a brief summary of the articles of a Christian's belief.

The most ancient form of creeds is that which goes under the name of the apostolic creed; besides this, there are several other ancient forms and scattered remains of creeds to be met with in the primitive records of the church. The first is a form of apostolic doctrine, collected by Origen; the second is a fragment of a creed preserved by Tertullian; the third remains of a creed, is in the works of Cyprian; the fourth, a creed composed by Gregory Thaumaturgus, for the use of his own church; the fifth, the creed of Lucian the martyr; the sixth, the creed of the apostolic constitutions. Besides these scattered remains of the ancient creeds, there are extant some perfect forms, as those of Jerusalem, Caesarea, Antioch, &c.

The most universal creeds are the apostolical, the Athanasian, and the Nicene creeds.