632.至于尼西亚公会本身，它是由亚历山大城亚历山大主教提议、由罗马皇帝君士坦丁大帝召集，包括亚洲、非洲与欧洲的所有主教，在小亚西亚北部的尼西亚城召开。它的目的就是驳斥并宣判否认耶稣基督神性的亚历山大教会长老阿里乌斯为异端。该事件发生在我们主后325年。会众得出的结论是，存在永恒的三个神性身位—圣父，圣子和圣灵，这一点在尼西亚和亚他那修两信经上尤其明显。在尼西亚信经中，我们读到：
我信独一上帝，全能的父，天地的创造者，我信独一主耶稣基督，上帝的独生子，在万世以先，为父所生，从神出来的神，与父一体，从天降临，由圣灵感孕童贞女马利亚所生；我信圣灵，主，生命的赋予者，从父子出来的，与父子同受敬拜、同享荣耀。
以下是亚他那修信经：
这就是天主教的信仰：我等敬拜一体三位，而三位一体之神，其位不乱，其体不分。但由于我们被基督教逼迫承认各自为神与主的每个身位，所以我们被天主教禁止说三个神或主。这等于说，允许人承认三个神和主，但不能这样说，因为这是宗教所禁止的，而事实告诉我们有三个神和主。亚他那修信经是在尼西亚公会举行后不久，由一个或多个参加过那次会议的人写成的，它也被基督教或天主教接受。这清楚表明，那时就颁布法令，要承认永恒的三个神性身位，尽管每个身位分别独自为神，然而却不能说三个神和主，而只能说一个。
632. 第3节 转嫁基督救世主的功与义之信, 源起于第一次尼西亚公会关于永恒的三个神性身位的裁定, 从那时起直到现在, 整个基督教都接受这信
至于尼西亚公会本身, 它是由亚历山大城亚历山大主教提议, 由罗马皇帝君士坦丁大帝召集, 包括亚洲, 非洲与欧洲的所有主教, 在小亚西亚北部的尼西亚城召开。 它的目的就是驳斥并宣判否认耶稣基督神性的亚历山大教会长老阿里乌斯为异端。 该事件发生在我们主后325年。 会众得出的结论是, 存在永恒的三个神性身位—圣父, 圣子和圣灵, 这一点在尼西亚和亚他那修两信经上尤其明显。 在尼西亚信经中, 我们读到:
我信独一上帝, 全能的父, 天地的创造者, 我信独一主耶稣基督, 上帝的独生子, 在万世以先, 为父所生, 从神出来的神, 与父一体, 从天降临, 由圣灵感孕童贞女马利亚所生; 我信圣灵, 主, 生命的赋予者, 从父子出来的, 与父子同受敬拜, 同享荣耀。
以下是亚他那修信经:
这就是天主教的信仰: 我等敬拜一体三位, 而三位一体之神, 其位不乱, 其体不分。 但由于我们被基督教逼迫承认各自为神与主的每个身位, 所以我们被天主教禁止说三个神或主。 这等于说, 允许人承认三个神和主, 但不能这样说, 因为这是宗教所禁止的, 而事实告诉我们有三个神和主。 亚他那修信经是在尼西亚公会举行后不久, 由一个或多个参加过那次会议的人写成的, 它也被基督教或天主教接受。 这清楚表明, 那时就颁布法令, 要承认永恒的三个神性身位, 尽管每个身位分别独自为神, 然而却不能说三个神和主, 而只能说一个。
632. The Concept of a Faith That Assigns Us the Merit and Justice of Christ the Redeemer First Surfaced in the Decrees of the Council of Nicaea Concerning Three Divine Persons from Eternity; from That Time to the Present This Faith Has Been Accepted by the Entire Christian World
The Council of Nicaea was hosted by the emperor Constantine the Great in his palace in Nicaea, a city in Bithynia. He had been persuaded to call the council by Alexander, bishop of Alexandria. All the bishops of Asia, Africa, and Europe were invited. Their charge was to challenge and condemn, using Sacred Scripture, the heresy of Arius, a presbyter in Alexandria who was denying that Jesus Christ was divine. The council occurred in the year of our Lord 325.
