THE CREEDS. Ceremonies observed in repeating Creeds: standing, turning to the East; and before the Prayers1. In the Roman Breviary it is ordered to be used on Sundays only2. Quignon, in his reformed Breviary, had appointed the Athanasian Creed on Sundays, and the Apostles' Creed on week-days3. In 1549 the Apostles' Creed was appointed to be said ordinarily in this part of the service, and the Athanasian Creed in its stead upon the six festivals of Christmas, Epiphany, Easter, Ascension, Pentecost and Trinity. In 1552 seven saints' days were added to these festivals; so that this Creed should be used at intervals of about a month throughout the year1. Both minister and people are directed to repeat the Apostles' and Nicene Creeds, because it is the profession of every person present. It is to be repeated standing, to express our resolution to hold fast the true faith. The custom, still maintained in many churches, of turning to the East while repeating the Creed, is very ancient, and originated in the practice of the Jews, who always turned their faces in the direction of Jerusalem when they prayed. For the Jews before the Captivity there was this reason for the practice, that they thus prayed towards the mercy-seat where God vouchsafed to dwell. The custom was early introduced among the ceremonies of baptism, in which it was usual to renounce the devil with their faces to the west, and then turn to the east to make their covenant with Christ: the east, or region of the rising sun, being the source of light. Hence the 1 Brev. Sar. Psalt. fol. xii. 3 Brev. Quignonii, fol. 6, 14. 4 The American rubric allows that any churches may omit the words, He descended into hell, or may, instead of them, use the words, He went into the place of departed spirits, which are considered as words of the same meaning in the Creed; and allows the Nicene to be used instead of the Apostles' Creed in this place; making no mention of the Athanasian Creed. turning towards the east became associated with the recitation of the Creed1. As used by Christians now it is an apt and expressive symbol of the oneness of their faith. THE CREEDS. at the name Bowing at the name of Jesus, in repeating the and bowing Creed, is a remnant of an old custom of bowing when- of Jesus. ever that name was pronounced, according to St Paul's words (Phil. ii. 10). The 18th Canon (1604) gives the meaning of this custom :-'When in time of divine service the Lord Jesus shall be mentioned, due and lowly reverence shall be done by all persons present, as it hath been accustomed, testifying by these outward ceremonies and gestures their inward humility, Christian resolution, and due acknowledgement that the Lord Jesus Christ, the true and eternal Son of God, is the only Saviour of the world, in whom alone all the mercies, graces, and promises of God to mankind for this life, and the life to come, are fully and wholly comprised2. A Summary of the Creed by Tertullian3 (circ. 200). Regula quidem fidei una omnino est, sola immobilis, et irreformabilis, credendi scilicet in unicum Deum omnipotentem, mundi conditorem, et filium ejus Jesus Christum, natum ex virgine Maria, crucifixum sub Pontio Pilato, tertio die resuscitatum a mortuis, receptum in cœlis, sedentem nunc ad dexteram Patris, venturum judicare vivos et mortuos per carnis etiam resurrectionem. The Creed of Ruffinus, or of the Church of Aquileia*. Credo in Deum Patrem, Omnipotentem, Invisibilem et Impassibilem: Et in Christum Jesum unicum Filium ejus, Dominum nostrum, qui natus est de Spiritu Sancto ex Maria Virgine, crucifixus sub Pontio Pilato, et sepultus, descendit ad inferna; Tertia die resurrexit a mortuis, ascendit in cœlos, sedet ad dextram Patris; 1 Cf. Bingham, Antiq. XIII. 8. $52. § 15. 2 The same order was given in Queen Elizabeth's Injunctions (1559) Cardwell, Doc. Ann. XLIII. 