Wilson on Article VIII: Of the Three Creeds

a Q. Why is the sum of our faith called a symbol ? A. A symbol by interpretation is a badge-mark, watch-word, or token, whereby the soldiers of one side are known from their enemies. For which cause the short sum of our faith, by which Christians are severally known from them that be not Christians, is rightly called a symbol. Q. But why is it called the symbol of the apostles ? A. Because it was first received from the apostles’ own mouth, or most faithfully gathered out of their writings, and allowed from the very beginning of the Church, and so hath continually remained among all the godly, firm, stedfast, and unmoved, as a sure and staid rule of Christian faith. Nowell, p. 31.

b Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the Catholic faith. Which faith, except every one do keep whole and undented, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly. Athan. Creed.

Q. What dost thou chiefly learn in these Articles of thy be- lief ? A. First, I learn to believe in God the Father, who hath made me and all the world. Secondly, in God the Son, who hath redeemed me and all mankind. Thirdly, in God the Holy Ghost, who sanctifieth me, and all the elect people of God. Catechism.

Q. What meanest thou by this word believe ? A. I mean thereby that I have a true and a lively faith, that is to say, a Christian man’s faith in God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, and that I do by this form of confession testify and ap- prove the same faith. Q. Is there any faith which is not a true and lively faith ? A. There is indeed a certain general faith, as I may so call it ; and there is a dead faith. Nowell, p. 32. See on Article XII.

The Apostles’ Creed.

I Believe in a God, the bFather Almighty, c Maker of heaven and earth: And din Jesus Christ his only e Son our Lord, who was ‘conceived by the Holy Ghost, sborn of the Virgin Mary, h suffered under Pontius Pilate, was * crucified, k dead, and buried; he descended into ‘hell; the third day he mrose again from the dead; he “ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; °from thence lie shall come to pjudge the quick and the dead. I believe in the qHoly Ghost; the rholy Catholic Church; the 8 communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the “resurrection of the body, and xthe life everlasting.

a He that cometh to God must believe that he is. Heb. xi. 6. See Article I.

b I am the Almighty God. Gen. xvii. 1.

c In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. Gen.

d That all men should honour the Son even as they honour the Father. John v. 23. See Article II.

e No man hath seen God at any time ; the only-begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. John i. 18.

f The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee. Luke i. 35.

s And she brought forth her first- born Son. Luke ii. 7.

h They delivered him to Pontius Pilate. And when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be cru- cified. Matt! xxvii. 2, 26.

» And they crucified him. Matt, xxvii. 35.

k Christ died for our sins — and he was buried. 1 Cor. xv. 3, 4.

1 Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell. Psalm xvi. 10. Acts ii. 27. See Article III.

m He rose again the third day. 1 Cor. xv. 4. From the dead. ver. 12.

n He was received up into hea- ven, and sat on the right hand of God. Mark xvi. 9. See Article IV.

• This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall come in like manner as ye

have seen him go into heaven. Acts

p Ordained of God,tobe the Judge of quick and dead. Acts x. 42.

i Teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Matt, xxviii. 19. See Article V.

r Christ loved the church, and gave himself for it : that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing ; but that it should be holy and without blemish. Ephes.v.25 — 27. See Article XIX. a. XVII. a, gr, m.

8 But ye are come unto mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusa- lem, and to an innumerable com- pany of angels, to the general assembly of the first-born, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect. Heb. xii. 22, 23. Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to an- other. Mai. iii. 16. We have fel- lowship one with another. 1 John i. 7. See Article XVII. d.

• Through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins. Acts xiii. 38. See Article II. p, q. XVI. h. XXVII. e. XXXI.

• It is sown a natural body : it is raised a spiritual body. 1 Cor. xv.44.

x And these shall go away into everlasting punishment ; but the righteous into life eternal. Matt, xxv. 46. See Article XVII. A, w.

