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Article VIII

. Of the Three Creeds.

HE three Creeds, Nicene Creed, Athanasius' Creed, and that which is commonly called the Apostles' Creed, ought thoroughly to be received and believed; for they may be proved by most certain warrants of Holy Scripture.

The Apostles' Creed I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth. And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; He descended into hell; the third day He rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy Catholic* Church, the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen.

The Nicene Creed I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father; by whom all things were made; who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, and was made man, and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried; and the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again with glory to judge the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end. And I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of life, who proceedeth from the Father and the Son; who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified; who spake by the Prophets. And I believe in one holy Catholic* and Apostolic Church. I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins; and I look for the resurrection of the dead; and the life of the world to come. Amen.

The Athanasian Creed Whosoever will be saved, before all things it is necessary that he hold the Catholic* faith. Which faith except every one do keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly. And 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 coeternal. Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Ghost. The Father uncreate, the Son uncreate, and the Holy Ghost uncreate. The Father incomprehensible, the Son incomprehensible, and the Holy Ghost incomprehensible. The Father eternal, the Son eternal, and the Holy Ghost eternal. And yet they are not three Eternals, but one Eternal. As there are not three Uncreated nor three Incomprehensibles, but one Uncreated and one Incomprehensible. So likewise the Father is almighty, the Son is almighty, and the Holy Ghost almighty. And yet they are not three Almighties, but one Almighty. So the Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Ghost is God. And yet they are not three Gods, but one God. So likewise the Father is Lord, the Son Lord, and the Holy Ghost Lord. And yet not three Lords, but one Lord. For like as we are compelled by the Christian verity to acknowledge every Person by Himself to be God and Lord, So are we forbidden by the catholic religion to say, There be three Gods, or three Lords. The Father is made of none: neither created nor begotten. The Son is of the Father alone: not made, nor created, but begotten. The Holy Ghost is of the Father and of the Son: neither made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding. So there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Ghost, not three Holy Ghosts. And in this Trinity none is before or after other; none is greater or less than another; But the whole three Persons are coeternal together, and coequal: so that in all things, as is aforesaid, the Unity in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity is to be worshiped. He, therefore, that will be saved must thus think of the Trinity. Furthermore, it is necessary to everlasting salvation that he also believe faithfully the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. For the right faith is, that we believe and confess that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and Man; God of the Substance of the Father, begotten before the worlds; and Man of the substance of His mother, born in the world; Perfect God and perfect Man of a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting. Equal to the Father as touching His Godhead, and inferior to the Father as touching His manhood; Who, although He be God and Man, yet He is not two, but one Christ: One, not by conversion of the Godhead into flesh, but by taking the manhood into God; One altogether; not by confusion of Substance, but by unity of Person. For as the reasonable soul and flesh is one man, so God and Man is one Christ; Who suffered for our salvation; descended into hell, rose again the third day from the dead; He ascended into heaven; He sitteth on the right hand of the Father, God Almighty; from whence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead. At whose coming all men shall rise again with their bodies, and shall give an account of their own works. And they that have done good shall go into life everlasting; and they that have done evil, into everlasting fire. This is the catholic faith; which except a man believe faithfully and firmly, he cannot be saved.

These are the three creeds that bind the church and that these three are affirm by the scripture. Now do not take this as the councils because there are seven ecumenical councils that bind the church and all have to accept. They are

First Council of Nicaea, (325)

First Council of Constantinople, (381)

Council of Ephesus, (431)

Council of Chalcedon, (451

Second Council of Constantinople, (553);

Third Council of Constantinople, (680–681)

Second Council of Nicaea, (787)

These seven councils bind all men and must be believed but this will be dealt with later for now the three creeds are to be accepted because they speak nothing against the holy Writ.

By: Allen Bailey, aspirant of the Anglican province of America

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Article VII

. Of the Old Testament.

The Old Testament is not contrary to the New: for both in the Old and New Testament everlasting life is offered to Mankind by Christ, who is the only Mediator between God and Man, being both God and Man. Wherefore they are not to be heard, which feign that the old Fathers did look only for transitory promises. Although the Law given from God by Moses, as touching Ceremonies and Rites, do not bind Christian men, nor the Civil precepts thereof ought of necessity to be received in any commonwealth; yet notwith-standing, no Christian man whatsoever is free from the obedience of the Commandments which are called Moral.

Christians as this article states that the laws that are moral should be followed completely and they are bound to us. These are the things which are good to be done and helpful to your fellow man

By: Allen Bailey aspirant of the Anglican province of America

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Article VI

Of the Sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures for Salvation.

Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary to salvation: so that whatsoever is not read therein, nor may be proved thereby, is not to be required of any man, that it should be believed as an article of the Faith, or be thought requisite or necessary to salvation. In the name of the Holy Scripture we do understand those canonical Books of the Old and New Testament, of whose authority was never any doubt in the Church.

