temperance, soberness, and chastity, while I live, and to resign it cheerfully when I die; not to be impatient upon the death of my friends, but to be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, because I know my labour is not in vain. the dead, for the sanctification Art. XII. AND lastly, I do most firmly believe, that after this world is at an end, while the wicked remain in endless torments, God's servants shall behold his glory, enjoy his kingdom, and have the society of heavenly angels, in THE LIFE that hath joys unspeakable, and happiness EVERLASTING, where they shall sing praises to God for ever. And this faith I seal with a most hearty AMEN. §. I. It is no wonder that this excellent confession hath been so much opposed and maligned by all those heretics which agree not with the church in the doctrines of the Trinity and of our Saviour's incarnation; because these two fundamental articles are so fully as serted here, that the false teachers have no room left for cavils or evasion, it being, as Photius saith of his other works, "a trophy of victory over every heresy, especially the Arian1;" hence some dispute against the author of this Creed, denying it to be his whose name it bears. Others abuse the work, and call it Sathanasius his Creed", and many quarrel with the preface and conclusion; but the church of England receives and useth it once every month, besides Trinity Sunday, (for which it is most proper,) as an orthodox confession of faith, [Artic. 8. and Rubr. before this Creed,] and also thinks it probable that Athanasius was the author, whereupon it bears his name both in the Articles and the Liturgy; so that we shall vindicate this Creed both as to its author and authority, by proving, 1. that it is very probable he was the author thereof; 2. that it is very certainly a most pure and orthodox confession of faith. §. II. 1. The author of this Creed appears to have been the great Athanasius. 1. From the occasion which that excellent defender of the catholic faith had to write it; for the church histories inform us, that he was not only cast out of his patriarchal seat at Alexandria by the malice of the Arians, but accused by them also of heresy to the Eastern and Western emperors, and to Julius bishop of Rome, as was also Marcellus an orthodox bishop of Ancyra, and some others. Whereupon these holy bishops did all apply themselves to Julius at Rome, offering to clear themselves of all suspicion of heresy before him, and a council of the neighbouring bishops, if he would send for their accusers to appear also; which the Roman bishop did; but the Arians not appearing to make good their tinus. Gentilis apud Genebrard. lib. 4. et apud Surium, Chronic. p. 320. 1 Photius ad fratrem Tarasium de scriptis Athanasii. m Ita Georg. Paulus et Valen charge of Sabellianism, &c., Marcellus departing left a confession of his faith with Julius, which is recorded by Epiphanius, Hær. 72; and since Athanasius was under the same accusation, he also made this confession of his faith in that synod, which we now call his Creed. [Binius Concil. tom. 1. p. 420.] It is said he composed it first at Triers, while he lived there in exile, an. 336, and afterwards sent it to Julius bishop of Rome, to whom he was accused, an. 339, and finally openly pronounced it in the aforesaid synod, an. 340; so Binius and Baronius, with Possevinus, Serarius, and others. But if more ancient testimony be required to prove this: (2.) We have many testimonies very ancient to evidence this; Gregory Nazianzen, in his oration in praise of Athanasius, mentions "a royal gift which he presented to the emperor, a confession of his faith, received with great veneration both in the West and East";" which place many authors ancient and modern understand of this Creed. Again, there are many places in St. Augustin which are verbatim taken out of this Creed, (as shall be shewed presently,) which argues that he had seen a copy of it, and some of the same passages in Boethius de Trinitate, anno 510, and in the fourth council of Toledo, cap. 1. anno 671, do make it 145 likely, that the words of this Creed were then famous, but the author being only a single person, was not always mentioned; yet the learned bishop of Armagh, in his discourse on this subject, saith, that this Creed bears Athanasius his name in the capitulars of Hincmarus archbishop of Rheims, anno 852, and in the discourses against the Grecians written by Rathrannus of Corbey, and by Æneas bishop of Paris?, in the time 45. n Orat. in laud. Athanas. 44, o Rathran. in Græc. lib. 2. P Æneas Paris. in eosdem, lib. 1. cap. 19. circa an. 876. of Carolus Calvus: as also the same learned Usher mentions an old Psalter once belonging to king Athelstan (about the year 924,) where this Creed hath this title, "The Faith of Saint Athanasius of Alexandria." And by all authors ever since it hath been so called, as might be proved out of Abbo Floriacensis 9, Durandus", Jo. Beleths, Manuel Caleca a Greciant, Gennadius, surnamed Scholarius", and Eugenius IV3, whose words are cited at large by a learned modern author upon this subject; so that it hath borne his name in all the world for many hundred years, if not from the first composure. If it be objected, some old manuscripts give it another title; I answer, so many orthodox pieces are attributed to several Fathers by several manuscripts, and some of the canonical books have been ascribed to more authors than one; but this we are sure of, that none can put in for the author of this Creed with so fair a probability as St. Athanasius, he having writ particular tracts against those heresies which this Creed doth condemn, viz. against the Arians, the Apollinarists, the Sabellians, the deniers of the divinity of the Spirit, or Macedonians, and the followers of Paulus Samosatenus; of all which tracts this Creed is the epitome. 2. The authority of this Creed is still more certain, and if any can yet doubt of the author, none can deny the doctrine thereof to be pure and orthodox; for, 1. It contradicts expressly all those heresies which the catholic church condemned in the primitive councils. As to the Trinity, teaching us, that we must not confound the Persons (with Sabellius); "For there is one Person of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Ghost," &c. Nor yet may we divide the S q Apologet. an. 100J. r Rational. lib. 4. cap. 25. Explic. Divin. Offic. cap. 40. t Contra Græcos, cap. 20. u Pro Concil. Florent. * Admon. ad Episcop. Armen. substance, with Arius and Eunomius, for "the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, is all one," &c. Not only "the Father is God," but "the Son is God," which Arius denied, " and the Holy Ghost is God," which Macedonius would not grant; and yet it doth not follow, as the Arians pretended, "that there are three Gods." Again, as to the incarnation of our Saviour, it declares, that "he is very God of the substance of his Father," against Arius, Samosatenus, and Photinus, "and very man of the substance of his mother," which Apollinaris denied, "of a reasonable soul," which the same heretic disowned, "and human flesh," which the Valentinians allowed not; "and yet he is not two," as Nestorius dreamed, "but "one Christ. One, not by confusion of substance," as Eutyches held, "but by unity of Person." These are the chief heresies, and if they were wrong, and the catholic church (which condemned them) in the right, then this Creed is orthodox, and the very quintessence of the ancient divinity. (2.) The same may further appear in that the very words of this Creed are frequently found in the writings of the orthodox Fathers. First, that passage, "so there is one Father, not three Fathers, one Son, not three Sons," &c. is found in St. Ignatius; and that "the Father is Almighty," &c. in St. Augustine2; in whom also we read those words, " For as the reasonable soul and flesh is one man," &ca. That, "neither confounding the Persons," &c. may be seen in the confession of an old council; and that, "the Father is God, the Son is God," &c. is verbatim in Boethius, as they who 66 item Epist. 3. ad Volusianum. |