Christ 2 Cor. 11. 13. Was anciently the Creed If upon examination they embraced this in the old Catholick sense they were received as Brethren if not they were rejected and avovded as spies false Brethren Corrupters of the Faith The Heathens also had the like Custome to give for their wathwords the names of their Gods their suposed Deityes as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Minerva and the like what fitter watchword then for a Christian than the profession of his Faith in the true God the thrise-holy Trinity which he makes in the Creed And this may be therefore judged the most proper in this Place and most likely to be intended by the first entitlers because the Ancient Church of God following his Patterne in holy Scripture useth many other the like military Termes and seemeth to delight in the metaphor The Church her self is described Terrible as an Army with Banners Cant. 6. 4. Our Blessed Saviour is styled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The cheife Captaine or Generall of our Salvation Heb. 2. 10. And S. Paul exhorts Timothy whom he had left his Lieutenant at Ephesus to endure hardnesse as a good Souldier of Iesus Christ 2 Tim. 2. 3. In opposition to which that I may give this note by the way the heathen Souldiers under the Christian Emperors got the name of Pagani because when they refused to renounce their Idolatry and so become Christians they were dimissi in Pagos cashiered and sent into the Villages and so returned unto their country Life To proceed our Christian Virtues or graces are styled 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Compleat Armour of God Eph. 6. 11. 13. The particulars whereof are there described The grand mysteries of our Salvation have the name of Sacraments given them now Sacramentum properly signifies that Oath of obedience which Souldiers took unto their Generall lastly that part of the Church which here on Earth is styled Millitant that in Heaven Triumphant Suitably then doth the Creed weare the name of Symbolum a watchword The Reason of the name we find given by Clemens Romanus Ruffinus Maximus Taurinensis and Isidore Bishop of Sevil. CAP XI The fourth Head of this Discourse namely The Division or Parts of the Creed THE Apostles Creed hath a double Division among Divines to wit A greater and a lesse The one distributes into foure generall Partes The other Anatomizeth it into twelve Articles limbes or joynts for this is the literall signification of the word Articulus which make up the entire Body of Christian Faith As to the first Division The foure generall Parts of the Creed have for their Object God and man viz. The three Persons of the sacred Trinity and the Church instructing us what we should believe of either 1. The first part is touching God the Father and consists but of one Article 2. The second Part is touching God the Sonne and comprehendeth six Articles 3. The third part is touching God the holy Ghost and consists but of one Article as the first did 4. The fourth Part is concerning the Church and a threefold benefit conferd by God upon it answerable in number to the Persons of the sacred Trinity viz. The Remission of sinnes by the Father Eph. 4. 32. Resurrection of the Body by the Sonne Io. 6. 39. Mat. 24. 31. everlasting Life by the holy Ghost the Spirit of life and Glory Gal. 6. 8. Rev. 11. 11. Pet. 4. 14. Then for the Second division The Creed brancheth it selfe into twelve Articles vsually referred to the twelve Apostles in severall but however answerable to their number The Articles we have already distinctly set downe and compared them with six other succeeding Creeds These twelve Articles are compared by some to the twelve Stones which Ioshua in his passage over to Jericho took out of the middest of Iordan to frame an Altar within Gilgal in memory of having gotten possesion of the promised land For the holy Scriptures wherout these Articles of our Beliefe are taken are the true waters of life a spirituall Iordan The river it selfe was sanctifyed by the the very Person of our Saviour when he descended into it at his Baptisme in which solemnity all his Disciples have since made a Publicke profession of their Faith by attesting to the Creed The twelve Articles thereof compiled into one Body well resemble those twelve Stones framed into an Altar and that Altar erected in memory of the Promises now obteined the heavenly Canaan typifyed by the earthly for the Creed conteines the great benefites of God towards his Church heretofore possessed in shadow but now in substance by vertue of our Blessed Saviours Purchase who was the Antitipe of Iosua In whom the promises of God are yea and Amen 2 Cor. 1. 20. But by others they are more appositely compared to the twelve foundation-stones mentioned in Reve. 21. 