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A69028 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. Byfield, Nicholas, 1579-1622.; Byfield, Adoniram, d. 1660. 1626 (1626) STC 4233.3; ESTC S113882 419,023 572

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〈◊〉 vnbegotten It is in the Sonne 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 communicated by generation It is in the holy Ghost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 proceeding Now the humane nature is assumed by the diuine considered onely as it is in the Sonne and in the manner as the sonne enioyes it God the Father that eternall minde begets the Word or perfect Image of himselfe which is the second person Now to that Image of the Fathers person is the nature of man vnited It is true that the Incarnation being a worke ad Extra is common to all three Persons in the Trinity for about it all three worke and yet the Sonne onely did assume our Nature though the Father also did worke it by the holy Ghost Diuines vse to expresse it thus three Virgins in one common worke make a garment which one of them onely weares so heere the three persons make the humane nature which onely the second Person puts on or assumes when it was made The fourth thing is what was assumed and so in generall the matter assumed was the seede of the woman Gen. 3. 15. The seede of Abraham the seede of Dauid the flesh of the Virgin Mary In particular he tooke 1. A true humane bodie not the shew of a body not any diuine or Celestiall body but a true humane body the very flesh which the body of man consists of 2. A true humane soule aswell as body Mat. 26. 38. Marke 14. 34. Luke 23. 46. 3. The naturall proprieties of a humane soule and body for he was made like vnto vs in all things Heb. 2. 12. 4. 18. By proprieties I meane such proprieties as agree to the humane nature now or by Gods decree sh●ll be fastened vpon the humane nature as his body on earth was heauy and needed meate and drinke and sleepe but now in Heauen is spirituall shineth as the Sunne and needs no food 4. The infirmities belonging vnto our nature both in soule body that this may be rightly vnderstood we must distinguish as first about the infirmities bodily some arise from an outward cause some an inward Those that arise from outward causes Christ bare onely so many of them as by the counsell of God or in respect of his Office was needfull for him to beare Such were the calamities and sorsorrowes inflicted vpon him by others and borne by him as our High-Priest These that arise from an inward cause doe either vniuersally follow the whole nature of man since it was fallen as to be subiect to heate cold wearines paine or the like or else are personall and arise not from the common sinne of man nor fall vpon all men at all times but are found onely in some men such as are some kinde of diseases the former sort Christ bare not the latter Now the infirmities of the soule are likewise of two sorts some vitious and detestable as sins others vnblameable deseruing rather pittie then punishment as to bee ignorant of some things feare sadnesse anger and the like the former sort were not in Christ Luke 1. 35. Heb. 4. 15. Ioh. 8. 46. The latter were Luke 2. 52. Marke 13. 32. Mat 26. 37. Iohn 11. 33. And those affections in Christ differed much from ours for his were easily ruled by right reason but not so ours his were carried onely to good obiects ours often to euill Christ was troubled in his affections and so are we but with great difference His affections were without sin As a glasse that is cleane and hath cleane water in it if it be shaked and tossed yet there is no filth in the water but if the glasse be foule and mud be setled at the bottome of the water if it bee shaked the water is all foule so is the difference betweene the trouble of Christs affections and ours The fifth point is the time when the Sonne of God was Incarnate and that was not assoone as man was fallen but long after it being deferred by the Wisdome of God of purpose that man being left to himselfe might both feele his disease and see need to call for the remedie and exercise his Faith in the expectation of it and that it might appeare that all mankinde was vnrecouerably fallen into mischiefe of themselues And at that time was this wonderfull worke done when most fitly an example of the Iustice of God towards the Iewes and his mercy towards the Gentiles might be shewed for at that time when the Word was made flesh was the sin of the Iewes almost full and among the Gentiles in that ripe Age of the world were innumerable Elect ones ready for the spirituall haruest Mathew 9. 37. Luke 10. 2. Iohn 4. 35. Gal. 4. 