Mr. Richard Baxter's last legacy in select admonitions and directions to all sober dissenters

Of the Creed.

Q. 139. What is the Use and Authority of the Creed? Is it of the Apostle framing or not? ¹Answ. Its use is, to be a plain explication of the Faith professed in the Baptismal Covenant; And for the satisfaction of the Church, that Men indeed understand what they did in Baptism, and professed to believe. 2. It is the Word of God, as to the matter of it, whatever it be as to the order, or Composition of the Words. 3. It is not to be doubted, but the Apostles did use a Creed commonly in their days, which was the same with that, now called the Apostles, and the Nicene, in the main. 4. And it is easily probable, that Christ composed a Creed, when he made his Covenant, and instituted Baptism, Matth. 28. 19. 5. That the Apostles did cause the baptizable, to understand the Three Articles of Christ's own Creed and Covenant, and used many explicatory words to make them understand it. 6. It is more than probable, that the matter opened by them, was still the same when the words were not the same. 7. And it is also more than probable, that they did not needlessly vary the words, lest it should teach Men to vary the matter. And Lastly, No doubt but this practice of the Apostles was imitated by the Churches, and that thus the Essentials of Religion were by the Tradition of the Creed, and Baptism, delivered by themselves, as far as Christianity went, long before any Book of the New Testament was written. And the following Churches, using the same Creed, might so far well call it the Apostles Creed.

Q. 139. What is the Use and Authority of the Creed? Is it of the Apostle framing or not? ¹Answ. Its use is, to be a plain explication of the Faith professed in the Baptismal Covenant; And for the satisfation of the Church, that Men indeed understand what they did in Baptism, and professed to believe. 2. It is the Word of God, as to the matter of it, whatever it be as to the order, or Composition of the Words. 3. It is not to be doubted, but the Apostles did use a Creed commonly in their days, which was the same with that, now called the Apostles, and the Nicene, in the main. 4. And it is easily probable, that Christ composed a Creed, when he made his Covenant, and instituted Baptism,