A69028:2089
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 4 › Dead.THE CREEDE. › Article 4 › Dead.
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.
But yet we are further to inquire into this question, and to consider whether this death belong to the person of Christ, ⟨p. 419⟩or only to his Natures, or to each of them, he being God and man in one person: And in this we must take heed what our hearts answer: for though it be true that Christ died in respect of the flesh, so as it was only the flesh that suffered death, in respect of the Nature that died, yet his death belonged to the Word, in respect of the Person: for the Word, the Lord of life and glory, suffered and died, not in respect of his Divinity, which is immutable, and altogether impassible, but in respect of his Humanity, or in his flesh, God did not die with the flesh, but in the flesh, and he died in his flesh, that is, in that flesh which was united to the divine Nature. If the flesh of Christ were the flesh of the Son of God, then his dying in the flesh, doth belong to him as the Son of God. Thus his blood is said to be the Blood of God, Act. 20. 28. and this we must needs believe, for else his death, as a bare man, could not have been of sufficient merit for all our sins.
But yet we are further to inquire into this question, and to consider whether this death belong to the person of Christ, ⟨p. 419⟩or only to his Natures, or to each of them, he being God and man in one person: And in this we must take heed what our hearts answer: for though it be true that Christ died in respect of the flesh, so as it was only the flesh that suffered death, in respect of the Nature that died, yet his death belonged to the Word, in respect of the Person: for the Word, the Lord of life and glory, suffered and died, not in respect of his Diuinitie, which is immutable, and altogether impassible, but in respect of his Humanitie, or in his flesh, God did not die with the flesh, but in the flesh, and he died in his flesh, that is, in that flesh which was vnited to the diuine Nature. If the flesh of Christ were the flesh of the Sonne of God, then his dying in the flesh, doth belong to him as the Sonne of God. Thus his bloud is said to be the Bloud of God, Act. 20. 28. and this we must needs beleeue, for else his death, as a bare man, could not haue beene of sufficient merit for all our sinnes.