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Q. How is this Creed worded?

"We

A. The translation runs as follows. believe, according to the tradition of the Evangelists and Apostles, in one God the Father Almighty, the Maker and Governor of the world. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, God, by whom all things were made; who was begotten of the Father, God of God, Whole of Whole, One of One, Perfect of Perfect, King of King, Lord of Lord; the Word, Wisdom, Life, the true Light, the true Way, the Resurrection, the Shepherd, the Gate; unchangeable and invariable; the immutable image of the Divinity, both in its essence, its power, and its glory; the first born of every creature, who always was in the beginning with God, the Word which was God, according to what is written in the Gospel, and the Word was God, by whom all things were made, and in whom all things subsist: who in the last days came down from heaven, and was born of a Virgin, according to the Scriptures; and became the Lamb, the Mediator between God and man, predestined to be the Author of our faith, and the Guide of our life; for he said, 'I came not from

lib. xi. cap. 10. Hilary, lib de Synodis, § xxix. Bull. Def. Fid. Nic. sect. ii. cap. xiii. § 4-8.

heaven to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me.' Who suffered, and rose again for us on the third day, and ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father, and will come again with glory to judge both the quick and the dead.

"We believe in the Holy Ghost, who is given for the consolation, and sanctification, and perfection of believers, according as our Lord Jesus Christ gave commandment to his Disciples, saying, Go, teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost;' manifestly meaning the Father who is truly the Father, the Son who is truly the Son, and the Holy Ghost who is truly the Holy Ghost; these names not being inconsiderately or idly applied, but expressing accurately, the distinct personality, and order, and glory of each person in the Godhead; that they be three as to their subsistence, but one in essence "."

Q. Are there any other Creeds worthy of notice among the writings of the ancient fathers?

A. Others might be brought forward, and much more might be said on this subject, but having selected a few of those Creeds which we considered most satisfactory and important, the plan of our present work will not allow of a more detailed enumeration.

P In Socrates and Athanasius the words are, Ως ειναι τη μεν υποστάσει τρια. τη δε συμφωνια εν.

D

Our object, throughout the latter part of these Preliminary Observations, has been to prove the accordance of our Protestant Church with the primitive Fathers, on the most important points of doctrine. With this view we have instanced Irenæus, Tertullian, Origen, Gregory, and Lucian, whose united testimony reaches from A. D. 178 to A. D. 290; and who may be said to express the opinions of their respective Churches, i. e. of Lyons in Gaul, Carthage in Africa, Alexandria in Egypt, Neo-Cæsarea in Pontus, and Antioch in Syria.

We have also made such short prefatory remarks on the Apostles' Creed as we considered necessary.

The cumulative weight of the evidence thus adduced, appearing to us sufficient to allow of our drawing the conclusion, that from the time of the Apostles, our Catholic and Apostolic Faith has uniformly been one and the same. We hasten to the main subject of our enquiry, which is, to examine the meaning, and force, and bearing, of each clause, and each important word in each clause, of the Apostles' Creed.

THE

APOSTLES' CREED.

I BELIEVE in God the Father Almighty, Maker of Heaven and Earth: and in Jesus Christ, his only Son our Lord: who was conceived by the Holy Ghost; born of the Virgin Mary suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried: he descended into Hell; the third day he rose again from the dead : he ascended into Heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty: from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead: I believe in the Holy Ghost: the Holy Catholic Church: the Communion of Saints: the Forgiveness of Sins: the Resurrection of the body and the Life everlasting.

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