Note.--Irenæus adds to this Creed: 'The Church, having received this preaching and this faith, as before said, though scattered throughout the whole world, zealously preserves it ( epimelos phulassei ) as one household, ... and unanimously preaches and teaches the same, and hands it down as by one mouth ( sumphonos tauta kerussei kai didaskei kai paradidosin, hos hen stoma kiktemene ); for although there are different dialects in the world, the power of the tradition is one and the same ( he dunamis tes paradoseos mia kai he aute ). And in no other manner have either the churches established in Germany believed and handed down, nor those in Spain, nor among the Celts, nor in the East, nor in Egypt, nor in Libya, nor those established in the middle of the world. But as the sun, God's creature, is one and the same in all the world, so, too, the preaching of the truth shines every where and enlightens all men who wish to come to the knowledge of the truth. And neither will he who is very mighty in language among those who preside over the churches say other than this (for the disciple is not above his Master), nor will he who is weak in the word impair the tradition. For as the faith is one and the same, neither he who is very able to speak on it adds thereto, nor does he who is less mighty diminish therefrom.'
Second Form
Adv. Hær., Lib. III. cap. 4, § 1, 2 (Opera, Tom. I. p. 437).
Quid autem si neque Apostoli quidem Scripturas reliquissent nobis, nonne oportebat ordinem sequi traditionis, quam tradiderunt iis quibus committebant ecclesias? Cui ordinationi assentiunt multæ gentes barbarorum, eorum qui in Christum credunt, sine charta et atramento scriptam habentes per Spiritum in cordibus suis salutem, et veterem traditionem diligenter custodientes,
If the Apostles had not left to us the Scriptures, would it not be necessary to follow the order of tradition, which those to whom they committed the churches handed down? To this order many nations of barbarians give assent, those who believe in Christ having salvation written in their hearts by the Spirit without paper and ink, and guarding diligently the ancient tradition, In unum Deum credentes, believing in one God, Fabricatorem cæli et terræ, Maker of heaven and earth, et omnium quæ in eis sunt, and all that in them is,
Per Christum Jesum Dei Filium;
Through Christ Jesus the Son of God;
Qui, propter eminentissimam erga, figmentum suum dilectionem,
Who, for his astounding love towards his creatures,
eam quæ esset ex Virgine generationem sustinuit,
sustained the birth of the Virgin,
ipse per se hominem adunans Deo,
himself uniting his manhood to God, et passus sub Pontio Pilato, and suffered under Pontius Pilate, et resurgens, and rose again, et in claritate receptus, and was received in glory, in gloria venturas, shall come in glory,
Salvator eorum qui salvantur, et Judex eorum qui judicantur; et mittens in ignem æternum transfiguratores veritatis et
the Saviour of those who are saved, and the Judge of those who are judged; and sending into eternal fire the perverters of the truth
contemptores Patris sui et adventus ejus.
and the despisers of his Father and his advent.
Third Form
Adv. Hær., Lib. IV. cap. 33, § 7 (Opera, Tom. I. p. 670).
After remarking that the spiritual man shall judge all those who are beyond the pale of the truth--that is, outside of the Church--and shall be judged by no one, Irenæus goes on to say: 'For to him all things are consistent; he has a full faith ( pistis holokeros )--'
Eis hena Theon pantokratora, In one God Almighty, ex hou ta panta, from whom are all things;
kai eis ton Huion tou Theou, Iesoun Christon,
and in the Son of God, Jesus Christ, ton Kurion hemon, our Lord,
di hou ta panta, by whom are all things,
kai tas oikonomias autou, and in his dispensations,
di hon anthropos egeneto ho Huios tou Theou;
through which the Son of God became man;
Peismone bebaia kai eis to Pneuma tou Theou, [7]
the firm persuasion also in the Spirit of God,
... to tas oikonomias Patros te kai Huiou skenobatoun kath' hekasten genean en tois anthropois, kathos bouletai ho Pater.
who furnishes us with a knowledge of the truth, and has set forth the dispensations of the Father and the Son, in virtue of which he dwells in every generation of men, according to the will of the Father.
