It is not known by whom, or at what precise time, this creed was written. The earliest author, who mentions it, is Ruffin (1), at the end of the fourth century, and he considers it as an antient composition transmitted from the days of the Apostles. But though we cannot trace it in the form in which it now stands in our liturgy to those times, it is certainly very old; and we find almost all its articles mentioned separately and incidentally in the earliest fathers, and particularly in Ignatius, who was contemporary with the Apostles.

Great respect is due to all these creeds, on account of their antiquity and general reception among Christians; Christians; but as they do not come immediately from Christ or his Apostles, they have no other claim to our assent than as they agree with the New Testament; and upon this ground our church declares that they OUGHT

THOROUGHLY TO BE RECEIVED AND BELIEVED, FOR THEY MAY BE PROVED BY MOST CERTAIN

WARRANTS OF HOLY SCRIPTURE. The principal parts of these creeds have been already proved, and therefore it is unnecessary to enter into that subject in this place.

I shall here subjoin the two earliest confessions

of

(1) It is also in Ambrose's works, who was contemporary with Ruffin.

of faith now extant, the one from Irenæus (m), a Greek father, and the other from Tertullian, a Latin father, both of whom lived in the second century, that the reader may see how exactly they agree in substance with the creeds received by our Church and it deserves to be particularly remarked, that in both these creeds the Divinity of Christ is asserted.

An EXPOSITION of the CATHOLIC FAITH, taken from Irenæus adv. Hær. lib. 1. cap. 2.

"THE church, which was planted all over the world unto the ends of the earth, received, both from the Apostles and their disciples, that faith which teaches us to believe in one God, the Father Almighty, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all things that are therein; and in one Jesus Christ the Son of God, who was incarnate for our salvation; and in the Holy Ghost, who foretold by the prophets what God had ordained, and the coming of his dearly beloved Son, Jesus Christ our Lord; his being born of the Virgin Mary; his passion and re

surrection

(m) Irenæus is supposed to have been a Greek by birth, though he was Bishop of Lyons in Gaul. His work against heresies was written in Greek, but we have now only a Latin Translation of it, and some fragments of the Original Greek.

surrection from the dead, and his ascension into heaven in the flesh; and his coming again from heaven, in the glory of the Father, to take cognizance of all things that are past, and to raise the whole race of mankind from the dead; that to Christ Jesus, who is our Lord and our God, our Saviour and our King, according to the will of the invisible Father, every knee may bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue may confess to him, and that he may administer true judgment unto all; that the workers of wickedness, both the angels that sinned and became apostates, and impious, unjust, unrighteous, and blasphemous men, may be sent away by him into everlasting fire; but that all just and righteous men, and such as observe and keep his laws, and persevere in loving him, some from the beginning, and some from the time of their repentance, may receive from his hands life and perfection, and be surrounded with such honour and excellency as will not fade away."

The RULE of FAITH, from Tertullian de Præscript. adv. Hær. cap. 13.

"THE rule of faith is that which teaches us to believe that there is no other God but one, and no other besides him, who made the world, and

produced

produced all things by his Word, which he begot before all things; that that Word of his, which is called his Son, appeared in the style and title of God in various manners to the patriarchs, and is always mentioned as such in the writings of the prophets; and, at last, by the Spirit and power of God, was conceived by the Virgin Mary, was incarnate in her womb, and was born of her a man, in order to be Jesus Christ; that after that time he preached a new law, attended with a new promise of the kingdom of heaven; wrought miracles; was nailed to a cross, and rose again the third day; that he was taken up into heaven, and sat at the right hand of the Father; that he sent the power of the Holy Ghost to supply his absence, and to influence those that believe in him; that he shall come again with pomp and splendor to receive the saints into the enjoyment of eternal life and the heavenly promises, and to condemn the wicked to everlasting fire, having before for that purpose raised both parties from the dead, and restored to them their flesh or bodies."

ARTICLE THE NINTH.

Of Original or Birth-Sin.

ORIGINAL SIN STANDETH NOT IN THE FOLLOWING OF ADAM, AS THE PELAGIANS DO VAINLY TALK, BUT IT IS THE FAULT AND CORRUPTION OF THE NATURE OF EVERY MAN, THAT NATURALLY IS ENGENDERED OF THE OFFSPRING OF ADAM; WHEREBY MAN IS VERY FAR GONE FROM ORIGINAL RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND IS OF HIS OWN NATURE INCLINED TO EVIL, SO THAT THE FLESH LUSTETH ALWAYS CONTRARY TO THE SPIRIT; AND THEREFORE IN EVERY PERSON BORN INTO THIS WORLD IT DESERVETH GOD'S WRATH AND DAMNATION. AND THIS INFECTION OF NATURE DOTH REMAIN, YEA, IN THEM THAT ARE REGENERATED, WHEREBY THE LUST OF THE FLESH, CALLED IN GREEK ΦΡΟΝΗΜΑ ΣΑΡΚΟΣ, WHICH SOME DO EXPOUND THE WISDOM, SOME THE SENSUALITY, SOME THE AFFECTION, AND SOME THE DESIRE OF THE FLESH, IS NOT SUBJECT TO THE LAW OF GOD. AND ALTHOUGH THERE IS NO CONDEMNATION FOR THEM THAT BELIEVE AND ARE BAPTIZED, YET THE APOSTLE DOTH CONFESS, THAT CONCUPISCENCE AND LUST HATH OF ITSELF THE NATURE OF SIN.

THE rule of Christian faith being established in the last three articles, our church has thought it