Note 98 — PRELIMINARY REMARKS (continued 2)

"Unhappily, together with his inauguration of Multitudinism, Constantine also inaugurated a principle essentially at variance with it, the principle of doctrinal limitation." (p. 166.) ... "The opportunity of reverting to the freedom of the Apostolic, and immediately succeeding periods, was finally lost for many ages by the sanction given by Constantine to the decisions of Nicæa." (Ibid.) "At all events, a principle at variance with a true Multitudinism was then recognised." (Ibid.)

How does it happen, by the way, that one writing B.D. after his name, however bitter his animosity against the Nicene Creed may be, is not aware that Creeds are co-eval with Christianity? Thus we find the Creed of Carthage in the works of Cyprian, (a.d. 225,) and Tertullian, (a.d 210, 203): that of Lyons in the works of Irenæus, (a.d. 180.) [see Heurtley's Harmonia Symbolica, pp. 7-20.] We recognize fragments of the Creed in Ignatius, (a.d. 90.) We hear St. Paul himself saying—ὑποτύπωσιν ἔχε ὑγιαινόντων λόγων, ὧν (i.e. the words themselves!) παρ' ἐμοῦ ἤκουσας ... τὴν καλὴν παρακαταθήκην φύλαξον—2 Tim. i. 13, 14. A few more words on this subject will be found in the notice of Mr. Jowett's Essay.