4. I, however, brethren beloved, small and
insignificant as I am, but remaining ever by God’s grace the
same, have never changed with the changes of the world. My creed
has not varied at Seleucia, at Constantinople, at Zela, cf.
Letter ccxxvi. p. 268. at Lampsacus, and at Rome. My present
creed is not different from the former; it has remained ever one and
the same. As we received from the Lord, so are we baptized; as we
are baptized, so we make profession of our faith; as we make profession
of our faith, so do we offer our doxology, not separating the Holy
Ghost from Father and Son, nor preferring Him in honour to the Father,
or asserting Him to be prior to the Son, as blasphemers’ tongues
invent. cf.
De Sp. S. chap. xii. p. 18. Who could be
so rash as to reject the Lord’s commandment, and boldly devise an
order of his own for the Names? But I do not call the Spirit, Who
is ranked with Father and Son, a creature. I do not dare to call
slavish that which is royal. cf.
Ps. li. 12, LXX. And I
beseech you to remember the threat uttered by the Lord in the words,
“All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men;
but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto
men, neither in this world, neither in the world to
come.”
Matt. xii. 31,
32. Keep
yourselves from dangerous teaching against the Spirit.
“Stand fast in the faith.”
1 Cor. xvi.
13. Look over all the world, and see
how small the part is which is unsound. All the rest of the
Church which has received the Gospel. from one end of the world to
the other, abides in this sound and unperverted doctrine. From
their communion I pray that I may never fall, and I pray that I may
have part and lot with you in the righteous day of our Lord Jesus
Christ, when He shall come to give to every one according to his
conduct.