is not there meant This I shall prove by Four Arguments 1. He who is the First-born of every Creature is the same who shed his Blood ver 14. for the Redemption of Men as I noted before Now he who shed his Blood for the Redemption of Men can be no other but Jesus Christ Man but this very Jesus Christ Man is there stiled the First-born of every Creature by whom all things were created c. as we translate the Words Therefore this cannot be meant of the Creation of the World which is the Work of God not of a Man Yes you 'l say for He is God as well as Man and therefore may be said to have created the World I answer Where have you found in Scripture that Christ is God as well as Man I know He is called Man in the Writings of the New Testament but I could never find him there stiled God-Man as He should have often been if He was both Does the Apostle make a distinction between his two Natures does he say we have Redemption thrô his Blood as He is a Man and that He is the First-born of every Creature and has created all Things as He is God Not at all but only tells us That the same Jesus Christ in whom we have redemption thrô his Blood is the First-born of every Creature and by whom all Things were created c. Why should we contrive a distinction of our own when the Apostle makes none But 2. I cannot but wonder that Men should attribute the old or first Creation to Christ since we have no Warrant from Scripture for it I mean that the Scripture does never say in express Words that Christ has created Heaven and Earth which is the proper Description of the Old Creation or of the Creation strictly and properly so called and the Description usual in Scripture when it speaks of that Creation as it is said that God the Father of Christ has I do observe so great a difference between the Expressions of the Sacred Writers concerning the Creation of the World by God and those Expressions which are supposed to import the same Creation by Christ that I cannot forbear alledging some places concerning both I omit those of the Old Testament which are so many and will insist only upon some taken out of the New God saith St. Paul Acts 17. 24. that made the World and all things therein seeing that he is Lord of Heaven and Earth dwelleth not in Temples made with Hands And Acts 4. 11. Lord thou art God which hast made Heaven and Earth and the Sea and all that in them is Acts 14. 15. We preach unto you that ye should turn from these Vanities unto the Living God which made Heaven and Earth and the Sea and all things that are therein And Rev. 14. 7. Fear God and worship him that made Heaven and Earth and the Sea and the Fountains of Water This is the true and proper Description of the Creation of the World Were it ascribed to Christ in such express Terms we could not doubt that Christ had created the World which if the Apostles had believed they would undoubtedly have taught us so great a Truth and that both in express and plain Terms and often No Christ is never said to have created Heaven and Earth the Sea and all that is therein In this very place the Apostle does not say that the First-born created Heaven and Earth but All things that are in Heaven and that are in Earth and the All Things of which he speaketh he limiteth to all Thrones Dominions Principalities and Powers visible and invisible which shall be explained hereafter This second Reflection that this Text contains not the proper Description of the Creation of the World used in Scripture being added to the foregoing that this Context speaks of Christ as Man ought to perswade any unprejudiced Man that the Creation of the World is not here attributed to Christ The Primitive Christians were so far from believing that Christ created the World that as the Father only is called God in the Apostles Creed so He only is stiled Maker of Heaven and Earth 3. As the Epistle to the Galatians is an excellent Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans so the Epistle to the Ephesians must be made use of for the right understanding of the Epistle to the Colossians The Design and Scope of those two Epistles is the same so that we must look into the Epistle to the Ephesians to find out the true Sense of this controverted Text in the Colossians Now he that seriously compares these two Epistles with one another will find that Coloss 1. 15 16 17 18. must be interpreted by Ephes 1. 20 21 22. and Ephes 1. 10. is a true Commentary on Coloss 1. 20. Coloss 1. 18. runs thus And He is the Head of the Body the Church who is the Beginning the First-born from the dead that in all things he might have the preeminence To which answers part of the 22d verse in the Ephesians in these Words And gave him to be Head over all things to the Church Col. 1. 15 16 17. runs thus Who is the Image of the invisible God the First-born of every Creature for by him were all things created as we translate the Word that are in Heaven and that are in Earth visible and invisible whether they be Thrones or Dominions or Principalities or Powers all things were created by him and for him and he is before all things and by him all things consist To these Verses do answer the 20 21 and part of the 22d verse of Chap. 1. to the Ephesians in these Words He God raised him from the dead and set him at his own right Hand in the Heavenly Places far above all Principality and Power and Might and Dominion and every Name that is named not only in this World but in that which is to come and hath put all things under his Feet Now in the Epistle to the Ephesians we see there is not the least intimation of the Creation ascribed to Christ but only of his exaltation above all the Orders of Angels and all earthly Powers which plainly shows that the Apostle meant not the Creation of the World in the forecited Verses of the Epistle to the Colossians Nay were it so he would speak Non-sense In the Epistle to the Colossians he would tell us that Christ has created all the Orders of Angels the visible and invisible Thrones c. which plainly shows that He is thereby as far above them as the Creator is above his Creatures but in the Epistle to the Ephesians he would tell us that Christ has been exalted far above all the Orders of Angels and all Earthly Thrones and Powers which undeniably proves that He was not so before Now what is a Contradiction if this be not to say that Christ created them and that the Father set him far above them We must therefore of necessity explain