The Athanasian Creed.

a Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the Catholic faith. b Which faith except every one do keep whole and nndefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly. And the Catholic faith is this, cThat we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity. Neither confounding the persons, nor dividing the substance. d For there is one person of the Father, another of the Sou, and another of the Holy Ghost. But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, eis all one ; the f glory equal, the majesty co-eternal. *Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Ghost. The Father hun- create, the Son uncreate, and the Holy Ghost uncreate. The Father ‘incomprehensible, the Son incomprehensible, and the Holy Ghost incomprehensible. The Father “eter- nal, the Son eternal, and the Holy Ghost eternal. And yet they are not three eternals, but ‘one eternal. As also there are not three incomprehensibles, nor three un- created; but one uncreated, and one incomprehensible.

a He that believeth, and is bap- tized, shall be saved ; but he that believeth not shall be damned- Mark xvi. 16. With the heart man believeth unto righteousness ; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Rom. x. 10. On the Catholic Church, see Article XVII. a.

b If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the Gospel. Col. i. 23. The unlearned and unstable wrest the Scriptures to their own destruction. 2 Pet. iii. 16. On Faith, see Article XII. c.

c That all men should honour the Son even as they honour the Father. John vi. 23. Go ye there- fore and teach all nations, bap- tizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Matt, xxviii. 19.

d The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen. Matt, xxviii. 19. See Article I.

e The Lord (Jehovah) our God

(our Elohim) is one Lord (one Je- hovah.) Deut. vi. 4. God is one. Gal. iii. 20.

f Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God. Phil. ii. 6.

g He that hath seen me hath seen the Father. John xiv. 8.

h To us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him ; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him. 1 Cor. viii.

• Canst thou by searching find out God ? Canst thou find out the Almighty to perfection ? Job xi. 7. The unsearchable riches of Christ. Eph. iii. 8. The Spirit searcheth all things, yea the deep things of God. 1 Cor. ii. 10.

k The eternal God is thy refuge. Deut. xxxiii. 27. Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever. Heb. xiii. 8. The eternal Spirit. Heb. ix. 14.

1 There is but one God. 1 Cor. viii. 6. These three are one. 1 John

So likewise the Father is m Almighty, the Son Almighty, and the Holy Ghost Almighty. And yet they are not three Almighties, but one Almighty. So the Father is n God, the Son is God, and the Holy Ghost is God. And yet they are not three Gods, but one God. So likewise the Father is °Lord, the Son Lord, and the Holy Ghost Lord. And yet not three Lords, but one Lord. For like as we are compelled by the Christian verity to acknow- ledge every person by himself to be God and Lord ; so are we forbidden by the Catholic religion to say, There be three Gods, or three Lords. The Father is pmade of none, neither created, nor begotten. The Son is of the Father alone, not made, nor created, but q begotten. The Holy Ghost is of the Father and of the Son, neither made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding. So there is one Father, not three Fathers ; one Son, not three Sons ; one Holy Ghost, not three Holy Ghosts. And in this Trinity none is afore or after other, none is greater or less than another; but the whole three persons are co-eternal to- gether, and co-equal. So that in all things, as is aforesaid, the LTnity in Trinity, and the Trinity in Unity, is to be worshipped. He therefore that will be saved, must thus think of the Trinity. Furthermore it is necessary to ever- lasting salvation, that he also believe rightly the Incar- nation of our Lord Jesus Christ. For the right faith is, that we 1 believe and confess, that our Lord Jesus

m O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come. Rev. xi. 17. 1 am Alpha and Ome- ga, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Al- mighty. Rev. i. 4.

n The Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Rev. xix. 6. His name shall be called, The Mighty God. Isa. ix. 6. The things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God. 1 Cor. ii. 11.

0 The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ. Rev. xi. 15. And this is his name whereby be shall be called, The lord our Righteousness. Jer. xxiii. 6. Now the Lord is that Spirit ; and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty. 2 Cor. iii. 17.

P The Father hath life in himself. John v. 26.

<i God gave his only-begotten Son, &c. John iii. 16.

r When the Comforter is come whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of Truth which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me. John xv. 26. The Spirit of Christ. 1 Pet.

1 With the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto saU vation. Rom. x. 10.

Christ, the Son of God, is uGod and Man. *God *of the substance of the Father, ‘begotten before the worlds; and *3Iau of the substance of his mother, born in the world. hPerfect God, and cperfect man; dof a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting: eequal to the Father as touching his Godhead, and inferior to the Father as touching his manhood. Who although he be God and Man; yet he is not two, but 8 one Christ: one, not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh ; but by h taking of the manhood into God : one altogether, ‘not by confusion of substance, but by unity of “Person. For as the rea- sonable soul and flesh is one man, so God and man is one Christ; ‘who suffered for our salvation, descended into hell, rose again the third day from the dead. He ascended into heaven, he sitteih on the right hand of the Father, God Almighty; from whence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. At whose coming mall men shall rise again with their bodies, and n shall give account of their own works. °And they that have done

u God was manifest in the flesh. 1 Tim. iii. 16. The seeond man is the Lord from heaven. 1 Cor. xv.47.

x Christ, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Rom. ix. 5. This is the true God. 1 John v. 20.

