mon than for two things, having several points of resemblance, to come in the course of time to be distinguished by one and the same title ?”* The work, from which the above extract is copied, I had not seen, when the "Remarks" were published. It sufficiently explains the incipient character, of the early creeds, and the circumstances to which they are to be ascribed; the creeds of churches of which Du Pin speaks,-"the law of the symbol," about which Cyprian writes, and the treatise of Ruffinus de Symbola, subjoined to Cyprian's works. My general impressions in reference to the Council of Nice remain unaltered, as I shall hereafter evince. A goodly origin of creeds, truly, to which their advocates in the nineteenth century refer the church! The abandonment of the law of charity, in order to copy the model of a heathen fraternity! The duty of letting our light shine before the world, exchanged for the sign and watch-word of concealed mysteries! Before this extract is dismissed, the reader may turn to it again, and learn the origin of the popular difference between CHURCH and CONGREGATION, and lay the fact alongside of the argument with which I closed the preceding chapter:- the origin of the superstitious regard in which the Lord's supper and baptism are held, the origin of tokens of admission to the Lord's table, and tickets of admission to lovefeasts; the origin of a common practice of dismissing the congregation, when the church is about to commemorate the Lord's death; and possibly the origin of an equally reprehensible custom, i. e. conventions -- * Vol. II. pp. 185. '7. "sitting with closed doors." Had the memorial of the Lord's resurrection, the sabbath-day, been treated in like manner, the whole community might now be a brotherhood of heathens. But they have respected as much of Christianity as has been left to them. Proceeding in the order of quotations, already pursued, I turn again to Du Pin.* He remarks"The etymology of the word symbol is yet more uncertain; for some affirm, that the creed is so called, because it is, as it were, the distinguishing mark and character of Christians; others, because it was composed of the sentences of different persons; and lastly, others, on the account of its being made in a general conference." He alludes to the apostles' creed, his opinions of which have been previously given. In a note, he adds"The Greek word sumbolon properly signifies a note -sign-or mark; therefore the mystical signs and notes of Pythagoras were called sumbola puthagorika. Herodian uses the word to denote a military signal. Other authors, as Dion Cassius and Suetonius, apply it to signify signs or marks, and certain tickets that were given to those that were admitted to certain shows, and for the distribution of largesses. Some say that the word symbolum among the Latins signifies an entertainment, where every one pays his club, or even the club itself; but this does not belong to the neuter symbolum, but to the feminine symbola, and in Greek sumbola, as may be seen in Aristophanes' scholiast, in Athenæus and Plutarch; therefore it ought to be read in Terence's Andria, symbolam dedit, and not symbolum. Aulus Gellius makes use of the word * His large work I did not possess at the time the "Remarks" were published. symbola to signify one man's share in a reckoning; and declares that this term was also attributed to those questions that were expounded by Taurus the philosopher, in the presence of divers persons. St. Cyprian (in the third century) is the first that applied the word symbol to denote an epitome or abridgement of the Christian faith. Optatus (in the fourth century) calls the heretics, the deserters of the true symbol, alluding to a military signal. And, to the same effect, St. Chrysologus declares, that the symbol is the covenant we make with God in baptism."* The reader could scarcely have suspected, that this inquiry into the origin of creeds, would furnish him with a consecrated pagan RELICT, instead of a DIVINE WARRANT. King gives much the same explanation of the term symbol, in his history of the Apostles' creed. It is not, however, necessary to waste either time or space in transcribing any extracts from his works. It will be more profitable to furnish some samples of the early creeds, to which he, and Dr. M. refer. The reader will then be better able to judge for himself. Cyprian's creed has already been disposed of. Tertullian has penned three different creeds in three several places. Origen has given two. St. Irenæus has also given two; and one of these I shall now copy out. It is as follows: "The church, although scattered over the whole world, even to the extremities of the earth, has received from the apostles and their disciples the FAITH, viz. on one God the Father, Almighty, that made the heaven and the earth, and the seas, and all things therein Art. Apos. Creed, 1-and on one Christ Jesus, the Son of God, who became incarnate for our salvation- and on the Holy Spirit, who, by the prophets, preached the dispensations, and the advents, and the generation from a virgin; and the suffering, and the resurrection from the dead, and the assumption, in flesh, into heaven, of our beloved Lord Jesus Christ; and his coming again from the heavens in the glory of the Father, to sum up all things, and raise all flesh of all mankind; that to Christ Jesus, our Lord, and God, and Saviour, and King, according to the good pleasure of his Father, who is invisible, every knee may bow, of beings in heaven, in earth, and under the earth; and every tongue may confess to him; and that he may exercise righteous judgment upon all; may send spiritual wickednesses, and transgressing and apostate angels, and ungodly and unjust, and lawless, and blasphemous men, into eternal fire. But on the righteous and holy-on those who have kept his commandments, and continued in his love, whether from the beginning, or after repentance, may, with the gift of life, bestow incorruption, and put them in possession of eternal glo ry."* The intelligent reader may very readily suppose, that all this could have been written by one of the early fathers, without any intention of declaring any thing more than those essential principles of the gospel, which, like the sun, shine every where, and enlighten all men who are willing to come to the knowledge of the truth. The extract has not the form of a creed, or of one of those floating symbols, of which * Mason's Plea, pp. 39, 40. so much more than is either profitable or necessary has been so often written. Dr. Mason, from whose pages I quote, remarks concerning it-"It is clear that this venerable father did not mean to give the very words of any formula of faith; but to state, substantially, those high and leading truths in which all the churches of Christ over the whole world harmonized, and which formed the doctrinal bond of their union." The second example of an early creed, which I shall furnish, is from the closet of Gregory Thaumaturgus. Dr. Miller has quoted it in his letters on unitarianism. It may be found, also, in Cave's lives of the fathers, and Du Pin's history. It is among those enumerated by King, and Dr. Mosheim refers to it as "a brief summary of the Christian religion." It is as follows: "There is one God, the Father of the living Word, of the subsisting wisdom and power, and of Him who is his eternal image; the perfect begotten of him that is perfect, the Father of the only begotten Son. There is one Lord, the Only of the Only, God of God, the character and image of the godhead; the powerful Word, the comprehensive Wisdom, by which all things were made, and the power that gave being to the whole creation: the true Son of the true Father; the Invisible of the Invisible; the Incorruptible of the Incorruptible; the Immortal of the Immortal; and the Eternal of Him that is Eternal. There is one Holy Ghost, having its subsistence of God, which appeared through the Son to mankind; the perfect Image of the perfect Son; the life-giving Life; the holy Foun tain; the Sanctity and the Author of sanctification; by whom God the Father is made manifest; who is over |