THE HOLY CREED WHICH THE 150 HOLY FATHERS SET FORTH, WHICH IS CONSONANT WITH THE HOLY AND GREAT SYNOD OF NICE.

(1)

(Found in all the Collections in the Acts of the Council of Chalcedon.)

INTRODUCTORY NOTE.

The reader should know that Tillemont (Memoires, t. ix., art. 78 in the 

treatise on St. Greg. Naz.) broached the theory that the Creed adopted 

at Constantinople was not a new expansion of the Nicene but rather the 

adoption of a Creed already in use. Hefele is of the same opinion (Hist. 

of the Councils, II., p. 349). and the learned Professor of Divinity in 

the University of Jena, Dr. Lipsius, says, of St. Epiphanius: "Though 

not himself present at the Ecumenical Council of Constantinople, A.D: 

381, which ensured the triumph of the Nicene doctrine in the Oriental 

Churches, his shorter confession of faith, which is found at the end of 

his Ancoratus, and seems to have been the baptismal creed of the Church 

of Salamis, agrees almost word for word with the Constantinopolitan 

formula." (Smith and Wace, Dict. Chr. Biog., s. v. Epiphanius). "The 

Ancoratus," St. Epiphanius distinctly tells us, was written as early as 

A.D. 374, and toward the end of chapter cxix., he writes as follows. 

"The children of the Church have received from the holy fathers, that is 

from the holy Apostles, the faith to keep, and to hand down, and to 

teach their children. To these children you belong, and I beg you to 

receive it and pass it on. And whilst yon teach your children these 

things and such as these from the holy Scriptures, cease not to confirm 

and strengthen them, and indeed all who hear you: tell them that this is 

the holy faith of the Holy Catholic Church, as the one holy Virgin of 

God received it from the holy Apostles of the Lord to keep: and thus 

every person who is in preparation for the holy laver of baptism must 

learn it: they must learn it themselves, and teach it expressly, as the 

one Mother of all, of you and of us, proclaims it, saying." Then follows 

the Creed as on page 164.

{The CREED}

We 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 his Father before all worlds, 

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 and 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 at the Right Hand of the Father. And he shall come again 

with glory to judge both the quick and the dead. Whose kingdom shall 

have no end. (I)

And [we believe] in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver-of-Life, who 

proceedeth from the Father, who with the Father and the Son together is 

worshipped and glorified, who spake by the prophets. And [we believe] in 

one, holy, (II) Catholic and Apostolic Church. We acknowledge one 

Baptism for the remission of sins, [and] we look for the resurrection of 

the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.

NOTE I.

This clause had already, so far as the meaning is concerned, been added 

to the Nicene Creed, years before, in correction of the heresy of 

Marcellus of Ancyra, of whose heresy a statement will be found in the 

notes on Canon I. of this Council. One of the creeds of the Council of 

Antioch in Encaeniis (A.D. 341) reads: "and he sitteth at the right hand 

of

the Father, and he shah come again to judge both the quick and the dead, 

and he remaineth God and King to all eternity."(1)

NOTE II.

The word "Holy" is omitted in some texts of this Creed, notably in the 

Latin version in the collection of Isidore Mercator. Vide Labbe, Conc., 

II., 960. Cf. Creed in English Prayer-Book.

NOTES.

THE CREED FOUND IN EPIPHANIUS'S Ancoratus (Cap. cxx.)(2)

We 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, 

that is of the substance of the Father, Light of Light, very God of very 

God, begotten not made, consubstantial with the Father: by whom all 

things were made, both in heaven and earth who for us men and for our 

salvation came down from heaven, and was incarnate of the Holy Ghost and 

the Virgin Mary, and was made man, was crucified also for us under 

Pontius Pilate, and suffered, and was buried, and on the third day he 

rose again according to the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and 

sitteth on the right hand of the Father, and from thence he shall come 

again with glory to judge both the quick and the dead, whose kingdom 

shall have no end. And in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of life, 

who proceedeth from the Father; who, with the Father and the Son 

together is worshipped and glorified, who spake by the prophets: in one 

holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the 

remission of sins; we look for the resurrection of the dead, and the 

life of the world to come. And those who say that there was a time when 

the Son of God was not, and before he was begotten he was not, or that 

he was of things which are not, or that he is of a different hypostasis 

or substance, or pretend that he is effluent or changeable, these the 

Catholic and Apostolic Church anathematizes.