[5] The essential identity of the Scriptures and the apostolic tradition is asserted by Irenæus (Adv. Hær. Lib. III. cap. 1, § 1): 'Non per alios dispositionem salutis nostræ cognovimus, quam per eos [apostolos], per quos evangelium pervenit ad nos; quod quidem tunc præconaverunt, postea vero per Dei voluntatem in Scripturis nobis tradiderunt, fundamentum et columnam fidei nostræ futuram.' Comp. the fragment of his letter to Florinus, preserved by Eusebius (H. E. v. 20), where he says that the presbyters and Polycarp handed down the teaching of the Lord as they received it from the eye-witnesses of the Word of Life--in entire accordance with, the Scriptures ( panta sumphona tais graphais ).
[6] Lit. 'yet having received.' In the Greek the creed is part of one sentence, which is resumed in touto to kerugma pareilephuia kai tauten ten pistin ... he ekklesia ... epimelos phulassei.
[7] The Greek original is here defective. The Latin translation reads as follows: ' Sententia firma quæ est in Spiritu Dei, qui pæstat agnitionem veritatis, qui dispositiones Patris et Filii exposuit, secundum quas aderat generi humano quemadmodum vult Pater. '
Tertullian. A.D. 200.
Tertullian, originally a lawyer, in mature life converted to Christianity, and one of its ablest and most fearless advocates against infidels and heretics, flourished towards the close of the second and the beginning of the third century as presbyter in Northern Africa, till about A.D. 220. He was a rugged and eccentric genius, and joined the Montanist sect, which believed in the advent of the age of the Paraclete in the person of Montanus, the continuance of the gift of prophecy in woman as well as man, and the near approach of the millennium, and which maintained severe discipline and some peculiar customs, in opposition to the more tolerant practice of the Catholic Church. He placed truth ( veritas ) above authority and custom ( vetus consuetude ). But otherwise he was one of the strongest champions of catholic orthodoxy against the Gnostic heresies, and would allow no change in matters of fundamental doctrine. He alludes three times to the Creed, and quotes the chief articles with some variations and interwoven with his comments. In other places he mentions only one or two articles, as the occasion suggested. See Walch, pp. 7-10; Hahn, pp. 68-73; Heurtley, pp. 13-17; Swainson, pp. 35-40.
First Form.
De Virginibus Velandis, cap. 1.
Regula quidem fidei una omnino est, sola, immobilis, et irreformabilis, credendi scilicet The Rule of Faith is altogether one, sole, immovable, and irreformable--namely, to believe In unicum Deum Omnipotentem, in one God Almighty, mundi conditorem; the Maker of the world; et Filium ejus, Jesum Christum, and his Son, Jesus Christ, natum ex Virgine Maria, born of the Virgin Mary, crucifixum sub Pontio Pilato, crucified under Pontius Pilate,
tertia die resuscitatum a mortuis, on the third day raised again from the dead, receptum in cælis, received in the heavens,
sedentem nunc ad dexteram Patris,
sitting now at the right hand of the Father,
venturum judicare vivos et mortuos,
coming to judge the quick and the dead,
per carnis etiam resurrectionem. [8]
also through the resurrection of the flesh.
Second Form.
Adv. Praxeam (a Patripassian Unitarian), cap. 2.
Nos vero et semper, et nunc magis, ut instructiores per Paracletum, Deductorem scilicet omnis veritatis,
But we believe always, and now more, being better instructed by the Paraclete, the Leader into all truth,
Unicum quidem Deum credimus:
One God: [9]
sub hac tamen dispensatione, quam oeconomiam dicimus,
but under this dispensation which we call economy,
ut unici Dei sit et Filius,
and the Son of the one God,
Sermo ipsius, qui ex ipso processerit,
his Word [Logos] who proceeded from him,
per quem omnia facta sunt,
by whom all things were made,
et sine quo factum est nihil. (John i. 3.)
and without whom nothing was made.
