one GOD, who created and made all things, and caused the whole universe to exist out of nothing; the God of all the just that ever were from the first creation and foundation of all; the God of Adam, Abel, Seth, Enos, Enoch, Noe, Sem, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, the twelve Patriarchs, Moses and the Prophets; and that this God, in the last days, as he had promised before by his Prophets, sent our LORD JESUS CHRIST, first to call Israel and then the Gentiles, after the infidelity of his people Israel. This just and good God, the Father of our LORD JESUS CHRIST, gave both the Law and the Prophets, and the Gospels, being the GoD of the Apostles, and of the Old and New Testament." The next article is, "that JESUS CHRIST, who came into the world, was begotten of the Father before every creature, who ministered to his Father in the creation of all things, (for by him all things were made,) in the last times made himself of no reputation and became man; he who was GOD, was made flesh, and when he was man, he continued the same GOD that he was before. He assumed a body in all things like ours, save only that it was born of a virgin by the HOLY GHOST. And because this JESUS CHRIST was born and suffered death common to all, in truth, and not only in appearance, he was truly dead; for he rose again truly from the dead, and after his resurrection conversed with his disciples, and was taken up into heaven. They also delivered unto us, that the HOLY GHOST was joined in the same honor and dignity with the Father and the Son."

In another place he gives it more briefly, thus :*

"I believe there is one GoD, the Creator and Maker of all things; and one that is from him GoD the word, who is consubstantial with him, and co-eternal, who in the last times took human nature upon him of [the Virgin] Mary, and was crucified, and raised again from the dead. I believe also the HOLY GHOST, who exists from all eternity."

Cont. Marc. Dial. i. p. 815. Tom. 2, p. 815. Ed. Bas. 1571.

CREED OF CYPRIAN-OF GREGORY.

95

The substance of the Creed is given by Cyprian, about A. D. 250, in which he enumerates all the articles included in the foregoing, but in the form of questions.*

Substance of the Creed, as far as it relates to the Holy Trinity, as given by Gregory Thaumaturgus, about A. D. 270.† "There is one GoD, the Father of the living Word, the subsisting wisdom and power, the eternal express image of GOD, who is a Perfect begetter of a Perfect, a Father of an only begotten Son. And one LORD, one of one, GOD of GOD, the character and image of the Godhead, the word of power, the wisdom that comprehends the whole system of the world, the power that made every creature. The true Son of the true Father, invisible of invisible, incorruptible of incorruptible, immortal of immortal, eternal of eternal. And one HOLY GHOST, who has his existence from GOD, who was manifested to men by the Son, the perfect image of the perfect Son, the living cause of all living, the fountain of holiness, essential sanctity, who is the author of holiness in others. In whom God the Father is manifested, who is above all and in all, and God the Son, whose power runs through all things. A perfect Trinity, whose glory, eternity, and dominion is no way divided or separated from each other. In this Trinity, therefore, there is nothing created or servile, nothing adventitious or extraneous, that did not exist before, but afterward came into it. The Father was never without the Son, nor the Son without the Spirit, but the Trinity abides the same, unchangeable and invariable forever."

Substance of the Creed as given by Lucian, the Martyr, about A. D. 280.‡

"We believe, according to the tradition of the Gospels,

* Ep. 69, 70, 76.

+ Greg. Nys. in Bing. Ant. Ecc. x. c. 4, § 5. Athan. De Synod. Armin. et Seleuc. Socr. Ecc. His. L. ii, c. 10. Hilary, De Synodis. p. 107.

