A69028:815
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.
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