Hunc missum a Patre in Virginem,
This was sent from the Father into the Virgin,
et ex ea natum,
and was born of her,
hominem et Deum, Filium hominis et Filium Dei,
both Man and God, the Son of Man and the Son of God,
et cognominatum Jesum Christum:
and called Jesus Christ:
Hunc passum,
He suffered,
hunc mortuum et sepultum,
he died and was buried, secundum Scripturas; according to the Scriptures; [10] et resuscitatum a Patre, and raised again by the Father, et in cælos resumptum, and taken up into the heavens,
sedere ad dexteram Patris,
and sitteth at the right hand of the Father,
venturum judicare vivos et mortuos:
he shall come to judge the quick and the dead:
qui exinde miserit, secundum promissionem suam, a Patre,
He thence did send, according to his promise, from the Father,
Spiritum Sanctum, Paracletum,
the Holy Ghost, the Paraclete,
Sanctificatorem fidei eorum qui credunt in Patrem et Filium et Spiritum Sanctum. [11]
the Sanctifier of the faith of those who believe in the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost.
Third Form.
De Præscript. Hæret. cap. 13.
Regula est autem fidei, ... illa scilicet qua creditur,
The Rule of Faith is, ... namely, that by which we believe
Unum omnino Deum esse,
That there is but one God,
nec alium præter mundi conditorem,
and no other besides the Maker of the world,
qui universa de nihilo produxerit,
who produced the universe out of nothing,
per Verbum suum primo omnium demissum;
by his Word sent forth first of all;
id Verbum, Filium ejus appellatum,
that this Word, called his Son,
in nomine Dei varie visum a patriarchis,
was seen in the name of God in various ways by the patriarchs,
in prophetis semper auditum,
was always heard in the prophets,
postremo delatum, ex Spiritu Patris Dei et virtute, in Virginem Mariam,
at last was sent down, from the Spirit and power of God the Father, into the Virgin Mary,
carnem, factum in utero ejus, et ex ea natum,
was made flesh in her womb, and born of her,
egisse [12] Jesum Christum;
lived (appeared) as Jesus Christ;
exinde prædicasse novam legem
that then he preached the new law
et novam promissionem regni cælorum;
and the new promise of the kingdom of heaven;
virtutes fecisse;
wrought miracles;
fixum cruci;
was nailed to the cross;
tertia die resurrexisse;
rose again on the third day;
in cælos ereptum;
was caught up to the heavens;
sedisse [13] ad dexteram Patris;
and sat down at the right hand of the Father;
misisse vicariam vim Spiritus Sancti,
sent in his place the power of the Holy Ghost,
qui credentes agat;
to guide the believers;
venturum cum claritate
he will come again with glory
ad sumendos sanctos in vitæ æternæ et promissorum cælestium fructum,
to take the saints into the enjoyment of eternal life and the celestial promises,
et ad profanos adjudicandos igni perpetuo,
and to judge the wicked with eternal fire,
facta utriusque partis resuscitatione,
after the resuscitation (resurrection) of both,
cum carnis restitutione. [14]
with the restitution (restoration) of the flesh.
[8] That is: This also belongs to the unchangeable rule of faith, that the Lord will hold general judgment after the dead are raised to life again. Neander (Tertull. p. 303) transposes etiam before per: 'To judge the dead also through the resurrection.' To this Tertullian adds: ' Hac lege fidei manente, cætera jam disciplinæ et conversationis admittunt novitatem correctionis, operante scilicet et proficiente usque in finem gratia Dei ' (This law of faith remaining, all other matters of discipline and conversation admit of the novelty of correction, the grace of God, namely, working and advancing to the end). The article on the Holy Ghost is here omitted.