An exposition of the Symbol or Creed of the Apostles according to the tenor…An exposition of the Symbole or Creed of the Apostles according to the tenour…

Fourthly, God in framing his creatures, in the beginning made them good: yea, very good. Now the goodness of the creature is nothing else, but the perfect estate of the creature, whereby it was conformable to the will and mind of the Creator allowing and approving of it when he had made it: for a creature is not first good, and then approved of God: but because it is approved of God, therefore it is good. But wherein will some say, stands ⟨p. 60⟩this goodness of the creature? I answer, in three things. I. in the comeliness, beauty, and glory of every work in his kind both in form and constitution of the matter. II. in the excellency of the virtue which God hath given to it: for as he hath appointed every creature for some especial end: so he hath fitted and furnished it with sufficient power and virtue for the accomplishing of the same end. III. in the exceeding benefit and profitableness that came by them to man. But since the fall of man this goodness of the creature is partly corrupted and partly diminished. Therefore when we see any want, defect or deformity in any of them, we must have recourse back again to the apostasy of our first parents, and remember our fall in them, and say with a sorrowful heart, this comes to pass, by reason of mans most wretched sin which hath defiled heaven and earth, and drawn a curse not only upon himself, but upon the rest of the creatures for his sake, whereby their goodness is much defaced.

Fourthly, God in framing his creatures, in the beginning made them good: yea, very good. Now the goodnesse of the creature is nothing else, but the perfect estate of the creature, whereby it was conformable to the will and minde of the Creator allowing and approouing of it when he had made it: for a creature is not first good, and then approoved of God: but because it is approoved of God, therefore it is good. But wherein will some say, standes ⟨p. 60⟩this goodnesse of the creature? I answer, in three things. I. in the comelinesse, beautie, and glorie of euery worke in his kinde both in forme and constitution of the matter. II. in the excellencie of the vertue which God hath giuen to it: for as he hath appointed euery creature for some especiall end: so he hath fitted and furnished it with sufficient power and vertue for the accomplishing of the same end. III. in the exceeding benefite and profitablenesse that came by them to man. But since the fall of man this goodnesse of the creature is partly corrupted and partly diminished. Therefore when wee see any want, defect or deformitie in any of them, we must haue recourse backe againe to the apostasie of our first parents, and remember our fall in them, and say with a sorowfull heart, this comes to passe, by reason of mans most wretched sinne which hath defiled heauen and earth, and drawen a curse not onely upon himselfe, but upon the rest of the creatures for his sake, whereby their goodnesse is much defaced.