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.
Nicholas Byfield 1579–1622London: printed by G.M. for Philemon Stephens and Christopher Meredith, 1626
[8], 563 [i.e. 535], [23] p. · 212k words · STC 4233.3 · ESTC S113882
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.
For the first: of all knowledges it is the hardest to attain the true knowledge of God, and there are many things that hinder and hide God from us: as,
For the first: of all knowledges it is the hardest to attaine the true knowledge of God, and there are many things that hinder and hide God from vs: as,
1. The transcendent glory of Gods nature, the brightness of which is such, that the eyes of our minds are not able to look upon it, much less can any senses of our bodies attain him,
is God, whether we look about the earth, seas, air, or heavens, God is that thing which no opinion can reach: He is more then words can tell, or thoughts can think. God is such a thing, as when we name him, he cannot be named;
and the Reason is, that which is finite can hold no proportion with that which is infinite. And therefore he that would define God had need to have Gods Logic, for no mans Logic can reach to it: for though nothing be more present every where then God yet nothing is more incomprehensible. God is immense, and therefore who can tell (as one saith) the length of his Eternity, or the breadth
of his Love, or the height of his Majesty, or the depth of his Wisdom. And though it be true, that there are divers names given to God, yet those names do not explicate what God is, but only so much of him, as of us can be conceived; for that which is said of God is not God, because he is
ineffable: The Heathen man could say, that it is a hard labour to find out the Father of the world, but having found him, it was impossible to describe him with fit words, especially to make the vulgar sort to conceive of him. And therefore he is fitly styled, a light inaccessible.
1. The transcendent glory of Gods nature, the brightnesse of which is such, that the eyes of our mindes are not able to look vpon it, much lesse can any senses of our bodies attaine him, Gen. 32. 29. Iudges 13. 18. God is inuisible, wee cannot see him: he is ineffable, no words can tell vs what hee is: we may reckon a thousand things and yet none of them 1is God, whether we looke about the earth, seas, ayre, or heauens, God is that thing which no opinion can reach: Hee is more then words can tell, or thoughts can thinke. God is such a thing, as when we name him, hee cannot bee named; 2when we goe about to estimate him, he cannot bee estimated; when we goe about to compare him, hee cannot bee ⟨p. 45⟩compared, when we would define him hee increaseth bigger then any definition. He is greater then all words, then 3all senses, it is peculiar to God to exceede knowledge: wee may admire by silence, but cannot expresse him by words: 4and the Reason is, that which is finite can hold no proportion with that which is infinite. And therefore hee that would define God had neede to haue Gods Logick, for no mans Logick can reach to it: for though nothing be more present euery where then God yet nothing is more incomprehensible. God is immense, and therefore who can tell (as one saith) the length of his Eternity, or the breadth 5of his Loue, or the height of his Maiesty, or the depth of his Wisedom. And though it bee true, that there are diuers names giuen to God, yet those names do not explicate what God is, but onely so much of him, as of vs can bee conceiued; for that which is said of God is not God, because hee is 6ineffable: The Heathen man could say, that it is a hard labour to finde out the Father of the world, but hauing found him, it was impossible to describe him with fit words, especially to make the vulgar sort to conceiue of him. And therfore he is fitly styled, a light inaccessible.
1August.
2Hillary.Hillarie.
3Tert.
4Nissen.
5Bern.
6Plato. He is Ubique presens sed latens, ubique totus sed immensus.Plato. He is Vbique presens sed latens, vbique totus sed immensus.
2. The defect of measures hinders us. All the things by which 1we try and measure other things are of no use in describing God: for he is good without quality, great without quantity, every where whole without place, everlasting without time, he makes all sorts of mutable things, without mutation in himself or suffering any thing: he needs not a body to make him to be, nor a place to make him to be here, nor 2time, to make him to be now, or hereafter, or heretofore, he needs no subject in which he should subsist, or to which he should adhere. He is merciful without passion and Lord 3of all things, without addition of any thing to his wealth.
2. The defect of measures hinders vs. All the things by which 1we trie and measure other things are of no vse in describing God: for he is good without quality, great without quantity, euery where whole without place, euerlasting without time, he makes all sorts of mutable things, without mutation in himselfe or suffering any thing: hee needs not a body to make him to be, nor a place to make him to be heere, nor 2time, to make him to be now, or hereafter, or heretofore, he needs no subiect in which he should subsist, or to which he should adhere. He is mercifull without passion and Lord 3of all things, without addition of any thing to his wealth.
3. We want the benefit of similitudes: for Gods nature differs infinitely from the natures of all other things, and therefore nothing can be found to liken God to it, without singular injury, Isaiah 40. 17.
3. Wee want the benefit of similitudes: for Gods nature differs infinitely from the natures of all other things, and therfore nothing can be found to liken God to it, without singular iniurie, Esay 40. 17.
5. We are destitute of the help of Demonstration à priori as they call it in Schools. There was no essence before him, nor any thing that might leave the name or nature of a cause of his being.
5. We are destitute of the helpe of Demonstration à priori as they call it in Schooles. There was no essence before him, nor any thing that might leaue the name or nature of a cause of his being.
6. We are in and of our selves much more unable to conceive of God then we were at the first in our Creation, by reason of our fall from God into sin. The light we had being put ou•, and nothing left but sparkles; these sparkles left, breed more smoke in our minds then either heat or light: for,
6. We are in and of our selues much more vnable to conceiue of God then we were at the first in our Creation, by reason of our fall from God into sinne. The light we had being put ou•, and nothing left but sparkles; these sparkles left, breed more smoake in our mindes then either heate or light: for,
1. There is in us naturally a world of Atheistical conceits strange opinions about God, as appears not only by the variety of strange Religions, but also by that natural Atheism which every man by occasion feels in himself, when 1he either doubts of God, and thinks things that be altogether disagreeing and disproportional to the Nature of God.
1. There is in vs naturally a world of Atheisticall conceits strange opinions about God, as appeares not onely by the variety of strange Religions, but also by that naturall Atheisme which euery man by occasion feeles in himselfe, when 1he either doubts of God, and thinkes things that bee altogether disagreeing and disproportionall to the Nature of God.
