Severus Ibn al-Muqaffaʿ1: History of the Councils (Book 2), ed. L. Leroy, PO 6, 518–22CHAPTER IX. THE MANNER IN WHICH THE CREED IS READ AMONG THE DIFFERENT SECTS.The different Churches have, in their reading of the Creed, variants which do not affect the meaning and do notdepart from the truth. But the Nestorians have the greatest number of variants. However, their formulas, as wehave just said, do not alter the substance in any way and do not destroy a single one of the definitions adoptedby the bishops. I have not found up to now any of their scholars who has argued in this way and indicated thereason for it. And if there had been even one, ʿAlī ibn ʿUbayd2 would have pointed him out to us in theexposition he gives of the divergences in the reading of the different Churches. Now Ibn ʿUbayd was one oftheir scholars and one of their bishops. I shall now set out and explain to you in what they agree with us and inwhat they differ from us, for this Ibn ʿUbayd was very brief and very superficial, contenting himself withsaying: “Hold to this.” But remember what we have said: “That the meaning attached by the Fathers to theirformulas is immutable, that a member of any Church whatsoever must not depart from the definitions on whichthe Fathers agreed, and that God guards and preserves these truths from all alteration and all change.”The first article imposed by the Fathers, which the faithful must believe and is obliged to confess, is this: “Ibelieve in one God, the Father Almighty.” They are unanimously agreed on this article. “Creator of heaven andearth, of things visible and invisible.” The Nestorians say: “Creator of all that is visible and all that is invisible.”The Orthodox say: “We also believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the only God.” The Nestorians: “Andin one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the only God, first-born of creatures.” The Nestorians differ from theOrthodox by adding the formula “first-born of creatures.”“Begotten of the Father before all ages....