other form, greatly fhorter, to the following purpofe: "I believe in one God, the maker of heaven and earth, and all things which are in them, by Jefus Chrift the Son of God, who, for his molt eminent love to his own works, condefcended to be born of a virgin, himself uniting man to God, and fuffered under Pontius Pilate, and rifing (from the dead) he was received up into glory, and fhall come in glory, the Saviour of thofe who are faved, and the Judge of thofe who are condemned, fending into eternal fire the perverters of his truth, -the defpifers of his Father, and his coming*? The next authentic monument, which prefents us with any creeds, is the works of Tertullian. There are three forms of this kind in thofe works of his, which are acknowleged genuine. The first may be rendered into English in the following terms: "The rule of faith which is profeffed, is that by which we believe one God only, and no other befides the Creator of the world, who produced the universe of nothing, by his word, fent forth before all things: This *"Credo in unum Deum fabricatorem cali, ac terræ, et omnium quæ in eis funt, per Chriftum Jefum Dei Filium, qui propter eminentiimam erga Figmentum fuum dilectionem, eam quæ effet ex Virgine generationem sustinuit, ipfe per se hominem adunans Deo, et paslus sub Pontio Pilato, et refurgens, et in claritate receptus, in gloria venturus Salvator eorum qui judicantur, et mittens in ignem æternum transfiguratores veritatis, et contemptores patris fui et adventus ejus." Lib. III. cap. iv. P. 172. Word Word is called his Son, who appeared at fundry times, and divers manners, unto the patriarchs, and was heard (fpeaking) in the prophets, in the name of God, at last defcended, by the power and Spirit of the Father, into the Virgin Mary, and was made flesh in her womb, and of her was born the man Jefus Chrift, who, from that time, preached a new Law, and a new promise of the kingdom of heaven; who did mighty works; was fixed to the cross; the the third day rofe again; was taken up into heaven, and fitteth at the right hand of the Father, to fend the vicarious power of his Holy Spirit, to conduct them who believe: Who fhall come in glory to take the faints unto the enjoyment of eternal life and heavenly promifes; and the profane to be adjudged to eternal fire; having made restitution to both parties by the refurrection of the flesh*." A fecond form, from the fame author, may be rendered * "Regula eft autem fidei, ut jam hine quid credamus profiteamur, illa, fcil. qua creditur: Unum omnino Deum effe; nec alium præter mundi conditorem; qui univerfa de nihilo produxerit, per verbum fuum primo omnium emiflum: Id verbum filium ejus appellatum, in nomine Dei varie vifum Patriarchis, in Prophetis femper auditum, poftremo delatum ex fpiritu Dei patris et virtute in Virginem Mariam, carnem factum in utero ejus, et ex ea natum hominem et efle Jefum Chriftum: exinde prædicaffe novam legem, et novam promiffionem regni cœlorum, virtutes feciffe: Fixum cruci; Tertia die refurrexifle: In cœlos ereptum federe ad dexteram patris: Mififle vicariam vim fpiritus fanéti qui credentes agat: Venturum cum claritate, ad fumendos fanctos in vitæ æ ternæ rendered thus: "We believe in one God, yet, under this difpenfation, which we call the OECONOMY, That God hath a Son, who proceeded from him, by whom all things were made, and without him was nothing made: We believe, that he was fent into a virgin, and born of her; (he was) both God and man, the Son of Man and the Son of God, furnamed Jefus Chrift: That he fuffered, was dead, and buried, according to the Scriptures; that he was raised again by the father, and taken up into heaven, to fit at the right hand of the Father; that he shall come to judge the quick and the dead; from whence alfo he fent the PARACLETE, the Holy Ghost, from the Father, according to his own promife, the fanctifier of the faith of those who believe in the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost*." The last, and shortest, form we shall extract ternæ et promifforum cœleftium fructum, et ad prophanos judicandos igni perpetuo, facta utriufque partis refufcitatione cum carnis refurrectione." Præfcript cap. xiii. * "Nos vero et femper, et nunc magis ut inftructiores per Paracletum deductorem, fcil. omnis veritatis, unicum quidem Deum credimus: fub hac tamen difpenfatione, quam aconomiam dicimus, ut unici Dei fit et filius fermo ipfius, qui ex ipfo procefferit, per quem omnia facta funt, et fine quo factum eft nihil. Hunc miffum a patre in virginem, et ex ea natum hominem et Deum, filium hominis, et filium Dei, et cognominatum Jefum Chriftum. Hunc paffum, hunc mortuum et fepultum fecundum fcripturas, et refufcitatum a patre, et in cœlos refumptum, federe ad dexteram patris, venturum judicare vivos et mortuos, extract from this Father may be expreffed in the following terms: "There is only one rule of faith, and it alone is immoveable and incapable of being amended, viz. That which teacheth us to believe in one God Almighty, the maker of the univerfe; and in his Son Jefus Chrift, born of the Virgin Mary, crucified under Pontius Pilate, raifed from the dead the third day, received up into heaven, now fitting on the right hand of the Father, who fhall come to judge both the quick and the dead, through the refurrection of the flesh." A few years after this author, flourished ORIGEN: Among the fragments of his works, confeffed to be genuine, is to be found the following fummary of faith: "There is one God who created all things, and formed them, who made the univerfe of nothing: The God of all righteous perfons, from the firft creation and state of the world, of Adam, Abel, Seth, Enos Enoch, Noah, Shem, Abraham, Ifaac, Jacob, the twelve Patriarchs, Mofes, and the Prophets; mortuos. Qui exinde miferit fecundum promiffionem fuam a patre fpiritum fanctum Paracletum, fanctificatorem fidei eorum qui credunt in patrem et filium et fpiritum fanctum." Contra Prax. cap. ii. "Regula quidem fidei una omnino eft, fola immobilis, et irreformabilis, credendi fcil. in unicum Deum omnipotentem, mundi conditorem, et filium ejus Jefum Chriftum, natum ex Virgine Maria, crucifixum fub Pontio Pilato, tertia die refufcitatum a mortuis, receptum in cœlis, fedentem nunc ad dexteram Patris, venturum judicare vivos et mortuos, per carnis etiam refurrectionem.” De Veland. Virgin. cap. i. and atel and that this God, in the laft days, fent our Lord Jefus Chrift, as he had before promifed by his prophets, firft to call Ifrael, and then the Gentiles, after the infidelity of his people Ifrael. This juft and good God, the Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift, gave the Law, and the Prophets, and the Gospels, being the God of the Apoftles and of both the Old and New Teftament. Then, because Jefus Chrift was begotten of the Father before every creature, it is himself who comes, that he might minifter to the Father in every condition (for by him all things are made) in the last times, making himself of no reputation, he became man: He was incarnate while yet he was God, and continued to be man who was God: He affumed a body like unto ours, differing only in this, that it was born of a virgin by the Holy Ghost And, becaufe this Jefus was born and fuffered in truth, and not in appearance, he died the death common to all men; for he rofe again truly from the dead; and, after his refurrection, he having converfed with his dif ciples, he was taken up into heaven. They then delivered unto us, that the Holy Ghost is affociated, in honour and dignity, with the Father and the Son*" &c. There is another Creed to Unus Deus eft, qui omnia creavit, atque compo fuit, quique ex nullis fecit efle univerfa, Deus a prima creatura et conditione mundi omnium juftorum, Adam, Abel, Sethi, Enos, &c. Et quod hic Deus in noviffimis. Dddd ** diebus, 3 |