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.

Ob. Whose operations are distinct, their Essences are di∣stinct: * 1.1 but the operations of the Persons in the Trinity, especi∣ally those internall are distinct, therefore they haue distinct Essences.

Sol. The Maior is true of Persons that haue a finite Essence, * 1.2 but not of the Persons in the Trinity, who haue an infinite Essence common to them.

The consideration of this Doctrine of the Trinity should serue for diuers Vses.

1. It should strike vs with amazement and admiration of the glory of God, and remoue the sense of our owne insuffici∣encie 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 compell vpon vs, more care and attendance of spirit in worshipping God, so as we be sure we direct our ser∣uice to him that is one in Nature and three in Persons: for

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 speciall glory is due to each person, as we finde it either described in the Word of God, or expres∣sed in the workes of God.

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 dange∣rous and vnsound: as that there are three Gods, three Eter∣nalls, three Almighties, &c. or that the Essence is distingui∣shed into the Father, Son, and holy Ghost; that God is three∣fold, 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 Es∣sence; that the Person was begotten or did proceede from the Essence: by discerning where the errour lies in these sen∣tences wee may try our skill in the former doctrine of the Trinitie.

5. The Doctrine of the Trinity should be wonderfull com∣fortable 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 be∣leeuer: 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 vnprofitable out of the Doctrine of the Tri∣nity 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: no∣thing 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: no∣thing corporeall, or in fashion of bodies as Melito, Tertullian

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 generall.

The Father.]

This terme Father is attributed to God both essentially and personally. Essentially, and so the terme belongs to each Per∣son in the Trinity, as being a terme that followes the God-head, Mat. 23. 9. and thus God is said to bee a Father diuers waies: as, first, by Predestination, because he inrolls the Elect as Sonnes from all eternity, Ephes. 1. 3. secondly, by Creation, because he made things to be of nothing by his owne power, thus Adam is said to be the Sonne of God, Luke 3. 38. and and God is called the Father of spirits, Heb. 12. 9. thirdly, by temporall redemption, and so God is acknowledged for the Father of the Israelites, because hee made them a people to himselfe, and brought them out of Egypt and gaue them the outward priuiledges of his children, Esay 63. 16. 11. 12. fourthly, by regeneration, when hee changeth our natures and makes them like his diuine Nature, 2. Pet. 1. 4. and so wee are sonnes so soone as we beleeue, Iohn 1. 12. and so soone as he giues vs the Spirit of Sanctification and Adoption, Rom. 8. 15. fifthly, by personall vnion, and so Christ in respect of his humane nature is the Sonne of God: because that nature doth subsist in the diuine Nature, Luke 1. Now all these waies 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, Esay 9. 6. 7. and is said to haue an ofspring and generation, Esay 53. 10. Lastly, God is said to be a Father by Nature, and by generation, as he begets a Sonne, consubstantiall with himselfe, and so the first Person in the Trinity is called Father onely, as he is the Natu∣rall Father of our Lord Iesus Christ.

In the Creed heere Faith beholds God as a Father princi∣pally in respect of eternall generation, as the first Person in

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.

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 Iesus Christ, these things would be proued and opened.

• 1. That God doth beget a Sonne.
• 2. That IESVS CHRIST is that Sonne.
• 3. The manner of this Generation.

For the first, that God hath begotten a Sonne, is a Mysterie beyond the reach and comprehending of all men and Angels, yet is it a truth in many Scriptures charged vpon vs to beleeue, as namely, Psal. 2. 7. Iohn 1. 14. Iohn 3. 16. 1. Ioh. 3. 8. & 5. 13. Mat. 28. 19.

For the second, that the Lord IESVS CHRIST is that Sonne of God is apparant by Scripture too, Rom. 15. 6. Col. 1. 3. Ephes. 1. 3. Mat. 16. 16. Mat. 3. 17. 2. Cor. 1. 19. 1. Ioh. 1. 4. & 4. 15. &. 5. 20. 2. Ioh. 3.