14. Which are there said to support the wall of the new Ierusalem and wherein as it is there expresly set downe the Names the twelve Apostles of the Lambe were written This new Ierusalem is Christs Church on Earth for it is there styled The Tabernacle of God with men ver 3. The wall of this Citty is the Faith or professed doctrine of the Church whereby it is guarded against her enimies and seperated from all other Religions And the twelve Stones in the foundation of this wall are the twelve Articles of the Creed which be the Groundes of our Faith the Fundamentalls of Christian Religion To the same sense and purpose S. Paul compares the Church to an holy Temple built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Iesus Christ himselfe being the cheife Corner Stone Eph. 2. 20 21. Now this foundation of the Apostles and Prophets cannot be understood of their Persons for they
depositum delivered her from Heaven The occasion of this Creed so revealed was the Heresy of Paulus Samosatenus taken up afterwards by Photinus who denyed the Divinity of our Saviour and consequently overthrew the Trinity which heresy then staggerd many in those Easterne Parts and was therefore condemned in a Synod at Antioch wherof this Paulus was Patriarch The words thereof are these viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is There is one God the Father of the living word of the subsisting wisdome the eternall Power and Character the perfect Father of him that is Perfect the Father of the only-begotten Sonne There is one Lord the only Lord from or of the only Lord God of God the character and image of the Fathers Divinity the operative or effectuall word the wisdome which comprehendeth the whole frame of the World the Power which made the whole Creation the True the Invisible the Incorruptible the Immortall the Eternall Sonne of the True Invisible Incorruptible Immortall and Eternall Father And one Holy Ghost having his subsistence of or from God and by the Sonne clearely manifested unto men the perfect Image of the perfect Sonne the quickening life of the Living that Holinesse which is the Author of Sanctification by whom God the Father is manifested who is above all and in all and God the Sonne who is through all The perfect Trinity neither divided nor diversified from each other in Glory Eternity or Majesty There is not therefore in the Trinity ought created or subservient to another Person nor ought superinduced as not existing at first but afterwards added so that the Father was never without the Sonne nor the Sonne without the Holy Ghost but the same Trinity abideth alwaies without the least change or Alteration The Second Creed is that Confession of Faith made by Eusebius Caesariensis before the Fathers of the Nicene Councell and approved of by them and by the Emperour Constantine it runs thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. We believe in one God the Father Almighty maker of all Things both visible and invisible and in one Lord Jesus Christ the Word of God God of God Light of Light Life of Life the only begotten Son the First-borne of every Creature begotten of the Father before all Worlds by whom all things were made who was Incarnate for our Salvation and conversed amongst men suffered rose againe the Third Day ascended unto the Father and shall come againe with Glory to judge both the quick and the dead We believe also in the Holy Ghost See for this Creed Soc. Hist lib. 1. cap. 5. Theod. lib. 1. cap. 12. Athan. Op. Tom. 2. Pag. 48. Edit Commelin The Nicene Fathers added some Passages to this Creed for the fuller conviction of the Arian Heresy and thus proposed it to the Church 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. We believe in one God the Father Almighty maker of all Things both visible and invisible and in one Lord Jesus Christ the Sonne of God the only-begotten of his Father begotten of the substance of his Father God of God Light of Light very God of very God begotten not made consubstantiall to the Father by whom all Things were made both which are in Heaven and which are in Earth who for us Men and for our Salvation came downe was Incarnate made Man suffered and rose again the third Day he ascended into the Heavens and shall come to judge the quick and the dead And in the Holy Ghost Both these Confessions the lesser of Eusebius and the larger of the Councell leave off at the Article of the Holy Ghost because the Arian controversy which was then in agitation required no more not that the Ancient Creed brake off there whence the Arian Bishops who assembled at Antioch Aº 341. When they came in the rehearsall of their Faith to the Article of the Holy Ghost they added 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is If it be needfull to adde so much we believe also the Resurrection of the Dead and the life everlasting See for this Soc. lib. 2. cap. 