A69028:2607
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.
3. When I say, he doth wilfully and wholly fall away, I mean divers things. First, that this sin cannot be committed by such as continue in the same manner they were in relation to Religion, it must have apostasy in it. Secondly, it must be a wilful apostasy, which is when a man falls into sin not only against his knowledge, but without any temptation, Heb. 10. 26. and this excludes the sins of David and Peter. Thirdly, I say, it must be a total apostasy, not a falling into some one or two gross evils, but a falling away from respect of all parts of truth, that should master his nature or works, though he show not all this openly; but in heart he is an Apostate from all grace. He doth as it were depose, or abrogate all the Law, Heb. 10. 28.
3. When I say, he doth wilfully and wholly fall away, I meane diuers things. First, that this sin cannot be committed by such as continue in the same manner they were in relation to Religion, it must haue apostacie in it. Secondly, it must be a wilfull apostacie, which is when a man falls into sin not only against his knowledge, but without any temptation, Heb. 10. 26. and this excludes the sins of Dauid and Peter. Thirdly, I say, it must be a totall apostacie, not a falling into some one or two grosse euils, but a falling away from respect of all parts of truth, that should master his nature or works, though he shew not all this openly; but in heart he is an Apostata from all grace. He doth as it were depose, or abrogate all the Law, Heb. 10. 28.
4. When I say contemning the Gospel, I mean two things. The one, that he doth loath that way of salvation by Christ; and the other, that he doth extremely scorn the means of publishing the Gospel, that is effectual to work sanctification in men, and that means which had before power to work change in the party himself: both these