ATHANASIAN CREED.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7766, 25 July 1903, Page 6

ATHANASIAN CREED.

The awd beginning " Whosoever will be saved," ordered to be. sung or saiid atl Matins on. certain thirteen- festivals in the I year instead of the Apostles' Creed, as ib'ifj arranged like a Psalm* and ended with the Gloria-, it is often chanted ' antiLphonally. With re-'pect to \vhat.a,re- called tJw> dam-* natory clauses, the Churches which adopti the creed do not mean by them to imipre* cato curses, but to declaim as* a. logical! sequence of tile true faith being, necessary to salvation, ' that thase who do not hold tho true faith, arc .in danger of perishihig; as it is said (Mark xvi.), "He thac bslieveth not ?liall be damned." Atq the Creeds in the Book of Common Prayer appointed to I>3 sung? Answer; — Not necessarily. An option is e.iv*n either to "sing" or "say" them. But as in "The Order for Morning Prayer" aad in "Tho Order of* the/ Administration) of tlw» Holy Communion," "ringing" is named before " saying 1 " (" Then shall be sung or fia.id the Apostles' Greed"; "Upon these "Feasts > . shall be sung or said alii Morning Prayer . . the Creed of Saint; AthaiMieius " ; •" Thp Gflspel ended, shall bs sung or said the Creed following ") we con J cluds that "Ringing " is the. method of recitation to which the Church, gives the preference. .... In what new and attractive aspect would the compliance with this order for singingi them present *the Creeds?' Answer ; — Ik tlie aspect of hymns ofi praise. Their /jontroversial. character would be for th<& moment dropped by the mind, and we should regard them as " taiumphi songs of heaven/," cheering onward, as with, martial music, the soldiers of Christ., whiOi "manfully fight under His banner against sin, tho world and the devil." "Fox the joy of tie Lord is our strength." (See Nei. viii-i 10.) ; • / ; • 1988 ■-