NICENE CREED

sometimes called the Constant i no pol it an Creed . This creed was chiefly composed by the orthodox fathers of the first general Council of Nice, A. D. 325, to define the Christian faith, in opposition to the heresy of Arius. As sanctioned by this a embly it ended with “I believe in the Holy Ghost .” The remainder was added by the second general council, held at Constantinople, A. D. 381, in which the heresy of Maced on i us, with regard to the Divinity of the Holy Spirit , was condemned. In the fifth century, the Western churches added to this creed the words filioque , in conformity with the doctrine, that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Son , as well as from the Father . The Church for three hundred years had been content to profe in her creed, that Christ was the Lord ; comprehending, under this title, the highest appellations given to him in Scripture, without stating minutely, or scrutinizing too narrowly, a doctrine proposed rather to us as an object of faith than of understanding. Happy had it been for the Christian world, if this moderation of the Church had been suffered to continue; but Arius, a discontented priest of Alexandria in Egypt, either having conceived a different opinion, or wishing to bring himself into notice by the a ertion of a novelty, took upon him to maintain that Christ was not a Divine person, in the highest sense, but a creature, superior indeed to human nature, but not a partaker of the supreme Godhead . The publishing of this opinion raised a violent ferment and schism in the Church. Const an tine the Roman emperor summoned a council at Nice, in Bithynia, to settle this dispute; and there, in the year 325, Arius’s doctrine was condemned in an a embly of 300 bishops, and that creed framed, which from the name of the city was called the Nicene Creed. And here it is nece ary to observe, that the meaning of the three creeds of our Church, and all creeds that can be composed on gospel principles, is nothing more than a declaration of the sense in which we accept the profe ion made in our baptism. By baptism we are admitted into the Church of Christ ; by the command of Christ we are baptized “in the name of the Father , and of the Son , and of the Holy Ghost .” This is the condition, by which alone we can partake of the Christian covenant; this is the mark by which alone we are distinguished from the profe ors of every other religion upon earth. When we repeat a creed, therefore, we do no more than declare our repeated a ent to the conditions of the baptismal covenant; and it would be sufficient to do this in the very words that Christ enjoins, “I believe in the Father , the Son , and the Holy Ghost ,” if explanations had not been demanded, to show what we mean by this declaration. Creeds then do not, properly speaking, contain articles of faith, but an explanation of the sense in which we understand the primary position of our religion. And this view of the matter will show us the reason, why no creed is prescribed in Scripture; why all creeds ever have been, and ever must be, the composition of men.— Dean Vincent. The three creeds, which are the three barriers of the faith of our Church, extracted from the Holy Scripture in the purer ages of Christianity, though variously expre ed, are yet the same in substance; agreeable to each other; and all agreeable to the word of God , and approved all along by the Catholic Church. In these forms she calls upon her members to declare their belief to be consonant to that of the Church universal. The Apostles’ Creed, as the plainest and shortest form, is appointed for common and daily use. The A than asian, for festivals which relate more immediately to our Saviour ; or which are placed at such convenient distances from each other, as that none may be wholly ignorant of the mysteries therein contained. And the Nicene Creed is to be repeated whenever the eucharist is administered according to the institution of our Lord , whose eternal generation, Godhead , incarnation, sufferings, and exaltation, are therein summarily contained and acknowledged.— Archdeacon Yardley. It is called “the Nicene Creed,” because it was for the most part framed at the great Council of Nice. But because the great Council of Constantinople added the latter part, and brought it to the frame which we now use, therefore it is called also “the Constant i no pol it an Creed.” This creed began to be used in churches at the Communion Service immediately after the Gospel, in the year of our Lord 339. [The introduction of it in this place is, however, more commonly referred to Peter the Fuller, bishop of Antioch, about A. D. 471.] Afterwards it was established in the churches of Spain and France, after the custom of the Eastern Church, by the Council of Toledo, and continued down to our times. The reason why this creed follows immediately after the Epistle and Gospel, is the same that was given for the Apostles’ Creed following next after the le ons at morning and evening prayer. To which the canon of Toledo hath added another reason for saying it here, before the people draw near to the holy communion; namely, that the breasts of those who approach to those dreadful mysteries, may be purified by a true and right faith.