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…

TO THE RIGHT honourable, Edward Lord Russell, Earle of Bedford. Grace, and peace, &c.

Right Honourable, excellent is the saying of Paul to Titus, To the pure all things are pure: ¹but to the impure and unbelieving is nothing pure, but even their minds and consciences are defiled. In which words he determines three questions. The first, whether things ordained and made by God may become unclean or no? his answer is, that they may: & his meaning must be conceived with a distinction. By nature, things ordained of God are not unclean: for Moses in Genesis saith, that God saw all things which he had made, & they were very good: yet they may become unclean either by law, or by the fault of men. By law, as when God forbids us the things which in themselves are good; without whose commandment, they are as pure as things not forbidden. Thus for the time of the old Testament God forbade the Jews the use of certain creatures; not because they were indeed worse then the rest, but because it was his pleasure upon special cause to restrain them, that he might put a difference between his own people and the rest of the world, that he might exercise their obedience, and advertise them of the inward impurity of mind. Now this legal impurity ⟨image 3⟩was abolished at the ascension of Christ. By the fault of men things are unclean when they are abused, and not applied to the ends for which they were ordained. The second question is; to whom things ordained of God are pure? he answers, to the pure: that is, to them whose persons stand justified & sanctified before God in Christ in whom they believe:² who also do use Gods blessings in holy manner to his glory and the good of men. The third question is, who they are to whom all things are unclean? his answer is, to the unclean: by whom he understands all such I. whose persons displease God, because they do not indeed believe in Christ: II. who use not the gifts of God in holy manner, sanctifying them by the word and prayer: III. who abuse them to bad ends, as to riot, pride, and oppression of men, &c. Now that to such, the use of all the creatures of God is unclean, it is manifest: because all their actions are sins, in that they are not done of faith: and a mans person must first please God in Christ,