from teachers' mouths, as if they chewed their meat.
And those are unclean which chew not their cud,
because they betoken those who desire not rightly,
neither will learn what may be pleasing to God,
nor revolve in their minds the Saviour's commands,
and they are therefore unclean just like the wicked beasts.
Those beasts are clean that cleave their claws,
and chew their cud; they betoken the believers
in God's congregation, who with belief receive
the old testament and Christ's ordinance,
that is, the old law and the new testament,
and chew God's commands ever with meditation.
Those beasts were called unclean in the law,
who do not cleave their claws, although they chew the cud;
or if they do cleave, and will not chew;
for the betokening, which was then still to come,
that we cleave our claws in the two testaments,
the old and the new, that is Law and Gospel;
and that we ponder in mind the Almighty's behest;
and he who forsakes either, he liveth unclean.
Even so the Jews who despise our Lord,
and have in contempt his Gospel-preaching,
are unclean, and to Christ odious,
although they in their mouth revolve Moses' law,
and will only understand the literal meaning.
Many things were forbidden to God's people in the law,
which now are clean, after Christ's advent,
since Paul saith to the Christians thus;
omnia munda mundis (Titus i. 15);