For the third, how the Father did beget the Sonne, is vn∣knowne vnto vs, It is a secret cannot be reuealed to vs especi∣ally in this mortality, Pro. 30. 4. onely by way of Negation, the Scripture intreating of it shewes vs that God doth not be∣get his Sonne as men beget theirs: for,

1. Men beget without themselues, so as the Sonne is diuided from the Father: but so doth not GOD the Father beget Christ his Sonne, hee is distinguished from the Father but not diuided, the Father begets in him∣selfe.

2. The substance of the Son amongst vs, may bee like the Fa∣ther, but it is not the Fathers substance. But in the Trinity the Father and the Sonne are of the same substance, consub∣stantiall.

3. In corporall Generation, the Father deriues vnto the Sonne but a part of his substance, but GOD the Fa∣ther

communicates his whole substance to his Sonne.

4. The creature begets a Son that is mortall, but God begets a Son that is immortall.

5. The creature begets in time, but God begets in eternity, which hath three differences in it: for first, the time may be named when the creature did beget, the Creator begets be∣fore all time, Pro. 8. 22, &c. 30. secondly, the creature ceaseth begetting, but God the Father begets his Son eter∣nally, he alwaies begets, Psal. 2. 7. thirdly, the substance of the Father was before the substance of the Sonne but not so in this eternall generation; Christ is of the Father, but not after the father.

6. Among the creatures the Son is subiect to the father, but in this eternall and diuine generation the Sonne is equall to the father: Subiection is due to God the father from all creatures, but not from the Sonne, or holy Ghost, Phil. 2. 6.

7. Among the creatures, the father and Sonne are two things in number, but in this diuine generation it is not so; for the Father and Sonne, and so the holy Ghost are but one God, 1. Iohn 5. 7.

The Vse may bee either for information, or instruction, or consolation, or terror: first, since GOD is the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ by such an vnconceiueable generation, wee may thence learne:

1. The glory of our Sauiours condition: He was before the world was, he was with the father, brought vp with him, as his eternall delight, more deere to the father then any created nature can conceiue of, the Sonne of his Loue, neuer father loued his son, so as God the father loues Christ, yea, hee was God with the father Consubstantiall, Coequall, Coeternall, Pro. 8. 22. &c. 30. Iohn 17. 25. Philippians 2. 6 Rom. 9. 5.

2. The Originall of all father-hood: The father of Iesus Christ was the first father euer was, yea, the Creed giues the Title of father to God onely, as if there were no father but he: and so Christ saith, Mat. 23. 9. call no man father on earth, for one is your father, which is God: and indeed

properly none is a father but God: other fathers that are called so haue the name only, because there is in them a kind of Image or similitude of God the father, and yet they be∣get so imperfectly in comparison of God the father, that they resemble him, rather in that generall that they doe be∣get, then in the manner of begetting.

Thus for Information.

2. Since God is the father of Iesus Christ wee should bee in∣structed:

1. To acknowledge this Mystery, and though wee haue cause to be abased for the defect of our vnderstanding heerein, in that we cannot tell the fathers name, nor what is the name of his Son, Pro. 30▪ 4. yet we should confidently beleeue, as the very foundation of our Religion, that Iesus Christ is the Son of the liuing God: vpon the Rock of this confession is the Church built, Mat. 16. 16, &c. It is a glory Christ stands vpon to be acknowledged in the glory of the onely begot∣ten Son of God, Ioh. 1. 14. If we acknowledge the Son, wee haue the father, or else not, 1. Ioh. 2. 23. Yea, this is an honour God stands vpon to bee glorified with one heart and one mouth of all his seruants, euen as the father of our Lord Iesus Christ, Rom. 15. 6.

2. To be fully established in the perswasion of the sufficiency and efficacie of the obedience and passion of Iesus Christ for vs: we may confidently call him the Lord our righteousnes seeing God is called his father: for his obedience, is more then the obedience of a man, yea, of more value then the o∣bedience of worlds of men; and besides hee is all in all with God the father who so loues him, hee can denie him no∣thing, &c.

3. To rely vpon him for instruction. The father loues him and shewes him all things that he doth or intends to doe, and in * 1.3 him are all treasures of wisedome and knowledge, & there∣fore we should heare him alwaies, in any thing hee will re∣ueale to vs: yea, God the father chargeth vs with this du∣ty, as the very vse he would haue vs make of the knowledge of his eternal generation, as appeares by the voice from hea∣uen mentioned, Mat 17. 5. While he yet spake, behold a bright

cloud shadowed them, and behold there came a voice out of the cloud saying, This is that my beloued Sonne, in whom I am well pleased, heare him.

