faith, which the Lord delivered with Divine authority to his Apostles, saying, Go ye, baptise," &c.

The following passage, quoted by Archbishop Usher in his Diatribe de Romanæ Ecclesiæ Symbolo Apostolico, &c., from the Preface of an Exposition of the Creed, written by Ruffinus of Aquileia about the end of the fourth century, adds some degree of confirmation to Bishop Pearson's statement, though contrary to the writer's own opinion." I think it not improper to mention, that in these forms of words, (Creeds,) some things are found to have been added in different churches. In the church of the city of Rome, however, this is not discovered to have been done; which I consider to be for these reasons, both because no heresy has originated there, and because the ancient custom is there observed, that they who are about to receive the grace of baptism repeat the Creed publicly, that is, in the hearing of the body of believers; and so the audience of those who have gone before in the faith, prevents the addition of a single word. But in other places, as far as we can learn, some things, by which opinions of modern doctrine were thought to be excluded, seem to have been added on account of particular heretics.”

Mosheim, in his Ecclesiastical History, cent. i. part ii. chap. iii. writes thus about the origin of the Apostles' Creed. "There is extant a brief summary of the principal doctrines of Christianity, which bears the name of the Apostles' Creed, and which, from the fourth century downwards, was generally considered as a production of the Apostles.* There is much more reason and judg

*Ruffinus of Aquileia, above quoted, who died a. D. 410, “declares that the Apostles had a conference together, to compose

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ment in the opinion of those who think that this Creed was not all composed at once, but from small beginnings was imperceptibly augmented, in proportion to the growth of heresy, and according to the exigences and circumstances of the Church, from which it was designed to banish the errors that daily arose.”

In every stage of its progress, from the simple declaration of belief in God, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, to the form in which it appears in our liturgy and office of baptism, this summary would naturally retain the name of the Apostles' Creed; for the express design of every authorised addition to it has been to preserve the true meaning of each article, as it was taught and expounded by the Apostles. In the viiith Article of our Church, it is described as "that which is commonly called the Apostles' Creed," to shew that we are not to consider it as a particular form of words, drawn up by the Apostles, but as a Creed containing the fundamental doctrines which they taught. In like manner, that "Confession of Christian Faith, commonly called the Creed of St. Athanasius," is not supposed to have been written by Athanasius, but it bears his name, because he was a most zealous defender of the tenets it contains, against the Arian heresy.

"Much less objection would have been started against the Athanasian Creed, if the circumstances which occasioned the several expressions in it had been duly considered. This Creed, it may safely be allowed, has appa

the Creed, before they divided, that so they might teach all whom they should convert by the same common Creed. That it is called Symbolum, either because it is the result of a conference betwixt several persons, or because it is the mark of distinction whereby Christians are known."-DU PIN.

rently the fault which has been charged upon it, of attempting to define with accuracy, and to reduce within the compass of language, matters which are confessedly beyond the reach of human intellect, and not to be expressed by any terms of human invention. This fault, however, did not arise from the intention of those who framed it. They were called upon to guard against the erroneous opinions of different heretics, who had introduced, on the subject of the Trinity and Incarnation, various subtilties of explanation, tending to degrade religion, and sanction positions inconsistent with just views of Revelation. In these circumstances it was necessary to multiply articles, for the purpose of meeting heresy at every point; and to make various affirmations of truth, not so much for the purpose of defining what men ought, as of excluding what they ought not to believe." The Athanasian Creed Vindicated, &c. by the Rev. James Richardson, M. A. of Queen's College, Oxford, &c. who refers to Quarterly Review, No. XI. October 1811, p. 192.

(1) P. 49.-Whatever is known by the Father is known by the Son, and known by the Holy Ghost.

I annexed the letter of reference to these words as they were passing through the press, with the intention of here considering the Socinian objection to the sentiment they contain, founded upon Mark, xiii. 32. But that purpose has been anticipated in Note (c) p. 153. There, two passages are produced, to prove the omniscience of Christ, as GOD. Instances of this omniscience are frequent in the Gospels. One of them (John, i. 45

50) at once convinced Nathanael that he was the Son of God, the Messiah, or King of Israel. Another (John, iv. 17-29) produced a like conviction in the woman of Samaria. And it was the overpowering consciousness that he knew, and could expose, their most secret sins, which caused the Scribes and Pharisees and all the people, to steal out of the Temple one by one, when Jesus challenged him that was without sin to come forward, and first cast a stone at the adulteress. (John, viii. 3—9.) See other proofs of the Son's omniscience in Luke, v. 22, vi. 8, ix. 47, xi. 17.

As to the omniscience of the Holy Ghost, it is a branch of his peculiar office to reveal to us the counsels of God. "For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man; but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” 1 The Apostles and Prophets of the New Testament also were inspired by the Holy Ghost, who guided them into all truth," 2 "brought all things to their remembrance," "taught them all things."3 If these, coupled with the general proofs of his Divinity, be not sufficient to stop the mouths of the gainsayers, and make them confess the omniscience of the Holy Ghost, refer to that decisive passage, 1 Cor. ii. 10, "THE SPIRIT SEARCHETH ALL THINGS, YEA, THE DEEP THINGS OF GOD."

(K) P. 57.—Knowing from his own experience the powerful effect of pride in producing disobedience.

The most direct information we possess respecting the case of the fallen angels, is contained in 2 Pet. ii. 4, and 3 John, xiv. 26.

1 2 Pet. i. 21.

2 John, xvi. 13.

Jude, 6; from which passages it appears that they were created in a state of happiness and perfection corresponding to their angelic natures; and that the sin which occasioned their fall was PRIDE, ambitious and rebellious pride. "The angels which kept not their first estate," saith St. Jude, "but left their own habitation," (aspiring, doubtless, to a higher and more glorious abode than had been assigned them by the wisdom of their Creator,) " he hath reserved in everlasting chains, under darkness, unto the judgment of the great day." The words in Isaiah, xiv. 12—15, are, indeed, figuratively applied to the King of Babylon ; but they have a clear allusion to the fall of Satan, from which the metaphor is manifestly borrowed, and therefore are a strong confirmation, or rather a demonstration, of the truth of the above view of the sin of Satan and his angels. "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cast down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thy heart, I will ascend into heaven: I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds: I will be like the Most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit." That pride was the sin for which the angels fell, is also apparent from 1 Tim. iii. 6. "Lest, being lifted up with pride, he fall into the condemnation of the devil."

The preceding paragraph contains, I believe, the sum total of what is revealed to us in Scripture, which is all we can know, concerning the primary origin of evil, by the apostacy of Satan and his rebel host. If it be not

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Compare Is. xiv. 12-15, with Luke, x. 18, and Rev. ix. 1, 11,