hear Christ and understand Him does not require great acuteness of mind, nor learning, nor a high degree of culti vation. Children can understand as well as the wisest; all that is necessary on our part is to turn our hearts, our thoughts, our will to Him; to hear when He speaks to us, and so recognize His voice amid the tumult of the world, as well as in our secluded closet. I repeat again, we become independent of every authority on earth only when we have a faith full of life and of spirit; when from our own experience we know Christ to be our Master; when we see in every authority on earth, to which we are subject, a reflex, an image of Christ's authority-in every law and command, Christ's will. Only thus do we become free. Abide in my word, and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. But be not deceived by artful speeches, nor believe every spirit, but try the spirits, whether they are of God. But how can we try them, unless it be by the word of God; and how can we know the word of God unless we ourselves search the Scriptures which lead us directly to Christ? As long as we need a third person to tell us what the Scriptures teach on this or that point, what Christ will have us do in the different relations of life, whether He commands or forbids what we desire; if we believe only on account of the testimony given by others; if our reverence, our obedience, our attachment, our views of Christ's great work and merit have no other basis, but that which those, who teach us, represent to us; if we have not seen for ourselves; then in cases of doubt, we become dependent on men, like the Catholics on their priests; then our mouth is silent, our judgment ready as soon as they have spoken as they have judged. Such a faith will not suit our wants, our circumstances, our degree of intellectual culture. It is like a coat not made for us, that, when having put it on, can neither protect us from the wind nor from the storm. Like the savage who has an idol, in which he believes and which he places where he can use it; to which he runs, when he is in danger; which he removes again, when he does not need it any longer; which he leaves at -- home, when he goes to his business or to his enjoyments --so is a faith, that does not rest on our own conviction, that does not attract irresistibly all our thoughts and wishes; that has not changed all our faculties and our heart; that does not restrain us from avarice and selfishness, and from being dependent on any thing on earth, or on any notions and wishes of our own; that, in short, does not make us free from self-will and render us the servants of Christ only, to whom we must devote our whole life. Whoever, on the other hand, has a living faith, walks during his whole life in the presence of Christ, the Sun of truth, to whom he is alive, who purifies him by His enlightning power and removes all darkness. He becomes more pure every day; but the more pure he becomes, the more humble, the more meek will he be also. Peace takes up its abode in his breast; for the coat of discontentment-his own will-drops off; he knows of something, which is better than himself, better than all that he could find or desire on earth; this he seeks and every where he is ready to perform the will of Christ, and to do all things for His honor and glory. Faith kindles a spark of life in his heart; growing in faith this spark becomes a light which shines forth in works of love. Faith is a constant intuition of our Lord and His sufferings, takes away our thoughts from mere external things, and is full of desire to see the time come, when the world will be covered with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the deep. May the Lord lead every one of us to the fountain of faith and truth. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread; forgive us our sins as we forgive those that sin against us; lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory for ever and ever. Amen. The Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord lift the light of His countenance upon you and give you peace. ART. V.-THE ATHANASIAN CREED. We propose in this article to discuss the name, origin, authority, contents, value and use of the so called Athanasian Symbol, which, next to the Apostles' Creed and the Nicene, or rather Nicaeno-Constantinopolitan Creed, is the most generally received Confession of faith in the Christian Church, and presents to us a succinct and clear summary ancient Catholic theology concerning the fundamental articles of the holy Trinity and the person of Christ.