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the other actions peculiar thereunto, this was one" that he heard, and assented to the symbol;" so that the Catechumens knew not the creed till just before their baptism, when it was delivered unto them as that private mark or sign by which the christians mutually knew each other: Unto which, it is not improbable, Cæcilius, the heathen disputant, in Minucius Felix, did blindly refer, when he, said, “ that the christians knew each other by hidden notes or marks, and loved almost before they were acquainted with one another;" seeing Maximus Taurinensis affirms, " that the apostle appointed the mystery of the creed, to be a mark of distinction between believers and unbelievers, to discover both the strangers and enemies to the faith of the church, who either knew it not, or had corrupted it." So that from the whole, it seems to me most evident, that the title of symbol attributed to the creed, is to be derived from the symbols used in the sacra, or religious rites of the heathens; in allusion whereunto, the creed is so termed, because it was delivered unto persons at their initiation and admission by baptism into the visible church, as that secret mark and sign, by which they should be known from all others, and mutually know each other.

But, from the names of the creed, let us pass unto the creed itself; and, in the next place, enquire after the authors and composers thereof, who have for many ages successively been esteemed to have been the apostles themselves: from whence it is called the apostles creed. Now, that from the days of the apostles, there hath been used in the church a certain rule and form of faith, not much unlike to our present creed; I am so far from denying, that I shall endeavour to prove it in the ensuing discourse, from Tertullian and others of the most primitive writers: But that the apostles themselves should be the immediate authors of the creed in the present form that it now is, and that from their days it hath without any variation been inviolably transmitted down to us by tradition; this is that which is justly questionable and I doubt not but to evince the contrary.

The first, I think, who hath given us this smooth account concerning the composition of the creed, is St. Ambrose; who writes that "the twelve apostles, as skilful artificers, assembled together, and made a key by their common advice, that is the creed; by which the darkness of the devil is disclosed, that the light of christ may appear:" Or, if the sermon, in which this passage is, be not the genuine offspring of so great a man, it is not long after

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his time that Ruffinus gives the same account of it, where he relates, that "they had receiv ed by tradition from their fathers, that after the ascension of our Saviour, and the effusion of the holy ghost, before the apostles separated from each other to go into the several parts of the habitable world, to preach the gospel to them; they settled amongst themselves the rule of their future preaching, to prevent their teaching different doctrines, during their separation, unto those whom they should invite unto the Christian faith: where, fore they assembled all together, and being full of the holy ghost, they composed the creed; each one inserting what he thought convenient; and ordained it to be a test of their future sermons, and a rule, to be given unto the faithful." The like is also assert_ ed by Leo Magnus, Jerom, John Cassian, and an innumerable number of other authors; since from the days of Ruffinus, it hath for several hundreds of years been generally believed, that the twelve apostles, before they went forth from Jerusalem, to preach the gospel, agreed on this formulary of faith to be the rule and standard of all their sermons, which without any variation should be delivered to their proselytes and converts,

But besides the opinion, that the apostles were in general the authors of the creed; some have advanced one step farther, and affirmed, that every apostle inserted his particular article; by which according to the number of the apostles, they have divided the creed into twelve articles, allowing one article for each apostle: A full account whereof is in a sermon falsely attributed to St. Austin; where the author thereof gives us this following relation, concerning each particular article that was put in by each particular apostle. "Peter," saith he, said, "I believe in God the father almighty;" John, " maker of heaven and earth;" James," and in Jesus Christ his only son, our lord," Andrew," who was con ceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the virgin Mary;" Philip, "suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried;" Thomas, "he descended into hell, the third day he rose again from the dead;" Bartholomew," he ascended into heaven, sitteth at the right hand of God the father almighty;" Matthew," from thence shall he come to judge the quick and the dead;" James the son of Alpheus, "I believe in the Holy Ghost, the ho ly Catholic church;" Simon Zelotes, "the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins;" Jude the brother of James," the resurrection

of the body;" Matthias, "life everlasting. Amen."

Now as to the truth of this tradition, I think it is altogether to be denied, and that for several reasons, as that it was nigh four hundred years after Christ, before the framing of the creed by the apostles was ever heard of; and even Ruffinus himself, one of the first reporters thereof, though in the beginning of his commentary he doth roundly assert it, yet in the midst thereof, he speaks of it doubtfully, as if its authors were uncertain, and unknown.

Moreover, had the apostles been the real formers of the creed before their dispersion from Jerusalem, it cannot be imagined, that St. Luke in his history of their acts, would have wholly omitted so considerable a fact as this: Neither can it be conceived, but that the innumerable councils and synods among the primitive Christians, or at least some of them, would in their decisions and determinations of faith and doctrine, have had some reference or other to this apostolical system, as their standard and basis, if any such there had been: whereas no such thing appears, but the contrary thereunto; for, as they never mentioned any such creed, so as occasion of fered, they composed new creeds, and even