CREDENCE
476
CREDI
should be noted that while none of the Fathers main- IX (1050), in the symbol presented to the Bishop
tained Traducianism — the parental generation of the Peter for subscription, lays down: "I believe and
soul — as a certainty, some of them, notably St. Angus- profess that the soul is not a part of God, but is
tine, at the outbreak of Pelagianism, began to doubt created out of nothing, and that, without baptism, it
the creation by God of the individual soul (there was is in original sin" (Denzinger, Enchir., n. 296). That
never any doubt as to the created origin of the souls the soul sinned in its pre-existent state, a.nd on that
of Adam and Eve), and to incline to the opposite accoimt was incarcerated in the body, is a fiction
opinion, which seemed to facilitate the explanation which has been repeatedly condemned by the Church.
" " • • Divested of this fiction, the theory |
that the soul exists prior to its in- fusion into the organism, while not explicitly reprobated, is obviously opposed to the doctrine of the Church, according to which souls are multi- plied correspondingly with the multi- plication of human organisms (Cone. Lat. V, in Denzinger, op. cit., 621). But whether the rational soul is infused into the organism at concep- tion, as the modern opinion holds, or some weeks subsequently, as the Scholastics suppose (St. Thomas, Q. i a. 2, ad 2), is an open question with theologians (Kleutgen, Phil. d. Vor- zcit, II, 657). (See also Man ; Metem- psychosis ; Soul; Traducianism.)
Maker, Psychology (New York, 1903); MivART, Origin of Human Reason (Lon- don, 1889); Dhiscoll, The Soul (New- York, 1898); Mercier. La Psychologic 1905); GcTBERLET, Psychologic (Munich, 1896).
F. P. Siegfried.
of the transmission of original sin
Thus, writing to St. Jerome, St,
Augustine says: "If that opinion of
the creation of new souls is not op-
posed to this established article of
faith [sc. original sin] let it be also
mine; if it is, let it not be thine"
(Ep. clxvi, n. 25). Theodorus Abucara
(Opusc. xxxv), Macarius (Hom.xx.x),
and St. Gregory of Nyssa (De Opif.,
Horn., c. xxix) favoured this view.
Amongst the Scholastics there were
no defenders of Traducianism. Hugh
of St. Victor (De Sacr., VII, c. xii)
and Alexander of Hales (Summa,
I, Q. Ix, mem. 2, a. 3) alone char-
acterize Creationism as the more
probable opinion; all the other
Schoolmen hold it as certain and
differ only in regard to the censure
that should be attached to the op-
posite error. Thus Peter Lombard simply says : "The
Catholic Church teaches that souls are created at
their infusion into the body" (Sent. II, d. xviii); while
St. Thomas is more emphatic: " It is heretical to say
that the intellectual soul is transmitted by process
Lorenzo di Credi (By himself)
Credence (or Credence-Table). — A small table of
wood, marble, or other suitable material placed -nithin
of generation" (I, Q. cxviii, a. 2). For the rest, the sanctuary of a church and near the wall at the
the following citation from the Angelic Doctor sums Epistle side, for the purpose of holding the cruets,
up the diverse opinions: "Regarding this question acolytes' candles, and other utensils requu-ed for the
various opinions were expressed in antiquity. Some celebration of the Holy Sacrifice. The credence,
held that the soul of the
child is produced by the p
soul of the parent just
as the body is generated
by the parent-body.
Others maintained that
all souls are created apart,
moreover that they are
united with their respec-
tive bodies, either by
their own volition or by
the command and action
of God. Others, again,
declared that the soul in
the moment of its crea-
tion is infused into the
body. Though for a time
these several views were
upheld, and though it
was doubtful which came
nearest the truth (as ap-
pears from Augustine's
commentary on Gen., x,
and from his books on
(he origin of the soul),
the Church subsequently
condemned the first two
and approved the third"
(De Potentia, Q. iii, a.
9). Others (e. g. Greg-
ory of Valencia) speak of Generationism as "cer-
tainly erroneous", or (e. g. Estius) as maximc
temerarius. It should, however, be noted that while
there are no such explicit definitions authoritatively
put forth by the Church as would warrant our calling
the doctrine of Creationism </(' fule. nevertheless, as a
recent eniinciit theologian ob.scrvcs. "there can be no
The Holy Family — Lorenzo di Oodi
properly so called, is con-
templated only in con-
nexion with solemn
Masses; onit the chalice,
paten, corporal, and veil
are placed from the be-
ginning of the Mass untU
the Offertory. When a
bishop celebrates, it
should be of larger dimen-
sions than usual, the ordi-
nary size being about
forty inches long, twenty
broad, and thirty-six
high. On very solemn
festivals it should be
covered with a linen
cloth extending to the
ground on all sides, on
less solemn occasions the
cloth should not extend
so far, while on days of
simple rite it should mere-
ly cover the superficies.
For low Masses the ru-
bricscontcmplatoa niche
or bracket in the wall, or
some small arrangement
for holding the cruets,
finger-bowl, and towel,
but custom now favours the use of a credence-table.
Cfrrcvionialr Episcoponim, 1, xil sq.', Ruhr. (nm. Miss., XX; Van dek Stappen, De Missa Cticbralionr (Mei-hhn, 1902).
Pathick Mohrisroe.
Credi, Lorenzo di, Florentine painter, b. at Flor- ence. H.'iO; (1. (here. l.'):57. Vasari gives his family
doubt as to which view is favoured by ecclesiastical name as Sciarpelloni, but his original u.aine seems to
authority" (Pesch, Priel. Dogin., V, 3, p. 66). Leo have been Barducci. He was a pupU farst of the
