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said." (John ii. 22.) When Christ was ascended up into heaven, and the Holy Ghost came down, when the words which Christ had taught the apostles were preached by them, and many thousand souls converted to the faith, they believed the writings of the prophets and the words of the apostles; and in these two was comprised the complete object of their faith. When the apostles themselves departed out of this life, and confirmed the truth of the Gospel preached by the last of sufferings, their death, they left the sum of what they had received in writing, for the continuation of the faith in the churches which they had planted, and the propagation thereof in other places, by those that succeeded them in their ordinary functions, but were not to come near them in their extraordinary gifts. "These things were written (saith St. John, the longest liver, and the latest writer), that ye might believe, that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing ye might have life through his name." (John xx. 31.)

Those Christians then which have lived since the apostles' death, and never obtained the wish of St. Augustin, to see either Christ upon earth, or St. Paul in the pulpit, have believed the writings of Moses and the prophets, of the apostles and evangelists, in which together is fully comprehended whatsoever may properly be termed matter of divine faith; and so "the household of God is built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets,"* (Eph. ii. 20.) who are continued unto us only in their writings, and by them alone convey unto us the truths which they received from God, upon whose testimony we believe. And therefore he which put their writings into the definition of faith, considering faith as it now stands with us, is none of the smallest of the Schoolmen.+ From whence we may at last conclude, that the true nature of the faith of a Christian, as the state of Christ's Church now stands, and shall continue to the end of the world, consists in this, that it is an assent unto truths credible upon the testimony of God delivered unto us in the writings of the apostles and prophets.

To believe therefore as the word stands in the front of the CREED, and not only so, but is diffused through every article and proposition of it, is to assent to the whole and every part of it, as to a certain and infallible truth revealed by God (who by reason of his infinite knowledge cannot be deceived, and by reason of his transcendent holiness cannot deceive), and delivered unto us in the writings of the blessed apostles and prophets, immediately inspired, moved, and acted by God, out of whose writings this brief sum of necessary points of faith

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was first collected.* And as this is properly to believe, whic was our first consideration; so to say I believe, is to make confession or external expression of the faith, which is the second consideration propounded.

Faith is a habit of the intellectual part of man, and therefore of itself invisible; and to believe is a spiritual act, and consequently immanent and internal, and known to no man but him who believeth: "For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of a man which is in him?" (1 Cor. ii. 11.) Wherefore Christ being not only the great Apostle, sent to deliver these revealed truths, and so the author of our faith, out also the head of the Church, whose body consisteth of faithful members, and so the author of union and communion, which principally hath relation to the unity of faith, he must needs be imagined to have appointed some external expression and communication of it: especially considering that the sound of the apostles was to go forth unto the ends of the world, and all nations to be called to the profession of the Gospel, and gathered into the Church of Christ; which cannot be performed without an acknowledgment of the truth, and a profession of faith, without which no entrance into the Church, no admittance to baptism. "What doth hinder me to be baptized? (saith the eunuch.) And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God." (Acts viii. 36, 37.) So believing with all his heart, as Philip required, and making profession of that faith he was admitted. "For with the heart man believeth, unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." (Rom. x. 10.) The belief of the heart is the internal habit residing in the soul, an act of faith proceeding from it, but terminated in the same. The confession of the mouth is an external signification of the inward habit or act of faith, by words expressing an acknowledgment of those truths which we believe or assent to in our souls. The ear receiveth the word, "faith cometh by hearing;" (Rom. x. 17.) the ear conveyeth it to the heart, which being opened receiveth it, receiving believeth it; and then "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." (Matt. xii. 34.) In the heart faith is seated; with the tongue confession is made; between these two salvation is completed. "If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the

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Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." (Rom. x. 9.) This faith of the heart every one ought, and is presumed to have; this confession of the mouth every one is known to make, when he pronounceth these words of the CREED, I believe; and if true, he may with comfort say, "the word of faith is nigh me, even in my mouth and in my heart :" (Rom. x. 8.)* first in my heart really assenting, then in my mouth clearly and sincerely professing with the prophet David,." I have believed, therefore have I spoken." (Psalm.cxvi. 10) Thus briefly from the second consideration concerning confession implied in the first words. I believe, we shall pass unto the third consideration, of the necessity and particular obligation to such a confession.

