Expositio super symbolum Apostolorum
Alan of Lille (1120–1202)
A commentary on the Apostles' Creed by Alan.
Prologus I: Incipit Alanus super symbolum Apostolorum.
Caput I: Credo in Deum Patrem omnipotentem, creatorem celi et terre.
Caput II: Et in Ihesum Christum, Filium eius unicum, Dominum nostrum.
Caput III: Qui conceptus est de Spiritu Sancto, natus ex Maria Virgine.
Caput IV: Passus sub Pontio Pylato, crucifixus, mortuus, et sepultus.
Caput V: Descendit ad inferna, tertia die resurrexit a mortuis.
Caput VI: Ascendit ad celos, sedet ad dexteram Dei Patris omnipotentis.
Caput VII: Inde venturus est iudicare vivos et mortuos.
Caput VIII: Credo in Spiritum Sanctum.
Caput IX: Sanctam Ecclesiam catholicam, sanctorum communionem.
Caput X: Remissionem peccatorum.
Caput XI: Carnis resurrectionem.
Caput XII: Vitam eternam.
Life everlasting.
We are truly bound to believe this, that the saints will enjoy eternal life after the day of judgment, in body and soul. And by the contrary it is understood that the reprobate will be condemned to eternal punishment. In this three things are understood: life, the eternity of life, the joyfulness of living. Hence the wicked are not said to have eternal life, although they will live without end. And this is what is said in the Nicene Creed, "And the life of the world to come."
Note that the eternity that will accompany the life of the saints is called "age" (seculum) improperly. For "age" means a span of a thousand years, and "age" (seculum) is so called from "following" (sequi), because after what precedes, what follows is called consequent, and again another follows. Hence, because nothing, or no thing, follows eternity, it is called "age" improperly. In what is said, "eternal life" or "the life of the age to come," neither eternity alone nor the joyfulness of life alone is understood. Hence from what was said, "of whose kingdom there will be no end," and from what follows, "the life of the age to come," a single article is composed, as it were, equivalent to this one, "eternal life." And therefore above it was joined together, "to judge the living and the dead" and "of whose kingdom there will be no end," so that it may be understood that Christ will both judge the wicked and save the good.
There are some who say that at the Council of Nicaea, when the holy fathers composed the Creed, the one who was to compose the last article was snatched away from among them. The others, it is said, placed on his breast a small scroll on which the Creed was written out in full, and the last article, "the life of the age to come," was found written in an angelic hand, as if the article itself were saying "so be it."
In the aforesaid Creed there are twelve articles, to which are joined certain appendages, that is, co-articles, such as that the angels were created by God, and that he himself is the giver of the New and the Old Testament. Amen.