A69028:777

The rule of faith, or, An exposition of the Apostles Creed so handled as…

Name: The rule of faith, or, An exposition of the Apostles Creed so handled as…
Author: Nicholas Byfield

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

Title page: Internet Archive scan of the Early English Books microfilm (opens the Internet Archive in a new tab)

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.

[ Earlier:774–789 of 2,700

:774p. 120

The difference of the Persons, is two ways to be considered: for first, they differ from the Essence, and then one from another.

The difference of the Persons, is two waies to bee considered: for first, they differ from the Essence, and then one from another.

:775p. 120–121

The Persons in the Trinity differ from the Essence: which that it may be understood, we must know that some things differ, Ratione, not Re: that is not in deed, but in respect of our conceiving: as for instance, The Attributes of God differ, but how? not in deed nor in themselves, but only in our cogitation of them: and so the power of heating and of drying in the Sun, differs only in respect of conceiving, for in the power it self there is no distinction to be found, it is found only in our heads. But this is not the difference in the Trinity: for the Persons differ one from another really, and would so do if we never thought of them. A real distinction is grounded either upon the respect of the essence of things, or in respect of the manner of being. A distinction in respect of essence is not in the Trinity, for all the Persons have the same essence; it remains then that the Persons in the Trinity differ from the essence only in respect of the manner of their being: and so (in short) differs from the essence, as the manner of a thing differs from the thing it self. The manner of being in every thing doth determine it: Now things in respect of the manner are three ways to be considered of, for there is the ¹manner of the essence, the manner of having that essence, or the manner of subsisting. The manner of the Essence is showed by Attributes, as when we say, It is true, good, Just, &c. The manner of having that essence, is either with or without dependence: as in the creature, the manner of their having their essence is by dependence upon God: and in the Creator, the ⟨p. 121⟩essence is had of himself without any dependence. The manner of subsisting, is the furnishing of a thing with peculiar Relation, including a Person. Now then the Persons in the Trinity

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The book

Title as printed

Author

Nicholas Byfield 1579–1622

Place

London

Printer

G.M.

Bookseller

Philemon Stephens and Christopher Meredith

Year

1626

Size

[8], 563 [i.e. 535], [23] p.

Words

212,467

Catalogue

STC 4233.3 · ESTC S113882

Text

EEBO-TCP A69028

Passages

2,700

Sections

Title page

The rule of faith, or, An exposition of the Apostles Creed so handled as…

Ob. Some may say, it seems impossible, that three should ¹be one.

Ob. Some may say, it seemes impossible, that three should ¹be one.

Ob. He that seeth Christ, sees the Father, for he is in the Father, and the Father in him: therefore the Father and the Son ¹are but one Person.

Ob. If the being of the Father be not the being of the Son or holy Ghost: then it follows that there are three divers beings ¹and so three Essences.

Ob. If the being of the Father be not the being of the Sonne or holy Ghost: then it followes that there are three diuers beings ¹and so three Essences.

Transcription key

Reformers309

Puritans1,782

Westminster Assembly24

Evangelicals36

Ob. Some may say, it seems impossible, that three should 1be one.

Ob. Some may say, it seemes impossible, that three should 1be one.

Ob. He that seeth Christ, sees the Father, for he is in the Father, and the Father in him: therefore the Father and the Son 1are but one Person.

Ob. If the being of the Father be not the being of the Son or holy Ghost: then it follows that there are three divers beings 1and so three Essences.

Ob. If the being of the Father be not the being of the Sonne or holy Ghost: then it followes that there are three diuers beings 1and so three Essences.