in any Creed until late in the fourth century. It was found by Rufinus, a presbyter of Aquileia, a part of the Creed of his own Church. He understood it as referring to the burial of Christ. It is supposed to have been put into the Apostles' Creed as a guard against the heresy of Apollinaris. He taught that the divine nature in Christ rendered the human spirit needless; that the person of Christ was a composite of God and two elements only of human nature. The Article in the Creed thus stands for the defense of the doctrine of a separate human spirit in Christ. It appeared also in the Athanasian Creed in the sixth century. The opinion of the Church fathers on the meaning of this Article is summed up by Sir Peter King as follows: "That our Saviour's soul, being separated from his body by death, went unto the unseen mansion of separated spirits in the other world; that as his body, according to the laws of death, was laid in the grave, so in a conformity thereunto his soul also passed into the habitation of departed spirits, where it remained in its separate state among the souls of Abraham, Samuel, David, and all the godly in rest and peace, till the day of his resurrection."1 The Anglican Article as it appeared in 1553 included an explanation of the purpose of the descent, but such violent controversy arose regarding this that at the revision in the reign of Elizabeth that portion was stricken out, leaving the Article in its present form. It is regarded as an "Article of Religion, not of faith." Bishop Brownell says, "The Rubric of the Prayer Book (American) provides that any churches may omit the words, 'He descended into hell,' or may instead of them use the words, 'He went into the place of departed spirits,' which are considered as words of the same meaning in the 1 A Critical History of the Apostles' Creed, p.242. Creed." The fact of the descent is controverted as well as the interpretations given of it. To put the doctrine into a formula and require its acceptance would be unwise. Its omission is an indication of Wesley's sound judgment and independence of thought. The Conference of 1786 indorsed this view by omitting the Article from the Apostles' Creed. IV. Of the Resurrection of Christ Christ did truly rise again from death, and took again his body, with flesh, bones and all things appertaining to the perfection of Man's nature; wherewith he ascended into Heaven, and there sitteth, until he return to judge all Men at the last day. III. Of the Resurrection of Christ did truly rise again from the dead, and took again his body, with all things appertaining to the perfection of man's nature, wherewith he ascended into heaven, and there sitteth until he return to judge all men at the last day. There are but three words omitted in this Article: "flesh, bones, and." Perhaps Wesley considered them superfluous, believing the clause "all things appertaining to the perfection of man's nature" sufficiently clear and inclusive. It may be that he desired to avoid an expression which might be controverted. The mystery of ascension is difficult for finite minds to grasp. It involves a change of the mode of existence. It is enough to say, "all things appertaining to the perfection of man's nature," without specifying "flesh and bones," leaving God to determine what is essential to the perfection of a glorified human body. The Mediator between God and man is still himself "man" (1 Tim. 2. 5). By the ascension he has "entered upon the completeness of spiritual being without lessening in any degree the completeness of his humanity." V. Of the Holy Ghost The Holy Ghost, proceeding from the Father and the Son, is 1 Commentary on the Prayer Book, p. 96. IV. Of the Holy Ghost The Holy Ghost, proceeding from the Father and the Son, is of one substance, majesty, and glory, with the Father and the Son, very and eternal God. VI. Of the Sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures for Salvation Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary to salvation: so that whatsoever is not read therein, nor may be proved thereby, is not to be required of any man, that it should be believed as an article of the Faith, or be thought requisite or necessary to salvation. In the name of the holy Scripture we do understand those canonical Books of the Old and New Testament, of whose authority was never any doubt in the Church. Of the Names and Number of the Canonical Books Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, The First Book of Samuel, The Second Book of Samuel, The First Book of Kings, The Second Book of Kings, The First Book of Chronicles, The Second Book of Chronicles, The First Book of Esdras, The Second Book of Esdras, The Book of Esther, The Book of Job, The Psalms, The Proverbs, Ecclesiastes or