lars the Roman, nor Oriental Creeds: The Communion of Saints was not in any Creed till above Four hundred Years after Chrift, and then not immediately received in all: The Claufe of Life Everlafting was omitted in feveral, whilft in others it was inferted. But not to exemplify in any more Particuwhofoever fhall compare the Grecian, or as fome may think it more fitly termed, the French Creed, recorded by Irenaus, thofe of Carthage, cited by Tertullian; that of Aquileia, commented on by Ruffin; that of Hippo, repeated by St. Auftin, that of Ravenna, extant in Petrus Chryfologus; that of Turin, explain'd by Maximus Bishop of that Church; and feveral other Creeds here and there interfperfed in the Primitive Writings: I fay, whofoever fhall compare thefe Creeds together, fhall find them vaftly diffe rent; and that there are very few Articles, in the Order and Expreffion whereof, they do all without Exception, agree: Which confideration, with thofe forementioned, fufficiently evidence, That the Apoftles neither were, nor could be the Authors or Compofers of our present Creed, that paffes under their Name. But But though this Creed be not of the Apoftles immediate framing, yet it may be truly ftyled Apoftolical, not only because it contains the Sum of the Apoftles Doctrine, but alfo, because the Age thereof is fo great, that its Birth muft be fetch'd from the very Apoftolick Times: It is true, the exact Form of the prefent Creed cannot pretend to be fo ancient by Four hundred Years; but a Form not much different from it, was used long before. Irenaus, the Scholar of Polycarp, the Difciple of St. John, where he repeats a Creed not much unlike to ours, he affures us, That the Church diSperfed throughout the whole World had recei ved this Faith from the Apoftles and their Difciples, which is also af C b * Η 2 εκκλησία καίπερ καθ ̓ ὅλης δ οἰκομψης απαριθών αποςόλων envy matniss aegra Lib. 1. c. 2. P. 35. βέσα ἢ εἰς ἕνα θεὸν πίςιν Evangelii de firmed by Tertullian of one of his Creeds, That that Rule of Faith had Hanc regubeen current in the Church from the be-lam ab initio ginning of the Gospel: And which is cucurriffe. very obfervable, although there was fo Adverf. Pragreat a diversity of Creeds, as that xean, p. 316. Icarce two Churches did exactly agree therein, yet the Form and Substance of every Creed, was in a great meafure the fame; fo that, except there had had been from the very Plantation of Christianity, a Form of found Words, or a Syftem of Faith delivered by the firft Planters thereof, it is not eafy to conceive, how all Churches fhould harmonize, not only in the Articles themselves, into which they were baptized, but in a great measure alfo, in the Method and Order of them. But now the Creed, or at least a great part of it, being fo very ancient, and the Records of thofe Times being withal fo few, it will be a difficult Task to give an exact and punctual Account of its certain Authors, and of the precife intended meaning of every Article and Claufe thereof; which Difficulty is yet farther increased by the extraordinary care and affected ftudioufnefs of the Primitive Fathers, to conceal the Creed; which was fo great and unaccountable, as that they not only kept it from the knowledge of the Heathens and Catechumens, as hath been already demonftrated, but they even fcrupled to commit it to Writing, and rather chofe to tranfmit it down to their Pofterity by Tradition; for which reafon, Rufd Traditio finus calls it calls it a the Tradition of fidei. Expof. Faith, and Jerom informs us, That in Symb. §. 37. P. 575. *this Symbol of our Faith • In Symbolo fidei & fpei no ftræ quod ab Apoftolis traditum, non fcribitur in charta & atramento, fed in tabulis cordis carnalibus. Tom. 2. advers. Error. Foban. Hierof. Epift. 62. cap. 9. ; f Hoc vitæ Symbolum mens this Gift in the most inward Recesses of their Hearts, not to permit tramentum. In Symb, Apoft. Serm. vile Paper to depreciate 59. P. 54. this precious Gift, or black Ink to darken this Myftery of Light: And many other fuch like Paffages might be easi ly produced, to evidence their ftrange Fancy, to keep the Creed fecret, concealed, and hidden; which together with the foremention'd Confiderations, do clearly fhew, That it is no eafy matter to give a fatisfactory Account of the Authors and intended Senfe of every Article thereof, and may juftly excufe or leffen a Miftake or Defect herein. teneat -ne divinitatis pretiofum myfterium lucis atrum tenebret a munus depreciet charta vilis, ne Wherefore, having premifed this Obfervation, I fhall now endeavour to give the best account I can, of the Authors and Framers of the Creed, and of the defign'd Mea ning of the feveral Articles thereof. As for the Authors thereof, it cannot be denied, but that they were feveral and many; the Creed was neither the work of one Man, nor of one Day, but during a long Tract of Time, paffed fucceffively through several Hands, e'er it arrived to its prefent Perfection; the Compofure of it was gradual, and not inftantaneous; 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 Apoftles Secondly, The others were afterwards added by the Primitive Dotors and Bifhops, in oppofition to grofs Herefies and Errors that sprung up in the Church. As for the first of these, That fome of the Articles were of the very inferting of the Apostles; this will appear, if we confider, That the Apoftles and Evangelifts, who were the firft fent forth to preach the Gospel, and to convert the World both Jewish and Pagan, when they formally received any one a Member into the Chriftian Church by Baptifm, they did then particularly demand his Affent to the Chriftian Faith, and a Declaration |