12 A CONFESSION OF FAITH. 



condescended of his own good pleasure, and accord 

 ing to the times and seasons to himself known, to 

 become a Creator; and by his eternal Word created 

 all things ; and by his eternal Spirit doth comfort 

 and preserve them. 



That he made all things in their first estate 

 good, and removed from himself the beginning of 

 all evil and vanity into the liberty of the creature ; 

 but reserved in himself the beginning of all restitu 

 tion to the liberty of his grace ; using, nevertheless, 

 and turning the falling and defection of the creature, 

 which to his prescience was eternally known, to make 

 way to his eternal counsel, touching a Mediator, and 

 the work he purposed to accomplish in him. 



That God created Spirits, whereof some kept 

 their standing, and others fell : he created heaven 

 and earth, and all their armies and generations ; 

 and gave unto them constant and everlasting laws, 

 which we call nature ; which is nothing but the 

 laws of the creation; which laws nevertheless have 

 had three changes or times, and are to have a fourth 

 or last. The first, when the matter of heaven and 

 earth was created without forms : the second, the 

 interim of perfection of every day s work : the third, 

 by the curse, which notwithstanding was no new 

 creation : and the last, at the end of the world, the 

 manner whereof is not yet fully revealed : so as the 

 laws of nature, which now remain and govern invio 

 lably till the end of the world, began to be in force 

 when Gad first rested from his works, and ceased to 



