14 Private Use of the Creed. and to Titus, Bishop of Crete, S. Paul writes in words about which there can be no doubt", "A man that is an heretic after the first and second admonition reject: knowing that he that is such is subverted and sinneth, being condemned of himself," for one who is really a heretic will and must own that his doctrine is not what the Church teaches and has always held, and thus he condemns himself. We are bound then to look upon wilful disbelief of any part of the Creed in the same way as we look upon adultery, idolatry, drunkenness, and the like: those who are guilty of it we must grieve for, just as we would and must grieve for drunkards or idolaters. Therefore while we are to hate the sin of heresy, we are to pity and pray for all heretics, as we do in the third Collect for Good Friday. And each must above all things learn all he can about the faith which has been delivered to him; for since heresy is so great a sin because it denies the truth which GOD has revealed, most deeply offensive must it be to God when a man holds that truth, in form at least, and does not care for it. With two suggestions I will conclude: 1. As to using the Creed in private prayers. u Tit. iii. 10, 11. Safeguard against Perplexity. 15 Let it form part of your regular devotions, at least in the morning and evening, as a hymn of praise or an act of faith; as though you were saying, "It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD and to sing praises unto Thy Name, O most Highest; to tell of Thy loving-kindness in the morning: and of Thy truth in the nightseason." The oftener you offer it, thoughtfully, the better; you will wish more and more to understand it more fully; and by degrees its meaning will open to you through God's grace. Think sometimes as you recite it of all those who are offering it at the very same moment with yourself in all parts of the world. Think of the innumerable multitude of those who have departed in the faith and fear of GOD, who used it in their prayers continually, and are now enjoying, in part at least, the sight and contemplation of those mysteries which it contains. Think of the noble army of martyrs, now in glory, the men and women and little children who were scourged and torn and tortured to death, and bore all joyfully, by the grace of GOD, sooner than deny the Creed. 2. It may trouble you that you do not understand it sufficiently: you may see that it Ps. xcii. 1, 2. 16 : Implicit Faith. might be understood in different ways, like everything expressed in words, not excepting holy Scripture. Therefore take this as your safeguard resolve firmly in your mind that you will never willingly and knowingly understand it in a sense different from that in which the Church of GOD receives it and always has received it. If any one wishing to shake your belief should ever ask you questions about it which you find hard to answer, do not argue with him, but say this only, "I desire to please GOD: I know that the Church, GoD's society, has always believed concerning Him those things which are true and pleasing in His sight; therefore I say to Him, O LORD, what Thy Church believes I believe, as a child believes the same as his parent. In this faith I was baptized by Thy mercy: in it, by Thy grace, I will live in it, by Thy grace, I will die." : Commencement of the Creed. 17 SERMON II. THE MOST HOLY TRINITY IN UNITY. 2 CHRON. Xx. 20. Believe in the LORD your GOD, so shall ye be established. THE Confession of our faith begins, "I believe in GOD" in the Nicene Creed it stands, "I believe in one GOD:" in the Athanasian we say, "the Catholic faith is this, that we worship one GOD in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity; neither confounding the Persons, nor dividing the Substance. For there is one Person of the FATHER, another of the Son, and another of the HOLY GHOST; but the Godhead of the FATHER, of the SON, and of the HOLY GHOST is all one; the glory equal, the Majesty co-eternal." And this great truth is set forth in careful and most reverent words in many verses which follow. It was not out of conceit, nor sinful curiosity and speculation C 18 Importance of a true belief concerning God. that wonderful acknowledgment of the Christian Faith was drawn up. The things which are said in it concerning the unsearchable nature of GOD are not fences to keep humble and devout minds from acknowledging and rejoicing in the Truth, but to guard unwary and simple minds from missing it: not to keep people out of the Church of God, but to keep them in it. For the possession of the true Faith concerning GoD is the very life and soul of the Church, and of every member of the Church: we worship GoD: but how shall we rightly worship Him unless we have a right belief in Him? Our LORD said of the Samaritans that they worshipped they knew not what, but that the Jews knew what they worshipped and since far more has been revealed to us than was known to the Jews, let us with reverent hearts dwell so far as is lawful on the mysteries of His Nature which He has shewn to His Church, comparing our Creed with holy Scripture, that we may be established in the true Faith, and see how exactly the Creed is a summary of the Bible. : First then, the Church believes that there is but one GOD, and that there can be but one, the Creator of all things, and the supreme Governor and LORD of all. Reason itself |