the corrupters of his truth, and the despisers of his father and coming." Not much unlike to which we have another instance in a creed: of Tertullian's wherein this article is thus worded, "that Christ shall come in splendor to receive the saints into the fruit of eternal life, and the heavenly promises, and to ad judge the profane to everlasting fire." But afterwards when the heresy of the Gnostics decreased, and their numbers lessened, or were altogether extinct, it is probable, that the governors of the church not willing to enlarge their short confession of faith beyond what was absolutely necessary, omitted this circumilocution, and contented themselves with a bare declaration, that Christ shall come to judge the world, seeing unto all sensible and unprejudiced persons, that it is a sufficient and manifest acknowledgement, that every man shall at that day be suitably rewarded ac cording to his actions here.

To conclude therefore with this article ; from what hath been written, it doth appear, that by the repetition thereof, it was designed that we should yield our assent to this proposition, that Jesus Christ the son of the true and only God, shall at the end of the world descend from heaven, to render a righteous

judgment unto all mankind, either of absolution or condemnation, according to their works and actions, which in this life they freely and voluntarily acted and committed.

CHAP. VI.

I believe in the Holy Ghost. Why the wordbelieve is again repeated. This article was always part of the creed. Why so little is said of the Holy Ghost, when so much is said of the Father and of the Son. His di vinity intended by the creed's requiring us” to believe in him; whereas, we are only simply required to believe the ensuing articles; as in particular the holy Catholic church, which is next of all considered. In the Greek, wherein they are followed by the modern French and Dutch, the word believe is again repeated before the article of the church; which, for different ends, was variously placed in the primitive creeds. Its usual order after the Holy Ghost. This article first mentioned by Tertullian. The most ancient creeds read only the holy church. The term Catholic being added by the Greeks to be an explication or determination thereof. By the church, is to be understood the universal one, which is affirmed to be one, holy and Catholic. That the unity of the church was here intended, appears from that the"

Greek creeds read in one holy Catholic church. The church universal is to be considered as one, either as to faith or charity; in which sense it was for several reasons which are mentioned inserted in the creed in opposition to heretics and scismatics. The church termed holy from the purity and ho→ liness of her doctrine, which is assented to thereby. The affection Catholic, which signi fies universal, not always in the creed; first introduced by the Greeks, to prevent too nar row and limited conceptions of the church. A brief repetition of what is assented to, when we repeat this article, the holy Catholic church. Whereunto is added as an ap pendix, the communion of saints; which was introduced about St. Austin's time, int opposition to the Donatists. By saints, are to be understood particular churches and the members thereof. For what reason they were called saints. By communion, is sig nified the mutual society and fellowship of particular church and their members. Various methods used by the ancients to maintain their communion. The Donatists refused communion with other churches; and for that schism, were justly condemned and rejected by them. In opposition unto whom, this article may be considered either as a mark to know a true particular church by, that she is one that is acknowledged so to be by other churches, or rather as the quality, property and practice of such an one to hold communion with other particular churches: in which sense it is also added as

an explanation of the holy Catholic church, and was intended to declare, that there ought to be a due communion and fellowship be tween the particular churches and members of the Catholic and universal one.

HE faith of an orthodox Christian, res

THE

pecting the father and the son, having been already declared, "that our belief," as Augustin writes, "might be perfected concerning God; the creed proceeds to add, that we must also believe in the Holy Ghost:" where the word believe is again repeated to relieve our memories, after that so many particulars concerning the son had intervened.

This article hath been always part of the creed, and is coeval with Christianity and the administration of baptism, as appears from the very form of baptism, the ground and foundation of the creed, which is not only to be solemnized in the name of the father and of the son, but also of the Holy Ghost, where the Holy Ghost is joined with the father and the son: from whence Didymus thus argues, "who will not from hence conclude the equality of the sacred trinity, seeing there is but one faith in the father, son, and Holy Ghost? and baptism is given in the names of all three. I do not think that any one will be so foolish or mad, as to imagine that baptism

to be perfect, which is given in the name of the father and of the son, without the addi tion of the Holy Ghost." Consonant unto which, is that observation of St. Jerom, tha those persons mentioned in the nineteenth of the "Acts, who were baptized with John's baptism, and believed in God the father and Christ Jesus, because they knew not the Ho ly Ghost, were again baptized, yea then received the true baptism; for, without the Ho, ly Ghost, the mystery of the trinity is imper fect,"

It may perhaps seem strange to some, that when there is so much declared in the creed relating to the father and the son, so little should be said concerning the Holy Ghost. But, for this there is a sufficient and manifest reason, which is, that there was not so good a controversy in the primitive church concerning the divinity and person of the Holy Ghost; for, though the Gnostics and some others blasphemed him, yet their assaults were more furious and violent against, the father and the son, which obliged the church to use her greatest care for the preservation of that part, which was most exposed and attacked.

This observation was made long ago against the Macedonians, or Pneumatomachists, the