The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1915-03-06
cREEDS.

Latin word credo, Il believe" A
creed, says Rev. E. Drury, in "What
the Church Teaches" is the summary
of doctrine briefly stating in distinct
articles the truths that are to be be-
lieved. 1t may be more or less. lengthy
and explicit, but, however condensed,
it must contain the truths propounded
for belief.
When Christ sent His apostles to
teach all nations, He summarized His
doctrine in the one word, Gospel.
And He said to them: Go We into
the whole world and preach the Cos
pei to every creature" Mark xvi. 15).
The word Gospel in this text includes
all the truths which God requires men
to believe under pain of condemna-
ton: "He that believeth not shall be
condemned" Mark xvi. 49,.
Before the apostles separated to go
forth in obedience to this command
and preach the Gospel to every
creature" they agreed upon a brief
and comprehensive summary of doc
trine, in which the principal truths
of religion are stated in distinct
articles so linked together as to inn
ply all that they had been commanded
to preach. They gave this Greed as
a rule of faith, that all Christians
might be familiar with the same form
ula and profess the true faith in the
same terms.
st. Paul gives a short outline of
the Greed in these words: For
delivered unto you first of all, which
also received: how that Christ died
for our sins according to the Scrip
lures; and that He was buried, and
that He rose again the third day &C.
Cording to the Scriptures" Ct. Cor. XIV.
3, d.. st. Philip required a profession
of faith from the Ethiopian before
admitting him to Baptism. And
Philip said: If thou believest with
all thy heart, thou mayest. And he
answering said: | believe that Jesus
Christ is the Son of God" (Acts viii.
80. Again, st. Paul, writing to the
Romans, says: But thanks be to
God, that you were the servants of
sin, but have obeyed from the heart,
unto that form of doctrine into which
you have been delivered" (Rom. vi
10. And he tells Timothy to Hold
the form of sound words which thou
hast heard of me in faith, and in the
love which is i'll Jesus Christ Oh. Tim.
i. 49,. These texts prove that there
was creed prescribed by the apostles
"A n n IF oil
The successors of the apostles
continued and perpetuated the use of
the Apostles Greed as a means of
transmitting to succeeding generations
the Gospel of Christ in its purity and
integrity as it has been delivered by
those who from the beginning were
eye-witnesses and ministers of the
word" (Luke i. p. st. Clement, whose
name st. Paul says (Phil. i. 81 is
written in the book of life, and who
was disciple and successor of st.
Peter, tells us that the apostles COM
posed a creed which the faithful had
to profess in his day. st. Irenaeus,
who was instructed by st. Polycarp,
disciple of St. John the Apostle,
speaks of the Greed and it's articles,
and attributes it to the apostles.
Tertullian, of the second century, des-
ignates this same Creed as the rule of
faith common to all Christians, and
speaks of it as divine work that
has preceded all heresies. A chain of
testimonies from the writings of the
Fathers and Doctors of the Church
and witnesses from every century,
could be produced to prove that the
Church has always reyerenced the
Apostles Greed, and constantly used
it to safeguard the faith and to refute
error.
The apostles composed the Creed in
order to give the faithful short
form of profession of faith which all
could learn by heart and remember.
Therefore the Church has always re-
quired that the faithful should learn.
the Greed, that pastors should ex-
plain it, and that parents should teach
it to their children. Adult converts
must learn it,. be instructed in it, and
freely profess it before they are ad-
mitted to Baptism, and the faithful
should love to recite it often, and
make it a part of their morning anG
evening prayers. st. Augustine, who
died in 430, instructing his catechu-
mems, says: Receive my dear chill
dren, this rule of faith which we call
the symbol or creed; engrave it on
your heart; carry it about always with
YOU, that it may be your defence, and
that your memory may be an open
book wherein you can read it con
tinually.'
In the, following text of the
Apostles Greed, the twelve articles
into which it is divided are distinctly
set forth:
|. |, believe in God, the Father al,
mighty, Creator of heaven and earth;
II. And in Jesus Christ, His only
Son, our Lord;
III. Who are conceived of the Holy
Ghost, born. of the Virgin Mary.
Tvs Suffered under Pontius PLATE,
was crucified; died and was, buried;
V. He descended into hell;' the third
day He arose again from the dead.
vi. He assembled into heaven, sittetiI
at the right hand of God, the Father
almighty;
VII. From thence He shall come to
judge the living and the dead.
VIII. | believe in the Holy Ghost,
IN. The holy Catholic Church, the