A Commentary on the Apostles' Creed 36
36 Section 36. The Holy Church; The Forgiveness of Sin, the Resurrection of This Flesh PL 21, 373
36. “The Holy Church; The Forgiveness of Sin, the Resurrection of This Flesh.” It is not said, “In the holy Church,” nor “In the forgiveness of sins,” nor “In the resurrection of the flesh.” For if the preposition “in” had been added, it would have had the same force as in the preceding articles. But now in those clauses in which the faith concerning the Godhead is declared, we say “In God the Father,” and “In Jesus Christ His Son,” and “In the Holy Ghost,” but in the rest, where we speak not of the Godhead but of creatures and mysteries, the preposition “in ” is not added. We do not say “We believe in the holy Church,” but “We believe the holy Church,” not as God, but as the Church gathered together to God: and we believe that there is “forgiveness of sins;” we do not say “We believe in the forgiveness of sins;” and we believe that there will be a “Resurrection of the flesh;” we do not say “We believe in the resurrection of the flesh.” By this monosyllabic preposition, therefore, the Creator is distinguished from the creatures, and things divine are separated from things human.
This then is the Holy Ghost, who in the Old Testament inspired the Law and the Prophets, in the New the Gospels and the Epistles. Whence also the Apostle says, “All Scripture given by inspiration of God is profitable for instruction.” And therefore it seems proper in this place to enumerate, as we have learnt from the tradition of the Fathers, the books of the New and of the Old Testament, which, according to the tradition of our forefathers, are believed to have been inspired by the Holy Ghost, and have been handed down to the Churches of Christ.
SANCTAM ECCLESIAM. REMISSIONEM PECCATORUM. HUJUS CARNIS RESURRECTIONEM. Non dixit [Al. dixi], in sanctam Ecclesiam, nec in remissionem peccatorum, nec in carnis resurrectionem: si enim addidisset in praepositionem, una cum superioribus eademque vis fieret. Nunc autem in illis quidem vocabulis, ubi de divinitate ordinatur fides, in Deo Patre dicitur, et in Jesu Christo Filio ejus, et in Spiritu Sancto. In caeteris vero ubi non de divinitate, sed de creaturis, et de mysteriis sermo est, in praepositio non additur, ut dicatur, in sancta Ecclesia: sed sanctam Ecclesiam credendam esse, non ut Deum, sed ut Ecclesiam Deo congregatam. Et remissionem peccatorum credant esse, non in remissionem peccatorum: et resurrectionem carnis credant, non in resurrectionem carnis. Hac itaque praepositionis syllaba, creator a creaturis secernitur, et divina separantur, ab humanis. Hic igitur Spiritus Sanctus est, qui in veteri Testamento Legem et Prophetas, in novo Evangelia, et Apostolos inspiravit. Unde et 100 Apostolus dicit: Omnis scriptura divinitus inspirata, utilis est ad docendum . Et ideo, quae sunt novi ac veteris Testamenti volumina, quae secundum majorum traditionem per ipsum Spiritum Sanctum inspirata creduntur, et Ecclesiis Christi tradita, competens videtur hoc in loco evidenti numero, sicut ex Patrum monumentis accepimus, designare.