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"was neither in the Roman, nor Oriental creeds" "The communion of saints" was not in any creed till above four hundred years after Christ, and then not immediately receiv ed in all: The clause of "life everlasting" was omitted in several, whilst in others it was inserted. But not to exemplify any more particulars; whosoever shall compare the Grecian, or as some may think it more fitly termed, the French creed, recorded by Irenæus; those of Carthage, cited by Tertullian; that of Aquileia, commented on by Ruffin; that of Hip. po, repeated by St. Austin; that of Ravenna, extant in Petrus Chrysologus; that of Turin, explained by Maximus bishop of that church; and several other creeds here and there interspersed in the primitive writings: I say, whosoever shall compare these creeds together, shall find them vastly different; and that there are very few articles, in the order and expres. sion whereof, they do all without exception, agree: Which consideration, with those aforementioned, sufficiently evidence, that the apostles neither were, nor could be the authors nor composers of our present creed, that passes under their name.

But though this creed be not of the apostles immediate framing, yet it may be truly styled apostolical, not only because it contains the

sum of the apostles doctrine, but also, because the age thereof is so great, that its birth must be fetched from the very apostolic times: It is true, the exact form of the present creed cannot pretend to be so ancient by four hun. dred years; but a form not much different from it, was used long before. Irenæus, the scho lar of Polycarp, the disciple of St. John, where he repeats a creed not much unlike to ours, he assures us, "that the church dispersed throughout the whole world had received this faith from the apostles and their disciples;" which is also affirmed by Tertullian of one of his creeds, "that that rule of faith had been current in the church from the beginning of the gospel and which is very observable, although there was so great a diversity of creeds, as that scarce two churches did exactly agree therein, yet the form and substance of every creed, was in a great measure the same; so that, except there had been from the very plantation of christianity, a form of sound words, or a system of faith delivered by the first planters thereof, it is not easy to conceive, how all churches should harmonize, not only in the articles themselves, into which they were baptized, but in a great measure also, in the method and order of them.

But now the creed, or at least a great part of it, being so very ancient, and the records of

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those times being withal so few, it will be a difficult task to give an exact and punctual account of its certain authors, and of the precise intended meaning of every article and clause thereof; which difficulty is yet farther increased by the extraordinary care and af fected studiousness of the primitive fathers, to conceal the creed; which was so great and unaccountable, as that they not only kept it from the knowledge of the Heathens and Catechumens, as hath been already demonstrated, but they even scrupuled to commit it to writing, and rather chose to transmit it down to posterity by tradition; for which reason Ruffinus calls it the tradition of faith;" and Jerom informs us," that this symbol of our faith and hope delivered by the apostles, was not written in paper and ink, but in the fleshly tables of the heart;" in an agreeableness whereunto, Petrus Chrysologus, frequently exhorts his hearers" to preserve this gift in the most inward recesses of their hearts, not to permit vile paper to depreciate this precious gift, or black ink to darken this mystery of light:" And many other such like passages might be easily produced, to evidence their strange fancy, to keep the creed secret, concealed and hidden; which together with the forementioned considerations, do clearly shew, that it is

no easy matter to give a satisfactory account of the authors and intended sense of every article thereof, and may justly excuse or lessen a mistake or defect herein.

Wherefore, having premised this observation, I shall now endeavour to give the best account I can, of the authors and framers of the creed, and of the designed meaning of the several articles thereof.

As for the authors thereof, it cannot be denied, but that they were several and many; the creed was neither the work of one man, nor of one day, but, during a long tract of time, passed successively through several hands, e'er it arrived to its present perfection; the composure of it was gradual, and not instantaneous; the manner whereof, I apprehend to have been these two ways: First, some of the articles therein were derived from the very days of the apostles: Secondly, the others were afterwards added by the primitive doctors and bishops, in opposition to gross heresies and errors that sprung up in the church.

As for the first of these, that some of the articles were of the very inserting of the apos tles; this will appear if we consider, that the apostles and evangelists who were the first sent forth to preach the gospel, and to con

vert the world both Jewish and Pagan; when they formally received any one a member into the Christian church by baptism, they did then particularly demand his assent to the Christian faith, and a declaration of his belief thereof: An example whereof we have in the eighth of the Acts; where, after the conference between the Eunuch and Philip the evangelist, when the Eunuch testified his desire to be bap. tized, Philip told him, "that if he did believe with all his heart, he might;" unto which, when the Eunuch replied, "that he did believe Jesus Christ to be the son of God," then Philip baptized him, but not before. From which single instance it is manifest, that the apostles and first preachers of the gospel required the assent of all persons at baptism to some of the particular articles of the Christian faith, which were the platform and model of the creed, since that time, always used at baptism. Which of the particular articles of our present creed were inserted therein by them, I shall more largely shew in their particular order, wherein they are disposed in the rule of faith; it is sufficient in this place to say, that they were the articles of the existence of God; the trinity; that Jesus was Christ, or the saviour of the world; the remission of sins; and the resurrection.

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