If there were no other argument, yet being the object of faith is supposed infallibly true, and acknowledged to be so by every one that believeth, being it is the nature of truth not to hide itself, but rather to desire the light that it might appear; this were sufficient to move us to a confession of our faith. But besides the nature of the thing, we shall find many arguments obliging, pressing, urging us to such a profession. For, first, from the same God, and by the same means by which we have received the object of our faith, by which we came under a possibility of faith, we have also received an express command to make a confession of the same: "Be ready (saith St. Peter), always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you;" (1 Pet. iii. 15.) and there can be no reason of hope but what is grounded on faith, nor can there be an answer given unto that without an acknowledgment of this. Secondly, it is true indeed that the great promises of the Gospel are made unto faith, and glorious things are spoken of it; but the same promises are made to the confession of faith, (Rom. x. 10.) together with it; and we know who it is hath said, "Whosoever shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven." (Matt. x. 32.) Besides the profession of the faith of one Christian confirmeth and edifieth another in his, and the mutual benefit of all layeth an obligation upon every particular. Again, the matters of faith contain so much purity of doctrine, persuade such holiness of life, describe God, so infinitely glorious, so transcendently gracious, so loving in himself, so merciful in his Son, so wonderful in all his works, that the sole confession of it glorifieth God; and how can we expect to enter into that glory which is none of ours, if we deny God that glory which is his? Lastly, the concealing those truths which he hath revealed, the not acknowledging that faith which we are thought to believe, is so

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far from giving God that glory which is due unto him, that it dishonoureth the faith which it refuseth or neglecteth to profess, and casteth a kind of contumely upon the author of it, as if God had revealed that which man should be ashamed to acknowledge. Wherefore he that came to save us hath also said unto us, Whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of.man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels." (Luke ix. 26.) Such a necessity there is of confession of faith, in respect of God, who commanded it, and is glorified in it; in respect of ourselves, who shall be rewarded for it, and in respect of our brethren, who are edified and confirmed by it. Which necessity the wisdom of the Church in former ages has thought a sufficient ground to command the recitation of the CREED at the first initiation into the Church by baptism* (for which pur

Ὁ τὸν κανόνα τῆς ἀληθείας ἀκλινῆ ἐν ἑαυτῷ κατέχων, ὃν διὰ τοῦ βαπτίσματος εἴληφε. Iren. I. i. c. 1 Cum sub tribus et testatio fidei et sponsio salutis pignerentur, necessario adjicitur Ecclesiæ mentio, quoniam ubi tres, id est, Pater, Filius, et Spiritus Sanctus, ibi Ecclesia, quæ trium corpus est. Tertull. de Baptis. c. 6. In quem tingueret? in pœnitentiam ? quo ergo illi præcursorem? in peccatorum remissionem, quam verbo dabat? in semetipsum, quem humilitate celabat? in Spiritum Sanctum, qui nondum a Patre descenderat? in Ecclesiam, quam nondum Apostoli struxerant?' Ibid. c. 11. Dehinc ter mergimur, amplius aliquid respondentes quam Dominus in Evangelio determinavit.' Id. de Cor. Militis, c. 3. Sed et ipsa interrogatio, quæ fit in Baptismo, testis est veritatis, nam cum dicimus, Credis in vitam æternam, et remissionem peccatorum per sanctam Ecclesiam? intelligimus remissionem peccatorum non nisi in Ecclesia dari.' S. Cyprianus, ep. ad Januarium, &c. §. 2. Quod si aliquis illud opponit, ut dicat, eandem Novatianum Legem tenere quam Catholica Ecclesia teneat, eodem Symbolo quo et nos baptizare, eundem nosse Deum Patrem, eundem Filium Christum, eundem Spiritum Sanctum, ac propterea usurpare eum potestatem baptizandi posse, quod videatur in interrogatione Baptismi a nobis non discrepare sciat quisquis hoc opponendum putat, non esse unam nobis et schis. maticis Symboli Legem, neque eandem interrogationem. Nam cum dicunt, Credis remissionem peccatorum, et vitam æternam per Sanctam Ecclesiam? mentiuntur in interrogatione, quando non habeant Ecclesiam.' Idem Epist. ad Magnum, §. 6. Mos ibi (id est, Romæ) servatur antiquus, eos, qui gratiam Baptismi suscepturi sunt, publice, i. e. fidelium populo audiente,

