ledge is nothing else than faith, by which we yield our unhesitating assent to whatever the authority of our Holy Mother the Church teaches us to have been revealed by Almighty God : for the faithful cannot doubt those things of which God, who is truth itself, is the author. Hence we see the great difference that exists between this faith which we give to God, and the credence which we yield to profane historians. But faith, though comprehensive, and differing in degree and dignity, [for we read in Scripture these words," O thou of little faith, why didst thou doubt" [1] and "great is thy faith," [2] and" Increase our faith," [3] also " Faith without works is dead" [4] and " Faith which worketh by charity; [5]"] is yet the same in kind, and the full force of its definition applies equally to all its degrees. Its fruit and advantages to us, we shall point out when explaining the articles of the Creed. The first, then, and most important points of Christian faith are those which the holy Apostles, the great leaders and teachers of the faith, men inspired by the Holy Ghost, have divided into the twelve articles of the Creed: The Creed who composed by the Apostles.for as they had received a command from the Lord to go forth " in the whole world," " as his ambassadors, and preach the Gospel to every creature, [6] they thought proper to compose a form of Christian faith, " that all may speak and think the same thing;" [7] and that amongst those whom they should have called to the unity of faith, no schisms should exist; but that they should be perfect in the same mind, and in the same spirit. This profession of Christian faith and hope, drawn up by themselves, the Apostles called a " symbol," either because it was an aggregate of the combined sentiments of all; or because, by it, as by a common sign and watch-word, they might easily distinguish false brethren, deserters from the faith, " unawares brought in," " who adultered the word of God," [8] from those who had pledged an oath of fidelity to serve under the banner of Christ.
