121 m~*-~~~~.~~~~~~~-~:~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~!teJ AN EXPOSITION OF THE CREEDE. 1 beleeuein qod, &c• • Oman iu!Hy can bee ofli=n- A ftles,notbecaufetheywerethe pennersof it, dedat this, rh. at I beginne conferring to it hefides the matter (•)tkeveto treate of the Do8:rine ry ltyle and frame ofwords, as we haue them of faith witho•t a Text, now let downe- Reafons. I. There are in this though fome be of minde, Creed certaine words andphrafcs, which are that in Catechifing the nottobe found inthewritingsofthe ApoMini£ler is toproceede as fries: and namely thefe; Hedefoendedint• he a: a RHffin. 'i in upcC Symb.& Hieron 3d Pam. in the ordinarie courfe of Preaching, onely the C::•th•llke ChNrch. The latter whereof, no by handling a fet portkm of Scripn~re ' and doubt, (b) firR began to be in vfe, when after bp,,;,, thereforerbatthe handlmgof the Creede bethe Apollles dayesthe Church wasdifperfed. nus<pifi ingnofcripture, is not conuenient. Indeed I into all quartersof theearth. H. Ifboth mat- '• ad. graunt thatothcrcourfeto beecommendaterandwords hadbeencfrom the Apollles, Symp. ble: y;t I doubtnot, but in Catechizing the R why is not the Creede Canonical fcripture,as Mini£ler hath his libertie to follow, or not to well as anyother writinf:s!III.The Apo£lles followacertainetextofScripture,aswedoin had a fummary colk8:ton of the points of the vllull courfe of preaching. My reafonis Chrillian Religion which they taught,and altaken from the practiCe of the primitiue fo·deliueredtootherstoteachby; confilling Church; whofe Catechifme (astheauthor of oftwoheads,f•ith and lour:as may appcare by theepi£lletothc Hebrews fheweth)wasconP•ult exh,lrtation to Ti-thJ, wifhing him tained in fixe principles or grounds ofreligit• keepethep•tternto{'llho/efome wordt: 'tllhich he T' on,whichwerenottakcn out ofany fettextin h4dhe~~rd ofhir,n, ittfAilh And loue, which is in :. I m. I. the old Te£lament:but rather was a forme of Chriflle[HI. Now the Creede confi£ls not of " teachinggathered out ofthe moll cleare piatwo heads, but ofone, namely offaith onely, ces thereof. Hence I reafon thus; That which and notoflouealfo.Wherfore I rather think,. in this point was the vfe and manner of the that it is called the Apo£lles Creede, becaufe primitiue Church, is lawfull to be vfed ofvs c ii doth ftJmmarily containe the chiefe and now: but in the primitiue Church it was the principaU points ofreligion,handled and promaner to catechize without handling any fee pounded in the doctrine ofthe Apo£lles: and text of fcripture: and therefore the Minillers becaufe the poinr.. of the Creed are conforofthe Gofpelat this time maywith like libermable and agreeable to their doctrine and tie do the fame: fo be itthey doeconfirme the writings. doctrine which they teach with places of And thus much of the title. Now Iei vs fcripture afterward. h{are whatthe Creed is. It i• a fumme of. Now to come to the Creede, let vs beginne things to bee beieeued concerning G 0 D with the name or title thereof. That which and concerning the Church, gathered foorth in Englifh wee call the Apo!lies Creed, iA o- {)f the Scriptures.For the opening ofthisdethertongues is called Symbol•m, thatis,afo>t fcription: firfi I fay,itisa fumofthings tobe or ah•4ge. It is calledafoot, becaufe as in a beleeued, or an abridgement. It hath bin the fea~or banquet euery man payeth his part; pra8:ifc: ofteachers both in the new and old whtch being all gathered,the whole(which io D ' re£lament, to abridge and contract firmmarily called theft"') amonnteth: and fo out ofthe the religioo of chdrtime. This the Prophets feuerall writings ofthe Apoll!es, arifeth this vfed. For when they had made their fermons Creede or briefe confe~tOA of faith. It is a to the people,they did abridgethem and penh•dJ!,<, becaufe asa fouldier in the field by his Red them briefely:fetting them in fome open bagde and liuery is knowne of what band hee places,thatalthe people might read the fame. is,andtowhatCaptainchedothbelong:euen So the lord bad Habakuk to ,.rite rhe vijio" &. f~ by thisbeleefea Chnflian man may bedi- 'iPhichhej:.-..,&tom•keit pl•inevp•w ••6/u,rh•r _H' l• "· llmgmfl,ed& kn~wne from al !ewes, 'li'nrkos, he m•y rHnne th<t re•dttb it.And inthe new Tell.thetfls, and alltalfcprofeffours: and for thiS lla'."ent, rh~ A:pollles dia abridge thofe docaufe ttts called abar,ge. <'tnnes, whtchotherwife they didhandle at . ~game,ttts called the Creedeofthe A~ge, as may appeare in the placeofTiombyj :·lT•m·•· 1 4 afOre- ·
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