The participants in the council came to the conclusion that three divine persons had existed from eternity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This is particularly easy to see from the two statements called the Nicene Creed and the Athanasian Creed.
In the Nicene Creed we read the following:
I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. I believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the only begotten of the Father, born before all the ages, God from God, who has the same substance as the Father, and who came down from the heavens and was incarnated by the Holy Spirit through the Virgin Mary. And I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Life-giver, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, and who along with the Father and the Son is worshiped and glorified.
[2] The following statement appears in the Athanasian Creed.
The catholic faith is this, that we venerate one God in a trinity, and the Trinity in unity, neither confusing the persons nor dividing the substance. Just as Christian truth compels us to confess each person individually as God and Lord, so the catholic religion forbids us to say that there are three gods or three lords.
That is, it is allowable to confess three gods and lords but not to say three gods and lords. We do not say three gods and lords because religion forbids it, but we confess three gods and lords because that is what the truth dictates.
The Athanasian Creed was composed immediately after the Council of Nicaea by one or more of the people who had attended that council. It was accepted as an ecumenical or catholic creed.
Clearly, then, that was when it was decreed that the church should acknowledge three divine persons from eternity, each of whom is individually God, although there should be no mention of three gods or lords but only of one.
632. III. The idea of faith imputing the merit and righteousness of Christ the Redeemer sprang first from the decrees of the Council of Nicaea concerning three Divine Persons from eternity; and this faith has been accepted by the whole Christian world from that time to the present.
The actual Council of Nicaea was convened by the Emperor Constantine the Great, on the advice of Alexander, Bishop of Alexandria, consisting of all the Bishops in Asia, Africa and Europe, and held in the Emperor's palace at Nicaea, a city of Bithynia 1 . Its object was to disprove and condemn on the authority of Holy Writ the heresy of Arius, a priest of Alexandria, who was denying the divinity of Jesus Christ. This took place in AD 318 2 . That assembly reached the conclusion that the three Divine Persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, existed from eternity, as can immediately be established by referring to the two Creeds known as the Nicene and the Athanasian. In the Nicene Creed we read:
I believe in one God, the almighty Father, maker of heaven and earth; and in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the only-begotten of the Father, born before all ages, God of God, being of one substance with the Father; who came down from the heavens, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary; and in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and quickener, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who together with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified.
[2] The following words occur in the Athanasian Creed:
It is the catholic faith that we revere one God in the Trinity, and the Trinity in unity, neither confusing the Persons nor separating the substance. But as we are compelled by Christian truth to confess each Person separately to be God and Lord, so we are forbidden by the catholic religion to speak of three Gods or three Lords.
This is tantamount to saying that it is allowable to confess three Gods and Lords, but not to speak of them, since this is forbidden by religion, while truth dictates that there are three. This Athanasian Creed was written immediately after the Council had met at Nicaea by one or more people who had taken part in it. It was also accepted as an oecumenical or catholic document. It is plain from these quotations that it was then decreed that three Divine Persons from eternity were to be acknowledged; and that although each Person separately was by Himself God, yet three Gods and Lords were not to be spoken of, but only one.
Footnotes:
1. The province of north-western Anatolia, now part of Turkey.
2. The Council was summoned in 318, but assembled in 325. The Latin text here has 1318, an obvious misprint.
632. III. THE FAITH IMPUTATIVE OF THE MERIT AND RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST THE REDEEMER, FIRST AROSE FROM THE DECREES OF THE COUNCIL OF NICE RESPECTING THREE DIVINE PERSONS FROM ETERNITY, WHICH FAITH HAS BEEN ACCEPTED BY THE WHOLE CHRISTIAN WORLD FROM THAT TIME TO THE PRESENT.
