other religions; or more fimply, as we faid, to be a mark, whereby the person converted to Christianity did fignify, that he did fincerely embrace it, confenting to the capital doctrines thereof, and engaging obedience to its laws. Indeed afterward (when it was commonly observed, that almoft any kind of heretics, without evident repugnance to their particular opinions, could conform to those short and general forms, to exclude, or prevent compliance with them) occafion was taken to enlarge the ancient forms, or to frame new ones, (more full and explicit,) to be used, as formerly, at baptifm. But (to leave farther confideration of the name, and to purfue what more concerns the thing) for the more ancient forms, wherein the forementioned profeffion was conceived, it feems that in several places and times they did fomewhat vary, receiving alteration and increafe, according to the difcretion of those who did prefide in each Churcha; the principal however and more substantial parts (which had especial direction and authority from the words and practice of our Saviour and his Apostles) being every where and at all times retained; (those, namely, which concerned the Perfons of the holy Trinity, and the great promises of the Gospel; remiffion of fins, to be miniftered here by the Church; and eternal life, to be conferred hereafter by God upon those who had conftantly believed and obeyed the Gospel.) That in the more ancient times there was no one form, generally fixed and agreed upon, (to omit other arguments that perfuade it,) is hence probable, for that the moft learned and generally knowing perfons of those times, when in their apologies against difbelievers for Chriftianity, or in their affertions of its genuine principles and doctrines against misbelievers, they by the nature and fequel of their discourse are engaged to fum up the principal doctrines of our religion, they do not yet (as reason did require, and they could hardly have avoided doing, had there been any fuch conftantly and univerfally settled or

a His additur indivifibilem et impaffibilem: fciendum quod duo illi fermones in Ecclefiæ Romanæ fymbolo non habentur, conftat autem apud nos additos hærefeos caufa Sabellii, &c. Ruff. in Sym.

tra Prax

cam.

avowed form) allege any fuch; but rather from their own obfervation of the common fense agreed upon, and in their own expreffion, fet down thofe main doctrines, wherein the chief churches did confent; as may be seen by divers De vel. of them, especially by Tertullian, (the oldest of the LaVirg. Præfcript. adv. tins,) if we compare feveral places, wherein he delivers hæret. con- the rule of faith, (as he conftantly calls it, that is, fuch a summary of Chriftian principles, by which the truth of doctrines concerning matters therein touched might be examined;) wherein, I fay, he delivers fuch rules of faith, to the fame purpose in fenfe, but in language fomewhat different, yet never referring us to any standing and more authentic form. Among these forms, that which now paffes under the title of the Apostles' Creed (about which we difcourfe) seems to have been peculiar to the Roman Church, and that very anciently, (as to the chief articles thereof; for it appears that in process of time it hath been fomewhat altered, especially by addition;) and because it had been used from fuch antiquity, that its original compofition and use were not known, was prefumed to have derived from the Apostles, the first planters of that Church, (as it was then ufual to repute all immemorial customs to be deduced from apoftolical tradition;) or poffibly because the Roman Church (as in common belief founded by the two great Apoftles Peter and Paul,) was by way of excellency called the apoftolical Church; and the fucceffion of Roman bishops, fedes apoftolica: fo whatever belonged to that Church, obtained the fame denomination; and among the reft, the Roman fymbol might for that reafon be called fymbolum apoftolicum; that is, fymbolum Ecclefiæ apoftolicæ. For that it was compiled by joint advice, or by particular contributions of all the Apoftles, is a conceit sustained by very weak grounds, and affailed by very ftrong objections: as, that a matter of fo illuftrious remarkablenefs, and of fo great concernment, fhould be nowhere mentioned in the apoftolic acts, nor by any authentic record attefted; (and indeed had it been fo teftified, it must have attained canonical authority;) that it was not received by all churches; and that those which used the

