Images de page
PDF
ePub

of heaven and earth, and fea, and all things in them: And in one Chrift Jefus, the Son of God, incarnate for our falvation: And in one Holy Spirit, who announced by the Prophets the difpenfations of Jefus Chrift, the Beloved, our Lord, and his coming, and his being born of a virgin, and his paffion and refurrection from the dead, and his afcenfion in the flesh into heaven; and his coming from heaven in the glory of the Father, to gather all things together into one, and to raife up the bodies of all men; that, according to the will of the invifible Father, every knee fhould bow of things in heaven and things on earth, to Chrift Jefus our Lord and God and Saviour and King; and that every tongue fhould confefs to him: and that he may exercise juft judgment upon all, and fend fpriritual wickedneffes, and tranfgreffing and apoftate angels, and all ungodly, unrighteous, and lawlefs and blafpheming men into eternal fire; but conferring life on the righteous and holy, who keep his commandments, and continue in his love, whether from the beginning, or from the time of their confeffion; and that he may give unto them immortality, and put them into poffeffion of eternal glory*." The fame author exhibits an

* “ Η μὲν γὰρ ἐκκλησία καί περ καθ' ὅλης τῆς οικεμένης ἕως πρώτ των τῆς γῆς ἔδιεσπαρμένη, παρὰ δὲ τῶν ἀποςόλων καὶ τῶν ἐκείνων μαθητῶν παραλαβέσα τὴν, εἰς ἕνα Θεὸν πατέρα παλιοκράτορα, τὸν πεποιηκότα τὸν ἔρανον καὶ τὴν γῆν καὶ τὰς θαλάσσας, καὶ πάντα τὰ ἐν αὐτ τοῖς, πίςιν καὶ εἰς ἕνα Χρισὸν Ἰησῶν υἱὸν τέ Θεὸ τὸν ζαρκουθέντας være tas hustlipas angins," &c. Lib. I. cap. ii. p. 35, 36.

other

other form, greatly fhorter, to the following purpose: "I believe in one God, the maker of heaven and earth, and all things which are in them, by Jefus Chrift the Son of God, who, for his molt eminent love to his own works, condefcended to be born of a virgin, himself uniting man to God, and fuffered under Pontius Pilate, and rifing (from the dead) he was received up into glory, and fhall come in glory, the Saviour of thofe who are faved, and the Judge of thofe who are condemned, fending into eternal fire the perverters of his truth, -the defpifers of his Father, and his coming*."” The next authentic monument, which prefents us with any creeds, is the works of Tertullian. There are three forms of this kind in thofe works of his, which are acknowleged genuine. The firft may be rendered into English in the following terms: "The rule of faith which is profeffed, is that by which we believe one God only, and no other befides the Creator of the world, who produced the universe of nothing, by his word, fent forth before all things: This

"Credo in unum Deum fabricatorem cali, ac terræ, et omnium quæ in eis funt, per Chriftum Jefum Dei Filium, qui propter eminentiimam erga Figmentum fuum dilectionem, eam quæ effet ex Virgine generationem fuftinuit, ipfe per fe hominem adunans Deo, et paffus fub Pontio Pilato, et refurgens, et in claritate receptus, in gloria venturus Salvator eorum qui judicantur, et mittens in ignem æternum transfiguratores veritatis, et contemptores patris fui et adventus ejus." Lib. III. cap. iv. P. 172.

Word

Word is called his Son, who appeared at fundry times, and divers manners, unto the patriarchs, and was heard (fpeaking) in the prophets, in the name of God, at last defcended, by the power and Spirit of the Father, into the Virgin Mary, and was made flesh in her womb, and of her was born the man Jefus Chrift, who, from that time, preached a new Law, and a new promife of the kingdom of heaven; who did mighty works; was fixed to the cross; the the third day rofe again; was taken up into heaven, and fitteth at the right hand of the Father, to fend the vicarious power of his Holy Spirit, to conduct them who believe: Who fhall come in glory to take the faints unto the enjoyment of eternal life and heavenly promifes; and the profane to be adjudged to eternal fire; having made reftitution to both parties by the refurrection of the flesh*." A fecond form, from the fame author, may be