4. The sixth point is the Reasons why it was necessary hee should be Incarnate and these are diuers first the Iustice of God required that satisfaction should be made in the same nature that offended secondly for satisfaction the maledictions and curses of the Law and in particular death must bee inflicted vpon him that will bee our surety Now as God hee was impassible and immortall hee could not suffer nor die thirdly he tooke not the Nature of Angels but of man that so he might bee a mercifull High-Priest and fit to deale with man and for man as concerned not onely our necessities but our infirmities too Heb. 2. 17. 18. The seuenth point is how he was Incarnate or the manner of the Incarnation how the Word was made flesh This is a great Mystery and cannot fully bee expressed or comprehended especially by vs in this estate of Mortality yet diuers things may be vttered as 1. He did not assume the nature of man as it is extra subiectum or a thing that is conceiued by the minde or as it is common in the soules and bodies of all men but as the nature of a man is in one subiect in vno indiuiduo 2. The nature of man as it was in the wombe of the Virgin was in the very moment of the Conception ioyned to the Nature of God in personall vnion so as soule and body in Christ did not make a person as it doth in other men but did and doe subsist in the person of the Sonne of God being carried and vpheld by the diuine nature of Christ so as both his natures make but one person in him and this may bee gathered out of these places Luke 1. 36. Esay 7. 14. 3. We may approach to a better vnderstanding of this vnion if we consider it by way of negation how it differs from other vnions The word and the flesh are made one not in Essence as the Persons in Trinity are one nor in nature as soule and body make a third nature nor is this vnion carnall as man and wife are one nor spirituall or mysticall as God and the faithfull are one or as Christ and the Church are one but personall the two natures being one in person Nor is the flesh in the Word by simple inhabitation
a vehement desire to bee made like vnto his nature If he come so neere to vs to take our nature wee should desire to approach to him to take his nature If he were made like vnto vs in infirmities we should striue to be made like vnto him in grace and holinesse shall hee descend to vs and shall not we ascend to him If he abase himselfe to t●ke the proprieties of our Nature how should we striue to be exalted in taking to vs the vertues of his nature and for our respect to other Christians the Apostle from this Doctrine tels the Philippians in what things they should be like-minded to Christ They should learne of him to be humble and to shew their loue to their brethren though it were to deny themselues and their owne profit or seeking the good of others and not their owne good which you may reade there vrged at large Phil 2. 6 7. Thirdly the Doctrine of the Incarnation might be very comfortable to all the godly and so in diuers respects First in that he did take our Nature into vnion with his diuine Nature we should ioy in it for is it not an admirable priuiledge that the nature of man is taken into such a society with the holy Trinity being a part of Christ who is the second person in Trinity who can sufficiently admire the honour done to our nature that it should now be one with the blessed Trinity Secondly if wee consider what he assumed He tooke my whole Nature that I might be wholly saued he left nothing of man which hee tooke not to himselfe Thirdly to comfort vs in all infirmities and distresses hee made himselfe like vnto vs He was poore with Lazarus wept with Mary thirsted with the woman of Samaria was an hungry in the wildernesse to satisfie for our eating in the Garden he was in bonds with Paul he was tempted that hee might succour vs that are tempted in all things he became like to vs that we might not sinke vnder the burthen of our infirmities or sufferings Fourthly it must it needes be a great deale of comfort to vs to haue such assurance giuen vs of his loue to vs that for our sakes would ioyne his Maiesty to our vilenesse his power to our weaknesse his immortality to our mortality that being in the for me of God would for vs vouchsafe to be in the for me of a seruant Fifthly it comforts vs in that it may wonderfully settle our faith in beleeuing in him we may safely rest vpon him that wants not power to saue vs seeing he is God nor will to saue vs seeing he is one of vs a true man that hath had experience of our miseries Sixthly it should greatly encourage our hearts in all our suits to God seeing our owne flesh and bloud sits at the right hand of God what can wee aske the Father in his Name that will be denyed He that was made like to vs in suffering will neuer bee strange to vs in praying He that became our brother by Incarnation will not shew himselfe a stranger in the businesse of Intercession Lastly in the hope of our glorification in Heauen we receiue hence great comfort for therefore did the Sonne of God become the Sonne of man on earth that the Sonnes of men might become the Sonnes