and Apostles, in one God, the Father, Almighty, Creator, and Maker, and Governor of all things, of whom are all things: and in one LORD JESUS CHRIST, his only begotten Son, who is GOD, by whom are all things, who was begotten of the Father, GOD of GOD, Whole of Whole, One of One, Perfect of Perfect, King of King, Lord of Lord, the Word, the Wisdom, the Life, the true Light, the true Way, the Resurrection, the Shepherd, the Gate, the incommutable and unchangeable image of the divine essence, power and glory, the first-born of every creature, who was always from the beginning, GoD, the Word with GoD, according to what is said in the Gospel; and the Word was God,' by whom all things were made and in whom all things subsist, who in the last days descended from on high, and was born of a virgin according to the Scriptures, and being the Lamb of God, he was made the Mediator between GoD and man, being fore-ordained to be the author of our faith and life: for he said, 'I came not from heaven to do my own will, but the will of him that sent me.' Who suffered and rose again for us the third day, and ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father; and he shall come again with glory to judge the quick and the dead. And we believe in the HOLY GHOST, which is given to believers for their consolation, and sanctification, and consummation, according to what our LORD JESUS CHRIST appointed his disciples, saying, 'Go, teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the SON, and of the HOLY GHOST.' Whence the properties of the Father are manifest, denoting him to be truly a father, and the properties of the Son, denoting him to be truly a Son, and the properties of the Holy Spirit, denoting him to be truly the HOLY GHOST: these names not being simply put and to no purpose, but to express the particular subsistence, or hypostatic substance, of each person named, so as to denote them to be three in hypostasis, and one by consent."

CREED OF JERUSALEM-OF ALEXANDRIA.

Creed of the Church of Jerusalem, A. D. 300.*

97

"I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible; and in one LORD JESUS CHRIST, the only begotten Son of GOD, begotten of the Father before all ages, the true God, by whom all things were made, who was incarnate and made man, who was crucified and buried, and the third day he rose again from the dead, and ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father, and shall come to judge the quick and dead, of whose kingdom there shall be no end. And in the HOLY GHOST, the Comforter, who spake by the Prophets. In one baptism of repentance, in the remission of sins, in one Catholic Church, in the resurrection of the flesh, and in the life everlasting."

Creed of the Church of Alexandria, about the same time.† "We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, and in JESUS CHRIST his Son, our Lord, God the Word, begotten of Him before all ages; by whom all things were made, that are in heaven and in earth; who came down from heaven, and was incarnate, and suffered, and rose again, and ascended into heaven, and shall come again to judge the quick and the dead. And in the HOLY GHOST, and in the resurrection of the flesh, and in the life of the world to come, and in the kingdom of heaven, and in one Catholic Church of GoD, extended from one end of the earth to the other."

Creed of the Church of Antioch, about the same time.†

"I believe in one only true God, the Father Almighty, Maker of all creatures visible and invisible; and in JESUS CHRIST our Lord, his only begotten Son, the first born of every creature, born of Him before all ages, and not made, very God of very God, [consubstantial] with the Father; by whom the world was framed and all things made; who for our sakes came, and

* Cyril. Cat. 6.

† Soc. L. i. c. 26.

Cass. De Incar. L. iv.

was born of the Virgin Mary, and was crucified under Pontius Pilate, was buried, and the third day rose according to the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and shall come again to judge the quick and the dead."

We have given these several Creeds, to show how general they were, and also to show what was the faith of the primitive Church, on some of the most important doctrines of the gospel. The first, however, are to be regarded rather as the substance of the Creeds, than as the Creeds themselves.

From this collection of primitive Creeds, it will be seen, that those who came to baptism, were required to profess their faith in all the great fundamental doctrines of the gospel; especially in the following:

1. In one GOD, the Father Almighty, the Creator of all things.

2. In JESUS CHRIST, begotten of the Father before all ages; in his nativity, passion, burial, resurrection, ascension, and future coming to judgment.

3. In the HOLY GHOST, who is the Sanctifier and Comforter.

4. That this Trinity of persons constitutes one only GOD, the same in substance, and all equally eternal.

CHAPTER XI.

POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE MEMBERS OF THE CHURCH.

on

1. It was their duty to assemble themselves together, the first day of the week, for the purpose of public worship, and religious instruction.

This appears most manifestly from the Apostolic history. Thus, they were assembled together, "with one accord, in one place, when they received the HOLY GHOST." (Acts