But especially this doctrine serues for consolation, and so is frequently vrged in Scripture: for if God be the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ then these comforts will manifestly follow to the beleeuing Christian.

1. That God is well pleased with the sacrifice of Iesus Christ for our sinnes, Mat. 3. 17.

2. That Christ is able to raise vp the dead hearts of men with spirituall life, for as the Father hath life in himselfe, so hee hath giuen to the Son to haue life in himselfe, Ioh. 5. 26.

3. That in Christ we may haue supply for all our wants, wee may receiue of his fulnes all sorts of graces needfull for vs as is from this doctrine gathered, Iohn 1. 14. 18.

4. That Christ is able to giue vs eternall life, and will per∣forme euen that great gift at the time appointed to all that beleeue, Iohn 3. 16. & 17. 2. no beleeuer shall perish.

5. That whatsoeuer he askes the Father for vs, hee shall haue it, yea, that our prayers prescribed by him shall be heard.

6. That nothing that is good for vs shall bee withheld from vs: for if God hath giuen vs his Son, how shall he not with him giue vs all things also, Rom. 8. 32.

7. That God beares a great affection euen to vs: for Christ hath besought the Father that he would loue vs with the Loue he loued him, and that the warmth and comfort of that loue may be euer with vs, Iohn 17. 24. 25.

Lastly, if God be the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ, then vaine are all the consultations and rebellious proiects of wicked men against Christ and the meanes of his kingdom: then also woe will bee vnto them, for God will make Christs enemies his footstoole: hee will bruise them with an iron rod and breake them like a Potters vessell: for vn∣to the Son hath the Father giuen the ends of the earth, and whatsoeuer rebels against him shall not prosper: as from this doctrine is inferred, Psal. 2. & 110. 1.

Thus God is the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ. Secondly, Faith lookes vpon God as our Father especially in Christ,

2. Cor. 1. 2. Gal. 1. 4. 2. Thes. 1. 1. 2. 1. Thes. ••. 11. 13.

God is our Father foure waies: first, by Creation, and so principally in respect of our soules, which he creates of nothing and infuseth into our bodies: and so he is called Father of Spi∣rits, Heb. 12. 9. secondly, by Regeneration, because by his Al∣mighty power he renewes spirituall life into our soules that were dead in sin, 1. Pet. 1. 3. thirdly, by Adoption, when of his meere grace hee acknowledgeth vs for children, Gal. 4▪ 5. 6. fourthly, by Resurrection, because he giues a glorious being to our bodies that were rotted and dissolued in the earth: and so as hee was said to beget Christ in the day that he raised him from the dead, Act. 13. so is he said to grant vs the Adoption of sonnes, when he restores our bodies to life out of the graue, Rom. 8. 19. 21.

And this terme of Father is giuen to these workes of God, not vnfitly for the resemblance they haue to the relation be∣tweene a Father and Son in Nature: for,

1. God giues vs a spirituall being, making vs a soule or spiri∣tuall substance: for as we call them Fathers, because we haue our bodies from them, so God is more fitly called a Father, because we haue our spirits from him.

2. God renewes our natures, and begets them to bee like his Nature: for being regenerated we partake of the diuine na∣ture, being made to liue Gods nature in holines and righte∣ousnes, and he may well be called a Father that begets that which is like to himselfe: besides, by Faith we put on Iesus Christ, Gal. 3. 26. 27.

3. God giues vs the right and priuiledge of Sons, and there∣fore is fitly called our Father: for first hee findes vs foode and rayment, Mat. 6. and teaching, Esay 54. 13. and atten∣dance not onely setting his Angels to looke to vs, Psal. 34. Heb. 1. but himself also carrying and bearing vs in his armes when any thing ayleth vs, Esay 63. 9. & 46. 4.

Secondly, he layes vp for vs as Fathers do for their children, Psal. 89. 28. & 31. 19. and appoints vs the inheritance of Sons to be inioyed when we be of full yeeres, Rom 8. 16.

