Expositio super symbolum Nicenum
Alan of Lille (1120–1202)
A commentary on the Nicene Creed by Alan.
Prologus I: Expositio super symbolum Nicenum.
Caput I: Credo in unum Deum.
Caput II: Patrem.
Caput III: Omnipotentem.
Caput IV: Factorem caeli et terrae, visibilium omnium et invisibilium.
Caput V: Et in unum Dominum.
Caput VI: Iesum Christum.
Caput VII: Filium Dei unigenitum.
Caput VIII: Et ex Patre natum ante omnia saecula.
Caput IX: Deum de Deo, lumen de lumine, Deum verum de Deo vero.
Caput X: Genitum, non factum.
Caput XI: Consubstantialem Patri.
Caput XII: Per quem omnia facta sunt.
Caput XIII: Qui propter nos homines et propter nostram salutem descendit de caelis.
Caput XIV: Et incarnatus est de Spiritu Sancto ex Maria Virgine, et homo factus est.
Caput XV: Crucifixus etiam pro nobis sub Pontio Pilato, passus, et sepultus est.
Caput XVI: Et resurrexit tertia die secundum Scripturas.
Caput XVII: Et ascendit in caelum, sedet ad dexteram Patris.
And he ascended into heaven, he sits at the right hand of the Father.
Behold the sixth article, which turns upon the ascension of Christ. And it must be noted that he is said to have ascended into heaven for a threefold reason: either because he locally ascended from earth into the empyrean heaven, or because he enjoys the more excellent goods of the Father, or because we now acknowledge him to be equal to the Father.
He sits at the right hand of the Father.
For this is what it means to sit at the right hand of the Father: to be equal to the Father, to enjoy the more excellent goods. This is said against the heretics who deny that Christ ascended into heaven. The same is contained in the apostolic symbol, where it is said: "and ascended into heaven, sits at the right hand of God the Father almighty."