A69028:808
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.
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.
The consideration of this Doctrine of the Trinity should serve for divers Uses.
The consideration of this Doctrine of the Trinity should serue for diuers Vses.
1. It should strike us with amazement and admiration of the glory of God, and remove the sense of our own insufficiency and narrowness of heart and understanding, who are so overcome with glory that our minds are not able to conceive of, or behold these wonderful secrets in the Divinity: It should work in us an unspeakable fear and Reverence to think of the being of God, that so infinitely excels the being of all creatures in heaven and earth.
1. It should strike vs with amazement and admiration of the glory of God, and remoue the sense of our owne insufficiencie and narrownesse of heart and vnderstanding, who are so ouercome with glory that our mindes are not able to conceiue of, or behold these wonderfull secrets in the Diuinity: It should worke in vs an vnspeakeable feare and Reuerence to thinke of the being of God, that so infinitely excells the being of all creatures in heauen and earth.
2. It should compel upon us, more care and attendance of spirit in worshipping God, so as we be sure we direct our service to him that is one in Nature and three in Persons: for ⟨p. 127⟩worship belongs equally to all three Persons. And herein the Christian fundamentally differs from Pagans, Turks, and Jews, and in heart becomes as one of those when he worships a God that is not three Persons.
2. It should compell vpon vs, more care and attendance of spirit in worshipping God, so as we be sure we direct our seruice to him that is one in Nature and three in Persons: for ⟨p. 127⟩worship belongs equally to all three Persons. And herein the Christian fundamentally differs from Pagans, Turkes, and Iewes, and in heart becomes as one of those when he worships a God that is not three Persons.
3. We are bound to take notice as of the common glory of all the Persons, so of that special glory is due to each person, as we find it either described in the Word of God, or expressed in the works of God.
3. We are bound to take notice as of the common glory of all the Persons, so of that speciall glory is due to each person, as we finde it either described in the Word of God, or expressed in the workes of God.
4. We must take heed what we speak of the Trinity in Unity; for we may fall upon such forms of speech, as may be extremely erroneous and dangerous: and for the help of the ignorant, I will note divers of the speeches which are dangerous and unsound: as that there are three Gods, three Eternals, three Almighties, &c. or that the Essence is distinguished into the Father, Son, and holy Ghost; that God is threefold, or that there is a triplicity in God; that God doth beget another God; that the Father is another thing from the Son; that the Son and holy Ghost have a beginning of their Essence; that the Person was begotten or did proceed from the Essence: by discerning where the error lies in these sentences we may try our skill in the former doctrine of the Trinity.
4. We must take heede what wee speake of the Trinity in Vnity; for we may fall vpon such formes of speech, as may be extreamely erronious and dangerous: and for the helpe of the ignorant, I will note diuers of the speeches which are dangerous and vnsound: as that there are three Gods, three Eternalls, three Almighties, &c. or that the Essence is distinguished into the Father, Son, and holy Ghost; that God is threefold, or that there is a triplicity in God; that God doth beget another God; that the Father is another thing from the Son; that the Sonne and holy Ghost haue a beginning of their Essence; that the Person was begotten or did proceede from the Essence: by discerning where the errour lies in these sentences wee may try our skill in the former doctrine of the Trinitie.
5. The Doctrine of the Trinity should be wonderful comfortable unto the true Christian, because as the Apostle John shows there are three in Heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Spirit, which will avouch the happiness of the true believer: and his comfort may be increased, if he consider what was before taught, that all three Persons do join in the work of his Redemption, 1. John 5. 9.
5. The Doctrine of the Trinity should be wonderfull comfortable vnto the true Christian, because as the Apostle Iohn shewes there are three in Heauen, the Father, the Word, and the Spirit, which will auouch the happinesse of the true beleeuer: and his comfort may be increased, if he consider what was before taught, that all three Persons doe ioyne in the work of his Redemption, 1. Iohn 5. 9.