1. The Dignity conferred upon Christ ought not to be called the Supream Government of the World as this Author has stiled it For He acts and governs in Subordination to his Father 2. When the Scripture speaks of this Advancement of Christ it extends it especially over Angels and Men. 3. It is no Indignity to Angels as our Author pretends to be ruled and governed by a Man whom God has exalted above them Angels indeed have some natural Prerogatives above Men whereby they are more excellent Creatures than Men but if it pleases God of his free Gift to invest a Man with greater Dignity Power and all other Excellence than any Angel has why can't He be set over them as their Lord and Ruler in Subordination to God There is no Incongruity in it 4. That contrary to the Author's Assertion a meer Creature may be a fit Lieutenant or Representative of God in Personal and Prerogative Acts of Government or Power Thus Saul and David were set over the Israelites to govern and rule over them by God's Appointment in Subordination to him Nay we do commonly say That the King is the Lieutenant and Representative of God 5. God communicated to Christ such Wisdom and Power as is necessary to enable him to exercise the Dignity conferred on him In all this there is not the least Inconsistency But notwithstanding his foregoing Objections he confesses the Difficulty remains P. 161. If He be by Nature the Son of God and Natural Lord of the World how is He said to be exalted by God and to receive a Kingdom from him as the reward of his Righteousness and Sufferings He was before possessed of it ever since the Foundation of the World being natural Lord of all his Creatures He had no need to receive that which was his own or purchase what was his natural Right by such mean and vile Condescension as suffering Death on the Cross Now to reconcile this he makes a long Discourse concerning the Mediatory Kingdom of Christ which saith he hath been bestowed on the second Person of the Trinity and is peculiar to Him and distinguished from the Natural Government of the World which He has in Conjunction with the Father This Chimerical System I may overthrow I think by that single Text of St. Paul already cited There is one God and one Mediator between God and Men the MAN Christ Jesus If Christ is a Mediator and has the Mediatory Kingdom as He is the second Person of the Trinity that is as He is God why does the Apostle tell us that He is a Mediator bearly as He is Man At least he should have told us that the Mediator is the God-Man Jesus Christ It is unaccountable that the Apostle who in all his Epistles sets forth the Excellency and Glory of Christ in the most expressive Terms should tell us that the MAN Christ Jesus is the Mediator between God and Men if the Mediatory Kingdom is exercised by the Divine Person or Nature and if not Christ Man but Christ God is the Mediator But let us examine the Grounds our Author goes on He tells us ibid. A Mediatory Kingdom was necessary to reconcile God and Men to restore Man to the Integrity of his Nature and this Power and Dignity God bestowed on his own Son who had the most Right to it and was the best qualified for it being the begotten Word and Wisdom of the Father Now one would expect he should cite some Texts of Scripture to prove this Assertion but he could find no place to rely on But Christ must says he first become Man and perform the whole Will of God and then He shall be exalted Whereupon he makes this Observation pag. 162. All the Power Christ is invested with is as Head of the Church God has put all Things under his Feet and given him to be Head over all Things to the Church which is his Body the Fulness of him that filleth all Things Eph. 1. 22 23. That is saith he God has made him Governour of the World as Head of the Church I observe two Things upon this place 1. That this Text is not well interpreted The first part of it relates to the foregoing Verse and ought to be explained by it God saith the Apostle at Ver. 21. Set Christ at his own Right-Hand in the Heavenly Places far above all Principality and Power and every Name that is named not only in this World but in that which is to come Ver. 23. And hath put all Things under his Feet What Things Those that are before mentioned all the Orders of Angels and all Earthly Powers And then follows And gave him to be Head c. This is the sense not that Christ was made Governour of the whole World as Head of the Church 2. But what if all the Power Christ is invested with is as Head of the Church Will it not follow that all the Power He is invested with is as a Man not as God And this also I prove by Col. 1. 18. And He is the Head of the Body the Church who is the Beginning the First-born from the Dead He who is the First-born from the Dead can be no other but the MAN Jesus Christ but He who is the First-born from the Dead is the Head of the Church as that Text expresly saith therefore the MAN Christ Jesus is the Head of the Church Thus the Apostle very plainly telling us that the Mediator and Head of the Church is the Man Christ Jesus destroys our Author's Notion of Christ's Mediatory Kingdom or that it is grounded on and exercised by his Divine Nature or Person Further if Christ God is the Mediator if the Mediatory Kingdom belongs to and is managed by the second Person of the supposed Trinity I don't see how the Government of Israel can be a Type of this Kingdom as this Author says at p. 162 163. For the King of the Israelites was between God and his People and was really diverse from both but Christ in our Author's Hypothesis is God himself One with the Father and the Holy Ghost so that he must be a Mediator between himself and Men which besides that it is contrary to the Notion of a Mediator does wholly destroy the Parallel He says at pag. 164 165. that We certainly know from the Expositions of Christ and his Apostles that the Prophets spake of Christ under the Names of Lord God and Jehovah But I desire him to reconcile these Texts with his Opinion Heb. 1. 1 2. God who at sundry Times and in divers Manners spake in times past to the Fathers by the Prophets hath in these Last Days spoken unto us by his Son Heb. 2. 2 3. For if the Word spoken by Angels was stedfast How shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord Gal. 3. 19. The Law was ordained by Angels in the Hand of a Mediator i. e. by the Intervention
