A17384:3315
A commentary
A commentary: or, sermons upon the second chapter of the first epistle of Saint Peter wherein method, sense, doctrine, and use, is, with great variety of matter, profitably handled; and sundry heads of divinity largely discussed. By Nicholas Byfield, late preacher of God's Word at Isle-worth in Middlesex.A commentary: or, sermons vpon the second chapter of the first epistle of Saint Peter vvherein method, sense, doctrine, and vse, is, with great variety of matter, profitably handled; and sundry heads of diuinity largely discussed. By Nicholas Byfield, late preacher of God's Word at Isle-worth in Middlesex.
London: printed by Humphrey Lownes for George Latham, 1623London: printed by Humfrey Lownes for George Latham, 1623
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
First, we may see how vile the error was of those Heretics they called Patri-passianus; who taught, that God the Father suffered: whereas in this and other Scriptures we are taught, that it was only Christ, the second Person in Trinity, that suffered. The ground of their error was, that there was but one Person in the Deity: which in heaven was called the Father; in earth, the Son; in the powers of the creatures, the holy Ghost: and thence they affirm the same things of the Father, they did of the Son, that he was visible, mortal and immortal, passible and impassible, passible on earth, and impassible in heaven. But we have learned from the Prophets and Apostles, to believe ⟨p. 794⟩three Persons, and so to acknowledge, that the second Person suffered only, and that in his humane nature.
First, wee may see how vile the errour was of those Hereticks they called Patri-passianus; who taught, that God the Father suffred: whereas in this and other Scriptures we are taught, that it was onely Christ, the second Person in Trinity, that suffred. The ground of their error was, that there was but one Person in the Deity: which in heauen was called the Father; in earth, the Sonne; in the powers of the creatures, the holy Ghost: and thence they affirm the same things of the Father, they did of the Sonne, that he was visible, mortall and immortall, passible and impassible, passible on earth, and impassible in heauen. But we haue learned from the Prophets and Apostles, to beleeue ⟨p. 794⟩three Persons, and so to acknowledge, that the second Person suffered onely, and that in his humane nature.
Secondly, we may hence learn, that Christ was subject to the Law after a peculiar manner, so, as no other man was subject: For he did not only fulfil the Law by a most perfect obedience, but he suffered the malediction and curse of the Law also. Some men are subject to the malediction of the Law only: and so are all the wicked reprobates, that obey it not. Some men are subject to the Commandments of the Law, and not to the malediction: and so our first parents were while they continued in their innocency, because God did not require them to suffer, so long as they obeyed the Law: and so all godly men, in Christ, are under the Law, in respect of obedience, but not in respect of malediction: only Christ is subject to the malediction, and obedience of the Law, as our surety.