runs thus: 'We believe, according to the tradition of the Gospels 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 men, 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, as the Greeks term it, of each Person named, so as to denote them to be three in hypostasis, and one by consent.' This Creed was anciently suspected by some as an Arian significantibus diligenter propriam uniuscujusque nominatorum substantiam et ordinem et gloriam, ut sint quidem per substantiam Tria, per consonantiam vero Unum.-T υποστάσει Τρία, τῇ δὲ συμφωνίᾳ Εν. So the Greek in Socrates and Athanasius. Creed, because of the term three hypostases, or three substances, in Hilary's translation: but Hilary abundantly clears it from this suspicion, by showing, that these terms were only used to oppose the Sabellians, who made the three Persons no more than three names; and that all other expressions in it are very full and significant against the Arian heresy; and therefore neither does he censure the Council of Antioch as Arians, who only repeated and adopted this Creed from Lucian, but he calls them a synod of ninety-five holy bishops, who intended thereby to establish the Catholic faith against the Sabellians chiefly, though not without a sufficient guard against the Anomoans or Arians. His words are these 47: The holy synod intending to destroy the impiety of those heretics, who eluded the true faith of a Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, by the equivocation of three names only, that by a triple appellation, without any real subsistence belonging to each name, they might, under the false shadow of three names, introduce such an unity, as that the Father alone, though but one and the same, should have the name of the Holy Spirit and of the Son also therefore the synod used the term, three substances or hypostases, meaning by substances subsisting Persons, and not intending to introduce such a division of substance in the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, as implies a dissimilitude and diversity of essence.' Which was the heresy of the Arians, who made the Father only God, and the other two Persons only creatures, so dividing the substance by a diversity of nature or essence; which this Council did not: and therefore Hilary says, they were not to be blamed, though they spake of the divine Persons as of three substances or hypostases, and one by consent, because they meant no more than real subsist 47 De Synodis, p. 108. (ibid. p. 480 c. n. 32.) Volens igitur congregata sanctorum synodus impietatem eam perimere, quæ veritatem Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti nominum numero eluderet, ut non subsistente causa uniuscujusque nominis triplex nuncupatio obtineret sub falsitate nominum unionem; ut Pater solus atque unus idem atque ipse haberet et Spiritus Sancti nomen et Filii. Idcirco tres substan tias esse dixerunt, subsistentium personas per substantias edocentes, non substantiam Patris et Filii [et Spiritus Sancti] diversitate dissimilis essentiæ separantes. Quod autem dictum est ut sint quidem per substantiam Tria, per consonantiam vero Unum, non habet calumniam, &c. [The Benedictines omit the words et Spiritus Sancti, for which there is no authority in the MSS. See the note on the place, p. 480. ED.] ing Persons, in opposition to the Sabellians.' Yet, notwithstanding this just defence and apology made by St. Hilary for this Council, it is condemned by Baronius, Binius, Hermantius, and many other modern writers, as an Arian Council. But the learned Schelstrate has written an accurate Dissertation in favour of this Council, wherein 48 he answers all the objections made by Baronius and his followers, either against this Council or the Creed of Lucian the martyr; which is also done by our learned Bp. Bull 49, to whose dissertations I refer the curious reader. 48 C. Antioch. Restitut. dissert. 