rendered

* "Regula eft autem fidei, ut jam hine quid credamus profiteamur, illa, fcil. qua creditur: Unum omnino Deum effe; nec alium præter mundi conditorem ; qui univerfa de nihilo produxerit, per verbum fuum primo omnium emiflum: Id verbum filium ejus appellatum, in nomine Dei varie vifum Patriarchis, in Prophetis femper auditum, poftremo delatum ex fpiritu Dei patris et virtute in Virginem Mariam, carnem factum in utero ejus, et ex ea natum hominem et effe Jefum Chriftum: exinde prædicaffe novam legem, et novam promiffionem regni cœlorum, virtutes fecifle: Fixum cruci; Tertia die refurrexifle: In cœlos ereptum federe ad dexteram patris: Mififle vicariam vim fpiritus fanéti qui credentes agat: Venturum cum claritate, ad fumendos fanctos in vitæ æ

ternæ

rendered thus: "We believe in one God, yet, under this difpenfation, which we call the OECONOMY, That God hath a Son, who proceeded from him, by whom all things were made, and without him was nothing made: We believe, that he was fent into a virgin, and born of her; (he was) both God and man, the Son of Man and the Son of God, furnamed Jefus Chrift: That he fuffered, was dead, and buried, according to the Scriptures; that he was raised again by the father, and taken up into heaven, to fit at the right hand of the Father; that he shall come to judge the quick and the dead; from whence alfo he fent the PARACLETE, the Holy Ghoft, from the Father, according to his own promife, the fanctifier of the faith of those who believe in the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost*." The last, and shortest, form we shall

extract

ternæ et promifforum cœleftium fructum, et ad prophanos judicandos igni perpetuo, facta utriufque partis refufcitatione cum carnis refurrectione." Præfcript cap. xiii.

* "Nos vero et femper, et nunc magis ut inftructiores per Paracletum deductorem, fcil. omnis veritatis, unicum quidem Deum credimus: fub hac tamen difpenfatione, quam œconomiam dicimus, ut unici Dei fit et filius fermo ipfius, qui ex ipfo procefferit, per quem omnia facta funt, et fine quo factum eft nihil. Hunc miffum a patre in virginem, et ex ea natum hominem et Deum, filium hominis, et filium Dei, et cognominatum Jefum Chriftum. Hunc paffum, hunc mortuum et fepultum fecundum fcripturas, et refufcitatum a patre, et in cœlos refumptum, federe ad dexteram patris, venturum judicare vivos et

mortuos,

extract from this Father may be expreffed in the following terms: "There is only one rule of faith, and it alone is immoveable and incapable of being amended, viz. That which teacheth us to believe in one God Almighty, the maker of the univerfe; and in his Son Jefus Chrift, born of the Virgin Mary, crucified under Pontius Pilate, raised from the dead the third day, received up into heaven, now fitting on the right hand of the Father, who fhall come to judge both the quick and the dead, through the refurrection of the flesh*." A few years after this author, flourished ORIGEN: Among the fragments of his works, confeffed to be genuine, is to be found the following fummary of faith: "There is one God who created all things, and formed them, who made the univerfe of nothing: The God of all righteous perfons, from the firft creation and state of the world, of Adam, Abel, Seth, Enos Enoch, Noah, Shem, Abraham, Ifaac, Jacob, the twelve Patriarchs, Mofes, and the Prophets;

[ocr errors]

mortuos. Qui exinde miferit fecundum promiffionem fuam a patre fpiritum fanctum Paracletum, fanctificatorem fidei eorum qui credunt in patrem et filium et fpiritum fanctum." Contra Prax. cap. ii.

"Regula quidem fidei una omnino eft, fola immobilis, et irreformabilis, credendi fcil. in unicum Deum omnipotentem, mundi conditorem, et filium ejus Jefum Chriftum, natum ex Virgine Maria, crucifixum fub Pontio Pilato, tertia die refufcitatum a mortuis, receptum in cœlis, fedentem nunc ad dexteram Patris, venturum judicare vivos et mortuos, per carnis etiam refurrectionem." De Veland. Virgin. cap. i.

and

« PrécédentContinuer »