ATHANASIA, GOLDLOCKS: A genus of the
polygamia æqualis order, belonging to the syngeneia
class of plants; and in the natural method taking under
the 49th order, Composite discoides. The recep-
tacle is chaffy; the pappus is chaffy, and very short;
and the calyx is imbricated. There are 20 species, all
tender plants, except one; and none of them possessed
of beauty, or any remarkable property.
ATHANASIAN CREED; a formulary, or con-
fession of faith, long supposed to have been drawn up
by Athanasius bishop of Alexandria, in the fourth
century, to justify himself against the calumnies of
his Arian enemies. But it is now generally allowed
among the learned not to have been his. Dr
Waterland ascribes it to Hilary bishop of Arles, for
the following among other reasons: 1. Because Ho-
noratus of Marcellus, the writer of his life, tells us,
that he composed an Exposition of the Creed; a pro-
per title for the Athanasian, than that of Creed sim-
ply which it now bears. 2. Hilary was a great ad-
mirer and follower of St Austin; and the whole com-
position of this creed is in a manner upon St Austin's
plan, both with respect to the Trinity and incarnation.
3. It is agreeable to the style of Hilary, as far as we
can judge from the little that is left of his works. Up-
on the whole, he concludes, that Hilary bishop of
Arles, about the year 430, composed The exposition
of Faith, which now bears the name of the Athana-
sian Creed, for the use of the Gallican clergy, and par-
ticularly those of the diocese of Arles: That, about
the year 570, it became famous enough to be com-
mented upon; but that all this while, and for several
years lower, it had not yet acquired the name of Atha-
nasian, but was simply styled The Catholic Faith: That,
before 670, Athanasius's admired name came in to re-
commend and adorn it, being in itself an excellent sy-
stem of the Athanasian principles of the Trinity and in-
carnation, in opposition chiefly to the Arians, Macedo-
nians, and Apollinarians. This is the hypothesis of the
learned author of the Critical History of the Athanasian
Creed.
As to the reception of this creed in the Christian
churches, we find, that it obtained in France in the
time of Hincmar, or about 850; that it was received
in Spain about 100 years later than in France, and in
Germany much about the same time. As to our own
country, we have clear and positive proofs of this
creed being sung alternately in our churches in the
tenth century. It was in common use in some parts of
Italy, particularly in the diocese of Verona, about the
year 960, and was received at Rome about the year
1014. As to the Greek and oriental churches, it has
been questioned whether any of them ever received
this creed at all; though some very considerable writ-
ters are of a contrary persuasion. It appears then, that
the reception of this creed has been both general and
ancient; and may vie with any, in that respect, ex-
cept the Nicene, or Constantinopolitan, the only gen-
eral creed common to all the churches.
As to the matter of this creed, it is given as a sum-
mary of the true orthodox faith, and a condemnation
of all heresies ancient and modern. Unhappily, however,
it has proved a fruitful source of unprofitable contro-
versy and unchristian animosity even down to the pre-
sent time.