Lastly, it is not unprofitable out of the Doctrine of the Trinity to show how all sorts of Heretics have assaulted it, & bin confuted by it, which may be briefly thus showed. We must believe that in the Trinity there is nothing created as Dionysius would have it: nothing unequal, as Eunomius and Aetius: nothing before or after or lesser then other as Arius said: nothing foreign or serving to another as Macedonius said: nothing inserted by stealth or persuasion, as Manichaeus said: nothing corporeal, or in fashion of bodies as Melito, Tertullian ⟨p. 128⟩and Vadianus said: nothing invisible to themselves as Origen said, or visible to the Creatures as Fortunatus said: nothing divers in motion or will as Marcion said: nothing taken out of the Essence of the Trinity and put into the Nature of the creatures, as Plato and Tertullian said: nothing singular in office, or communicable to another as Origen said: nothing confounded as Sabellius said. Aug. Tom. 3.
Lastly, it is not vnprofitable out of the Doctrine of the Trinity to shew how all sorts of Hereticks haue assaulted it, & bin confuted by it, which may be briefely thus shewed. We must beleeue that in the Trinity there is nothing created as Dionisius would haue it: nothing vnequall, as Eunomius and Aetius: nothing before or after or lesser then other as Arius said: nothing forraine or seruing to another as Macedonius said: nothing inserted by stealth or perswasion, as Manichaeus said: nothing corporeall, or in fashion of bodies as Melito, Tertullian ⟨p. 128⟩and Vadianus said: nothing inuisible to themselues as Origen said, or visible to the Creatures as Fortunatus said: nothing diuers in motion or will as Marcion said: nothing taken out of the Essence of the Trinity and put into the Nature of the creatures, as Plato and Tertullian said: nothing singular in office, or communicable to another as Origen said: nothing confounded as Sabellius said. Aug. Tom. 3.
Thus of the Trinity in general.
Thus of the Trinity in generall.
The Father.]
This term Father is attributed to God both essentially and personally. Essentially, and so the term belongs to each Person in the Trinity, as being a term that follows the God-head, Mat. 23. 9. and thus God is said to be a Father divers ways: as, first, by Predestination, because he enrols the Elect as Sons from all eternity, Ephes. 1. 3. secondly, by Creation, because he made things to be of nothing by his own power, thus Adam is said to be the Son of God, Luke 3. 38. and and God is called the Father of spirits, Heb. 12. 9. thirdly, by temporal redemption, and so God is acknowledged for the Father of the Israelites, because he made them a people to himself, and brought them out of Egypt and gave them the outward privileges of his children, Isaiah 63. 16. 11. 12. fourthly, by regeneration, when he changeth our natures and makes them like his divine Nature, 2. Pet. 1. 4. and so we are sons so soon as we believe, John 1. 12. and so soon as he gives us the Spirit of Sanctification and Adoption, Rom. 8. 15. fifthly, by personal union, and so Christ in respect of his humane nature is the Son of God: because that nature doth subsist in the divine Nature, Luke 1. Now all these ways God is a Father by grace; and in respect of Regeneration, the second Person in the Trinity is called a Father aswell as the first, Isaiah 9. 6. 7. and is said to have an offspring and generation, Isaiah 53. 10. Lastly, God is said to be a Father by Nature, and by generation, as he begets a Son, consubstantial with himself, and so the first Person in the Trinity is called Father only, as he is the Natural Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
This terme Father is attributed to God both essentially and personally. Essentially, and so the terme belongs to each Person in the Trinity, as being a terme that followes the God-head,
In the Creed here Faith beholds God as a Father principally in respect of eternal generation, as the first Person in ⟨p. 129⟩Trinity is the Father of the second, but withal, as it extracts virtue out of that high Mystery, it lays hold upon the Father of Christ, as he is our Father in Christ also: for Faith is of that Nature, that when it lays hold of any thing, it will not off, till it have gotten by contemplation and conclusion what may be collected any way from thence.
In the Creed heere Faith beholds God as a Father principally in respect of eternall generation, as the first Person in ⟨p. 129⟩Trinity is the Father of the second, but withall, as it extracts vertue out of that high Mysterie, it layes hold vpon the Father of Christ, as he is our Father in Christ also: for Faith is of that Nature, that when it laies hold of any thing, it will not off, till it haue gotten by contemplation and conclusion what may be collected any way from thence.
We are first then to consider of God as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and then as our Father.
Wee are first then to consider of God as the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ, and then as our Father.
As God is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, these things would be proved and opened.
As God is the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ, these things would be proued and opened.
1. That God doth beget a Sonne. 2. That JESUS CHRIST is that Sonne. 3. The manner of this Generation.
1. That God doth beget a Sonne. 2. That IESVS CHRIST is that Sonne. 3. The manner of this Generation.
