De vel. Virg. Præ

tra Prax

eam.

avowed form) allege any fuch; but rather from their own obfervation of the common sense agreed upon, and in their own expreffion, fet down thofe main doctrines, wherein the chief churches did confent; as may be seen by divers of them, especially by Tertullian, (the oldest of the Lafcript. adv. tins,) if we compare feveral places, wherein he delivers hæret. con- the rule of faith, (as he conftantly calls it, that is, such a fummary of Chriftian principles, by which the truth of doctrines concerning matters therein touched might be examined;) wherein, I say, he delivers fuch rules of faith, to the fame purpose in fenfe, but in language fomewhat different, yet never referring us to any ftanding and more authentic form. Among thefe forms, that which now paffes under the title of the Apoftles' Creed (about which we difcourfe) feems to have been peculiar to the Roman Church, and that very anciently, (as to the chief articles thereof; for it appears that in process of time it hath been somewhat altered, especially by addition ;) and because it had been used from fuch antiquity, that its original compofition and use were not known, was prefumed to have derived from the Apostles, the first planters of that Church, (as it was then ufual to repute all immemorial customs to be deduced from apoftolical tradition;) or poffibly because the Roman Church (as in common belief founded by the two great Apostles Peter and Paul,) was by way of excellency called the apoftolical Church; and the fucceffion of Roman bishops, fedes apoftolica: fo whatever belonged to that Church, obtained the fame denomination; and among the reft, the Roman fymbol might for that reafon be called fymbolum apoftolicum; that is, fymbolum Ecclefiæ apoftolicæ. For that it was compiled by joint advice, or by particular contributions of all the Apoftles, is a conceit sustained by very weak grounds, and affailed by very ftrong objections: as, that a matter of fo illuftrious remarkableness, and of so great concernment, should be nowhere mentioned in the apoftolic acts, nor by any authentic record attefted; (and indeed had it been fo teftified, it must have attained canonical authority;) that it was not received by all churches; and that those which used the

fubftance thereof, were fo bold therewith as to alter and enlarge it, are confiderations ordinarily objected thereto : but that which most effectually, to my feeming, doth render fuch original thereof altogether uncertain, (and doth amount almost to a demonftration against it; I mean against the truth, or, which is all one in matters of this nature, its certainty of being composed by the Apostles,) is that which I before intimated; viz. that the moft ancient (and those the most inquifitive and beft seen in fuch matters) were either wholly ignorant that such a form, pretending the Apostles for its authors, was extant, or did not accord to its pretence, or did not at all rely upon the authenticalness thereof; otherwife (as I before urged) it is hardly poffible that they should not have in most direct and exprefs manner alleged it, and used its authority against those wild heretics who impugned fome points thereof. Nothing can be more evident, than such an argument (as it was more obvious than not to be taken notice of, so it) must needs carry a great strength and efficacy with it; and would have much more ferved their purpose, for convincing their adverfaries, than a rule (of the same sense and import) collected from their own observation, and composed in their own expreffion; and that argument, which they fo much infift upon, drawn from the common consent of the apoftolic churches, could not have been more strongly enforced, (nor the ground thereof more clearly evidenced,) than by propounding the attestation of this form, if fuch an one there had been commonly received and acknowledged: and if they were ignorant or uncertain thereof, after-times could not be more skilful or fure in the point. I fpeak not this with intent to derogate from the reputation of this Creed, or to invalidate that authority, whereof it hath fo long time stood poffeffed: for, as for the parts thereof, which were undoubtedly moft ancient, the matter of them is fo manifeftly contained in the Scripture, and, fuppofing the truth of Christianity itself, they are fo certain, that they need no other authority to fupport them, than what Chriftianity itself fubfifts upon; and for other points afterwards

added, they cannot, by virtue of being inferted there, pretend to apoftolic authority, but for their establishment muft infift upon fome other base. It is, in general, fufficient (that which we acknowledge) to beget a competent reverence thereto, that it was of fo ancient use in the principal, and for long time (till ambition and avarice, and the confequences of general confufion, ignorance, corruption, overspreading the earth, did foil it) the fairest perhaps and most sober church in the world; that it was, I fay, in fo illuftrious a place, fo near the Apostles' time, made and used, (and might thence feem probably to derive from fome of them,) may conciliate much respect thereto : but yet fince it is not thoroughly certain that it was composed by any of them, nor hath obtained the fame authority with their undoubted writings, whatever is therein contained must be explained according to and be proved by them; and cannot otherwise constrain our faith and indeed divers authors of great credit acknowledge it to be collected out of the Scriptures; Illa verba, faith Auguftin, quæ audivifis (fpeaking of this Creed) per Scripturas fparfa funt, et inde collecta, et ad unum rePafchafius dacta. And another ancient writer; De facris omnino voluminibus quæ funt credenda fumamus; de quorum fonte fymboli ipfius feries derivata confiftit. Its authority therefore will at the fecond hand prove apoftolical, its matter being drawn from the fountains of apoftolical Scripture. But so much shall fuffice, for preface, concerning the title and other extrinfecal adjuncts of the Creed. As for the fubject itself, it is a fhort fyftem of Chriftian doctrine; comprifing the chief principles of Christianity, as distinct from all other religions, in a form (or manner of speech) fuited for every fingular person, thereby to declare his confent to that religion; which to do, as it is especially befitting at baptifm, (when the perfon is folemnly admitted to the participation of the benefits and privileges of that religion; and fhould therefore reasonably be required to profefs that he believes the truth thereof, and willingly undertakes to perform the conditions and duties belonging thereto,) fo it cannot but be very convenient and use