the Context of the Colossians by that of the Ephesians and put such a Sense upon it as imports no true and proper Creation 4. Coloss 1. 19 20. being interpreted by Ephes 1. 10. is a Confirmation of what I have said hitherto The former Coloss 1. 19 20. runs thus For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell and having made Peace through the Blood of his Cross by him to reconcile all things to himself by him I say whether they be things in Earth or things in Heaven To which answers the other Text Eph. 2. 10. in these Words That in the Dispensation of the fulness of time he might gather together in one all things in Christ both which are in Heaven and which are in Earth even in him No Man I hope will deny that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Epistle to the Colossians which we render to Reconcile ought to be interpreted by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Text of the Ephesians which signifies to gather together in one or to sum up So that the meaning of both places is this that it pleased God in the fulness of time to unite both Angels and Men under one Head even Christ whom he set up Lord and King over them Now this does perfectly agree with what St. Paul says to the Ephesians concerning Christ's exaltation above all the Orders of Angels and his being Head of the Church for his Argument runs thus God has exalted Christ above all the Orders of Angels and made him Head of the Church for he had decreed in the fulness of time to unite both Angels and Men under one Head Christ But if the Text of the Epistle to the Colossians is meant of the Creation of the World this will be perfect Non-sense for thus it ought to run Christ has created all Orders of Angels and all Powers on Earth and was made Head of the Church for God had decreed in the fulness of time to unite both Angels and Men under one Head Christ. No Man in the World can speak greater Non-sense than this would be were the Creation of the World ascribed to Christ in the controverted Text. I desire the Author to reconcile his explication of these Words that in all things he might have the preeminence with what follows That is says he at p. 157. that he might be the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the First upon all accounts before the Worlds and the First-born from the dead So the whole Argument according to the Author must run thus Christ was the First upon all accounts before the Worlds and the First-born from the Dead for God was pleased in the fulness of time to unite both Angels and Men under Christ as their Head Could any thing be said more absurd and ridiculous The Author's Skill in Scripture and Reason is I think alike 2. Having thus proved that the Old Creation or the Creation properly so called is not ascribed to Christ in this Context of the Colossians I come now to explain its true Sense as clearly as possibly I can Ver. 15. Who is the Image of the Invisible God the First-born of every Creature The meaning of these last Words is not that Christ was begotten before all Creatures as this Author would have it but that He is the Lord and King of every Intelligent Creature in Allusion to the First-born of a Family who is Heir of all Things This I prove by the 17 and 18th Verses Ver. 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 And He is before all things is the Explication of the First-born of every Creature and signifies not that He is before all Creatures in order of time but of Dignity and Power being by God set over all the Orders of Angels and over the Church as their Head and King But if you don't rest satisfied with this parallel Place the 18th Verse will afford an undeniable proof of what I say There you find 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which is rightly rendred in our Bibles That in all things He might have the Preeminence both in Heaven and in Earth among Angels and in the Church I say now these last Words ought to be the Explication of the two before-mentioned Expressions to be the First-born of every Creature and to be before all Things ought to be interpreted by his having the Praeeminence in all Things so that He is the First-born of every Creature is this He hath the Preeminence over every Creature Thus by the Context it self we find out the true sense of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which in the English we translate First-born of every Creature And thus too are these Words interpreted by the principal Critics among the Orthodox as they are called Gomarus Camero Piscator Drusius Vorstius Davenant Dally Grotius for they will have him also to be Orthodox Hammond I come now to the next Verse For by him were all Things created I have fully proved they cannot be understood of the Old Creation the Creation of Heaven and Earth and the Sea and of the Things in them which is the Creation properly so called therefore to reconcile this Verse with the foregoing and with the Words before cited out of the Epistle to the Ephesians He God set Him at his own Right-Hand far above all Principality and Power and every Name that is named The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which we render Created ought to be rendred Modelled Disposed or Reformed into a new Order So that the Sense will run thus Christ is the Lord of every Creature for by him are all both Visible and Invisible Creatures even all Men and Angels Modelled or Disposed into a new Order being subjected to Him and His Commands As for Angels all the Orders of them whether they be Thrones or Dominions none of them are exempted from his Power and Authority he rules over them which is the meaning of Ver. 17. and they are all as it were compacted in one Body under his Conduct as for Men as He is the Beginning and the First-born from the Dead so He was also made Head of the Church his Body so that in all things He has the Preeminence He rules in Heaven and on Earth over Angels and over the Church which is the Sense of Ver. 18. This I hope makes a clear Sense agreeable to the whole Context and to the Text in the Ephesians I observe that as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or He is before all Things is the Explication of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Or He is the First-born of every Creature So 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or and by him all Things consist or are compacted into one Body ought to be the Explication of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or by him were all Things not created as 't is rendred in the English but Modelled or Reformed I know not why Dr. Sherlock has called this a Socinian Explication as if it were devised by them to serve their Hypothesis the truth is the