The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1921-09-10
THE NICENE CREED.

come 10 the cr0eQ.
The word "creed" means short rule
of faith. 1t is a statement of the prin-
cipal truths of Christianity in sum.
married. form. During the centuries OF
the church's existence, different creeds
have been drawn up. The oldest is
known as the Apostles creed. 1t is re.
puted to have been composed by the
twelve Apostles. AS Our Lord was
about to ascend into heaven from
Mount Olivet, He addressed His
apostles for the last time in these part
ing words: go We into the whole
world and preach the gospel to every
creature. He that believeth and is
baptized shall be saved but he that
believeth not shall be condemned
Mark XVI, $3.50 Before separating
to evangelize the different portions OF
the globe, the Apostles are said to
have come together and to have
summed up the teachings of their
Master in one short formula known as
the Apostles creed. This contains in
embryo the fundamental doctrines of
Christianity. This is the deposit of
faith once delivered to the saints" for
which the church was to contend
but to which she could add nothing.
Jude, l, 3D.
The Fundamentals.
During the two thousand years of
her existence, the church has preached
this creed. During the years of life
that are still before her, she will con-
tinue to preach it and nothing else.
This does not mean that there is no
growth of doctrine in the church.
There is going on within the church
today, as there has been throughout
the centuries that have passed, a
development of Catholic doctrine The
Apostles creed contains the funda
mentals of Christianity, as the acorn
contains the oak, or the body of the
child the limbs and muscles of the
full-grown man.
Every true idea is endowed with a
vital and assimilative energy of it's
own, in virtue of which, without un-
dergoing any substantial change, it
attains to an ever more complete ex-
preston as the course of time brings
it into contact with new aspects of
truth, or forces it into collision with
new errors. So, likewise, as Chris
tianity spread and heretical views re-
garding it's doctrines sprang~ pit be-
came necessary for the church to de-
fine more clearly the truths of revela-
ton. Hence new creeds were form
ulated, not by the introduction of new
preston of the old doctrines in terms
that left no room for error or mis-
understanding.
Was Drawn to Combat Error.
The creed read in the Mass is known
as the Nicene creed. 1t was drawn up
by the Council of Nice in the year 1926
and more fully developed by the Coun.
Gil of Constantinople in the year 3S1
to combat the numerous errors that
had sprung up in the church. 1t is said
on all Sundays of the year, because
our Lord arose from the dead on Sun.
day. 1t is recited on the feasts of the
Blessed Virgin Mary, because of the
prominent part taken by her in many
of the mysteries contained in the creed
1t is recited on the feasts of the Apos
ties, who preached the faith, and on
the feasts of the doctors of the church
who expounded it in their writings. 1t
is ordered said on the feast of St
Mary Magdalen, because she was an
apostle to the Apostles, for our Lord
appeared first to her after His resur
rection and commissioned her to an
nounce it to His Apostles. 1t is re
cited on the feasts of the Angels, be
cause they are the invisible creation
that is referred to in the creed.
Belief in One God.
The creed is said after the reading
of the gospel to show that our faith
rests ON the infallible word of God
Today shall briefly explain for you
the following part of the Nicene creed
Il believe in one God, the Father
Almighty, maker of heaven and earth
and of all things visible and invisible
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only
begotten Son of God; born of the
Father before all ages; God of God
Light of Light, true God of true God
begotten, not made, consubstantial tt
the Father; by whom all things were
made. Who for us men and for oul
salvation came down from heaven
and became incarnate by the Hol!
Ghost, of the Virgin Mary; and wa'
made man. He was crucified also TO
us, suffered under Pontius Plate, ant
was buried
Emphasizes Unity.
81 believe in one God, the Fathe
Almighty, maker of heaven and earth
and of all things visible and invisible.
The whole fabric of Christianity rest
on the existence of God who has n,
superior, a first being who is the crea
tor of all things. Reason itself teache
this great truth of faith for, as TIN
scriptures declares, "the heavens SHOW
forth the glory of God and the firma
ment declareth the work of his hands.
FPS. XVIII, L. The Apostles said:
believe in, God" They did not think
necessary to add the word "one." TIL
Council of Nice added it in REPUTATION
of the Arians to express unity of es
sence. This one God is the maker Q
heaven and EARTH" of the visible an
invisible world, of men and angels
This is asserted against the theory Q
Pantheism, which would have us be