* of For the convenience of the reader, we give first the symbol itself in three parallel columns, in the original Latin, the old English translation of the sixteenth century, and the revised translation prepared for the new Liturgy of the German Reformed Church in the United States. We give the old translation precisely as it is found in the Common Prayer Book of the Church of England, and in the old Dutch Reformed Liturgy; but we italicize those sors. *The necessary information on this subject may be found in Tillemont, Memoirs pour servir à l'histoire eccles. (tom. VIII, 667 sqq.), Montfaucon, edition of the Works of Athanasius (tom. II, 719 sqq., Diatribe de Symbolo Quicunque); Bingham, Antiquities of the Christian Church (vol. IV, 118 sqq.); J. G. Walch, Introductio in libros ecclesiae Luth. symbolicos (lib. I, cap. 2 de tribus symbolis oecumenicis, p. 36 sqq.); and Koellner, Symbolik aller christlichen Confessionen, Theil I. p. 53 sqq. We have consulted more particularly Walch and Köllner, who have made good use of all their predeces Besides there are a number of special dissertations on the Anthanasian Creed, to which, however, we have unfortunately no access just now. The best of them are the following: G. J. Voss (a Dutch Reformed divine), De tribus symbolis, Amsterd. 1642; J. H. Heidegger (German Reformed), De symbolo Athanasiano, Zur. 1680; Dan. Waterland (Anglican), A critical History of the Athanasian Creed, representing the opinions of the Ancients and Moderns concerning it: with an account of the Mss, Verss. and Comments and such other particulars as are of moment for the determining of the Age, and Author, and Value of it, and the Time of its Reception in the Christian Churches, Cambridge, 1724; Speroni (Roman Catholic), De symbolo vulgo S. Anthanasii, Patav. 1751; and Harvey (Anglican), History and Theology of the Three Creeds, Lond. 1856, 2 vols. The last (from the learned editor of Irenaeus adv. haereses) is probably the fullest, to judge from its size and some notices I have seen in English Reviews. (Who will have merey on the Seminary Library at Mercersburg, and furnish it with a sufficient working apparatus for the industry of poor professors ?) words which have been changed in the revised translation for reasons of taste, clearness and closer adherence to the original. The Latin Original. 1. Quicunque vult sal- 1. Whosoever will be 1. Whosoever will be vus esse, ante omnia opus saved: before all things saved, before all things it est, ut teneat catholicam it is necessary that he is necessary that he hold fidem; hold the Catholick Faith; the Catholic faith; 2. Quam nisi quisque 2. Which Faith except 2. Which faith except integram inviolatamque every one do keep whole every one do keep whole servaverit, absque dubio and undefiled: without and undefiled, without in æternum peribit. doubt he shall perish ev- doubt he shall perish everlastingly. erlastingly. 3. Fides autem cathol- 3. And the Catholick 3. And the Catholic ica haec est, ut unum De- Faith is this: That we faith is this: that we worum in trinitate et trini- worship one God in Trin- ship one God in Trinity, tatem in unitate venere- ity and Trinity in Unity; and Trinity in Unity; mur; 4. Neque confundentes 4. Neither confounding 4. Neither confounding personas, neque substan- the Persons: nor divid- the persons, nor dividing tiam geparantes. 5. Alia est enim persoua patris: alia filii: alia spiritus sancti. ing the substance. 5. For there is one Person of the Father, another of the Son: and another of the Holy Ghost. 6. Sed patris et filii et 6. But the Godhead of spiritus sancti una est the Father, of the Son, divinitas: aequalis gloria, and of the Holy Ghost, is cooterna majestas. 7. Qualis pater, talis filius, talis spiritus sanc tus. all one: the Glory equal, 7. Such as the Father 9. Immensus pater: 9. The Father incompre the substance. 5. For there is one per son of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Ghost. 6. But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, is all one; the glory equal, majesty co-eternal 7. Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Ghost. 8 The Father uncreated, the Son uncreated, and the Holy Ghost uncreated. 9. The Father unlimit immensus filius: immen- hensible, the Son incom- ed, the Son unlimited, prehensible: and the Holy and the Holy Ghost un sus spiritus sanctus. The Latin Original. Revised Translation. Old Translation. 12. Sicut non tres in- 12. As also there are 12. As also, not three creati; nec tres immensi; not three incomprehensi- uncreated, nor three unsed unus increatus et bles, nor three unereated: limited; but one uncreaunus immensus. but one uncreated, and ted, and one unlimited. one incomprehensible 13. Similiter omnipo 13. So likewise the 13. So likewise the tens pater: omnipotens Father is Almighty, the Father is almighty, the filius omnipotens spirit- Son Almighty: and the Son almighty, and the 14. And yet not three almighty, but one almighty. 15 So the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Ghost is God. 16. And yet not three Gods, but one God. 17. So likewise the 17. So likewise the 18. And yet not three 19. For like as we are 18. And yet not three Lords, but one Lord. 19. For like as we are 19. Quia sicut singulatim unamquamque per- compelled by the Chris- compelled by the Chrissonam Deum ac Domin, tian verity: to ac- tian verity, to acknowl um confiteri, christiana knowledge every Person edge each person, by himveritate compellimur: by himself to be God and self to be God and Lord; Lord; 20. Ita tres deos, aut tres dominos dicere, cath 20. So are we forbid- 20. So are we forbid. den by the Catholick Reli- den by the Catholic Reli olica religione prohibem- gion: to say, There be gion to say: There be three Gods, or three three Gods or three Lords, Lords. ur. |