Preacher, Cantica, or Songs of Solomon, Four Prophets the greater, Twelve Prophets the less. And the other Books (as Hierome saith) the Church doth read for example of life and instruction of manners; but yet doth it not apply them to establish any doctrine; such are these following: The Third Book of Esdras, The Fourth Book of Esdras, The Book of Tobias, The Book of Judith, The rest of the Book of Esther, The Book of Wisdom, Jesus the Son of Sirach, Baruch the Prophet, The Song of the Three Children, The Story of Susannah, Of Bel and of one substance, majesty, and glory with the Father and the Son, very and eternal God. V. The Sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures for Salvation The Holy Scriptures_contain all things necessary to salvation; so that whatsoever is not read therein, nor may be proved thereby, is not to be required of any man that it should be believed as an article of faith, or be thought requisite or necessary to salvation. In the name of the Holy Scriptures we do understand those canonical books of the Old and New Testament of whose authority was never any doubt in the Church. The names of the canonical books are: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, The First Book of Samuel, The Second Book of Samuel, The First Book of Kings, The Second Book of Kings, The First Book of Chronicles, The Second Book of Chronicles, The Book of Ezra, The Book of Nehemiah, The Book of Esther, The Book of Job, The Psalms, The Proverbs, Ecclesiastes or the Preacher, Cantica or Song of Solomon, Four Prophets the greater, Twelve Prophets the less. the Dragon, The Prayer of Manasses, The First Book of Maccabees, The Second Book of Maccabees. All the Books of the New Testament, as they are commonly received, we do receive, and account them Canonical. It will be noted that the apocryphal books are omitted. These are frequently found in large family Bibles and may be "read for example of life and instruction of manners," but a list of them is not needed in an Article of Religion, not being canonical or to be applied "to establish any doctrine." VII. Of the Old Testament The Old Testament is not contrary to the New: for both in the Old and New Testament everlasting life is offered to Mankind by Christ, who is the only Mediator between God and Man, being both God and Man. Wherefore they are not to be heard, which feign that the old Fathers did look only for transitory promises. Although the Law given from God by Moses, as touching Ceremonies and Rites, do not bind Christian men, nor the Civil precepts thereof ought of necessity to be received in any commonwealth; yet notwithstanding, no Christian man whatsoever is free from the obedience of the Commandments which are called Moral. VIII. Of the Three Creeds The Three Creeds, Nicene Creed, Athanasius's Creed, and that which is commonly called the Apostles' Creed, ought thoroughly to be received and believed: for they may be proved by most certain warrants of holy Scripture. The Nicene and Athanasian Creeds embody the most abstruse doctrines of Christianity and were formulated in connection with the bitterest and most extended controversies known to the Church of Christ. The Creeds are the crystallized orthodox views of the Church in relation to the Holy Trinity, the divinity and person of Jesus Christ, and the deity and personality of the Holy Ghost. The Nicene Creed is so named because the greater part of it was drawn up and agreed to at the Council of Nice in 325. The latter part, from the words "I believe in the Holy Ghost," was added by the Council of Constantinople in 381, except the words "and the Son" following the words "who proceedeth from the Father," which were added by the Spanish bishops in 412, and by the Council of Toledo in 589. The whole was confirmed by Pope Nicholas I in 883; since that time it has been generally accepted in the Western Churches. The Greek Church, however, has never accepted the words "and the Son." The so-called Athanasian Creed was not written for more than a century after the death of Athanasius. This Creed is received in the Greek, Roman, and English Churches, but is excluded from the services of the Protestant Episcopal Church in America. While accepted by the English Church, certain portions are severely condemned by English bishops and clergy. "Great objection has been made to the clauses of this Creed, which denounce eternal damnation against those who do not believe the Catholic faith as here stated; and it is certainly to be lamented that assertions of so peremptory a nature, unexplained and unqualified, should have been used in any human composition.' The Apostles' Creed forms a part of the Order of Public Worship in the Methodist Episcopal Church, but 1 Tomline, Christian Theology, vol. ii, p. 185. |