y I and my Father are one. John

z We beheld his glory, the glory as of the only-begotten of the Fa- ther. John i. 14.

a Behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a Son, and shalt call his name Jesus. Luke i. 31.

b In him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. Col. ii. 9.

c Wherefore in all things it be- hoved him to be made like unto his brethren. Heb. ii. 17.

d My soul is exceeding sorrow- ful, even unto death. Matt. xxvi.

e He thought it not robbery to be equal with God. Phil. ii. 6.

f My Father is greater than I. John xiv. 28.

k To us there is but one Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Cor. viii. 6.

h Forasmuch as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he . also himself took part (^srw^t) of the same. He took on him XuftGavtrca) the seed of Abraham. Heb. ii. 14, 16.

1 Of whom (the fathers) as con- cerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all God blessed for ever. Rom. ix. 5.

k Behold a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a Son, and they shall call his name Em- manuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. Matt. i. 23. Isa. vii. 14.

1 He was wounded for our trans- gressions, he was bruised for our iniquities ; the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray ; Ave have turned every one to his own way, and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquities of us all. Isa. liii. 5. 6.

m And the sea gave up the dead, which was in it ; and death and hell delivered the dead, which were in them; and they were judged every man according to their works. Rev. xx. 13.

n We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every man may receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. 2 Cor. v. 10.

0 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal. Matt, xxv. 46. G

good shall go into life everlasting, and they that have done evil into everlasting fire. This is the Catholic •faith ; which except a man believe faithfully he cannot be saved. Glory be, &c. As it was, &c.

The Nicene Creed.

I Believe in aone God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, band of all things visible and invi- sible. And in cone Lord Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God: a begotten of his Father before all worlds: eGod of God ; f Light of Light; «very God of very God; begotten, b not made; being ‘of one substance with the Father; kby whom all things were made: ‘who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven, and was DQ incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, and was “made man, and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; he °sufTered and was buried, and the third day he rose again p according to the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand

• To us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him ; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him. 1 Cor. viii. 6.

b By him were all things created that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whe- ther they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities or powers; all things are created by him and for him. Col. i. 16.

c See 1 Cor. viii. 6. above.

d In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. — And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only-begotten of the the Father) full of grace and truth. John i. 1, 14.

• Being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person. Heb. i. 3.

f The Father of lights. James i. 17. That was the true light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. John i. 9.

t I’nlo the Son he saith, Thy

throne, O God, is for ever and ever. Heb. i. 8. This is the true God. 1 John v. 20.

h He is before all things, and by him all things consist. Col. i. 17.

» The Father is in me, and I in him. John x. 38.

k By whom also he made the worlds. Heb. i. 2.

1 Chris-t Jesus came into the world to save sinners. 1 Tim. i.

m The Word was made flesh. John i. 14.

n God sent forth his Son, made of a woman. Gal. iv. 4.

0 Christ hath once suffered for sins, that he might bring us to God. 1 Pet. iii. 18.

p Then he said unto them, O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken ! Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory? And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded to them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself. Luke xxiv. 25 — 27.

of the Father: and he shall come again q with glory to

“Lord and Giver of life, who proceedeth from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified, who “spake by the Prophets. And I believe one x Catholic and Apostolic church; I acknowledge one baptism for the Remission of sins; and I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

« The Son of man shall come in u For the prophecy came not in

his glory, and all the holy angels old time by the will of man, but

with him; then shall he sit upon holy men of God spake as they

the throne of his glory. Matt. xxv. were moved by the Holy Ghost.

31. 2 Pet. i. 21.

r His dominion is an everlasting * Ye are built upon the founda-

dominion, which shall not pass tiun of the apostles and prophets,

away, and his kingdom that which Jesus Christ himself, being the

shall not be destroyed. Dan. vii. chief corner-stone ; in whom all

14. the building, fitly framed together,

• The law of the Spirit of life in groweth unto an holy temple in

Christ Jesus hath made me free the Lord. Ephe9. ii. 20, 21.

from the law of sin and death. y Repent and be baptized every

• Teach all nations, baptizing Christ for the remission of sins, and them in the name of the Father, ye shall receive the gift of the and of the Son, and of the Holy Holy Ghost. Acts ii. 38. See Arti-

Rom. viii. 2. See Article V.

one of you in the name of Jesus

Ghost. Matt, xxviii. 19.

cle XXVII. e.

Notes

• Every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh, is not of God s and this is that spirit of Antichrist, &c. 1 John iv. 3. See Article II. XV. XVIII.