A69028:1284
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 2 › And in Jesus Christ.THE CREEDE. › Article 2 › And in Iesus Christ.
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.
Now this point is fit to be observed, partly to discover the estates of multitudes of men, that speak fair words of Jesus Christ, when yet by nature it is certain they love not the Lord Jesus, nor take any sound course to believe in him; and partly to awaken such as are desirous to get into the Kingdom of God, that they may not trust to their natural hearts or disposition, but rather in a godly jealousy of the deceitfulness of their own hearts, to use all diligence, by resisting the sluggishness, and cavils, and devices of their own hearts, by the power of God in his ordinances, to strive to make their faith sure, and fully established: and thus much for this point.
Now this point is fit to be obserued, partly to discouer the estates of multitudes of men, that speake faire words of Iesus Christ, when yet by nature it is certaine they loue not the Lord Iesus, nor take any sound course to belieue in him; and partly to awaken such as are desirous to get into the Kingdome of God, that they may not trust to their naturall hearts or disposition, but rather in a godly iealousie of the deceitfulnesse of their owne hearts, to vse all diligence, by resisting the sluggishnesse, and cauils, and deuices of their owne hearts, by the power of God in his ordinances, to striue to make their faith sure, and fully established: and thus much for this point.
The way how these Articles are to be received, is by believing in Jesus Christ: for from the first part of the Creed we must borrow these words, I believe, and apply them to these Articles, thus; I believe in Jesus Christ, &c. That from the coherence and main drift of all these Articles, we must in general take notice of this point: That as we believe in God, so we must believe in Jesus Christ: mark it, we must not only believe him, or believe these Articles, but we must believe in him; This is the Commandment of God himself, that we should do so, 1 Joh. 3. 23. and thus our Saviour himself requires it, that as we believe in God, so we should believe in him also, Joh. 14. 1. Yea, this is the substance of all that work that God requires of a Christian in the new Testament, this is to work the work of God, even to believe in him whom he hath sent.