The Conservative Reformation and Its Theology - Saint Mary ...

words to secure more perfectly its things. The Nicene Creed, in its earliest
shape was a change in the same way from the Apostles'. The Nicene
Creed, (Niceno-Constantinopolitan) in the Greek, is a change of the
earliest Nicene, by addition. The Nicene Creed of the Churches of the
West (both Roman and Protestant) adds the "filioque" to the Nicene of the
East. The Athanasian Creed, though but the expansion of two main points,
is about six times as long as the Apostles' Creed. Then through ages the
Church lay fallow; the soil resting and accreting richness for the time of a
new breaking up, and of a glorious harvest. The first great undeniable
token that the warm rains from above were responsive to the toils of the
husbandman below, in the field of the Lord, was the upspringing of the
blade of the New Confession. The New Confession in its opening Word
shows that it germinates from the old seed: "The Churches among us, with
great accord, teach that the decree of the Nicene Council is true, and,
without any doubting, to be believed." (A. C. I.) "Christ shall return again,
as saith the Apostles' Creed." (A. C. III.) The other Confessions mark the
same connection with the ancient Creeds: "Shall sanctify believers- as
teach the Apostles' and Nicene Creed." (Ap. III.) "As the Apostles and
Athanasian Creeds teach." (Smal. Art. II, 4.). "Since immediately after the
time of the Apostles, nay, while they were yet on earth, false teachers and
heretics arose, against whom, in the primitive Church, were composed
Symbols, that is brief and categorical Confessions, which embraced the
unanimous consent of the Catholic Christian faith, and the Confession of
Orthodox believers and of the true Church, to wit: the Apostles', Nicene,
and Athanasian Creeds; we profess publicly that we embrace them, and
reject all heresies, and all doctrines which have ever been brought into the
Church of God, contrary to them." (Formul. Concord. 517, 3.)--"Those
three Catholic and General Creeds are of the highest authority--brief, but
most holy Confessions, solidly founded in God's word, most glorious
Confessions." (Do. 569, 4.)
The Augsburg Confession, itself, was a "change of creed, by
addition," inasmuch as it more amply confessed all the points