-----------------------------------------
1. Receive, my children, the Rule of Faith, which is called the Symbol (or Creed ). And when you have received it, write it in your heart, and be daily saying it to yourselves; before ye sleep, before ye go forth, arm you with your Creed. The Creed no man writes so as it may be able to be read: but for rehearsal of it, lest haply forgetfulness obliterate what care has delivered, let your memory be your record-roll: what you are about to hear, that are you to believe; and what you shall have believed, that are about to give back with your tongue. For the Apostle says, "With the heart man believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." For this is the Creed which you are to rehearse and to repeat in answer. These words which you have heard are in the Divine Scriptures scattered up and down: but thence gathered and reduced into one, that the memory of slow persons might not be distressed; that every person may be able to say, able to hold, what he believes. For have ye now merely heard that God is Almighty? But ye begin to have him for your father, when you have been born by the church as your Mother.
There are THREE words missing from those creeds, and St. Augustine's treatise on what is needful to be saved:
"FOR OUR SINS"
"Moreover, brethren, I declare unto THE GOSPEL<>/b> which I preached to you, which also ye have RECEIVED, and wherein ye STAND; BY WHICH also YE ARE SAVED, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have BELIEVED IN VAIN. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received,how that CHRIST DIED FOR OUR SINS according to the scriptures; and that he was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the scriptures."(1 Cor. 15:1-4).
Those THREE WORDS, "FOR OUR SINS" are the MOST IMPORTANT three words in the Bible. They are the SUM TOTAL of EVERYTHING God has revealed to us, from Genesis to Revelation. They are the crux of everything that WAS, IS, and IS TO COME.
And they are MISSING from those creeds. They were not included. The ONE THING that was crucial to be included was not.
And if you think that is not important, read Rom. 2:16: "In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ ACCORDING TO MY GOSPEL." You can stand before God and recite all the creeds and apologists you want, but without that Gospel of your salvation, you're cooked.
Thank-you don-o for that posting and URL.
Thank you for this link!! Perfect timing - my daughter (16) has to do a paper explaining the Creed for her confirmation class. I was going to research what the doctors and early church fathers have written, and this a great start! I printed it out for her - also I’m pretty sure St. Thomas Aquinas has a treatise on the creed as well.
Many thanks.
PS St. Augustine is one of the greatest minds of the western world, also Aquinas. (as no doubt you are aware).