1. Athan. Tom. 7. pag. 687. Comm. As for the Creed of Eusebius which the Nicene Fathers thus enlarged he prefaceth it with this Elogy which shews its Antiquity and Authority 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. As we have received from the Bishops our Predecessors both in our first Catechising and at our Baptisme as we have learned from the Holy Scriptures and as we have believed and taught both when we were Presbyter and when we came to be Bishop so also now believing we propose this our Faith unto you The Third Creed was framed in the Arian Synod at Antioch for Eusebius Bishop of Nicomedia the great Patron of the Arians being made Bishop of Constantinople by the Emperour Constantius calls a Councell at Antioch the Bishops whereof not daring openly to taxe what had been decreed in the Nicene Councell yet desiring to overthrow privily the consubstantiality of the Sonne with the Father thus altered the forme of the Nicene Creed viz. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Wee Believe consonantly to the Evangelicall and Apostolicall Tradition in one God the Father Almighty Framer and Maker of all Things and in one Lord Jesus Christ his only-begotten Sonne God by whom all things were made begotten of his Father before all worlds God of God entire of the entire only of the only perfect of the perfect God king of the king Lord of the Lord the living Word the Wisdome the Life the true Light the way of Truth the Resurrection the Shepheard the Dore Immutable unalterable the unchangeable Image of the Divine essence Power Councell Glory of the Father the first-born of every creture who was in the begining with the Father God the word as it is said in the Gospell the Word was God by whom all things were made and in whom all things consist who in these last dayes came downe from above was borne of a Virgin according to the Scriptures and made man the mediator of God and men the Apostle of our Faith and Author or Prince of life as he saith I came downe from Heaven not to doe mine owne will but the will of him that sent me who suffered for us and arose for us the third Day and ascended into the Heavens and sitteth at the right hand of the Father and shall come againe with glory and Power for to Judge the Quick and the Dead and in the holy Ghost who was given for the Comfort the Sanctification and Perfecting of Believers acording as our Lord Jesus Christ Charged his Apostles saying Goe and Teach all Nations Baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost It is manifest that the Father is Truly or really the Father the Sonne truly the Sonne and the Holy Ghost truly the Holy Ghost the names not being barely or in vaine imposed but exactly signifying the proper subsistence order
Substance with the Father by admitting of the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The Constantinopolitan Fathers were 150 in number who all assented to this Creed And Damasus Bishop of Rome confirmed it for the westrne Church with the suffrages of his fellow Bishops although not present at Canstantinople either in his Person or by Proctor The Nicene Councell was called against Arius who denyed the Sonne to be Coessentiall and Coeternall with the Father Those Fathers therefore enlarged the second Article of the Creed touching the eternall Divinity of the Sonne of God The Councell of Constantinople was called against Macedonius who denyed the Divinity of the holy Ghost whence those Fathers enlarged the eight Article of the Creed which concernes the Third Person of the Trinity As for the Forme of words or Frame of this Creed it had in the first Place Hosius Bishop of Corduba for the Composer who sate in the Councell of Nice as President or Moderator by the appointment of the Emperour Constantine the Great and therefore subscribed in the first Place before Vitus and Vincentius who were the Bishop of Romes Legats as we may see in Binius Conc. Tom. 1. The Composing of this Creed by Hosius we have witnessed by Baronius A. 325 who took it out of the Epist of Athan. ad Solitarios who was present at the Councell the words of Baron are these Consentientibus Catholicis Episc Arianis pariter assentientibus concepta est Catholicae Fidei formula quâ omnia Arianae haeresis capita truncarentur fuit autem ejus formandae Osius imprimis Architectus sapientissimus de quo haec S. Athanasius cum scribit in Arianos ex verbis eorum in eundem Osium apud Constantium conclamantium Hic princeps est Synodorum siquid scribit ubique auditur hic formulam Fidei in Nicenâ Synodo concepit Arianos ubique pro haereticis traduxit that is By the joynt consent of the Catholick Bishops the Arians also agreeing to it there was Composed a Forme of Catholick Beliefe He that Composed it was Osius that most wise Master-builder concerning whom S. Athanasius in his workes against the