A69028:1689
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
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.
The Passion of Christ is both Privative and Positive.
The Passion of Christ is both Priuatiue and Positiue.
His Privative Passion did consist in this, that he wanted that glory, joy and felicity, which he might and ought to have had, if he had not voluntarily for the redemption of man deprived himself of such glory and felicity: and this kind of Passion did extend it self to both Natures. For first his Divine Nature suffered as it were an eclipse of glory all the time of our Saviours dwelling on earth; it was hidden as it were behind the veil: for if his Divinity had shone out in the brightness of the glory of it, when he came to dwell amongst us, (John ••. 14.) it would have been as ⟨p. 316⟩wonderful on earth amongst men, as it was and is in heaven amongst Angels. And besides, though the glory of Christs Divinity be so infinite, as nothing can be added to it, or taken from it in it self, yet is it said to be glorified or obscured according to the conceptions of it in the minds of men, and so he suffered a privation of glory, or rather a defect of it, in that light came into the world, and the darkness of mens hearts was such as they did not comprehend it. Yea it was a great Passion, that the Divinity of Christ should be so slowly and by so few acknowledged all the days of Christs being in the flesh on earth. And as for his humane Nature, there was due to it all abundance of glory, and happiness, and joyful life, in as much as he was a just man, and did perfectly fulfil the whole Law of God; for he that doth that should live, the meaning is, he should live a most pleasant and happy life for ever. But this glory also for our sakes he was contented to want for a time to his very humane Nature. Of this kind of Passion is spoken, Joh. 17. 5. Phil. 27. and this privation of glory he suffered, that we might be brought to perfect glory in heaven; and that we may see how hateful the clouds of our sins were, that could darken and hide from shining the beams of such glory; and to teach us to be content though our lives be also hid with Christ, as his was when he lived in this world, expecting the revealing of our glory, when he appears in glory,