A69028:425
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 1 › I Believe in God.THE CREEDE. › Article 1 › I Beleeue in God.
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 last thing that she weth the goodness of Gods nature is his Patience, and his Patience is admirable.
The last thing that she weth the goodnesse of Gods nature is his Patience, and his Patience is admirable.
1. If we consider the provocations to move him to implacable displeasure, and these arise either from the consideration of the persons that provoke him, or from the things by which he is provoked: there are four things that might irritate extremely, if we look upon the persons provoking. The first is their Number: worlds of men by their sins daily transgress and offend against God; if he look down from heaven, he may see what to loath in the works of all men: scarce one of a City, or two of a Tribe that have any care to please God. The second is their enmity, God is provoked by men that are his professed enemies, and therefore might conceive just fury against them, there being no reason why he should pity or spare them. Thirdly, it adds to the provocation that they are his creatures: the work of his own hands; they rebel against him that were made by him, and therefore the indignity of the offence is the greater. Fourthly, their impotency, he needs not fear them, he might blow them away at once as a little dust of the Balance: he could destroy them with frogs, and lice, and flies: and for the evils by which he is provoked, what ⟨p. 90⟩man or Angel can describe the heinousness of them? what heart of man can conceive the horror of the sins of the whole world. All the Commandments of God being broken by every man, many of their sins committed with an high hand, crying to heaven for vengeance, Treasons daily and every where, and these committed before the very face of God, no place so sacred, but wretched men dare offend there, the frame of transgression beginning from the womb, and holding on to the grave, and the offenders relapsing by breaking their vows and covenants, from time to time, and to make up all, that Traitorous man should yield himself to be wholly governed, and led forth against God by the devil the Arch-enemy of God.