3. c. 2. n. 4. (p. 109, seqq.) 49 Defens. Fid. Nicæn. s. 2. c. 13. n. 6. (p. 161.) Vere fuisse Luciani hoc symbolum, non ab Arianis ipsi affictum, multa evincunt. Primo episcopi illi imprudenter admodum, adeoque impudenter, formulam aliquam fidei sub Luciani nomine, quæ ipsius revera non fuisset, Antiochiæ edidissent; ubi et sancti martyris memoria merito sacra, et scripta ejus religiosissime custodita fuerunt, ut facillime ab omnibus fraus de prehendi potuisset. Deinde, ut semel illis tuto mentiri licuisset, fieri tamen certe non potuit, ut impostura diutius lateret. At symbolum istud, ut indubie Luciani martyris, venditarunt etiam Ariani, idque summa cum fiducia, multis post annis, nempe cum, Valentiniano et Valente imperantibus, synodus congreganda esset in urbe Tarso Ciliciæ, referente Sozomeno Hist. Eccles. 1. 6. c. 12. Tum enim, inquit ibidem Sozomenus, Evveλðóvtes év Καρίᾳ τῆς ̓Ασίας ἀμφὶ τριάκοντα τέσσαρες τῶν ̓Ασιανῶν ἐπισκόπων τὴν μὲν ἐπὶ τῇ ὁμονοίᾳ τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν σπουδὴν ἐπῄνουν παρῃτοῦντο δὲ τὸ τοῦ ὁμοουσίου ὄνομα· καὶ τὴν ἐν ̓Αντιοχείᾳ καὶ Σελευκείᾳ ἐκτεθείσαν πίστιν χρῆναι κρατεῖν ἰσχυρίζοντο, ὡς καὶ Λουκιανοῦ τοῦ μάρτυρος οὖσαν, καὶ μετὰ κινδύνων καὶ πολλῶν ἱδρώτων παρὰ τῶν πρὸ αὐτῶν δοκιpaobeiσav. i. e. Quatuor circiter ac triginta Asiani episcopi, in Caria Asiæ provincia collecti, studium quidem in restituenda ecclesiarum concordia positum magnopere lau darunt: consubstantialis autem vocabulum admittere recusabant; affirmantes, fidem quæ Antiochiæ et Seleuciæ promulgata fuerat, ratam esse oportere, quippe quæ et Luciani martyris fides esset, et non sine multis periculis ac laboribus ab ipsorum antecessoribus fuisset comprobata. Porro si hoc symbolum consarcinassent ipsi Ariani, certe illud suis placitis aptius conformâssent; saltem ea non inseruissent, quæ ipsorum hæresin plane jugularent: cujusmodi nonnulla in eo reperiuntur, uti mox ostendemus. Denique hæc fidei confessio præcipue dirigitur adversus hæresin Sabellianam, ut ex iis, quæ sub finem continet, manifestissimum est. Nam post explicatam fusius de SS. Trinitate fidem, demum concluditur symbolum hoc quasi epilogo, summam et scopum totius præcedentis sermonis explicante: 'Patris,' inquam, 6 vere Patris; et Filii vere Filii; et Spiritus Sancti revera Spiritus Sancti:' ita ut hæc vocabula non sint nuda et sine re vocabula; sed quæ accurate exprimant propriam uniuscujusque personam, ordinem, ac gloriam : adeo ut personis quidem Tres sint ; consensu autem Unum. Quid autem ista attinebant ad Arianam controversiam, quæ in Concilio illo Antiocheno agitabatur: At Luciani ætate dogma Sabellii maxime viguit, ejusdemque fertur ipse Lucianus acerrimus fuisse impugnator. His mantissæ loco addam observationem Philostorgii (Hist. Eccles. 1. 2. c. 15.) ubi de Luciani martyris discipulis agens, The Creed of the Apostolical Constitutions. 7. About the time of Lucian the martyr, in the latter end of the third century, Cotelerius supposes the author or compiler of the book, called the Apostolical Constitutions, to have lived; which I think more probable than either the opinion of those, who thrust him down to the fifth century, or the opinion of Mr. Whiston, who will needs have this book not only to be the genuine work of Clemens Romanus, but the work of a divine and inspired writer. For this reason I speak of him in this place next after Lucian, as one that has left us the form of an ancient Creed, then most probably used in some of the Eastern or Greek Churches. For he brings in the catechumen making his profession in these words 50: I believe, and am baptized in one unbegotten, the only true God Almighty, the Father of Christ, the Creator and Maker of all things, of whom are all things: and in one Lord Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, the first-born of every creature, who before all ages was begotten, not made, by the good will of the Father, by whom all things were