Symbolum reddere.' Ruffin. in Symb. §. 3. Solenne est in lavacro, post Trinitatis confessionem interrogare, Credis in Sanctam Ecclesiam? Credis remissionem peccatorum?' S. Hieron. contra Lucifer. col. 618. ed. M. Victor. 1609. Mens Hæretica reliquit Doctorem a quo fidem Ecclesiæ didicerat, oblita est pacti Dei sui, boc est, fidei ipsius Dominicæ quæ in Symbolo continetur, quam se die baptismatis servaturam esse promiserat.' Id. Com. in Prov. c. ii. v. 17. Interrogatus es, Credis in Deum Patrem omnipotentem? dixisti Credo; et mersisti hoc est, sepultus es. Iterum interrogatus es, Credis in Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum, et in crucem ejus? dixisti, Credo,et mersisti, ideo et Christo es consepultus. Tertio interrogatus, Credis in Spiritum Sanctum? dixisti, Credo; tertio mersisti: ut multiplicem lapsum superioris ætatis absolveret trina confessio.' Ambros. de Sacram. 1. ii. c. 7. Leo speaks thus of Eutyches in his Epistle to Flavianus : 'Quam enim eruditionem de sacris Novi et Veteris Testamenti paginis acquisivit, qui ne ipsius quidem Symboli initia comprehendit et quod per totum mundum omnium regenerandorum voce depromitur, istius adhuc senis corde non capitur.' Fp. X. c. 1. And in the 12. Book de Trinitute, p. 304. ed. Chifflet. 1664 (formerly attributed to Athanasius, but more probably now thought to belong to Vigilius Tap sensis). Nec non et illa magna et beata Confessio Fidei, imo ipsa Fides Sanetorum, et Testamentum quod disposuimus ad Patrem, Filium, et Spiritum Sanctum, ad sacrum lavacrum regenerationis venientes, Credo in Deum Patrem omnipotentem, et in Jesum Christum Filium ejus unigeni tum, et in Spiritum Sanetum, Kabig maρελάβομεν παρὰ τῶν πρὸ ἡμῶν ἐπισκόπων ἐν τα τῇ πρώτη κατηχήσει, καὶ ὅτε τὸ λουτρὸν iraußároutv. Euseb. of the Confessicr of

pose it was taught and expounded to those which were to be baptized immediately before the great solemnity of Easter), and to require a particular repetition of it publicly, as often as the sacrament of the Eucharist was administered, and a constant and perpetual inculcation of the same by the clergy to the people.‡

And as this necessity is great, as the practice useful and advantageous; so is the obligation of believing and confessing particular, binding every single Christian, observable in the number and person expressed, I believe. As if Christ did

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Faith which he exhibited to the council of Nice, Socr. 1. i. c. 8. Theodor. I. i. c. 12. Abrenuncio, inquis, Diabolo, pompis, spectaculis,et operibus ejus,et quid postea? Credo, inquis, in Deum Patrem omnipoten

tem.'

