Chapter XIII.—Summary of the Creed, or Rule of Faith. No Questions Ever Raised About It by Believers.  Heretics Encourage and Perpetuate Thought Independent of Christ’s Teaching.

Now, with regard to this rule of faith—that we may from this point144    Jam hinc. acknowledge what it is which we defend—it is, you must know, that which prescribes the belief that there is one only God, and that He is none other than the Creator of the world, who produced all things out of nothing through His own Word, first of all sent forth;145    Primo omnium demissum. Literally, “sent down.” See on this procession of the Son of God to create the world, Bishop Bull’s Defence of the Nicene Creed, etc., by the translator of this work, pp. 445 and following. that this Word is called His Son, and, under the name of God, was seen “in diverse manners” by the patriarchs, heard at all times in the prophets, at last brought down by the Spirit and Power of the Father into the Virgin Mary, was made flesh in her womb, and, being born of her, went forth as Jesus Christ; thenceforth He preached the new law and the new promise of the kingdom of heaven, worked miracles; having been crucified, He rose again the third day; (then) having ascended146    Ereptum, having been taken away. into the heavens, He sat at the right hand of the Father; sent instead of Himself147    Vicariam. [Scott’s Christian Life, Vol. III. p. 64.] the Power of the Holy Ghost to lead such as believe; will come with glory to take the saints to the enjoyment of everlasting life and of the heavenly promises, and to condemn the wicked to everlasting fire, after the resurrection of both these classes shall have happened, together with the restoration of their flesh. This rule, as it will be proved, was taught by Christ, and raises amongst ourselves no other questions than those which heresies introduce, and which make men heretics.148    [See Bunsen (Hippol. III. Notes, etc., p. 129.) for a castigated form of the Latin Creed, as used in Rome. Observe it lacks the word Catholic. But a much better study of these formulas may be found in Dupin’s comparative Table.  First Cent. pp. 9–12.]

CAPUT XIII.

Regulam enim (seu symbolum) fidei nobis praescriptam, ut jam hinc, quid credamus, profiteamur.

0026B Regula est autem fidei , ut jam hinc quid defendamus profiteamur, illa scilicet qua creditur, unum omnino Deum esse, nec alium praeter mundi conditorem; qui universa de nihilo produxerit, per Verbum suum primo omnium emissum ; id Verbum, Filium ejus appellatum, in nomine Dei varie visum a Patriarchis, in Prophetis semper auditum, postremo delatum ex Spiritu Patris Dei et virtute in virginem Mariam, carnem factum in utero ejus, et ex ea natum egisse Jesum Christum; exinde praedicasse novam legem, et novam promissionem regni coelorum; virtutes fecisse; fixum cruci, tertia die resurrexisse; in coelos ereptum sedisse ad dexteram Patris; misisse vicariam vim Spiritus Sancti, qui credentes agat, venturum cum claritate, ad sumendos sanctos in vitae aeternae et promissorum 0027A coelestium fructum, et ad profanos adjudicandos igni perpetuo, facta utriusque partis resuscitatione cum carnis restitutione .