of God in Heauen Lastly this Doctrine also is not without terrour to wicked men that will not receiue him whom GOD hath sent amongst them that God which hath beene so wonderfull in sending his Sonne to liue amongst vs in our nature if we will not beleeue in him and striue to be like to him will make himselfe wonderfull in our destruction This will be the condemnation of the world that so great a light came into the world and the world receiued it not Hitherto of the Incarnation in generall Now we come to consider of the parts of his Incarnation viz. his conception by the Holy Ghost and his birth of the Virgin Mary One thing is common to both these parts viz. the anunciation of them by an Angell God sent an Angell from Heauen to signifie both these wonders in the Incarnation of our Sauiour and the Ministery of an Angell is vsed in the beginning of our redemption by the Incarnation of our Sauiour partly because as in our perdition an euill angell came to the woman in the Serpent so would God haue a good Angell come to the woman to treat with her about our Redemption and partly because good Angels were in some respects witnesses in the worke of our Redemption for thereby the places amongst the Angels made void by the fall of diuels are by the Redeemer to be supplyed by holy men and withall the Angels receiuing their confirmation in goodnesse from Christ are now actually to subiect themselues together with Elect men vnder that one Head Christ Iesus Now concerning the Conception which is the first part of Incarnation these things are to be considered 1. The proofes that there was such a conception 2. Who was so conceiued 3. Of whom hee was so conceiued 4. What was done by the Holy Ghost in this conception 5. How it was done 6. When it was done 7. The effects of this conception in respect of vs. 8. Why it was necessary hee should bee thus conceiued 9. Where the Body of CHRIST was when it was thus conceiued 10. A question about the Virgin Mary and lastly the Vses of all For the first that our Sauiour was conceiued of the Holy Ghost is proued by this Text Luke 1. 35. as also Mat. 1. 18 20. and Rom. 1. 3 4. For the second if wee respect the matter conceiued then Christ man was conceiued but if we respect the person conceiued the second Person in the Trinity was conceiued in the wombe of the Virgin for so it is said in this Text that it was the Son of the most High and the Prophet Esay saith it was Emmanuel God with vs for though the Virgin did not giue the diuine Nature to Christ yet the person that receiues the humane Nature in her wombe was the Sonne of God Ob. Then it seemes the whole diuine Essence was conceiued for the whole diuine Essence was in the second Person in the Trinity Answ This Incarnation was not according to his Essence but according to his person the person onely assumed our nature in this Conception Luk. 1. 31. 32. 35. Rom. 9. 5. 1. Tim. 3. 16. and therfore to speake properly we may not say that in this conception the humane nature began to be for that hath no subsistence in it selfe but the Person began to bee then in the humane nature Tylen For the third he was conceiued of the holy Ghost as the former proofes shew He was not conceiued as other men be by propagation or by generation in the coniunction of man and woman but without man by the working of the holy Ghost Ob. If he were conceiued of the holy Ghost then the holy Ghost
Christ the person by whom it is is described by her condition shee was a Virgin and by her name she was Mary and her name is added to bring to our remembrance the Genealogy of Christ who tooke flesh of her that was of the seed of Dauid in a right Linage that thereby the promises made to the Fathers might be accomplished Now concerning the Birth of Christ we must know that hee is said to be borne three waies Of his Father and of his Mother and in the minde of Man of his Father hee is borne eternally of his Mother temporally in the minde of man spiritually In Christ there are three things which haue Relation to his Natiuity Deity Flesh and Spirit of his Father he is borne God of his Mother Flesh and in the minde of Man Spirit so as this latter way be vnderstood Metaphorically of his Father hee was borne euer of his Mother he is borne once and in the minde of Man he is borne often According to diuine Natiuity he hath a Father without a Mother according to humane Natiuity he hath a Mother without a Father and according to his spirituall Natiuity hee hath both Father and Mother according to that saying of his he that doth my Fathers will is my Father and my Mother In the birth of Christ God was manifested in the flesh 1. Tim. 3. 16. manifested I say three waies as he was before three waies hid first from out of the bosome of his Father in whom he was couered secondly from vnder the shadowes of the Law in which he was prefigured thirdly from the wombe of his Mother in which he was formed The effects of the Natiuity of Christ were diuers for first in respect of God himselfe the effect was his glory Luke 2. 