And in the Holy Ghost, the Lord, and Giver of life, who proceedeth from the Father, who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified, who spake by the prophets. And in one Catholic and Apostolic Church. We acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins, we look for the Resurrection of the dead, and the Life of the world to come. Amen. And those, who say there was a time when He was not, or that He was made out of nothing, or from some other substance or essence, or say that the Son of God is liable to flux or change, those the Catholic and Apostolic Church anathematizes.' This Creed Epiphanius speaks of as handed down from the Apostles, and received in the Church, having been set forth by more than 310 Bishops (the number at Nice being 318).1 It has also been observed, that Cyril of Jerusalem, who died A.D. 386, and delivered his Catechetical Lectures early in his life, in the eighteenth lecture repeats the following Articles, as part of the Creed: In one Baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, and in one Holy Catholic Church; and in the Resurrection of the flesh; and in eternal life." We must infer then, either that a larger, as well as a shorter Creed, was put forth at Nice, such as Epiphanius has recorded, or that such a longer form had existed of old time, and that the Council only specified those parts, which bore particularly on the controversy of the day; or lastly, that shortly after the Council of Nice, the Nicene fathers, or some of them, or others who had high authority, enlarged and amplified the Nicene symbol, and that this enlarged form obtained extensively in the Church.3 The Council of Constantinople met A.D. 381, consisting of 150 fathers. Their principal object was to condemn the Macedonian heresy, which denied the Deity of the Spirit of God. They accordingly put forth an enlarged edition of the Creed of the Council of Nice. It agreed almost word for word with the Creed of Epiphanius, the only omission being of the following clauses, 'that is, of the substance of His Father,' and 'both things in Heaven and things in earth;' which were already fully expressed in other words. The chief clauses contained in this Creed, which do not occur in the Creed as put forth by the Council of Nice, are as follows :Begotten of the Father before all worlds,' ' By the Holy Ghost 1 Epiphanius, In Anchorato, juxta finem; Suicer, s. v. ovμßolor; Bingham, Bk. X. ch. IV. § 15. 2 Cyril, Catech. XVIII. 3 See Suicer and Bingham, as above. of the Virgin Mary,'' Was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate, and was buried,' 'Sitteth on the right hand of the Father,' 'Whose kingdom shall have no end;' and all those clauses which follow the words We believe in the Holy Ghost.' The most important of these expressions is the Lord, and giver of life' (τὸ Κύριον καὶ τὸ ζωοποιόν). The Arians spoke of Him, as a creature. The Macedonians called Him a ministering spirit. In opposition to these, in the Creed of Constantinople, after an expression of belief in the Holy Spirit τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον is added rò Kúptov, the Lord.' This was in allusion to 2 Cor. iii. 17, 18, where the Spirit is spoken of as the Lord (i.e. JEHOVAH); and is called 'The Lord the Spirit ;" and therefore in this Creed He is called τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ Κύριον, ' the Spirit which is the LORD." It is unnecessary to repeat here what was said in the History of the fifth Article, concerning the famous addition of the Filioque; which was the chief cause of the schism of the Eastern and Western Churches. The Creed of Constantinople was solemnly confirmed by the third general Council, the Council of Ephesus, A.D. 431; whose seventh Canon decrees that No one shall be permitted to introduce, write, or compose any other faith, besides that which was defined by the holy fathers assembled in the city of Nice with the Holy Ghost." It is said that the first to introduce the Constantinopolitan Creed into the Liturgy was Peter Fullo, Patriarch of Antioch, about the year 471; and that he ordered it to be repeated in every assembly of the Church. It is further said that Timotheus, Bishop of Constantinople, first brought the same custom into the Church of Constantinople, about A.D. 511.5 From the East the custom passed into the Western Churches, and was first adopted in Spain by the Council of Toledo, about A.D. 589, when that Church was newly recovered from an inundation of Arianism. The Roman Church appears to have been the last to receive it, as some say, not before A.D. 1014; though others have assigned, with probability, an earlier date." 1 ὁ δὲ Κύριος τὸ Πνεῦμα ἐστιν, and ἀπὸ Κυρίου Πνεύματος. * See Wall, On Infant Baptism, Vol. II. p. 465. 3 Beveridge, Synodicon, Vol. I. p. 103; Routh's Opuscula, Vol. II. p. 392. * Πέτρον φησὶ τὸν κναφέα ἐπινοῆσαι καὶ ἐν πάσῃ συνάξει τὸ σύμβολον Aεyéolai.-Theodor. Lector. Hist. Eccles. 5 Theodor. Lector. p. 563; Bingham and Palmer, as above. Bingham and Palmer, as above. I. SECTION IV.-THE CREED OF ST. ATHANASIUS. THE THE original of this, as of the Apostles' Creed, is obscure. In former times, many learned men believed it to have been composed by Athanasius, when he was at Rome, and offered by him to Pope Julius, as a confession of his faith. This was the opinion of Baronius, and in it he was followed by Cardinal Bona, Petavius, Bellarmine, Rivet, and many others of both the Roman and the reformed communions.' The first who entered critically into an examination of the question of its authorship, was Gerard Vossius, in his Work De Tribus Symbolis, A.D. 1642; who threw strong doubts on the received opinion, having given good reason to believe that this Creed was the work, not of Athanasius, but of some Latin writer, probably much posterior to Athanasius. Indeed he did not set it higher than A.D. 600. He was followed by Archbishop Ussher, who in his tract De Symbolis (A.D. 1647) produced new evidence of which Vossius was ignorant, agreed with him in denying it to Athanasius, but scrupled not to assign it a date prior to the year 447· In the year 1675, Paschasius