made in heaven and in earth, visible and invisible; who in the last times came down from heaven, and taking flesh upon him, was born of the Holy Virgin Mary, and lived a holy life according to the qui magistri sui doctrinam haud 50 L. 7. c. 41. [Labb. c. 42.] τῆς ἁγίας παρθένου Μαρίας γεννης θέντα, καὶ πολιτευσάμενον ὁσίως κατὰ τοὺς νόμους τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρὸς αὐτοῦ, καὶ σταυρωθέντα ἐπὶ Ποντίου Πιλάτου, καὶ ἀποθανόντα ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν, καὶ ἀναστάντα ἐκ νεκρῶν μετὰ τὸ παθεῖν τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ, καὶ ἀνελθόντα εἰς τοὺς οὐρανοὺς, καὶ καθεσθέντα ἐν δεξιᾷ τοῦ Πατρὸς, καὶ πάλιν ἐρχόμενον ἐπὶ συντελείᾳ τοῦ αἰῶνος μετὰ δόξης κρῖναι ξῶντας καὶ νεκροὺς, οὗ τῆς βασιλείας οὐκ ἔσται τέλος. Βαπτίζομαι καὶ εἰς τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, τουτέστι τὸν παράκλητον, τὸ ἐνεργή σαν ἐν πᾶσιν τοῖς ἀπ ̓ αἰῶνος ἁγίοις, ὕστερον δὲ ἀποσταλὲν καὶ τοῖς ἀποστόλοις παρὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς, κατὰ τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Κυρίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, καὶ, μετὰ τοὺς ἀποστόλους δὲ, πᾶσι τοῖς πιστεύουσιν, ἐν τῇ ἁγίᾳ καθολικῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ. Εἰς σαρκὸς ἀνάστασιν, καὶ εἰς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν, καὶ εἰς βασιλείαν οὐρανῶν, καὶ εἰς ζωὴν τοῦ μέλλοντος αἰῶνος. laws of God his Father, and was crucified under Pontius Pilate, and died for us, and the third day, after he had suffered, rose again from the dead and ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father, and shall come again with glory in the end of the world to judge both the quick and dead, of whose kingdom there shall be no end. And I am baptized into the Holy Ghost, that is to say, the Comforter, which wrought effectually in all the Saints from the beginning of the world and was afterward sent to the Apostles by the Father, according to the promise of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and after the Apostles to all others, who in the Holy Catholic Church believe the resurrection of the flesh, the remission of sins, the kingdom of heaven, and the life of the world to come.' Some have suspected this author of Arianism, but nothing of it appears in this Creed: for though he gives the title of 'Ayévvηtos only to the Father, yet that is no more than what Alexander, and Athanasius, and all the opposers of Arius always did, who never asserted Δύο 'Αγέννητα, as those words signify, Two absolute, co-ordinate, unbegotten Principles, which is the proper notion of two Gods; but always reserved the title of 'Ayévvŋτos, Unbegotten, to the Father only, as the eternal principle and fountain of the Deity, and styled the Son Movoyevns eòs, the Only-begotten God, which is the proper notion of the Son of God, who is neither created, nor unbegotten, but eternally begotten of the substance of the Father; and this title of Movoyevns eòs, the Only-begotten God, is the same, as this very author of the Constitutions elsewhere 51 ascribes to the Son, whom he makes to be no creature, but God, in this only differing from the Father, that he is not unbegotten; which is necessary to the notion of a Son; for it were a contradiction to say, He is the Son of God, and yet unbegotten also. I observe this to show, how little advantage the modern Arians have from this author, if we allow him but 51 L. 7. c. 43. [Labb. c. 44.] (Cotil. ibid. p. 380.) Εὐλογεῖ καὶ δοξάζει τὸν δεσπότην Θεὸν τὸν παντοκράτορα, τὸν Πατέρα τοῦ μονογενοῦς Θεοῦ, εύ χαριστῶν ὁ ἱερεύς. Conf. 1. 8. c. 7. (Ρ. 394.) Μονογενές Θεὲ, μεγάλου Πατρὸς Υἱέ.-C. 11. (p. 398.) Κατα ξίωσον αὐτοὺς τῆς αἰωνίου ζωῆς, τῆς ἐν Χριστῷ τῷ Υἱῷ σου τῷ μονογενεῖ, τῷ Θεῷ καὶ Σωτῆρι ἡμῶν.-C. 12. (p. 399.) Ο Θεὸς καὶ Πατὴρ τοῦ μονος γενοῦς Υἱοῦ σου.-C. 18. (p. 407.) Διὰ τῆς μεσιτείας τοῦ μονογενούς σου Υἱοῦ. |