— Bp. Sparrow. The creed is a summary of the doctrine of the gospel, and here is placed next to it, because it is grounded upon it. In the gospel we “believe with our heart unto righteousne ;” in the creed we “confe with our mouth unto salvation” (Rom. x. 10); for all the people ought to repeat the creed after the minister. It doth more largely condemn all heresies than the Apostles’ Creed: wherefore it is fitly enjoined to be recited by all before the sacrament, to show that all the communicants are free from heresy, and in the strictest league of union with the Catholic Church; as also to prepare themselves for worthy receiving, by exercising that faith, of which they have so much use at the Lord’s table, as the Council of Toledo ordained in the year 600 [589]. So that every one must openly profe and firmly embrace all these articles, before he can be fit to receive; yea, and while he repeats them with his lips, he must resolve to show forth in his life, that he doth sincerely believe them, by strictly living according to them.— Dean Comber. As in the Morning Prayer, so in the Communion Service, for the same reason, after reading the Scripture, we recite the creed: only then we have that of the ancient Latin Church; here that of the ancient Greek.— Abp. Secker. Besides the general reasons for repeating the creed, the rehearsal of our faith before the receiving of the holy communion is founded on these two special grounds:—1. It is meet that all should first profe the same faith, who partake of the same mysteries; for surely, if “no stranger, nor uncircumcised person,” could eat of the pa over, that typical sacrament, (Exod. xii. 43, 48,) much more no stranger to the Christian faith, nor unbeliever, should partake of the real sacrament of the Lord’s supper. 2. As the acknowledgment of the articles of our Christian faith is part of the vow made at our baptism, so ought the same acknowledgment to be repeated at the Lord’s supper, wherein we renew that vow.— Dr. Bi e. Add to this, that every solemn confe ion of our faith must be looked upon as giving glory and honour to God , in recognising his e ence and attributes, and the ble ings which flow from those sources on mankind: and hence it, in a peculiar manner, befits this holy service of thanks and praise. In this we imitate the most ancient liturgies of the Church; which, when this holy sacrament was celebrated, had an eucharis tical form, wherein God’s power and goodne were acknowledged in the creation, preservation, and redemption of the world. Thus we, though in a shorter form of undoubted authority, confe to the holy and undivided Trinity , and distinctly own the Divinity of each person. We commemorate the creation of the world by “ God the Father Almighty.” We acknowledge Jesus Christ to be our “ Lord ;” to have been “begotten” from all eternity, to be “of one substance with the Father ,” and with him Creator of all things: that “for our salvation he came down from heaven, was made man, suffered, and died” for us. We commemorate his resurrection, ascension, and sitting at God’s right hand: expre our expectation of his second coming; and declare that “his kingdom shall have no end.” We confe to God , that he hath inspired the prophets; that he hath built a Church on the foundation of the apostles; that he hath appointed baptism for the remi ion of sins; and given us leave to “look for the resurrection of the dead” and an happy eternity. What more glorious hymn than this can we sing to the honour of God ? Is it po ible to mention anything else that can so much redound to his glory? May not this our service be well styled the eucharist, when we thus give praise and glory to Almighty God for the wonderful manifestation of his attributes, and the inestimable ble ings he hath bestowed upon us? Let not any one therefore think, that repeating the creed is barely a declaration of his faith to the rest of the congregation: for, besides that, it is a most solemn act of worship, in which we honour and magnify God , both for what he is in himself, and for what he hath done for us. And let us all, sensible of this, repeat it with reverential voice and gesture; and lift up our hearts with faith, thankfulne , and humble devotion, whenever we say, “I believe,” .— Archdeacon Yardley. The Nicene Creed is properly sung in all choirs. Bishop Beveridge says, “We stand at the creeds; for they being confe ions of our faith in God , as such they come under the proper notion of hymns or songs of praise to him.” The rubric sanctions, that is, enjoins in choirs, the custom: and such has been the usage of most choirs since the Reformation; an usage kept up throughout the Western Church, according to Mr. Palmer, since the year 1012. It is not adapted to chanting, like the Psalms. In our Prayer Book it is divided, like the Apostles’ Creed and the Gloria in excels is, into three paragraphs, of which the central one has special reference to God the Son .— Jebb.