A69028:660
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.
A thing is said to be eternal, either improperly or properly: improperly, and so two ways: First, when a thing is said to last a long while: and so the ceremonies of Moses, and circumcision were said to endure for ever, Gen. 17. Numb. 18. Secondly, when a thing hath no end which yet had a beginning, and so Angels, devils, the souls of men, Heaven and Hell are eternal But properly God only is eternal, because he hath neither beginning nor end, or is the beginning without beginning, and the end without end.
A thing is said to be eternall, either improperly or properly: improperly, and so two waies: First, when a thing is said to last a long while: and so the ceremonies of Moses, and circumcision were said to endure for euer, Gen. 17. Numb. 18. Secondly, when a thing hath no end which yet had a beginning, and so Angels, diuels, the soules of men, Heauen and Hell are eternall But properly God onely is eternall, because he hath neither beginning nor end, or is the beginning without beginning, and the end without end.
Or this difference in the continuance of things may be fitly expressed by the description of eternity made by Boethius. Eternity is the interminable, total, perfect and together pleasant possession of life: for in this description each word makes a difference between things in their duration: for first, some things so continue that they have both beginning and end, as the brute beasts, these are barred out by the word interminable. Again, some things are interminable in respect of essence, but have no life as the heaven of the blessed: Thirdly, some things are interminable, both in respect of essence and life, but their life is miserable and painful, as the spirits in hell: and so they have not pleasant possession of life: Fourthly, some things have an interminable pleasant possession of life, but it is not total: as all the blessed in heaven before the day of Judgement: for they have a pleasant possession of life, but it is in their souls, not in their bodies: Fifthly, some things have a total possession of pleasant life, but it is not together: so the Angels before the day of judgement have a total possession of