The Roman Church did not adopt it till 930, though Charlemagne presented it to the Pope in 722.
Thus Waterland dates it in France between 420 and 431. Within those dates the authors possible are, not Athanasius, for he died about 373, but
Hilary of Arles, Bp. 429-449.
Victricius of Rouen.
Vincentius of Lérins, 434.
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These arguments apply, however, not to the Creed as it now stands, but to the documents from which it was compounded, and to the language which it has retained.
This Psalm, or Creed, or discussion of the Creeds, appears to be formed by the union of two documents, one of which was a discussion of the nature of God, and the other a discussion of the Person of Christ. An article by Professor Lumby in the S.P.C.K. Prayer Book will be accessible to all our readers. The former document occupies 28, and the latter, 14 verses.
The doctrine that there is a God, and particularly that there is but one God, may be called the Catholic Religion, in a very wide sense: for it is held by Jews, Turks, and many others who are not Christians.
The Christian Verity is the Truth that God was made man, that Jesus is God and Man, yet not two, but one Christ. This involves the Doctrine of the Holy Trinity.
The Catholic Faith includes both the Catholic Religion and the
Christian Verity.
vv. 9 and 12: the word incomprehensible is the Latin word immensus, elsewhere rendered infinite. (See Article I.) vv. 21-23 show that there are statements which can be made of each Person, which cannot be made of the other Persons of the Godhead: 6-18 have been showing that there are statements which can be made of each Person, which can also be made of the other Persons—statements involving Godhead. 24-27 state the inference which is to be drawn from the former verses, an inference previously stated in 3-5.