9. What doth this infinite Being require of us? That we worship him by faith, by hope, and by charity.

It may here be remarked, that in these attributes of God there is much that is beyond the reach of human reason. Who can form a clear and satisfactory notion of existence which had no beginning, or of the manner in which the same being can abide, whole and entire, in all places at the same time? Or who can reconcile to his complete satisfaction the unity of the godhead with the trinity of persons, or the certainty of divine foreknowledge with the freedom of human nature? Yet such difficulties are no other than what we ought to expect in the nature of God, since similar difficulties occur even in the nature of man. Who can discover how he was formed,-how his body and soul are united in one person,-how he moves his limbs,-how he thinks, and judges, and determines? If, then, in the nature of a finite being we meet with mysteries which no man can solve, what may we not expect to meet with in the nature of an infinite being like God? We must therefore be content with that limited knowledge with which our heavenly Maker has endowed us here, and see now, as through a glass, darkly, hoping that the day will come when we shall see face to face, as he has promised, and shall know even as we are known. (1 Cor. xiii. 12.) 9. Faith, hope, charity.-These three are called theological virtues, from a Greek word, meaning that they have God for their object. The first part of the present work regards faith; the second will regard charity, which leads to the observance of God's commandments; and the third will treat of

CHAP. III.

THE APOSTLES' CREED.

1. What do you mean by faith?

A sincere belief of the doctrines which God has revealed to us through his Church. 2. And what is the apostles' creed?

A summary of the doctrines, the profession of which has always been required from those who come to baptism.

the sacraments and prayers, by which hope is nourished and preserved.

2. The Apostles' Creed.-We often find the Christians of past ages speaking of the faith in which they were baptized; meaning by those words that profession of faith which was then, and still is, required before baptism, either from the mouth of the person to be baptized, if he be an adult, or from his sponsors in his name, if he be not. It is called the Apostles' Creed, because, according to the tradition of the most ancient churches, it came to them from the apostles; and that tradition is fully confirmed by the fact, that as far as memorials of the more early Christians exist, we find it the same at all times and in all places,— the same, with very few exceptions in expression, and the same always in substance: a satisfactory proof that it came to all from one common source. If occasionally we meet with some few additions or verbal differences, the cause of these will be discovered in circumstances peculiar to particular places. "In the Church of Rome," says Rufinus, no addition has been made; which I attribute to this cause, that no

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3. Say the Apostles' Creed.

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I believe in God, the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth: and in Jesus Christ his only son, our Lord, who was conceived of the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried, descended into hell, on the third day rose from the dead, ascended into heaven, sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty, whence he shall come to judge the living 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 flesh, and life everlasting. Amen."

heresy ever had its rise there, and that the old custom is invariably observed, of requiring from those about to receive the grace of baptism, that they recite the creed publicly, that is, in the hearing of the believing people, who will never suffer a word to be changed in that belief, which they have professed themselves. But in other places, as I understand, on account of certain heresies, additions have been made, to exclude the doctrine of such heresies."-Rufinus in Sym. p. 539, anno 390.

Of the custom at Rome here mentioned by Rufinus, a beautiful instance is recorded in the Confessions of St. Augustine, where he relates. the conversion to Christianity of the rhetorician Victorinus, to whom, in honour of his eloquence and learning, a public statue had been erected in the Forum, and who was intimately connected with the pagan senators of the city. Under the

4. Into how many parts do you divide this creed? Into three parts, each of which has reference to one of the persons of the blessed Trinity.

PART I. ARTICLE I.

1. Which is the first part?

"I believe in God, the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth."

2. Who is God the Father?

The first person of the Trinity.

notion of sparing his feelings, it had been proposed to him to make his profession of faith before a small and select auditory. But this he refused. "The moment," says St. Augustine, "that he stept upon the platform, from which it is customary for the catechumen to recite the creed from memory, in the presence of all the believing people, every one that knew him-and who was there among them that knew him not?— whispered his name to the by-standers; and 'Victorinus, Victorinus,' ran in a buzz of congratulation from mouth to mouth throughout the assembly. But this sudden outbreak of joy to see him was as suddenly hushed, through their eagerness to hear him. He made his profession of the true faith,-made it without fear or faltering; and all present wished to press him to their hearts. They loved him; they rejoiced with him; love and joy were the arms with which they embraced their new brother.”—S. Aug. Con. 1. viii. c. 2.

4. Into three parts. See on this division the Catechism of the Council of Trent, Part i. No. 11.

3. Why do you call him "Almighty."

Because he holds dominion over all created beings.

4. Why creator of heaven and earth?

Because he made heaven and earth, and all other things, out of nothing, by his word only.

3. Almighty. This epithet " Almighty" is given to the Father both in the first and in the sixth article of the creed. It is, however, plain, from the Greek original, that it must have different meanings in these different places. In this, the first article it is the translation of pantocrator, and signifies one, whose sway or dominion extends over all things: in the sixth it is the translation of pantodynamos, and signifies one who possesses the power of doing all things. 4. Creator of heaven and earth.—Thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are, and were created. (Rev. iv. 11.) Moses has left us a history of the creation in the first chapter of Genesis. But of late it has been pretended, that the narrative of Moses is irreconcilable with the recent discoveries of geologists. Even were it so, it should be remembered that geology is still in its infancy, and that many years must pass, many more discoveries be made, before it can have any pretension to be set up in opposition to the testimony of Scripture. But in fact there is not at present any contradiction between them. The Scripture teaches that six thousand years have not elapsed since the creation of man-nor is there any thing in the discoveries of geologists to warrant a suspicion that the human race is of higher antiquity. Geology assumes, as neces