Meaning & Analysis
This expression is a simile asserting that a statement or fact is as undeniably true and certain as the articles of the Christian Creed, which is a formal declaration of religious faith considered absolute truth by believers.
Insights
Unquestionable Truth
The proverb serves as a powerful metaphor for absolute certainty and unwavering conviction. It elevates a mundane assertion to the level of sacred, dogmatic truth, implying it is foundational and not open to question.
Faith in Facts
It metaphorically links secular knowledge or assurance with divine or spiritual faith. By doing so, it suggests that some worldly facts can be held with the same conviction as religious beliefs.
Appeal to Authority
The Creed represents communal and institutional authority. The proverb, therefore, can be seen as an appeal to a shared, established system of belief to end disagreement and enforce consensus.
Historical and Religious Authority
Originating in a period of intense religious significance, this proverb leverages the Christian Creed as the ultimate benchmark for truth. In an era like the 16th-century English Reformation, where doctrinal statements were matters of state and salvation, equating a statement to the Creed was the highest possible assertion of its validity.
Psychology of Certainty
The proverb reflects a psychological appeal to an external, unassailable authority to validate a personal claim. By invoking a sacred, communal text, a speaker attempts to elevate their assertion beyond doubt or debate, borrowing the perceived infallibility of divine truth for a secular purpose.
Cultural Shift
The phrase's power depends on a shared cultural understanding of the Creed's importance. Its declining use in modern times reflects a shift away from a single, universally accepted religious text as the ultimate arbiter of truth in public discourse.
Rhetorical Devices
Simile
The phrase is structured as a direct comparison using 'as...as' to equate the certainty of a situation with the perceived truth of the Creed.
Symbolism
The Creed is used as a potent symbol for ultimate truth, faith, and orthodoxy. The proverb's effectiveness is derived from the cultural and religious weight of this symbol.
Hyperbole
When used for everyday matters, the comparison to the Creed—a foundational text of Western religion—acts as a hyperbole, exaggerating the certainty of the claim for rhetorical effect.
Alliteration/Consonance
The repetition of the hard 'c' and 'r' sounds in 'true' and 'Creed' creates a hard, definitive phonetic quality, reinforcing the idea of solid, unshakeable certainty.
Transcription
Quotations
All that ye say is as trewe as the crede.
As sure as is your crede.
Related Proverbs
Original Scan
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