the catechumens fimply to profefs their faith in Chrift, or, if they were Jews, that Jefus was the Meffiah; and fuch are all the inftances of baptism that are mentioned in the book of Acts. But afterwards, whether in the time of the apostles, or not, but very probably before the death of John, other articles were added, intended to exclude perfons who were not thought to be proper members of chriftian churches, though they did profefs to believe in the divine miffion of Chrift. At what time each of these articles was inferted in the creed is not known; and indeed the practice of the church appears to have been various in this respect, fome articles having been used in one church, and others in another, and still lefs was the fame form of words ftrictly adhered to. . We are able, however, in fome measure, to trace the progrefs of this baptifmal creed by its being published, with more or lefs of comment, by different chriftian writers, from Irenæus, who is the first who has given any of the articles of it, to Ruffinus, who first published a profeffed commentary upon upon it, and fince whofe time no confiderable alterations have been made in it. And it is remarkable that Irenæus introduces this creed into his treatise on herefy, as a proof that the perfons he wrote against were condemned by it; and in thofe parts of his work he condemns. none but the Gnoftics. Accordingly we read in Optatus, that "he"retics deferted the facred fymbol," for fo this creed was called, and this was not true any fet of perfons whatever befides the Gnoftics. of We have accounts of this creed in two different places of the work of Irenæus; and though it is evident that he does not give this creed in the very words in which it was delivered to the catechumens (indeed the two copies of the creed that he does give, differing confiderably from each other, is a proof that he did not mean to give the creed itfelf, but only a commentary upon it) it is easily to perceive by his gloss what was the real object of each article in it, and for this purpose I fhall recite both his copies. Hæretici vero, veritatis exules, fani et veriffimi fymboli defertores,lib. 1. p. 13. VOL. I. X " He, "He who holds without fwerving the "rule of truth which he received at bap"tifm, will understand the names, phrafes, "and parables of the fcriptures, and will not know this blafphemous hypothefis.— "The churches planted by the apostles, "and their difciples to the end of the earth, "received that faith which is in one God, "the Father. Almighty, who made the hea"vens and the earth, and the fea, and all things that are in them; and in one Jefus "Chrift, the fon of God, incarnate for our “falvation; and in the holy spirit, who preached by the prophets the difpenfa"tion, of the gofpel, and the coming, and "the birth by a virgin, and his sufferings " and refurrection from the dead, and the "afcent of our beloved Lord Jefus Chrift "into heaven in the flesh, and his return "from heaven in the glory of the Father, "to complete all things, and to raise all the flesh of mankind; that to Chrift Jefus, our Lord and God, and Saviour, "and king, according to the will of the invifible Father, every knee might bow, "of things in heaven, and things in earth, " and and things under the earth, that every 66 tongue fhould confefs to him, and that he "fhould judge all in righteousness; that " he might fend into everlasting fire fpiri"tual wickednefs, the angels who tranfgreffed, and who apoftatized, the ungod"ly, the wicked, and lawless, and blafphemous men; but give life immortal, "and eternal glory, to the righteous, the holy, and thole who keep his command"ments, thofe who remain in his love " from the beginning, and also those who repent *. 16 * Ουλω δε και ο τον κανόνα της αλήθειας ακλινη εν εαύλω κατεχων, ον δια το βαπλισμαίος είληφε, τα μεν εκ των γράφων ονοματα, και τους λέξεις, και τας παραβολας επιγνωσείαι, την δε βλασφημον ὑποθεσιο ταύλην εκ επίγνωσεται. HMEN γαρ εκκλησία, καιπερ καθ όλης της οικεμένης έως περαίων τῆς γῆς διεσπαρμένης παρα δε των αποτολων, και των εκείνων μαθητών παραλάβεσα την εις ενα θεον πατερα παιλοκράτορα την πεποιηκότα τον ἔρανον, καὶ την γην, καὶ τας θάλασσας, καὶ πανία τα εν αυτοις, πισιν. εις ενα χριςον Ιησεν, τον υιον τε θες, τον σαρκωθέντα υπέρ της ημετερας σωτηριας· καὶ εις Πνευμα αγιον, το δια των προφίλων κεκηρυχος τας οικονομίας, και τας ελευσεις, και την εκ παρθενα γεννεσιν, και το πάθος και την εγερσιν εκ νεκρών, και την ενσαρκον εις τες έρανές αναληψιν τε ηγαπημένε Χρισε Ιησέ τε κύριε ημων, και την εκ των ερανων εν τη δόξη τε Παίρος παρεσίαν αυτς, επι το ανακεφαλαιώσασθαι τα παλα, και ανάτησαν πάσαν σαρκα πασης ανθρωποληλος, ινα χρισω Ιησε τω κυρίω ημών, και θεω, καὶ σωτήρι, καὶ βασιλεί, καλα την ευδοκιαν τε Παίρος το αοραίς, 1. The other copy, if it may be fo called, of the baptifmal creed is fhorter than this, but to the fame purpofe; representing all chriftians as believing "in one God the "maker of heaven and earth, and of all "things that are therein, by Jefus Chrift, "the fon of God, who from his great love "to his creatures, fubmitted to be born of a virgin; he by himfelf uniting man to 66 God, and fuffered under Pontus Pilate; "and having rifen again, and being received "into glory, will come to fave those who "are faved, and to judge those who are judged, and fend into everlasting fire thofe who change the truth, and defpife "the Father and his coming*. σαν γόνυ κάμψη επερανίων και επίγειων καὶ καταχθονίων, καὶ πασα γλωσ * In unum Deum credentes fabricatorem cæli et terræ, et omnium quæ in eis funt, per Chriftum Jefum Dei filium. Qui propter eminentiffimam erga figmentum fuum dilectionem, eam quæ effet ex virgine generationem susti |