CHAPTER II THE APOSTLES' CREED § 1 The Early History of the Creed THE Apostles' Creed, as we know it, is the work not of one man or of one age. It is the ultimate form taken by the baptismal Creed of the Western Church, and in the precise form in which we are familiar with it it is almost certainly the latest of the three Creeds, though, as we shall see, its substance is of very early date. It is a purely Latin Creed, being unknown in the Greek Church to-day. In tracing out its history, and showing how it arrived at its present form, it will be convenient to take as our starting-point the commentary of Rufinus in the fourth century. Rufinus was a presbyter of Aquileia in North Italy, who, at the request of one Laurentius, of whom we know nothing save that he was a bishop, wrote a Commentary upon the Creed about the year 390. From this we learn not only what was the exact form of the baptismal Creed at that time, but what was believed as to its origin in the fourth century. The following extract will make this last point clear : 'Our forefathers have handed down to us the tradition that, after the Lord's Ascension, when, through the coming of the Holy Ghost, tongues of flame had settled upon each of the Apostles, that they might speak diverse languages, so that no race however foreign, no tongue however barbarous, might be inaccessible to them or beyond their reach, they were commanded by the Lord to go severally to the several nations to preach the word. Being on the eve therefore of departing from one another, they first mutually agreed upon a standard of their future preaching, lest haply, when separate, they might in any instance vary in the statements which they should make to those whom they should invite to believe in Christ. Being all therefore met together, and being filled with the Holy Ghost, they compose, as we have said, this brief formulary of their future preaching, each contributing his several sentence to one common summary (in unum conferendo quod sentiebat unusquisque); and they ordain that the rule thus framed shall be given to those who believe. "To this formulary for many and most sufficient reasons they gave the name of Symbol. For Symbol (Zúμßoλov) in Greek answers to both Indicium (a sign or token) and Collatio (a joint contribution made by several) in Latin. For this the Apostles did in these words, each contributing his several sentence. It is called Indicium or Signum, a sign or token, because at |