A69028:1497
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 › His only Sonne.]THE CREEDE. › Article 2 › His onely Sonne.]
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.
4. How he was begotten? To this question a perfect answer cannot be given by us in this mortality, Pro. 30. 4. It is a Mystery exceeds all mortal capacity. Yet the Lord is pleased to let fall certain similitudes in Scriptures, that give us some glimpse of it: as when Christ is called the Wisdom or Word of his Father, Pro. 8. John. 1. thereby we gather, that as the soul begets reason, or the word that is afterwards to be uttered, beget I say, within it self without joining with any other creature; so doth God as an eternal mind beget his Son in himself: so when Christ is called the brightness of his Fathers glory, it imports, that as shining is begotten of the Sun, so is Christ of the Father, Heb. 1. 3. So when Christ is called the Character or Image of his Fathers person, is imported, that as the print of the seal is set upon wax, and doth resemble it perfectly, without loosing any part of the seal; so doth God communicate his whole Nature to his Son, without loosing any thing from himself, Heb. 1. 3. And as the mind of man begets an Image of what it conceives, so God that eternal mind, when he conceived of himself, he begat that Image of himself, which we call the Son of God, perfectly resembling the Father. See in the Notes upon that word (Father) in the first Article of the Creed, seven things, wherein this eternal generation of Gods Son is unlike to our generation by earthly parents.
4. How he was begotten? To this question a perfect answer cannot bee giuen by vs in this mortality, Pro. 30. 4. It is a Mystery exceeds all mortall capacity. Yet the Lord is pleased to let fall certaine similitudes in Scriptures, that giue vs some glimpse of it: as when Christ is called the Wisedome or Word of his Father, Pro. 8. Iohn. 1. thereby we gather, that as the soule begets reason, or the word that is afterwards to be vttered, beget I say, within it selfe without ioyning with any other creature; so doth God as an eternall minde beget his Sonne in himselfe: so when Christ is called the brightnesse of his Fathers glory, it imports, that as shining is begotten of the Sun, so is Christ of the Father,