Richard Baxter's Catholic theology plain, pure, peaceable, for pacification of the dogmatical word-warriors who,…Richard Baxter's Catholick theologie plain, pure, peaceable, for pacification of the dogmatical word-warriours who,…

And though Vossius and others have rendered Reasons enough to persuade us that the story of the twelve Apostles making each one an Article of the Creed, is not credible, nor that they shaped it in every word to the present form, yet it is to me a certainty, that the Apostles made and used the Creed for sense and substance as the very summary and test of Christianity, long before any Book of the New Testament was written (about twelve years, and almost sixty six before the whole.) For 1. It is certain that all Christians were Baptized: 2. It is certain that they then professed to Believe in God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and to Covenant accordingly, renouncing the flesh, the world and the Devil. ⟨image 15⟩3. It is certain that the Apostles and Pastors laboured to make men understand what they did, and would not delude them by taking the bare saying of these three words. 4. And it is certain that the Pastors altered not the Christian faith, but taught the same for substance to all that were baptized. 5. And it is certain that should men have taken much liberty to use new words or forms at Baptism, in opening the faith, it might easily have corrupted the faith and introduced a new doctrine. 6. And it is certain by Church History that (though some variety of little words was used, yet) this same Creed for substance (except the two or three clauses mentioned by Usher and Vossius) was commonly used at Baptism from the days of the Apostles. 7. And we find yet that this Creed is nothing else but the explication of the three Baptismal Articles; of which see Sandford and Parker (two Learned Non-conformists) in their very Learned Treat. de Descensu Christi at large. 8. And it is certain that if the Apostles did take this course so many years before they wrote any of the New Testament, they did this (as well as that) by the Holy Ghost: and so that the Holy Ghost seconding Christs own Baptismal Law, or Instituted test, did make the Creed to be the summary of the Christian Belief, twelve years before we had any Book of the New Testament, and about sixty six as is said before we had them all. And then it will appear what is Gods appointed test of Christianity, Communion and special Love.

And though Vossius and others have rendred Reasons enough to perswade us that the story of the twelve Apostles making each one an Article of the Creed, is not credible, nor that they shaped it in every word to the present form, yet it is to me a certainty, that the Apostles made and used the Creed for sense and substance as the very summary and test of Christianity, long before any Book of the New Testament was written (about twelve years, and almost sixty six before the whole.) For 1. It is certain that all Christians were Baptized: 2. It is certain that they then professed to Believe in God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, and to Covenant accordingly, renouncing the flesh, the world and the Devil.