fubftance thereof, were fo bold therewith as to alter and enlarge it, are confiderations ordinarily objected thereto : but that which most effectually, to my feeming, doth render fuch original thereof altogether uncertain, (and doth amount almost to a demonftration against it; I mean against the truth, or, which is all one in matters of this nature, its certainty of being composed by the Apostles,) is that which I before intimated; viz. that the most ancient (and those the most inquifitive and best seen in such matters) were either wholly ignorant that such a form, pretending the Apostles for its authors, was extant, or did not accord to its pretence, or did not at all rely upon the authenticalnefs thereof; otherwife (as I before urged) it is hardly poffible that they should not have in most direct and exprefs manner alleged it, and used its authority against those wild heretics who impugned fome points thereof. Nothing can be more evident, than fuch an argument (as it was more obvious than not to be taken notice of, so it) muft needs carry a great strength and efficacy with it; and would have much more ferved their purpose, for convincing their adverfaries, than a rule (of the same sense and import) collected from their own obfervation, and composed in their own expreffion; and that argument, which they fo much infift upon, drawn from the common consent of the apoftolic churches, could not have been more strongly enforced, (nor the ground thereof more clearly evidenced,) than by propounding the atteftation of this form, if fuch an one there had been commonly received and acknowledged: and if they were ignorant or uncertain thereof, after-times could not be more skilful or fure in the point. I fpeak not this with intent to derogate from the reputation of this Creed, or to invalidate that authority, whereof it hath fo long time ftood poffeffed: for, as for the parts thereof, which were undoubtedly most ancient, the matter of them is fo manifestly contained in the Scripture, and, fuppofing the truth of Christianity itself, they are fo certain, that they need no other authority to support them, than what Chriftianity itself fubfifts upon; and for other points afterwards

added, they cannot, by virtue of being inferted there, pretend to apoftolic authority, but for their establishment muft infist upon some other base. It is, in general, fufficient (that which we acknowledge) to beget a competent reverence thereto, that it was of fo ancient use in the principal, and for long time (till ambition and avarice, and the confequences of general confufion, ignorance, corrup tion, overspreading the earth, did foil it) the fairest perhaps and most fober church in the world; that it was, I fay, in fo illustrious a place, fo near the Apoftles' time, made and used, (and might thence feem probably to derive from fome of them,) may conciliate much refpect thereto but yet fince it is not thoroughly certain that it was compofed by any of them, nor hath obtained the fame authority with their undoubted writings, whatever is therein contained must be explained according to and be proved by them; and cannot otherwise constrain our faith and indeed divers authors of great credit acknowledge it to be collected out of the Scriptures; Illa verba, faith Augustin, quæ audiviftis (speaking of this Creed) per Scripturas fparfa funt, et inde collecta, et ad unum rePafchafius dacta. And another ancient writer; De facris omnino vode Sp. S. luminibus quæ funt credenda fumamus; de quorum fonte Symboli ipfius feries derivata confiftit. Its authority therefore will at the second hand prove apoftolical, its matter being drawn from the fountains of apoftolical Scripture. But so much shall fuffice, for preface, concerning the title and other extrinfecal adjuncts of the Creed. As for the subject itself, it is a short system of Christian doctrine; comprising the chief principles of Christianity, as diftinct from all other religions, in a form (or manner of speech) fuited for every fingular person, thereby to declare his confent to that religion; which to do, as it is especially befitting at baptism, (when the perfon is folemnly admitted to the participation of the benefits and privileges of that religion; and should therefore reasonably be required to profess that he believes the truth thereof, and willingly undertakes to perform the conditions and duties belonging thereto,) fo it cannot but be very convenient and use

cap. 1.

ful at other times, and deferves to be a conftant part of God's fervice; as both much tending to the honour of God, and conducing to private and public edification: we thereby glorify God, frequently confeffing his truth, (the chief and highest points of his heavenly truth, by his goodness revealed unto us;) we remind ourselves of our duties and engagements to God; we fatisfy the Church of our perfeverance, and encourage our brethren to perfift in the faith of Chrift.

As for the interpretation thereof, I fhall not otherwise determine or limit its fenfe, than by endeavouring to declare what is true in itself, and agreeable to the meaning of the words, wherein each article is expreffed; proving fuch truth by any kind of fuitable arguments that offer themselves; fuch as either the reafon of the thing, or plain teftimony of holy Scripture, or general confent and tradition of the ancient churches, founded by the Apoftles, do afford. Proving, I fay; for the Creed itself, (as we before difcourfed,) not being endued with highest authority to enforce its doctrine, it must be confirmed by fuch other grounds as may be proved more immediately valid, and efficacious to convince or produce faith in men's minds. For faith itself is not an arbitrary act, nor an effect of blind neceffity; (we cannot believe what we please, nor can be compelled to believe any thing;) it is a refult of judgment and choice, grounded upon reafon of some kind, after deliberation and debate concerning the matter. But more diftin&tly what the faith we profefs to have, is, I will immediately inquire; addreffing myself to the expofition of the first word, I believe, or I believe in. Before we proceed, we must remove a rub, which criticifing upon the phrase hath put in our way. They give us a diftinction between, to believe a thing, to believe a It comes perfon, and to believe upon a thing or perfon: for example, from Autaking God for the object, there is, they say, a difference father of between credere Deum, credere Deo, and credere in Deum. diftincCredere Deum doth import fimply to believe God to be; tions. credere Deo, is to believe God's word or promise, (to efteem him veracious ;) credere in Deum, is to have a

VOL. V.

guftin, the

fcholaftic