Arians thus writeth rehearsing their very wordes wherein they cryed out upon him before the Emperour Constantius This is the chiefe President of Synods who if he write ought is hearkned to every where he composed the Forme of Beliefe in the Nicene Synod and hath traduced the Arians every where for Hereticks But the Additionall Particles or supplement of this Creed was made by Gregory Nyssen an eminent Father in the first Constantinopolitan Councell who perfected and compleated the Forme as we now have it So Nicephorus informes us Eccles Hist lib. 12. cap. 13. From that time forward it was held for one entire Creed and promiscuously called by succeeding Ages sometimes the Nicene sometimes the Constantinopolitan Creed It was caled lthe Nicene for the honour of that Councell which was the first Oecumenicall and the Foundation of all the Rest that followed as also because it was conteined virtually and implicitly in the shorter Creed of that Councell So Marcus Bishop of Ephesus in the Synod of Ferrara Sess 5. Conc. Tom. 4. And it was called the Constantinopolitan Creed because finished in that Councell and brought to that perfection wherein we now see it This Creed according as it was framed in the Nicene Synod far shorter than now we have it we may see in these following Authors viz. Athan. Epist ad Iovianum Conc. Tom. 1. pag. 399. Cod. Can. Eccl. Afric p. 19. Ruff. Eccl. Hist lib. 1. cap. 6. Theod. lib. 1. Hist cap. 12. Socr. lib. 1. c. 5. Cass trip hist lib. 1. cap. 17 Niceph. lib. 1. cap. 12. We have already Englished it in the Twelfth Chapter of the precedent Discourse on the Apostles Creed Now I shall set downe the Originall Greeke which runns thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 After this the Fathers of the Constantinopolitan Councell enlarged this Forme partly by adding some explicatory particles and partly by resuming out of the Apostles Creed those Articles wherein it was defective The Explicatory particles were chiefly touching the Holy Ghost The Articles taken out of the Apostles Creed were those which follow the Article of the Holy Ghost Notwithstanding they omitted three passages thereof which were virtually inclosed in the rest that preceded or followed viz. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God of God because it followes very God of very God 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both which are in Heaven and which are in earth because there went before by whom all things were made 3. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is Of the substance of the Father because they thought it sufficiently comprehended in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies more than 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Epiphanius tells us in his Anchoratus viz. A person of one and the same individuall substance with the Father whence the Orthodoxe Christians were differenced from the Arians by the Title of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 That is of Homoousians or of those who worshipt the Sonne of God under this Title by professing him of the same substance with the Father So then the entire forme thereof as the Westerne Churches now read it by resuming that passage God of God out of the first Nicene forme and adding the word Filioque that is and from the Sonne in the Procession of the Holy Ghost runnes thus the additionall particles being distinguished from the rest by this marke which encloseth them I Believe in one God the Father Almighty maker of Heaven and Earth and of all things visible and invisible and in one Lord Jesus Christ the only-begotten Sonne of God begotten of his Father before all Worlds God of God light of light very God of very God begotten not made being of one substance with the Father by whom all Things were made who for us men and for our Salvation came downe from Heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary and was made man and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate he suffered and was buried and the third day he rose againe according to the Scriptures and ascended into Heaven and sitteth on the right hand of the Father and he shall come againe with Glory to judge both the quick and the dead whose Kingdome shall have none end And I believe in the Holy Ghost the Lord and Giver of life who proceedeth from the Father and the Sonne who together with the Father and the Sonne is worshipped and glorified who spake by the Prophets And I believe one Catholick and Apostolick Church I acknowledge one Baptisme for the remission of sinnes and I look for the Resurrection of the Dead and the life of the World to come That Gregory Nyssen by order of the Second generall Councell held at Constantinople added the particles here inserted is witnessed as I said by Nicephorus Callistus in hist Eccles lib. 12. cap.