14. The glory I say of his truth wisedome goodnesse and Iustice secondly in respect of godly men the effect is their Saluation because he was borne to be a Propher Priest and King euen to effect all things that might tend to their Saluation Acts 4. 12. and in particular peace was a speciall effect of his Manifestation in the flesh Luke 2. 14. Peace I say aboue vs with God Peace within with our owne consciences and peace about vs with men and neighbours and peace below vs in respect of Sathan and Hell because we are deliuered from their power and furie What shall I say he was borne into naturall life that we might be borne againe into eternall life thirdly in respect of the wicked the effect of his Birth was their Iudgement for he was borne for the falling of many in Israel Luke 2. 34. and this is the condemnation of the world that light is come into the world and the world comprehended it not Ioh. 1. and that God should send his owne Son to be the light and yet men loued darkenesse more then light Ioh. 3. 19. The place where our Sauiour was borne was Bethlehem which howsoeuer it fell out by accident to be there in respect of the mother which did not by any purpose of her owne choose that place yet indeed it was the place forespoken of by the Prophet Mich. 5. 2. and was appointed of purpose by the Counsell and prouidence of God that euen hence the godly might bee warned of the fulfilling of the promise made to Dauid the Bethlemite Luke 2. 4. The time when he was borne was the time agreeing with the propheticall Oracles called the fulnesse of time Gal 4. 4. The time when the Scepter was departed from Iudah an Idumaean now sitting at the Sterne Gen. 49. 10. A time when the Iewish Church and Common-wealth was brought so low as there was no helpe to be expected but from Heauen The entertainment hee had at the time of his birth was very poore and meane he was borne of a poore Mother and hee was borne so poore that he might make vs rich 2 Cor. 8. and that he might thereby trample vnder his feet as vile that vaine pride of wordly men that so much bragge of their worldly glory and nobility of their birth And when he might not haue a place in the Inne hee was not ashamed to lye in a Manger that by choosing the weake things of this world he might confound the mighty and might prepare a place for vs and many Mansions in his Fathers house In the manifestation of the Natiuity of Christ God shewed maruellous wisdome who to shew himselfe to be no respecter of persons and that he brought this light into the world for all sorts of men He shewed it both to the Shepherds and to the wise men the one Israelites the other Gentiles the one poore and simple the other rich and wise the one neere the other farre of both sorts to be ioyned vpon the same corner stone The same light appeared to Anna a woman as well as to Simeon that iust man that it might be euident that in him that was then borne there was neither circumcision nor vncircumcision Iew nor Gentle Male nor Female Gal. 3. 28. Col. 3. 11. Thus of his birth in generall his birth of a Virgin followes Now that he was born of a Virgin is euidently proued not only by the History of the Gospell but by the Prophesie of God himselfe in Paradise when he said The seede of the woman should breake the Serpents head Gen. 3. 15. And by the prophesie of Iacob the Patriarke Gen. 49. 10. Where Christ is named Shiloh that is the Sonne of his Secundines not the Sonne of his loynes now the Secundines belong to the Nature of the woman not to the man and by the Prophesie of Esay who said Behold a Virgin shall conceiue Esay 7. 14. And it was prefigured by the stone cut out of the Mountaine without any hands Dan. 2. And it was published by the Angell Gabriel Luk. 1. 31. The reasons why hee was borne of a woman without a man haue beene shewed before It is a worke most wonderfull He is borne in the armes of a woman that himselfe beares vp the whole world in the hand of his power Men hath beene produced foure wayes First without either man or woman as Adam was 2. Without woman as Eue was 3. Without man as Christ was 4. With man and woman as all other men were Christ was to the Virgin a Sonne and her first borne Hee was called her first borne not because she had any sonnes afterwards but because he was borne first though he were her onely Sonne Christs brethren were his Kinsmen nor doth the terme first borne import any following for the first borne in Law were so called before they knew whether they should haue a second childe and it is a godly profession of Diuines in all ages that she was a Virgin before birth and in the birth and after the birth though this latter be no Article of faith or principle of Religion The Bread of Life was borne in the house of bread and the most fruit-bearing Natiuity was