A69028:103
The rule of faith, or, An exposition of the Apostles Creed so handled as…
The rule of faith, or, An exposition of the Apostles Creed so handled as it affordeth both milk for babes, and strong meat for such as are at full age / by ... Nicholas Bifield ; ... now published ... by his son, Adoniram Bifield.The rule of faith, or, An exposition of the Apostles Creed so handled as it affordeth both milke for babes, and strong meat for such as are at full age / by ... Nicholas Bifield ; ... now published ... by his sonne, Adoniram Bifield.
London: printed by G.M. for Philemon Stephens and Christopher Meredith, 1626
THE CREED. › Article 1 › I Believe.THE CREEDE. › Article 1 › I Beleeue.
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.
1. We must believe them with the heart, and not confess them with the mouth only, Rom. 10. 10. and to believe them with our hearts, is to believe them in deed, not in show; to believe them voluntarily, not upon compulsion; to believe them affectionately, not coldly, or dully: our faith must be a lively faith, not a dead faith.
1. We must beleeue them with the heart, and not confesse them with the mouth onely, Rom. 10. 10. and to beleeue them with our hearts, is to beleeue them in deede, not in shew; to beleeue them voluntarily, not vpon compulsion; to beleeue them affectionately, not coldely, or dully: our faith must be a liuely faith, not a dead faith.
2. We must believe them personally; each one must have his own faith: 'Tis not enough to join our selves to such men as do believe them, but every one must get him a faith of his own: The Just must live by his own saith, Hab. 2. 5. and therefore we say I believe, not they believe, or we believe: We say, our Father when we pray, because we may pray one for another; but we say not we believe, because we cannot believe one for another.
2. We must beleeue them personally; each one must haue his owne faith: 'Tis not inough to ioyne our selues to such men as doe beleeue them, but euery one must get him a faith of his owne: The Iust must liue by his owne saith, Hab. 2. 5. and therefore we say I beleeue, not they beleeue, or we beleeue: We say, our Father when we pray, because we may pray one for another; but we say not we beleeue, because we cannot beleeue one for another.