As to the Nicene Council itself, it was convoked by the emperor Constantine the Great by the advice of Alexander, bishop of Alexandria, and was composed of all the bishops in Asia, Africa, and Europe, and was held in his palace at Nice, a city of Bithynia. Its object was to refute and condemn, from the sacred writings, the heresy of Arius, a presbyter of Alexandria, who denied the Divinity of Jesus Christ. This took place in the year of our LORD 325. The members of that council decided that there were from eternity three Divine persons - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - as appears especially from the two creeds called the Nicene and Athanasian. In the Nicene creed we read:
I believe in one God the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the only begotten of the Father, born before all ages, God from God, consubstantial with the Father, who descended from the heavens and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit from the virgin Mary; and in the Holy Spirit, Lord and Vivifier, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, and who together with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified.
In the Athanasian creed is the following:
The Catholic faith is this, that we worship one God in a Trinity, and the Trinity in unity, neither confounding the Persons nor separating the substance. But as we are compelled by the Christian verity to confess each Person singly to be God and Lord, so are we forbidden by the Catholic religion to say three Gods or three Lords.
That is, it is permitted men to confess, but not to say, three Gods and Lords. They may not say so because religion forbids it, but may confess it because the truth so dictates. This Athanasian creed was written out by one or more of those who were present, immediately after the holding of the Nicene Council, and was accepted as ecumenical or Catholic. This shows clearly that it was then decided that three Divine persons from eternity ought to be acknowledged, and that although each Person singly was by Himself God, still they ought not to be called three Gods and Lords, but one.
632. III. THE FAITH WHICH IMPUTES THE MERIT AND RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST THE REDEEMER, FIRST TOOK ITS RISE FROM THE DEGREES OF THE COUNCIL OF NICE 1 CONCERNING THREE DIVINE PERSONS FROM ETERNITY; AND FROM THAT TIME TO THE PRESENT THIS FAITH HAS BEEN RECEIVED BY THE WHOLE CHRISTIAN WORLD.
The Council of Nicaea was convoked by the Emperor Constantine the Great, 2 by the advice of Alexander, bishop of Alexandria. At this Council all the bishops in Asia, Africa and Europe were assembled in the Emperor's palace at Nicaea, a city of Bithynia. Its object was to refute and condemn from the sacred writings the heresy of Arius, 3 a presbyter of Alexandria, who denied the Divinity of Jesus Christ. This took place in the year of Christ, 325. 4 The members of this Council came to the conclusion that from eternity there were three Divine Persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, as is very evident from the two creeds, called the Nicene and the Athanasian. 5 In the Nicene Creed it is written:
"I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth;... and in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the only begotten of the Father, born before all worlds, God of God... being of one substance with the Father... who came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the virgin Mary;... and 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."
In the Athanasian Creed it is said:
"This is the Catholic Faith, that we worship one God in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity, neither confounding the Persons, nor dividing the substance... But whereas we are compelled by Christian verity to acknowledge every Person by Himself to be God and Lord, so we are forbidden by the Catholic religion to say there are three Gods, or three Lords."
That is, it is allowable to acknowledge three Gods and Lords, but not to say so, because religion forbids the latter, while truth dictates the former. This Athanasian Creed was composed immediately after the Council of Nice by one or more of those who had been present at the Council; and it was received as Ecumenical or Catholic. It is manifest that it was then decreed that three Divine Persons from eternity ought to be acknowledged; and that although each Person singly by Himself is God, yet nevertheless, they ought not to be called three Gods and Lords, but one.
Footnotes:
1. Nice (Nicaea), city of Asia Minor, in Bithynia. In A.D. 325 it was the seat of a Council summoned to settle the Arian controversy. The creed there adopted is known as the Nicene Creed.
