2. The latter part of the verse he thus illustrates, or rather ob- scures: " Ta 'xavra Bi' aurov, intellige omnia qiice ad novam creationem pertinent." How causelessly, how without ground, how contrary to the words and scope of the place, hath been showed. " Kat ilg aurov sx- Tierai, propter ipsum, ut ipse omnibus illis praeesset, Rev. v. 13, Heb. ii. 8." This is to go forward in an ill way. (1.) What one instance can he give of this sense of the expression opened? The words, as hath been showed, are used of God the Father, Rom. xi. 36, and are expressive of absolute sovereignty, as Rev. iv. 11. (2.) The texts cited by him to exemplify the sense of this place (for they are not instanced in to explain the phrase, which is not used in them) do quite evert his whole gloss. In both places the dominion of Christ is asserted over the whole cx^eation; and particularly, in Rev. v. 13, things in heaven, earth, under the earth, and in the sea, are re- counted. I desire to know whether all these are made new crea- tures or no. If not, it is not the dominion of Christ over them that is here spoken of; for he speaks only of them that he created.
Of the l7th verse he gives the same exposition: " Kai avrSg Un •rrph vavTuv, id est, A et 11, ut ait Apoc. i. 8, rrph iravrm, intellige ut jam diximus." Not contented to pervert this place, he draws an- other into society with it, wherein he is more highly engaged than our catechists, who confess that place to be spoken of the eternity of God: " Kai ra vavTa h ahrOj evv'sdrrixs' Et hsec VOX de veteri creatione ad novam traducitur. Vid. 2 Pet. iii. 5." Prove it by any one in- stance; or, if that may not be done, beg no more in a matter of this importance. In Peter it is used of the existence of all things by the power of God, in and upon their creation; and so also here, but spoken with reference to Jesus Christ, Avho is " God over all, blessed for ever." And so much for the vindication of this testimony.
DEITY OF CHRIST PROVED, ETC. 271
Heb. i. 2 is nextly mentioned, " By whom also he made the worlds/'
That these words are spoken of Christ is not denied. They are too express to bear any exception on that account. That God is said to make the world by Christ doth not at all prejudice what we in- tend from this place. God could no way make the world by Christ but as he was his own eternal Wisdom ; which exempts him from the condition of a creature. Besides, as it is said that God made the world by him, denoting the subordination of the Son to the Father and his being his Wisdom, as he is described Prov. viii. ; so also the Word is said to make the world, as a principal efficient cause him- self, John i. 3 and Heb. i. 10. The word here used is aJuvag. That aiuv is of various acceptations in the New Testament is known. A duration of time, an age, eternity, are sometimes expressed thereby ; the world, the beginning of it, or its creation, as John ix. 32. In this place it signifies not " time" simply and solely, but the things created in the " beginning of time " and " in all times;" and so ex- pressly the word is used, Heb. xi. 3. The framing aiJJvcav, is the creation of the world ; which by faith we come to know. " The worlds," that is, the world and all in it, were made by Christ.
Let us now hear our catechists: —
Q. How dost thou answer to this testimony f
A. On this manner, that it is here openly written, not that Christ made, but that God by Christ made the worlds. It is also confessed that the word " secula" may signify not only the ages past and present, but also to come. But that here it signifies things future is demonstrated from hence, that the same author affirm- eth that by him whom God appointed heir of all things he made the worlds : for Jesus of Nazareth was not made heir of all things before he raised him from the dead; which appears from hence, because then all power in heaven and in earth was given him of God the Father; in which grant of power, and not in any other thing, that inheritance of all things is contained.'
1. For the first exception, it hath been sufficiently spoken to al- ready; and if nothing else but the pre-existence of Christ unto the whole creation be hence proved, yet the cause of our adversaries is by it destroyed for ever. This exception might do some service to the Arians ; to Socinians it will do none at all. 2. The word " secula" signifies not things future anywhere. This is gratis dictum, and cannot be proved by any instance. " The world to come" may do so, but "the world" simply doth not. That it doth not so signify in this
' '' Qui respondes ad quartum testimonium ? — Eo pacto, quod hie palam scriptum sit, non Christum fecisse, sed Deum per Christum fecisse secula. Yocem vero secula non solum praesentia ot praeterita, verum etiam futura significare posse, in confesso est. Hie vero de futuris agi id dcmonstrat, quod idem autor affirmet per eum quem hteredem univcrsorum constitucrit Dcus, ctiam secula esse condita ; nam Jesus Na- zarenus non prius constitutus hosrcs univcrsorum fuit, quam eum Deus a mortuis ex- citavit, quod hinc patct, quod tum demum omiiis potcstas in coelo et in terra eidem data a Deo Patre fuerit, cujus potestatis donatione, et non alia re, ista universorum hsereditas continetur."