Before I passe from this point one thing must be added, and that is, that howsoeuer God be the Father of all men in respect

of the Creation of their soules, yet Faith lookes vpon him as a Father in Christ, and so by Adoption and regeneration, and therefore wee must diligently examine our selues whether we be sons and daughters to God by grace in Christ or no: for all such as are by grace truely the Children of God haue in themselues such signes as these.

1. They were borne by promise: the preaching of the Gos∣pell did mightily work vpon them to the renewing of their natures, and infusing spirituall life into their soules, Gal. 4. 29. Rom. 9. 8.

2. They are all beleeuers; they come to Christ for happinesse and rely vpon him, and so haue power to be the Sons of God Iohn 1. 12.

3. They lay hold vpon Gods couenant, and consecrate themselues to his seruice, and loue his name, and to be his seruants, and in particular are carefull to keepe his Sab∣boths, Esay 56. 4. 5. 7.

4. They are children that will not lie: they are noe Hypo∣crites, they desire to be as good as they seeme to bee, they abhorre counterfeiting and dissimulation, their spirits are without guile, Esay 63. 8.

5. They are led by the spirit and mortifie the deeds of the flesh, Rom. 8. 13. 14.

6. They cry Abba Father: they haue the spirit of prayer, they can call vpon God in secret, with affection and confi∣dence, esteeming nothing more then the Loue and fauour of God: And thus how God is a Father and to whom. The Vses follow and so.

In the first place this should teach Gods children many les∣sons: as,

1. To giue this glory to God, to acknowledge him as a Fa∣ther, and daily so to call him from their hearts. The first thing a childe speakes in nature vsually is the name of his parents, and so the first thing in Religion should bee to call God Father: we can doe nothing in Religion till we can call vpon God, as vpon a Father: this is the very foundation of the Church, because all effectuall Religion is built vpon this principle that God is our Father, 2. Thes. 1. 1. Rom. 8. 15.

2. We should liue without care: as our Sauiour shewes, Mat. 6. for we haue a Father to care for vs, and hee is a heauenly Father, and therefore both knowes what wee need, and is fully able to helpe vs, and besides he daily feedes the foules of the ayre, and yet he is not a Father to them, how therfore can hee neglect vs, whom hee hath begotten as children to himselfe, ver. 26. 32.

3. If God be our Father then we must honour him: for wee are bound to honour our father and mother: all our care should be to obey him, and honour him, and please him, and doe our worke so as others might glorifie our Father which is in heauen, Mal. 1. 6. Mat. 5. 16. liuin•• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ••as we shame not our fathers house.

4. If God be our Father, we must stri•••• •••• be like him, and to imitate his nature, and carriage, and so we are vrged to follow and imitate him in mercie, Mat. 5. 45. 48. in Loue Ephes. 5. 1. 2. and in holines, 1. Pet. 1. 14, 15.

5. If God be our Father, wee should be quickned vnto pray∣er, wee should runne to him to make our moane in all our wants: But withall it imports two things we should looke to in prayer: first, that we auoide vaine bablings, and re∣petitions and affectation of length of prayer and the like: for wee pray to a Father that needs not vaine and tedious discourses. The words of a childe should bee humble and earnest and direct to the point, but not tedious as our Sa∣uiour shewes, Mat. 6. 7. 8. secondly, that wee pray in faith and not wauer, because wee aske of a father: If earthly fa∣thers can giue good gifts to their children, what will the heauenly father denie to his children, Mat. 7. 7. 16. Yea, if God himselfe should fight against vs with his terrors, yet we must in prayer stick fast to this, that he is our father, and alwaies keepe this in our pleadings to wrestle with God by this Argument, as the Church did in those straites mentio∣ned, Esay 64. 8. 4.

6. If God bee our father, wee must then patiently beare his corrections, seeing we indure correction at the hands of the fathers of our bodies, who many times correct vs for their owne pleasure, therefore much more should we submit our

selues to the father of spirits, who neuer corrects vs but for our profit. And to desire to be without correction, is to be in the condition of bastards and not of sonnes: if we would haue God to loue vs we must be willing to let him correct vs, Heb. 12. 4. to the 10.

