AN

HISTORICAL

AND

LITERARY ACCOUNT

OF THE

FORMULARIES,

CONFESSIONS OF FAITH,

OR

SYMBOLIC BOOKS

OF THE

Roman-Catholic,

GREEK, AND PRINCIPAL PROTESTANT

CHURCHĘS.

INTENDED AS A SUPPLEMENT TO HORÆ BIBLICÆ, AND TO THE SYLLOGE CONFESSIONUM, SUB TEMPUS REFORMANDE ECCLESIÆ EDITARUM, PRINTED IN 1804,

AT THE CLARENDON PRESS.

CONTENTS.

INTRODUCTION

page xi

CHAP. I.

The Symbolic Books received by all Christian Churches, and

some Observations on the Symbol of St. Athanasius, page i

1.–The Symbol of the Apostles

ib.

2.-The Nicene Symbol

3

3.-The Symbol of St. Athanasius -

ib.

CHA P. II.

The Symbolic Books of the Roman Catholic Church

4

1.–The Council of Trent

5

2.- The Symbol of Pius the fourth -

3.—The Catechism of the Council of Trent 15

4.-Bossuet's Exposition of the Faith of the Catholic

Church, in matters of Controversy

16

11

CHA P. III.

The Symbolic Books of the Greek Church

21

CHAP. IV.

page 26

28

The Symbolic Books of the Lutheran Churches

1.—The Confession of Augsburgh

2.- The Analogy of the Confession of Augsburgh 38

3.— The Articles of Smalcald

39

4.—The Catechisms of Luther

41

5.-The Form of Concord

ib.

6.-The Saxonic and Wirtemburgh Confessions -

7.—The Constitution and Liturgy of the Lutheran

Church

45

8.-Difference between the Roman-catholic and

Lutheran Churches, on the Doctrine of Justi-

fication

9.—Communication between the Divines of Wirtem-

burgh and the Patriarch of Constantinople, on

the Confession of Augsburgh

51

ib.

CH A P. V.

The Symbolic Books of the Reformed Churches

54

1.–The Helvetic Confession

ib.

2.—The Tetrapolitan Confession

57

3.—The Confession of Faith, or Catechism of

Heidelberg

58

4.- The Gallic Confession of Faith

61

5.—The Belgic Confession of Faith

ib.

6.— Thé Canons of the Synod of Dort -

62

CHAP. VIII.

The Articuli Visitatorii of the Electorate of Saxony, page 71

CHA P. IX.

The Symbolic Books of the Arminians

74

CHAP. X.

The Symbolic Books of the Socinians-Distinction between

them and the Unitarians

79

C H A P. XI.

The Symbolic Books of the Church of England

go

1.—The English Theological Oaths

91

2.—The Ten Articles, and Six Articles of King

Henry the eighth

- 95

3.—The Forty-two Articles of Edward the sixth - 97

4.—The Thirty-nine Articles

ib.

5.—The Canons

99

6.- The Controversy on the Authentic Edition of the

Thirty-nine Articles

101

7.—The Book of Common Prayer

109

8.- The Homilies

112