Of the Names and Number of the Canonical Books

Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth,

The First Book of Samuel, The Second Book of Samuel, The First Book of Kings, The Second Book of Kings, The First Book of Chronicles, The Second Book of Chronicles, The First Book of Esdras, The Second Book of Esdras,

The Book of Esther , The Book of Job, The Psalms, The Proverbs, Ecclesiastes or Preacher, Cantica, or Songs of Solomon, Four Prophets the greater, Twelve Prophets the less.

And the other Books (as Hierome saith) the Church doth read for example of life and instruction of manners; but yet doth it not apply them to establish any doctrine; such are these following:

The Third Book of Esdras, The Fourth Book of Esdras, The Book of Tobias, The Book of Judith, The rest of the Book of Esther, The Book of Wisdom, Jesus the Son of Sirach,

Baruch the Prophet, The Song of the Three Children, The Story of Susanna, Of Bel and the Dragon, The Prayer of Manasses, The First Book of Maccabees, The Second Book of Maccabees.

All the Books of the New Testament, as they are commonly received,
we do receive, and account them Canonical.

We believe that the Holy Writ does have everything in it for salvation and that those book that are in the Bible as we have it today is just bring reaffirmed as correct. The book known as the in Protestant circles as the Apocrypha

1 Esdras
2 Esdras
Tobit
Judith
Additions to Esther
Wisdom of Solomon
Ecclesiasticus
Baruch
Epistle of Jeremiah
Song of the Three Children
Story of Susanna
Bel and the Dragon
Prayer of Manasseh
1 Maccabees
2 Maccabees

These books are not worthless they can be read from in church or personal life they help us see history or help in guiding our lives to live more Godly but we can not make doctrine with them.

Now these books that are called the Apocrypha that are in the Roman Catholic cannon

Tobit
Judith
Additions to Esther
Wisdom of Solomon
Ecclesiasticus
Baruch
Epistle of Jeremiah
Song of the Three Children
Story of Susanna
Bel and the Dragon

1 Maccabees
2 Maccabees

These from the Apocrypha are in the Greek Orthodox Cannon

1 Esdras

Tobit
Judith
Additions to Esther
Wisdom of Solomon
Ecclesiasticus
Baruch
Epistle of Jeremiah
Song of the Three Children
Story of Susanna
Bel and the Dragon
Prayer of Manasseh
1 Maccabees
2 Maccabees
3 Maccabees
4 Maccabees
Psalm 151

Now also let me make a note that these next writing are Apocryphal like for the New Testament and they are

1 and 2 Clement

Shepherd of Hermas

Didache

Epistle of Barnabas

Apocalypse of Peter

The Protevangelium of James

Third Epistle to the Corinthians

These books were accepted as good in the early church but not inspired and some almost made it into the cannon but because of the time they were written or because of uncertainness of content they were left out. I have read most of these and there is nothing unchristian in them. The only two I can not speak for is The Apocalypse of Peter and The Protevangelium of James

We should read those book that are good and do not defy the Holy Writ because they help us our live or show us what they church was doing then. So let these things give flavor to your faith, but the holy writ in its self is complete and good for all things.

By: Allen Bailey aspirant of the Anglican province of America

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Article V

Of the Holy Ghost.

The Holy Ghost, proceeding from the Father and the Son, is of one substance, majesty, and glory, with the Father and the Son, very and eternal God.

This statement is correct to the west but those who look to the east for their theology. They would say this is incorrect and way is become something called the Filioque clause. The east says the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father, Where as the west says the Holy Spirit proceeds from Father and Son.

The history of the Clause came about by the franks and their king Charlemagne who forced this to be added into the Nicene Creed in 800’s the Pope of the time Pope Leo III forbade it but was forced to accept it later.

I myself refuse to say the clause for the historical reason of that it was not part of the original creed. So I do not think it right to use something that was changed by one or a few men. I will stand with what the Church said as a whole and that was the Nicene Creed without the Filioque cloause.

Now you have to make your decision after your study of this clause and its history, to say this clause or not.

By: Allen Bailey aspirant of the Anglican province of America

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Article IV

Of the Resurrection of Christ.

Christ did truly rise again from death, and took again his body, with flesh, bones, and all things appertaining to the perfection of Man’s nature; wherewith he ascended into Heaven, and there sitteth, until he return to judge all Men at the last day.

This article is affirming the scriptures saying that Christ had a physical body he rose in. Let me make my point by pointing back to St. Thomas the Apostle he touched our Lord (John 20:27-29) so Christ could have been no less then in a physical body

By: Allen Bailey aspirant of the Anglican province of America

So I am back!

Well everyone I’m back!

I had to take sometime off and think a lot about some thing that are going on and also my school has picked up, but even though I haven’t really thought everything through completely I want to pick up writing again. This will be slow at first but there will be new posts coming.

By: Allen Bailey aspirant of the Anglican province of America