The rule of faith, or, An exposition of the Apostles Creed so handled as…

For the first, these words, He descended into Hell, were not in the most ancient Creeds. Learned men give instance both in the Creeds that have them not in, as also of most ancient Expositors that undertook to expound the Apostles Creed, and yet makes no mention of this Article at all. Amandus Polanus saith they are not in the Nicene Creed, nor in the Creed of the Council at Sardis, nor in the Creed of the first Council at Constantinople, nor in the first Toletan Council, nor in the Creed of the Council of Ephesus, nor in the Creeds of the sixth and the eleventh Toletan Councils, nor in the Creeds of the Councils of Worms and Frankfort, nor in divers other Creeds. And besides, it is observed, that neither Clement the first, nor Jernaeus, nor Tertullian, nor Justine Martyr, nor Origen, nor Augustine, though they expound the Creed, yet make any mention of this Article: and Ruffinus that doth receive the words, yet saith that they are not in the Creed of the Roman Church, nor amongst the Churches of the East.

For the first, these words, He descended into Hell, were not in the most ancient Creeds. Learned men giue instance both in the Creeds that haue them not in, as also of most ancient Expositors that vndertooke to expound the Apostles Creed, and yet makes no mention of this Article at all. Amandus Polanus saith they are not in the Nicene Creed, nor in the Creed of the Councell at Sardis, nor in the Creed of the first Councell at Constantinople, nor in the first Toletan Councell, nor in the Creed of the Councell of Ephesus, nor in the Creeds of the sixt and the eleuenth Toletan Councells, nor in the Creeds of the Councels of Wormes and Franckford, nor in diuers other Creeds. And besides, it is obserued, that neither Clement the first, nor Iernaeus, nor Tertullian, nor Iustine Martyr, nor Origen, nor Augustine, though they expound the Creed, yet make any mention of this Article: and Ruffinus that doth receiue the words, yet saith that they are not in the Creed of the Romane Church, nor amongst the Churches of the East.

For the second, though these words have not been found to be acknowledged in the first Churches, yet because for many ages they have been received with an universal consent of all Christian Churches, and are acknowledged by many of the ancient Fathers, and Councils, and are received by the Church of England, and by all sorts of Divines in our Church, therefore it were great impudency for any man to reject these words, or question their authority, either for the truth or use of them: only for the interpretation of the words, the learned know that the Divines of no one age