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| I Believe in God the Father Almighty.
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3. I Believe in God the Father Almighty.
But before I begin to discuss
the meaning of the words, I think it well to mention that in different
Churches some additions are found in this article. This is not the
case, however, in the Church of the city of Rome; the reason being, as
I suppose, that, on the one hand, no heresy has had its origin there,
and, on the other, that the ancient custom is there kept up, that those
who are going to be baptized should rehearse the Creed publicly, that
is, in the audience of the people; the consequence of which is that the
ears of those who are already believers will not admit the addition of
a single word. But in other places, as I understand, additions appear
to have been made, on account of certain heretics, by means of which it
was hoped that novelty in doctrine would be excluded. We, however,
follow that order which we received when we were baptized in the Church
of Aquileia.
I Believe, therefore, is placed in the forefront, as the
Apostle Paul, writing to the Hebrews, says, “He that cometh to
God must first of all believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of
those who believe on Him.”3257
The
Prophet also says, “Except ye believe,3258
ye shall not understand.” That
the way to understand, therefore, may be open to you, you do rightly
first of all, in professing that you believe; for no one embarks upon
the sea, and trusts himself to the deep and liquid element, unless he
first believes it possible that he will have a safe voyage; neither
does the husbandman commit his seed to the furrows and scatter his
grain on the earth, but in the belief that the showers will come,
together with the sun’s warmth, through whose fostering
influence, aided by favouring winds, the earth will produce and
multiply and ripen its fruits. In fine, nothing in life can be
transacted if there be not first a readiness to believe. What wonder
then, if, coming to God, we first of all profess that we believe,
seeing that, without this, not even common life can be lived. We have
premised these remarks at the outset, since the Pagans are wont to
object to us that our religion, because it lacks reasons, rests solely
on belief. We have shewn, therefore, that nothing can possibly be done
or remain stable unless belief precede. Finally, marriages are
contracted in the belief that children will be born; and children are
committed to the care of masters in the belief that the teaching of the
masters will be transferred to the pupils; and one man assumes the
ensigns of empire, believing that peoples and cities and a
well-equipped army also will obey him. But if no one enters upon any
one of these several undertakings except in the belief that the results
spoken of will follow, must not belief be much more requisite if one
would come to the knowledge of God? But let us see what this
“short word” of the Creed sets forth.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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