7. If God be our father, then nothing should more grieue vs, then that wee haue offended him by our sinnes, Ier. 31 18. Luke 15. 18.

8. If God be our father, then wee must sort our selues with his children, and auoid all needlesse societies, and vnequall yoaking with the wicked of this world, who are as like the diuell as euer childe was like his father, Iohn 8. 2. Cor 6. 14 18.

9. We should in all welldoing rest in his praise, as being our father that seeth in secret. A childe seekes no more then to be accepted of his father, Mat. 6. 1. 4.

10. We need not therefore the helpe of Saints or Angels to bring vs to God. He is our father, wee may goe to him our selues, Esay 63. 16.

11. Therefore we should call no man father vpon earth, ha∣uing so great and gratious a father in heauen, Mat. 23. 9.

12. Therfore also we should liue in peace one with another, seeing we haue all one heauenly father, Ephes. 4. 4▪ 6.

Thus for instruction.

Secondly, many consolations arise from hence, if we beleeue that God is our father: for then,

1. He will spare vs as a father doth his son that serueth him, he will beare with our infirmities, Mal. 3. 17.

2. Though hee should correct vs, yet hee will not take his mercy from vs. 2. Sam. 7. 14.

3. We haue right to Gods house: we may with great incou∣ragement resort to all Gods ordinances, because it is our fathers house: and if hard times befall vs in respect of the meanes of Religion, and that the enemies of the Church do inuade the Sanctuarie, we must then go to God and pleade our right, seeing his house belongs to vs and not to them: thus did the godly, Esay 63. 16. 18. 19.

4. Wee may cast all our care vpon God for hee careth for vs, Iam. 4▪ 9. Pro. 14. 26.

5. Wee shall bee deliuered from this present euill world: for, if God be our father, he will prouide for vs in a better place then this, Gal. 1. 4.

6. Our title to the creatures is restored which was lost in Adam.

But these consolations will appeare to be much the grea∣ter, if we consider not onely that God is a Father, but such a Father:

1. He is a father in heauen, not an earthly father.

2. He is a father almighty, he can doe more for vs then all the fathers in the world.

3. He is an euerlasting father, Esay 9. 6. our naturall fathers dye, but our spirituall father liues for euer; and makes vs liue for euer too: for naturall fathers can giue but a tempo∣rall being to their children, but God giues vs an eternall be∣ing; and therefore are we called the children of the Resur∣rection, because our very bodies must not perish, but be made to liue for euer also. The sonne he alwaies abides in the house, Luke 20. 36. Iohn 8. 35. Rom. 8. 19. 21.

4. That he is such a father as makes his sons all heires, Rom. 8. 16. all are as if they were first borne, Ier. 31. 9.

5. That he is such a father, as giues the highest kinde of inhe∣ritance; therefore they are all heires of a kingdome, Luk. 12. 32. Mat. 13. 43. And such a kingdome as is immortall and vndefiled, and lieth in heauen, 1 Pet. 1. 3. 4. in regard where∣of they haue fellowship with his naturall son Iesus Christ, 1 Cor. 1. 9. Rom. 8. 16. 17.

In respect of all which, we haue not onely good hope, but euerlasting consolation: and the more, if we consider, that we hold all this by no Naturall propagation, but by the meere grace and mercy of God our father, being in our selues the children of corruption, Iob 17. 14. and of wrath, Eph. 2. 3. And therefore vnto all the former Instructions, from hence this must be added, that we take heede of that vile ingratitude and im∣patiency at any time, to repent vs of our repentance, or to thinke the case of wicked men better then the case of godly men, for so we shall sinne fearefully against God our father, and against our owne right, and against the whole generation

of his children, Psal. 73. 15. Our life, and the glory of it, may by affliction be hid in God: and it doth not fully appeare what we shall be, but it is enough for vs that we are the sonnes of God; for when Christ appeares in glory, then shall we ap∣peare also as he is, aboue the glory of all the Potentates and Kings of the earth, 1 Iohn 3. 2 Col. 3. 3. 4.

Notes

• * 1.1

  11. Obiect.
• * 1.2

  Sol.
• * 1.3

  Ioh. 5. 20.