heresy,) and threw in this article on purpose to confound the orthodox, by affording then a subject of new debates between themselves, and to disgrace Apollinarius, and by a too usual, though a most unreasonable consequence, the Catholic faith itself, of which he had been hitherto a most noted and eminent defender. Now I say, for these and such like reasons, it is most probable, that in the confession of the Arians at Ariminum, mention is not only made of" Christ's being crucified and dead, but also that he descended into hell, to perform those things which were necessary for him there to do, at whose sight the porters of hell trembled:" and the year following, the Acacians, a particular sect of the Arians, in a synod at Constantinople, assented to the foresaid confession of Ariminum, with some few explications and additions; amongst which they added the word "buried," and thus read that which relates to the humiliation of Christ, crucified, dead, and buried, descended into the nethermost parts, whom hell also feared:" after which, Apollinarius declaring himself more openly for this heresy, the orthodox found themselves under a necessity of abandoning and renouncing him; wherefore, his heresy was condemned by a synod at Alexandria, Anno 362, and by another at Rome, An no 373 and last of all according to the example given them by the Arians, an antidote was inserted there-against in the creed, and the reality of Christ's rational soul was declared by that undeniable argument of his descending into hell; as in Epiphanius's exposition of the creed, after our Saviour's death. and burial, it follows: "that his deity accompanied his soul into hell, delivered from thence the captive souls, broke the sting of death, rent in sunder those bars and adamantine chains, and by his power loosened the bonds of hell; from whence he returned with his soul, not leaving his soul in hell, nor suffering his flesh to see corruption :" and St. Cyril of Jerusalem writes on this article, "that our Saviour descended into the lower parts, that from thence he might redeem the just :" after which, the first creed wherein we find this article, is in that of Aquileia, recorded by Ruffinus, in which indeed this clause is expressed with greater latitude than in our modern symbol, it being there, descendit ad inferna, or, he descended into the lower parts; wherein the burial might be included and designed, and that more especially because the sepulture of our Saviour is not therein expressed; but immediately after his crucifixion under Pontius Pilate, comes this clause, that he descended into the lower parts; but afterwards, when the descent was received into the Roman and Oriental creeds, the burial was there retained and instead of the lower parts, it was said that he descended into hell: which two considerations make it unreasonable to be imagined, that the descent in our creed should be applied to the burial of Christ's body; for that having been already mentioned, it would be a tautology in so brief a compendium to repeat it again in other words; and according to the propriety and idiom both of the Greek and Latin tongues, the most natural and easy interpretation thereof, and which best agrees with the order and method of the creed, is the same with what hath been already related; which to prevent mistakes, I shall again repeat, viz. that by assenting to this clause, that Christ descended into hell, it was thereby intended for the reason aforesaid, viz. the asserting the reality of his human soul, to declare our belief that as upon the separation of his body and soul by death, his body was buried in the earth; so his spotless and immaculate soul by a true and local motion, went unto the ¡nvisible and blessed habitation of holy and pious souls, where it remained in peace and happiness with the separated spirits of the Faithful, in a triumphant and believing ex pectation of the time of his resurrection, which was the third day after; when his soul was delivered from the power of hell, and his body from the corruption of the grave, according to that text of the Psalmist on which this article is founded, cited by St. Peter in Acts ii. 27. "Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine holy one to see corruption." CHA P. V. The resurrection of Christ being a necessary fundamental of our religion, was always part of the creed, by which our belief is declared, that Christ rose from the dead, and returned to life again. The farther consideration whereof, is referred to the article of the resurrection of the body. The reason for which our Lord's resurrection is said to be in and not after the third day. The ascension of our Saviour was introduced a·gainst an opinion of the Apelleians, viz. that ut his ascension, his body was resolved into its first principles, and ascended not up on high, or into heaven. The nomination of which place, might probably have been designed in contradiction to a conceit of Hermogenes, that his body went into the body of the sun. Sitting at the right hand of "God the father explained; by which, we must not imagine Christ confined to that singular posture, but it signifies his advancement to the full exercise of his regal office: all things being subjected unto him by the father, who was infinitely able to do it, seeing he is almighty; which word in the Greek, is different from that used in the beginning of the creed, and in this place denotes the irresistibleness and efficacy of God's power.This clause is first found in the creed of Tertullian's, and was inserted, either as a continued proof with the ascension, that our Lord's body was not dissolved a little after his resurrection, or rather was designed against some heretics, who imagined the body of Christ to be in a stupid and unconcerned posture in heaven, and not to be sat down at his father's right hand, exercising all power and authority for the good of his church. A brief explication of "from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.". Three interpretations of the "quick and the dead" the last most natural, that by the quck are meant those who shall be alive at the coming of our Lord, and by the dead, those who shall then be actually void of life. This article was designed against the Marcionites and Gnostics of whom, the one blasphemed the final judge, the other the judgment. Marcion, with his master Cerdon, held, that the true God, and his son Christ Jesus, were all mercy and love, and would never judge the world; which opinion opened a flood-gate to all impiety; in oppo : |
