149

OBSERVATIONS

ON THE

ATHANASIAN CREED.

THE creed commonly distinguished by the name of Athanasius, appears to demand a separate consideration. The historian of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire has spoken of it with scorn, as a monument of human folly doctor Bruce has proceeded so far as to say, that it is a curious string of palpable contradictions: protestant dissenters frequently allege it as constituting a grand impediment to their union with the established church and many members even of our own church regard it with alienation, as a form of doctrine not consonant to their feelings, and embarrassing to their religious profession. This is not a state, in which a solemn declaration of the faith of a church should be suffered to remain. It ought to be seen, whether this creed may be satisfactorily vindicated from the sneers of the infidel; it ought to be tried, whether a fair statement would recommend it

to the acceptance of our protestant brethren; and, above all, the members of the established church itself should be enabled to judge, whether the declarations, in which they are required to concur, are indeed uncharitable and contradictory, or a temperate and even guarded exposition of the doctrines of revelation.

Bishop Horseley, in his controversy with doctor Priestley, has said, "I believe, Sir, that few have thought so much upon these subjects, as you and I have done, who have not at first wavered." Sheltered by so high an authority, the author of this treatise may not be afraid to avow, that his opinion concerning the character and importance of the athanasian creed has wavered, and that in the earlier part of his life he thought, with archbishop Tillotson, that it might be wished that the church were well rid of it. In the progress of life he has learned to regard it with different sentiments, because he has learned to give some of its most remarkable expressions a different construction; but he conceives that he has been, by that original alienation, enabled to form his present judgment on the subject, as it served to disengage him from the subtleties, by which his opinion of the creed had been embarrassed.

By Luther this creed has

• Bishop Horseley's Tracts, p. 315. Symbolis, Oper. tom. 7. p. 138.

been happily

+ Luther de Trib.

described as the bulwark of the apostle's creed. The latter appeared to this reformer to comprehend all that was necessary for the belief of a christian, but to require the protection of the former, when it was assailed by the misconstruction of heresy. Calvin, though his opinions concerning the Persons of the Trinity were sufficiently orthodox, appears to * have condemned the use of the word itself, as unscriptural and unauthorised; nor does his famous Institution of the Christian Religion contain a reference to any of the three established confessions of faith. His dislike of the term was plainly consistent with his peculiar notion of arbitrary decrees, which referred the whole plan of human redemption to the unconditional determination of the Father, and consequently left for the other divine Persons only an instrumental agency. Cherishing a doctrine, which so eminently exalted the supremacy of the Father, he must have looked with alienation on a term, which combined the three Persons in one common godhead. Luther, on the other hand, contending with the church of Rome mainly on the question of human merit, was not influenced by any prepossession, which could affect his conception of the divine nature, and therefore saw

* See the passages quoted in Sandii Nucl. Histor. Eccles. p. 425. Coloniæ 1676.

in the creed, by which the doctrine of the divine nature was most particularly detailed, only the protection which it afforded to a more general exposition of his faith.

*

The historian of the roman empire has indulged some feeling of triumph in remarking, what had been long known to every scholar, and is indeed admitted in the rubric of our liturgy, that the creed denominated from Athanasius was not really his work. This is however of no importance, since the merit of a creed, not claiming the authority of revelation, must be determined, not by any consideration of its author, but by comparing its tenets with the doctrines of revealed truth. It is acknowledged also that the creed designated by the name of the apostles, was not really composed by them, but was gradually framed int a long period of years, and merits its appellation only as it is conceived to express the doctrine taught by the apostles. The athanasian creed may in the like manner be understood to have received its appellation, as containing a system of doctrine considered as corresponding to the opinions maintained by Athanasius in his great contest with Arius. We have indeed historical evidence, to prove

* Decline and Fall etc. vol. 3. p. 464. Dubl. 1789.

†This creed, according to Vossius, was not completely settled before the year 400. De Tribus Symbolis, p. 29. Amst.

that the name was actually acquired in this manner, without any intention of imposing the creed on christians as the work of Athanasius. In * almost all the ancient copies, and especially in those of greater antiquity, it is entitled Fides Catholica, or Fides Athanasii, in not one Symbolum Athanasii, as it should have been denominated, if the intention had been, that it should be received as truly the creed of that distinguished bishop.

Some of the † ancient commentators indeed seem very early to have fallen into the error, that this creed was truly the work of Athanasius, and perhaps by this very error were led to take the trouble of composing their comments. The most antient now extant, that of Venantius Fortunatus, which is referred to the year 570, entitles the creed Fides Catholica; but Hincmar's, which is referred to the year 852, and was therefore nearly three centuries later, denominates it Symbolum Athanasii. After Hincmar we have two commentators, one referred to the year 1033, the other to the year 1110; of whom the former has adopted the appellation Fides Catholica Sancti Athanasii Episcopi, the latter simply Fides Catholica. In the year 1120 Peter Abelard denominated the creed Symbolum Athanasii, which appellation was from that time conti

Waterland's Crit. Hist. of the Athanasian Creed, p. 121123. Cambr. 1728. + Ibid. p. 88, 89.