2. Constantine, Emperor of Rome, A. D. 272-337. A convert to Christianity, he summoned the Council of Nice, A.D. 325 to settle the Arian controversy. This Council gave its name to the Nicene Creed which resulted, and which subsequently became the standard creed of the Christian Church.
3. Arius, theologian of Alexandria, A.D 256-336; founder of Arianism, affirming that Christ was an originated Being. Excommunicated by bishops of Egypt for denying that Christ was made of the same substance (homo-ousion) of any previously existing substance. To settle the consequent dispute Constantine called the Council of Nicaea, A.D. 325. Athanasius successfully led the opposition to Arius; and Arius, with Eusebius, who also refused to accept the Athanasian position, was banished.
4. The Original Edition has... Anno Christi 1318. Other translations have 325 and in Critical Note state that this is for 1318, which is probably a misprint for 318. The Nicene Council was convened in 324 and met in 325. Arius began his heresy in 318, though the publication of DE INCARNATIONE by Athanasius in 318 proves the existence of schismatic teaching in that year.
5. Athanasian Symbol or Creed. Although bearing the name of Athanasius, it was probably composed by Hilary, in the century after the formulation of the Nicene Creed, A.D. 325. The name was given to it about the year A.D. 670 as an excellent system of the doctrines of Athansius concerning the Trinity and the Incarnation, principally in opposition to the Arians. It is received by the Romish Church and also by the Reformed.
632. Quod Fides, quae est imputativa meriti et justitiae Christi Redemptoris, primum exorta sit a decretis Synodi Nicenae de Tribus Personis Divinis ab aeterno, quae Fides a tempore illo ad praesens a toto Christiano Orbe recepta est.
Quod ipsam Synodum Nicenam attinet, illam Imperator Constantinus magnus suasu Alexandri Episcopi Alexandrini ex omnibus Episcopis in Asia, Africa et Europa convocatis, in Regia sua Niceae urbis Bithyniae habuit, ut haeresin Arii presbyteri Alexandrini, qui Divinitatem Jesu Christi negabat, ex sacris literis convincerent et damnarent; hoc factum est Anno Christi 325. 1 Quod convocati illi concluserint, quod tres Personae Divinae, Pater, Filius et Spiritus Sanctus, ab aeterno fuerint, apprimis constare potest a duobus Symbolis, Nicenum et Athanasianum, dictis; in Niceno legitur, "Credo in unum Deum, 2 Patrem Omnipotentem, Factorem Coeli et terrae; et in unum Dominum, Jesum Christum, Filium Dei unigenitum a Patre, natum ante omnia saecula, Deum de Deo, consubstantialem Patri, qui descendit de Coelis, et incarnatus est de Spiritu sancto ex Maria Virgine; et in Spiritum Sanctum, Dominum et Vivificantem, qui ex Patre Filioque procedit, qui cum Patre Filioque simul adoratur et glorificatur."
[2] In Symbolo Athanasiano sunt haec, "Fides Catholica est haec, ut unum Deum in Trinitate, et Trinitatem in Unitate veneremur, neque confundentes Personas, neque Substantiam separantes. Sed quia singulatim unamquamque Personam Deum et Dominum confiteri Christiana veritate compellimur, ita tres Deos aut tres Dominos dicere Catholica Religione prohibemur," hoc est, quod confiteri tres Deos et Dominos, sed non dicere liceat, et quod hoc sit quia religio vetat, illud autem quia veritas dictat: Symbolum hoc Athanasianum statim post Concilium Niceae habitum, ab uno aut pluribus, qui Concilio interfuerant, conscriptum est, et quoque ut Oecumenicum seu Catholicum acceptatum. Ex his patet, quod tunc decretum fuerit, quod tres Personae Divinae ab aeterno agnoscendae sint, et quamvis unaquaevis Persona singulatim per se esset Deus, quod usque non dicendi sint tres Dii et Domini, sed Unus.
Footnotes: