THE SYMBOL, OR CREED

THERE are few words that have a greater variety of meanings than the word symbol, but there seems to be an almost unanimous opinion that its application to the Creed has been owing to the fact that it was at its formation the joint contribution of the Apostles before their separation to evangelize the different portions of the globe. In its original acceptation, coming as it does from the Greek σύν (sun, or syn, with or together) and βάλλω (ballo, I throw), it means the portion subscribed by any one individual towards some common fund. Thus, with the ancient Romans the part contributed by a person in getting up a public dinner or banquet went by this name. The application, then, of the term to the Creed is very appropriate, seeing that it has been formed, as the constant tradition of the Church and the unanimous consent of the early Fathers testify, by the Apostles themselves, from whom it derives its name (Bona, Rer. Liturg., p. 330; Divina Psalmodia, p. 501).