de Sp. S.

cap. 1.

ful at other times, and deferves to be a conftant part of God's fervice; as both much tending to the honour of God, and conducing to private and public edification: we thereby glorify God, frequently confeffing his truth, (the chief and highest points of his heavenly truth, by his goodness revealed unto us ;) we remind ourselves of our duties and engagements to God; we fatisfy the Church of our perfeverance, and encourage our brethren to persist in the faith of Chrift.

As for the interpretation thereof, I fhall not otherwise determine or limit its fenfe, than by endeavouring to declare what is true in itself, and agreeable to the meaning of the words, wherein each article is expreffed; proving fuch truth by any kind of fuitable arguments that offer themselves; fuch as either the reafon of the thing, or plain teftimony of holy Scripture, or general confent and tradition of the ancient churches, founded by the Apoftles, do afford. Proving, I fay; for the Creed itself, (as we before discoursed,) not being endued with highest authority to enforce its doctrine, it must be confirmed by fuch other grounds as may be proved more immediately valid, and efficacious to convince or produce faith in men's minds. For faith itself is not an arbitrary act, nor an effect of blind neceffity; (we cannot believe what we please, nor can be compelled to believe any thing;) it is a refult of judgment and choice, grounded upon reafon of fome kind, after deliberation and debate concerning the matter. But more diftinctly what the faith we profefs to have, is, I will immediately inquire; addreffing myself to the expofition of the firft word, I believe, or I believe in. Before we proceed, we must remove a rub, which criticifing upon the phrase hath put in our way. They give us a distinction between, to believe a thing, to believe a It comes perfon, and to believe upon a thing or perfon: for example, taking God for the object, there is, they fay, a difference father of between credere Deum, credere Deo, and credere in Deum. diftincCredere Deum doth import fimply to believe God to be; tions. credere Deo, is to believe God's word or promife, (to esteem him veracious;) credere in Deum, is to have a

VOL. V.

from Au

guftin, the

fcholaftic

31. xix. 9.

XX. 20.

confidence in God, as able and willing to do us good, (to rely upon his mercy and favour; to hope for help, comfort, or reward from him: the which, after St. Auguftin, the schoolmen account an act of charity or love toward God, as may be seen in that late excellent expofition of the Creed;) and in this laft fenfe would fome understand the faith here profeffed, because of the phrase, I believe in: but I briefly anfwer, that this phrase being derived immediately from the Greek of the New Teftament, and the Greek therein. imitating the Old Teftament Hebrew, we must interpret the meaning thereof according to its use there, as that may beft agree with the reafon of the thing, and the, defign of the Creed here. Now in the faid Greek and He-. brew, πιστεύειν εἰς, (or πιστεύειν ἐν, οι πιστεύειν ἐπὶ, which import the fame,) and, (heemin be,) are used to fignify all kinds of faith, and are promiscuously applied to all kind of objects: it is required, to believe not only in Exod. xiv. God and Christ, but in men also a; in Mofes, in the Prob2 Chron. phets; as likewise in the works of God; in God's commandments; in the Gofpel. Whence in general it appears, that to believe in, hath not neceffarily or constantly Pfal. cxix. fuch a determinate fenfe, as the forementioned diftinMark i. 15. guishers pretend, but is capable of various meanings, as the different matters to which it is applied do require: to believe in Mofes, (for example,) was not to confide in his power, or goodnefs, but to believe him God's prophet, and that his words were true; to believe in God's works, was to believe they came from God's power, and fignified his providence over them; to believe in the commands of God, and the Gofpel of Chrift, was to take them, for rules of life, and to expect due reward according to the promises or threatenings in them respectively pronounced to obedience or difobedience: in a word, we may obferve, (and there be inftances innumerable to confirm the obfervation,) that, in the New Teftament, woreúav sis Xpiotò, εἰς Κύριον, εἰς ὄνομα Κυρίου, and πιστεύειν τῷ Χριστῷ, τῷ Κυρίῳ, Tu óvóμati Kupiou, do indifferently bear the fame sense, both fignifying no more, than being perfuaded that Jefus was the Chrift the Son of God, fuch as he declared him

Pf. lxxviii.

32.

66.