Quesnel, a learned French divine, published the works of Pope Leo, with some dissertations of his own. In the fourteenth of these, he discusses the authorship of this Creed, and assigns it to Vigilius Tapsensis, an African Bishop, who lived in the latter end of the fifth century, in the time of the Arian persecution by the Vandals. His arguments have so prevailed, as to carry a majority of learned writers with him amongst whom may be mentioned, Cave, Dupin, Pagi, Natalis Alexander, Bingham. : The principal arguments against the authorship of Athanasius, and in favour of Vigilius, are thus summed up by the last-mentioned writer, Bingham. First, because this Creed is wanting in almost all the MSS. of Athanasius' works. Secondly, because the style and contexture of it does not bespeak a Greek, but a Latin author. Thirdly, because neither Cyril of Alexandria, nor the Council of Ephesus, nor Pope Leo, nor the Council of Chalcedon, have even so much as mentioned it in all they say against the Nestorian or Eutychian heresies. Fourthly, because this Vigilius is known to have published several others of his writings under the borrowed name of Athanasius, with which this creed is commonly joined." 1 Bingham, Bk. x. ch. IV. § 18. 2 Bingham, as above; Waterland, Hist. of Athanasian Creed, ch. 1. In 1693, Joseph Antelmi, a learned divine of Paris, in his Dissertatio de Symbolo Athanasiano, attacked with great success the opinion of Quesnel, and ascribed the creed to Vincentius Lirinensis, who flourished in Gaul, A.D. 434. His arguments appear to have produced considerable effect on the learned world. The famous Tillemont (1697) commends the performance of Antelmi, though still inclined to Quesnel's opinion. Montfaucon (1698) is convinced that the Creed is not the work of Athanasius nor Vigilius, nor is he convinced that it is due to Vincentius; but thinks there is great reason to conclude that it was the work of a Gallican writer or writers, about the time of Vincentius. In like manner, Muratori, a famous Italian writer (1698), commends the opinion of Antelmi, as nearest to the truth.' Lastly, our learned Dr. Waterland, in his valuable History of the Athanasian Creed, having given an account of the opinions of his predecessors, brings many strong arguments to prove that the writer was Hilary, who became Bishop of Arles, A.D. 429, and that he, in all probability, put forth this Creed, when he first entered his diocese. The arguments, by which the time and place, in which this Creed was written, have been pretty certainly arrived at, may be classed under two heads: 1 External; 2 Internal Proofs. .I. A.D. 670. External Proofs are as follows: (1) We have ancient testimonies as early as the Council of Autun, A.D. 670, where this creed is enjoined to be recited by the clergy. After this, Regino, Abbot of Prom in Germany, A.D. 760. The Council of Frankfort, A.D. 794. Theodulph, Bishop of Orleans, A.D. 809. Hincmar, Archbishop of Rheims, A.D. 852, &c. A.D. 570. (2) There is an ancient commentary, as early as A.D. 570, by Venantius Fortunatus, an Italian, who became Bishop of Poictiers. Afterwards commentaries by Hincinar, Bishop of Rheims, A.D. 852; Bruno, Bishop of Warzburgh in Germany, A.D. 1033; the famous Abelard, 1120, &c. A.D. 600. (3) There are MSS. as early as the seventh century, and one was found in the Cotton Library by Archbishop Ussher, as early as A.D. 600; though this has since disappeared. This is a very early date, considering how few MSS., even of the most ancient writers, are much earlier. A.D. 850. (4) There are versions; French of the year 850; German, 870; Anglo-Saxon, 930; Greek, 12CO, &c. Waterland, as above. A.D. 550. (5) The reception of this Creed may be shown to have been in Gaul, as early as A.D. 550; Spain, 630; Germany, 787; England, 800; Italy, 880; Rome, 930. From these considerations, we trace the Creed to the middle of the sixth century, when it appears to have been well known, commented on, and treated with great respect; and that more especially in the churches of Gaul. 2 The internal Evidences are these: Not before (1) It was clearly written after the rise of the ApolA.D. 370. linarian heresy; for the Creed is full, clear, and minute in obviating all the cavils of that heresy concerning the incarnation of Christ.' This heresy arose about A.D. 360, and A.D. 370. grew to a head about A.D. 370. Epiphanius marks the time when Creeds began to be enlarged in opposition to Apollinarianism, viz. A.D. 373,2 about which time Athanasius died. Not before (2) The Creed appears to have adopted several of A.D. 416. St. Augustine's expressions and modes of reasoning. Now he wrote his books on the Trinity about A.D. 416. Especially this Creed contains the famous Filioque; and Augustine was the first, who brought the doctrine of the Procession from the Son prominently forward; whence he has been charged by the Greeks with being the father of that doctrine. This would make it probable that the Creed was not written much before A.D. 420. Before (3) It appears, however, to have been written before A.D. 451. the rise of the Eutychians: for there is not a word plainly expressing the two natures of Christ, and excluding one nature; which critical terms are rarely or never omitted in the Creeds after the Eutychian times. Nay, though this Creed does in effect oppose this, as well as other heresies; there are expressions in it, which, it has been thought, might have been laid hold of by Eutyches in his favour, and therefore, would not have been written after his heresy had arisen: e.g. 'One, not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh, but by taking of the manhood into God.' This might have been perverted to prove the Eutychian dogma, that Christ's manhood was converted into and absorbed in His Godhead. Again,' As the reasonable soul and flesh is one man, so God and man is one Christ.' The Eutychians might have argued 1 It will be remembered that the Apollinarians denied a human soul to Christ, and said that the Godhead sup plied the place of the rational soul. See August. Hes. 49. Tom. VIII. p. 19. Epiphanius, Anchorat. c. 121, ap. Waterland. |