3 Tertull. De Virgin. Veland. Tertullian's summary. Creed of THE CREEDS. Nicene Constantinopolitan Creed. inde venturus est, judicare vivos et mortuos. Et in Spiritum Sanctum, Sanctam Ecclesiam Catholicam, Remissionem peccatorum, hujus carnis Resurrectionem. An Anglo-Saxon version of the Apostles' Creed1. SE LÆSSA CREDA. Ic gelyfe on God, Fæder Ælmihtigne, Scyppend heofenan and eorðan; and ic gelyfe on Hælend Crist, his áncennedan Sunu, urne Drihten, se was geeacnod of ðam Halgan Gaste, and acenned of Marian þam mædene, geðrowod under dam Pontiscan Pilate, on róde ahángen, hé was dead and bebyrged, and hé niðer-astáh to helle, and hé arás of deade on dam öriddan dæge, and hé astáh úp to heofenum, and sitt nu æt swiðran Godes Ælmihtiges Fæder, þanon hé wyle cuman to démenne æger ge dam cucum ge dam deadum. And ic gelyfe on done Halgan Gast; and a halgan gelaðunge, and halgena gemænnysse, and synna forgifennysse, and flæsces ærist, and þæt ece líf. Sy hit swa. The Nicene Creed, as it was recited in the Council of Chalcedon, (451). Πιστεύομεν εἰς ἕνα Θεὸν πατέρα, παντοκράτορα, πάντων ὁρατῶν τε καὶ ἀορατῶν ποιητήν. Καὶ εἰς ἕνα Κύριον Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν, τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ, γεννηθέντα ἐκ τοῦ Πατρὸς, μονογενῆ, τουτέστιν ἐκ τῆς οὐσίας τοῦ Πατρός· Θεὸν ἐκ Θεοῦ, φῶς ἐκ φῶτος, Θεὸν ἀληθινὸν ἐκ Θεοῦ ἀληθινοῦ, γεννηθέντα οὐ ποιηθέντα, ὁμοούσιον τῷ Πατρί· δι ̓ οὗ τὰ πάντα ἐγένετο, τά τε ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ καὶ τὰ ἐν τῇ γῇ. τὸν δι' ἡμᾶς τοὺς ἀνθρώπους, καὶ διὰ τὴν ἡμετέραν σωτηρίαν κατελθόντα, καὶ σαρκωθέντα, καὶ ἐνανθρωπήσαντα· παθόντα, καὶ ἀναστάντα τῇ τριτῇ ἡμέρᾳ· ἀνελθόντα εἰς τοὺς οὐράνους· καὶ πάλιν ἐρχόμενον κρίναι ζωντας καὶ νεκρούς. Καὶ εἰς τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον. The Constantinopolitan Creed, as it was recited in the Council of Πιστεύομεν εἰς ἕνα Θεὸν Πατέρα παντοκράτορα, ποιητὴν οὐρανοῦ καὶ γῆς, ὁρατῶν τε πάντων καὶ ἀοράτων. Καὶ εἰς ἕνα Κύριον Ἰησοῦν 1 Communicated by the Rev. C. Hardwick, from a MS. containing the Homilies of Elfric, p. 505; Cambr. Univ. Libr. Gg. 3. 28. 2 Mansi, VI. 956 ; Routh, Opuscula, I. 367. 3 ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. Symb. Nicen. Mansi, II. 668. 4 καὶ ἀνελθ. Ibid. 5 καὶ ἐρχ. πάλιν. Ibid. 6 Routh, Opusc. I. 398; Mansi, VI. 957. Χριστὸν, τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸν μονογενῆ, τὸν ἐκ τοῦ Πατρὸς γεννη- The 'Nicene' or 'Constantinopolitan' Creed, as it was said in the Credo in unum Deum. Patrem omnipotentem: factorem cœli et terræ, visibilium omnium et invisibilium. Et in unum Dominum Jesum Christum Filium Dei unigenitum. Et ex Patre natum ante omnia sæcula. Deum de Deo, lumen de lumine, Deum verum de Deo vero. Genitum non factum, consubstantialem Patri: per quem omnia facta sunt. Qui propter nos homines et propter nostram salutem descendit de cœlis. Et incarnatus est de Spiritu Sancto ex Maria Virgine. Et homo factus est. Crucifixus etiam pro nobis sub Pontio Pilato: passus et sepultus est. Et resurrexit tertia die secundum Scripturas. Et ascendit in cœlum: sedet ad dexteram Patris. Et iterum venturus est cum gloria judicare vivos et mortuos. Cujus regni non erit finis. Et in Spiritum Sanctum Dominum et vivificantem. Qui ex Patre Filioque procedit. Qui cum Patre et Filio simul adoratur et con 1 καὶ omit. Symbol. CP ; Mansi, III. 565. 2 Brev. Sar. Psalt. fol. xcvii. 3 This addition to the Creed of the Western Church first appears in the acts of an assembly of bishops at Braga (412) :-( procedentem a Patre et Verbo :' Concil. Bracar. I. Mansi, IV. 287)-and in the Third THE CREEDS. Nicene Creed of the Western Church THE CREEDS. Athana sian Creed. glorificatur. Qui locutus est per prophetas. Et unam sanctam catholicam et apostolicam ecclesiam. Confiteor unum baptisma in remissionem peccatorum. Et expecto resurrectionem mortuorum. Et vitam venturi sæculi. Amen. Symbolum Athanasii1. Quicunque vult salvus esse: ante omnia opus est ut teneat catholicam fidem. Quam nisi quisque integram, inviolatamque servaverit : absque dubio in æternum peribit. Fides autem catholica hæc est, ut unum Deum in Trinitate: et Trinitatem in Unitate veneremur. Neque confundentes personas: neque substantiam separantes. Qualis Pater, talis Filius: talis Spiritus Sanctus. Increatus Pater, increatus Filius : increatus Spiritus Sanctus. Sicut non tres increati, nec tres immensi : sed unus increatus, et unus immensus. Similiter omnipotens Pater, omnipotens Filius: omnipotens Et tamen non tres omnipotentes : sed unus omnipotens, Et tamen non tres Dii; sed unus est Deus. Ita Dominus Pater, Dominus Filius: Dominus Spiritus Sanctus. Quia sicut singillatim unamquamque Personam, Deum et Ita tres Deos aut Dominos dicere, catholica religione prohibemur. Filius a Patre solo est: non factus, nec creatus, sed genitus. Church in the middle of the fifth 1 Brev. Sar. Psalt. fol. xi. See of Augustine; Waterland, Critical Hist. ch. ix. Another title of this Creed was 'Psalmus Quicunque Vult:' hence the custom of reciting it antiphonally. |