Epiphanius thus continues:

"And this faith was delivered from the Holy Apostles and in the Church, 

the Holy City, from all the Holy Bishops together more than three 

hundred and ten in number."

"In our generation, that is in the times of Valentinus and Valens, and 

the ninetieth year from the succession of Diocletian the tyrant,(3) you 

and we and all the orthodox bishops of the whole Catholic Church 

together, make this address to those who come to baptism, in order that 

they may proclaim and say as follows:"

Epiphanius then gives this creed:

We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of all things, 

invisible and visible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God, 

begotten of God the Father, only begotten, that is of the substance of 

the Father, 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, both which be in heaven and in earth, whether they be visible 

or invisible. Who for us men and for our salvation came down, and was 

incarnate, that is to say was conceived perfectly through the Holy Ghost 

of the holy ever-virgin Mary, and was made man, that is to say a perfect 

man, receiving a soul, and body, and intellect, and all that make up a 

man, but without sin, not from human seed, nor [that he dwelt] in a man, 

but taking flesh to himself into one holy entity; not as he inspired the 

prophets and spake and worked [in them], but was perfectly made man, for 

the Word was made flesh; neither did he experience any change, nor did 

he convert his divine nature into the nature of man, but united it to 

his one holy perfection and Divinity.

For there is one Lord Jesus Christ, not two, the same is God, the same 

is Lord, the same is King. He suffered in the flesh, and rose again, and 

ascended into heaven in the same body, and with glory he sat down at the 

right hand of the Father, and in the same body he will come in glory to 

judge both the quick and the dead, and of his kingdom there shall be no 

end.

And we believe in the Holy Ghost, who spake in the Law, and preached in 

the Prophets, and descended at Jordan, and spake in the Apostles, and 

indwells the Saints. And thus we believe in him, that he is the Holy 

Spirit, the Spirit of God, the perfect Spirit, the Spirit the Comforter, 

uncreate, who proceedeth from the Father, receiving of the Son 

(    ek        tou        Patros    

    ekporeuomenon   ,     kai        ek    

    tou        Uiou        lambanomenon   ), and 

believed on. (    kai        pisteuomenon   ,

which the Latin version gives in quem credimus; and proceeds to insert, 

Proeterea credimus in unam, etc. It certainly looks as if it had read 

    pisteuomen   , and had belonged to the following phrase.)

[We believe] in one Catholic and Apostolic Church. And in one baptism of 

penitence, and in the resurrection of the dead, and the just judgment of 

souls and bodies, and in the Kingdom of heaven and in life everlasting.

And those who say that there was a time when the Son was not, or when 

the Holy Ghost was not, or that either was made of that which previously 

had no being, or that he is of a different nature or substance, and 

affirm that the Son of God and the Holy Spirit are subject to change and 

mutation; all such the Catholic and Apostolic Church, the mother both of 

you and of us, anathematizes. And further we anathematize such as do not 

confess the resurrection of the dead, as well as all heresies which are 

not in accord with the true faith.

Finally, you and your children thus believing and keeping the 

commandments of this same faith, we trust that you will always pray for 

us, that we may have a share and lot in that same faith and in the 

keeping of these same commandments. For us make your intercessions you 

and all who believe thus, and keep the commandments of the Lord in our 

Lord Jesus Christ, through whom and with whom, glory be to the Father 

with the Holy Spirit for ever and ever. Amen.