Athanasian Creed, the third of the three œcumical symbols, derived its name from its composition being attributed to Athanasius; it is also known, from its initial words in Latin, as the creed or psalm Quicunque Vult. The first part of this creed contains a detailed exposition of the Trinity; the second, the doctrine of the incarnation. Modern criticism has called in question the title of Athanasius to be considered the author of this creed. It was known as early as the beginning of the 6th century, but not under its present name. It is spoken of as 'Athanasius's Tract on the Trinity,' in some Articles of the middle of the 8th century, and is supposed to be alluded to, 'as the Faith of the holy prelate Athanasius,' in the Council of Antun, about 670. Athanasius himself makes no mention of this creed, although its doctrines are essentially his; nor do any of the church fathers. Other two circumstances speak against its ascription to Athanasius: the best text is in Latin, and he wrote in Greek; the expressions, again, are different from those used by Athanasius in speaking of the same things. By Protestants, therefore, and even by most Catholics, its Athanasian origin has been given up, and its production has been assigned with most probability to the 5th century and to Gaul. The title of Athanasian probably became attached to it during the Arian controversy in Gaul, as being an exposition of the system of doctrine which was opposed to the Arian system, and which would naturally be called Athanasian from its chief propounder. It was received into the public offices of the Gallic Church in the 7th century, and by the middle of the 10th century it was adopted at Rome and all over the West. In Britain, it was probably in use as early as 800. The Greek Church was late in receiving it, and even then not without modifying the article concerning the 'Procession of the Holy Ghost.' The Reformers adhered to the Athanasian Creed, and Luther called it 'a bulwark of the Apostles' Creed,' and doubted whether, 'since the time of the Apostles, any more important and more glorious composition had been written.' Even those churches that do not in any way acknowledge it as a symbol (as the Presbyterian Churches of Britain and America, as well as the Independents) generally accept its doctrines.
The Athanasian Creed is the most rigid of the three Catholic symbols, and has given rise to much controversy; and though still generally received by Protestants as well as Catholics, attacks upon it have, of late years, perhaps been more frequent. It has no place in the Prayer-book of the Protestant Episcopal Church of America; and the Protestant Church of Ireland, though retaining it in the Prayer-book, has ceased to recite it. Nevertheless, these attacks have called forth energetic defences; and at the Convocation of Canterbury in 1871, the testimony of the missionary bishops was given in support of the great value of this creed in the instruction of the heathen. The points in this creed that give offence to some are defended by others, on the plea that it was not drawn up for the sake of gratuitously dogmatising on abstruse speculative truths, but to counteract other dogmas which were held to be dangerously heretical. Waterland says: 'The use of it will hardly be thought superfluous so long as there are any Arians, Photianians, Sabellians, Macedonians, Apollinarians, Nestorians, or Eutychians, in these parts.' With respect to what are called the 'damnatory clauses' (the clauses, namely: 'Which faith except every one do keep whole and undefiled, without doubt he shall perish everlastingly; and: This is the Catholic faith, which except a man believe faithfully, he cannot be saved'), the churches which adopt the creed do not mean by them to imprecate curses, but to declare, as a logical sequence of a true faith being necessary to salvation, that those who consciously and deliberately reject the true faith are in danger of perishing; as it is said, Mark, xvi. 16, 'He that believeth not shall be damned' ('condemned' in Revised Version). These clauses are also held to apply to those who deny the substance of the Christian religion, and not infallibly to every person who may be in error as to any one particular article. A rubric to this effect was drawn up by the commissioners appointed in 1689 for the review of the English Common Prayer-book, but none of their suggestions took effect. Compare also the 18th Article of the Church of England with these clauses.
On the date of the creed much curious learning has been bestowed of late years, Professors Lumby and Swainson of Cambridge arguing for a later date between 700-800 A.D., and the Rev. W. Ffoulkes regarding it as a forgery. But a strong and probably triumphant case for the earlier date (of about 450 A.D.) has been made by the Rev. G. W. Ommaney, M.A., in The Athanasian Creed (Lond. 1875), and a subsequent volume. The work of Waterland, A Critical History, &c. (Cambridge, 1724), must, however, still remain in the first rank of inquiries of this nature; and though he may not have proved St Hilary of Arles to be the author, it is now generally accepted as a Latin composition, and due to Southern Gaul, most probably about 450 A.D. For explanation of the meaning of the damnable clauses, the best recent works are a volume on the subject by Canon M. John MacColl (Lond. 1872), and a sermon by Dr Pusey on Responsibility of the Intellect in Matters of Faith (Lond. 1873).