ing that there are depths of meaning in the Creed, which its compilers were not conscious of putting into it, and he will thank God reverently for the insight which has come with the ages, and which enables him to see them.

But, lastly, this deeper apprehension of the inner meaning of the Creed must not be confused with what is really a very different thing from it, viz. the exchange or substitution of one meaning for another. If, for instance, the view that the Creed was originally a Unitarian one could be established, it would be impossible on the principles stated above to justify the Church's appropriation of it as a Trinitarian formulary. It would be no genuine case of a deeper insight into the meaning of the words. It would be the substitution of one meaning for another—almost a jugglery with words. In the same way with regard to the birth of our Lord from the Virgin Mary: certain writers have contended that it is immaterial whether the statement of the Creed is literally true or not. They have claimed to subscribe the Creed, though disbelieving or doubting the literal truth of the words 'born of the Virgin Mary,' thinking that it is possible somehow to interpret them metaphorically. But this, again, is to exchange one meaning for another, since no metaphorical explanation of the words can possibly be accepted as if it were implicitly contained in the original statement. The statement is obviously literal; even the name of the Virgin is introduced; and unless the literal interpretation be accepted, the article can

only be regarded as untrue. Very much the same must be said in regard to the article on our Lord's resurrection: The third day He rose again from the dead.' There may be ample room for clearing our conceptions of the nature of the glorified body with which Christ rose, and thus for seeing more deeply into the meaning of the statement; but the definite note of time, 'the third day,' shows that it is a historic fact which is spoken of, and that to interpret the clause as speaking merely of a continuance of spiritual life after the crucifixion, and to deny in any sense that the tomb was empty and the body raised from the dead, would be to exchange one meaning for another, substituting for what the Creed says something which really demands a wholly different form of words to express it. So much it seemed well to say, in order to guard against misconception. There is no need to pursue the subject further. This is not the place to discuss the very important question of the ethics of subscription. That is outside the writer's province. It may, however, be added that the lessons of history should not be disregarded. The Church to-day has much to learn from the controversies on subscription in the eighteenth century; and the robust common sense of Waterland's treatises on the subject, which destroyed the claims of the Arian clergy to a right to subscribe the Church's formularies, whenever they could in any sense reconcile them with Scripture, is not without its value in questions that are sometimes raised to-day.

NOTE A

AUTHORITIES FOR THE LATER ADDITIONS TO THE CREED

THE following note will give the reader some idea of the way in which the articles not contained in the old Roman Creed of the fourth century, gradually spread throughout the Western Church.

1. Maker of heaven and earth. This, or something equivalent to it, is generally found in Eastern Creeds from the earliest date to which they can be traced. It is also contained in the 'rule of faith' as given by Irenæus (c. 180). The earliest known baptismal Creed of the West to contain it is that given by Niceta of Remesiana in Dacia, c. 375. It is given in an African Creed (Fulgentius of Ruspe) at the end of the fifth or beginning of the sixth century; but is not found in the Creeds of a number of representative writers, chiefly Gallican, of the fifth and sixth centuries; it was probably the latest article to be generally adopted. It is found in the Gallican service-books of about A.D. 700, and then in Pirminius (730).

2. Conceived. This is first found in the Fides Hieronymi (c. 377), which, it must be remembered, is a private Creed, not a baptismal one. It was adopted in Gaul from the beginning of the fifth century, being found in the Creed as given by a number of representative writers (Phœbadius of Agen, c. 400; Faustus of Riez, 430; Cæsarius of Arles and Cyprian of Toulon, c. 500; and later ones). Outside Gaul its earliest appearance is in the Bangor Antiphonary, an Irish service-book of the seventh century.

3. Suffered. Found in the Fides Hieronymi and in the baptismal Creed of Niceta. From the fifth century onwards we meet with it in Creeds of Africa (Augustine, who died in 430,

and Fulgentius of Ruspe, c. 500); Spain (Priscillian, c. 400, and Martin of Bracara, d. 580); Gaul (Phœbadius of Agen (?), Victricius of Rouen, c. 430, Faustus of Riez, Cæsarius of Arles, and later writers); Britain (Pelagius, c. 400, and the Bangor Antiphonary).

4. Dead. The Fides Hieronymi and Niceta. Rarely in Gaul from the fifth century (Cæsarius of Arles, and Gallican servicebooks). Elsewhere not till much later.

5. He descended into hell. The Fides Hieronymi and Niceta. Found at Aquileia at the end of the fourth century (Rufinus, 390); in Gaul from the sixth (Cæsarius of Arles, Venantius Fortunatus, c. 550, and Gallican service-books); Spain from the sixth century (Martin of Bracara (?)); Britain in the seventh (Bangor Antiphonary).

6. God... Almighty. The former of these words is found in the Fides Hieronymi and in a few early Creeds, such as those of Victricius of Rouen (Gaul) and Pelagius (Britain). The full form, 'God the Father Almighty,' seems to appear first in Spain at the end of the fourth century (Priscillian and Ildefonsus of Toledo, seventh century). In Gaul it is possibly contained in the Creed of Faustus of Riez, and is found in some of the Gallican service-books of the seventh century, but was not established till comparatively late. In Africa it is found at the end of the fifth or beginning of the sixth century (Fulgentius of Ruspe).

7. Catholic. The Fides Hieronymi and Niceta. Found in Gaul from the fifth century (Faustus of Riez, Cæsarius of Arles, and Gallican service-books); Spain from the sixth (Martin of Bracara, Ildefonsus of Toledo); Britain, seventh century (Bangor Antiphonary).

8. Communion of Saints. The Fides Hieronymi and Niceta. Found in Gaul from the fifth century (Faustus of Riez, Cæsarius of Arles, and service-books). Spain from the sixth (Martin of Bracara, Ildefonsus of Toledo).

9. Life everlasting. This stood in the African Creed certainly since the middle of the third century, being more than once quoted as part of the Creed by S. Cyprian (c. 250). It is also

given by Augustine and Fulgentius of Ruspe. Elsewhere we meet with it first in the Fides Hieronymi and Niceta. It is found very occasionally in Gaul in the fifth century (viz. Faustus of Riez and Cæsarius of Arles); in Spain from the sixth (Martin of Bracara and Ildefonsus of Toledo); in Britain from the fifth (Pelagius and the Bangor Antiphonary).

It must be understood that our knowledge is very incomplete, and that the introduction of the several clauses into the Creeds of the different Churches of the West may have been some time earlier than the date of the first writer who happens to give them. The authorities for the various statements made in this note will be found in Burn, Introduction to the Creeds, and Hahn, Bibliothek der Symbole.

NOTE B

AN EARLY METRICAL TRANSLATION OF THE CREED

THE following is the old English metrical version of the Apostles' Creed referred to above on pp. 73 and 83.