performed one of the highest parts of the christian religion, I mean baptism, by them; at least, so they did by the Nicene creed, as in the Encyclical epistle of the emperor Ba-. silicus, the said emperor declares, "that he and all believers before him, were baptized into the creed of the three hundred and eighteen fathers assembled at Nice;" and the emperor Zeno, in his Henoticon, or edict of union, which he published after the expulsion of Basiliscus, strictly commanded, “that all should be baptized by the Nicene creed alone, and that no person or church should make use of any other symbol, or definition of faith;" assuring us withal, "that this same method was observed by the third general council held at Ephesus, where Nestorius was condemned." I might for the farther confirmation of this point, urge several arguments more; but it being so clear and evident, I shall only farther add, that if the apotsles had really framed, and delivered to their successors this creed, every church would have agreed therein; and there would not have been so many different and diverse creeds, as we find there were; scarce two churches, I think I may safely venture to say, that not two, had exactly the same symbol without any variation or difference: "the descent into hell," as Ruffinus informs us,

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was neither in the Roman, nor Oriental creeds:" "The communion of saints" was not in any creed till above four hundred years after Christ, and then not immediately receiv ed in all: The clause of "life everlasting". was omitted in several, whilst in others it was inserted. But not to exemplify any more particulars; whosoever shall compare the Grecian, or as some may think it more fitly termed, the French creed, recorded by Irenæus; those of Carthage, cited by Tertullian; that of Aquileia, commented on by Ruffin; that of Hip. po, repeated by St. Austin; that of Ravenna, extant in Petrus Chrysologus; that of Turin, explained by Maximus bishop of that church; and several other creeds here and there interspersed in the primitive writings: I say, whosoever shall compare these creeds together, shall find them vastly different; and that there are very few articles, in the order and expression whereof, they do all without exception, agree: Which consideration, with those aforementioned, sufficiently evidence, that the apostles neither were, nor could be the authorsnor composers of our present creed, that pas-, ses under their name.

But though this creed be not of the apostles immediate framing, yet it may be truly styled apostolical, not only because it contains the

sum of the apostles doctrine, but also, because the age thereof is so great, that its birth must be fetched from the very apostolic times: It is true, the exact form of the present creed cannot pretend to be so ancient by four hundred years; but a form not much different from it, was used long before. Irenæus, the scho lar of Polycarp, the disciple of St. John, where he repeats a creed not much unlike to ours, he assures us, "that the church dispersed throughout the whole world had received this faith from the apostles and their disciples;" which is also affirmed by Tertullian of one of his creeds, "that that rule of faith had been current in the church from the beginning of the gospel and which is very observable, although there was so great a diversity of creeds, as that scarce two churches did exactly agree therein, yet the form and substance of every creed, was in a great measure the same; so that, except there had been from the very plantation of christianity, a form of sound words, or a system of faith delivered by the first planters thereof, it is not easy to conceive, how all churches should harmonize, not only in the articles themselves, into which they were baptized, but in a great measure also, in the method and order of them.

But now the creed, or at least a great part of it, being so very ancient, and the records of

those times being withal so few, it will be a difficult task to give an exact and punctual account of its certain authors, and of the precise intended meaning of every article and clause thereof; which difficulty is yet farther increased by the extraordinary care and affected studiousness of the primitive fathers, to conceal the creed; which was so great and unaccountable, as that they not only kept it from the knowledge of the Heathens and Catechumens, as hath been already demonstrated, but they even scrupuled to commit it to writing, and rather chose to transmit it down to posterity by tradition; for which reason Ruffinus. calls it "the tradition of faith ;" and Jerom informs us, "that this symbol of our faith and hope delivered by the apostles, was not writ ten in paper and ink, but in the fleshly tables of the heart," in an agreeableness whereunto, Petrus Chrysologus; frequently exhorts his hearers" to preserve this gift in the most inward recesses of their hearts, not to permit vile paper to depreciate this precious gift, or black ink to darken this mystery of light:" And many other such like passages might be easily produced, to evidence their strange fancy, to keep the creed secret, concealed and hidden; which together with the forementioned considerations, do clearly shew, that it is

no easy matter to give a satisfactory account of the authors and intended sense of every article thereof, and may justly excuse or lessen a mistake or defect herein.

Wherefore, having premised this observation, I shall now endeavour to give the best account I can, of the authors and framers of the creed, and of the designed meaning of the several articles thereof.

As for the authors thereof, it cannot be denied, but that they were several and many; the creed was neither the work of one man, nor of one day, but, during a long tract of time, passed successively through several hands, e'er it arrived to its present perfection; the composure of it was gradual, and not-instantaneous; the manner whereof, I apprehend to have been these two ways: First, some of the articles therein were derived from the very days of the apostles: Secondly, the others were afterwards added by the primitive doctors and bishops, in opposition to gross heresies and errors that sprung up in the church.

As for the first of these, that some of the articles were of the very inserting of the apos tles; this will appear if we consider, that the apostles and evangelists who were the first sent forth to preach the gospel, and to con