Salvianus de Gubern. Dei, lib. vi. p. 208. ed. Altorf. 1611. al p. 182. And when this Creed was enlarged by the council of Nice, and after that by others, Epiphanius commends it to the Catechumeni, to be repeated at their baptism: οὕτως ἑκάστῳ τῶν κατηχουμένων τῶν μελλόντων τῷ ἁγίῳ λουτρῷ προσιέναι, οὐ μόνον ἐπαγγέλλειν ὀφείλετε τὸ πιστεύειν τοῖς ἑαυτῶν υἱοῖς ἐν κυρίω, ἀλλὰ καὶ διδάσκειν ῥητῶς, ὡς πάντων ἡ αὐτὴ μήτηρ ὑμῶν τε καὶ ἡμῶν τὸ λέγειν, Πιστ TEVOLEV Eiç iva Otov, &c. Epiphan, in Ancorato, §. 119. And when he had yet farther enlarged it by reason of some new emergent heresies, he commends it: μáλιστα τοῖς τῷ ἁγίῳ λουτρῷ προσιοῦσιν ἵνα ἀπαγ γέλλωσι καὶ λέγωσιν οὕτως. Ibid. The first council of Constantinople confirms the Nicene confession,as: πρεσβυτάτην τε οὖσαν καὶ ἀκόλουθον τῷ βαπτίσματι. Theodor. lib. v. cap. 9. And the council of Chalcedon of the same : ἣν, ὡς κοινὸν ἐξ ἁγίων σύνθημα, τοῖς μυουμένοις πρὸς τὴν τῆς υἱοθησίας παι ρεγγυῶμεν ἀσφάλειαν. Parte tertia. The Synod at Jerusalem: τὸ ἅγιον σύμβολον εἰς ὃ ἐβαπτίσθημεν καὶ βαπτίζομεν. The Synod at Tyre : ἐν αὐτῷ βαπτισθέντες καὶ βιπτί ZOVTEC. And the council of Constantinople under Menna, to which the former sent their synodical letters : τὸ ἅγιον σύμβολον ἐν ᾧ πάντες ἐβαπτίσθημεν. Concil. Constantinop. sub Agup. et Menna, Act. 5. Basiliscus and Marcns in two several edicts, confirmed the same Nicene Creed with these words : εἰς ὃ ἡμεῖς τε καὶ πάντες οἱ πρὸ ἡμῶν πιστεύσαντες ἐβαπτίσθημεν. Evagr. 1. iii. cap. 4. et 7. And the edict of the emperor Justinian: Anathematizaverunt eos, qui aliam definitionem fidei, sive Symbolum, sive Mathema, tradunt accedentibus ad sanctum baptisma.'

* Οτι δεῖ τοὺς φωτιζομένους τὴν πίστιν ἐκμανθάνειν, καὶ τῇ πέμπτῃ τῆς ἑβδομάδος ἀπαγ γέλλειν τῷ ἐπισκόπῳ ἢ τοῖς πρεσβυτέροις. Concil. Laodic. Can. 46. Where it is to be observed that Пierig is taken for the

Creed or Symbolum Fidei, and was so translated anciently, as appeareth by the Canon preserved in the Canon-law, and rendered thus: Baptizandos oportet

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Fidei Symbolum discere, et quinta feria ultima septimanæ vel Episcopo vel Presbyteris reddere.' De Consec. dist. 4. cap. 58. Symbolum etiam placuit ab omnibus Ecclesiis una die, i. e. ante octo dies Dominicæ resurrectionis, publice in Ecclesia competentibus prædicari.' Concil. Agath. cap. 13. Sicut antiqui Canones jubent, ante viginti dies Baptismi ad purgationem exorcismi Catechumeni currant, in quibus viginti diebus omnino Catechumeni Symbolum, quod est, Crede in Deum Patrem omnipotentem, specialiter doceantur.' Concil. Bracar. 2. cap 1. The Canon of the Laodicean Council, already mentioned, is verbatim rehearsed in the sixth council in Trulla, Can. 78. It appeareth therefore a general command of the church, that those who were to be baptized, should have a certain time allotted for the learning and rehearsing of the CREED. And in case of necessity, if any were baptized, they were to learn the CREED immediately after their Baptism: or de (not as it is in the edition of Binius, both in this canon and in the former most absurdly, Οτι οὐ δεῖ) τοὺς ἐν νόσῳ παραλαμ βάνοντας τὸ φώτισμα, καὶ εἶτα ἀναστάντας ἐκμανθάνειν τὴν πίστιν, καὶ γινώσκειν ὅτι θείας δωρεᾶς κατηξιώθησαν. Conc. Laod. Can. 47. † As appears in the ancient Greek Liturgies, and the Decree of the third council of Toledo: Ut omni sacrificii tempore ante communionem corporis Christi et sanguinis, juxta Orientalium partium morem, unanimiter clara voce sacratissimum fidei recenseant Symbolum.' t. ii. par. 2. p. 278. Concil. Gen. ed. Bin. Which custom as they call it of the Oriental parts, is said first to be introduced by Petrus Mongus at Alexandria,and after by Timotheus at Constantinople, as appears out of the fragments of Theodorus Lector.

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Symbolum, quod est signaculum fidei, et Orationem Dominicam discere, semper admoneant sacerdotes populum Christianum.' Concil. Mogunt. cap. 45.

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