272 VINDICI^ EVANGELIC^.
place is evident from these considerations: — (1.) These words, " By whom he made the worlds," are given as a reason why God made him "heir of all things," — even because by him he made all things; which is no reason at all, if you understand only heavenly things by " the worlds" here : which also removes the last exception of our cate- chists, that Christ was appointed heir of all things antecedently to his making of the Avorld ; which is most false, this being given as a reason of that, — his making of the world of his being made heir of all things. Besides, this answer, that Christ made not the world until his resurrection, is directly opposite to that formerly given by them to Col. i. 16, where they would have him to be said to make all things because of the reconciliation he made by his death, verse 20. (2.) The same word or expression in the same epistle is used for the world in its creation, as was before observed, chap. xi. S; which makes it evident that the apostle in both places intends the same. (3.) Aluv is nowhere used absolutely for " the world to come;" which being spoken of in this epistle, is once called oixou/Mvy^v rriv /LLsXXovffav, chap. ii. 5, and diuva fjt,iX\ovra, chap. vi. 5, but nowhere absolutely diuiva or diuvug. (4.) " The world to come" is nowhere said to be made, nor is this expression used of it. It is said, chap, ii. 5, to be put into subjection to Christ, not to be made by him; and chap. vi. 5, the " powers" of it are mentioned, not its creation. (5.) That is said to be made by Christ which he upholds with the word of his power; but this is said simply to be all things: " He uphold- eth all things by the word of his power," chap. i. 3. (6.) This plainly answers the former expressions insisted on, " He made the world," " He made all things," etc. So that this text also lies as a two- edged sword at the veiy heart of the Socinian cause.
Grotius seeing that this interpretation could not be made good, yet being no way willing to grant that making of the world is as- cribed to Christ, relieves his friends with one evasion more than they were aware of It is, that di' oZ, " by whom," is put for di' ov, " for whom," or for whose sake; and lirolriet is to be rendered by the preterpluperfect tense, " he had made." And so the sense is, " God made the world for Christ;" which answereth an old saying of the Hebrews, " That the world was made for the Messiah."
But what will not great wits give a colour to ! 1. Grotius is not able to give me one instance in the Avhole New Testament where 6/' oZ is taken for hi' Zv : and if it should be so anywhere, himself v/ould confess that it must have some cogent circumstance to enforce that construction, as all places must have where we go off from the pro- priety of the word. 2. If dt' c5 be put for di' dv, did must be put for tig, as, in the opinion of Beza, it is once in the place quoted by Grotius, and so signify the final cause, as he makes di' ov to do. Now, the Holy Ghost doth expressly distinguish between these two in
DEITY OF CHEIST PROVED, ETC. 273
this business of making the world, Rom. xi. 36, A/ aurou xa! sig auTov ra TavTa : SO that, doubtless, in the same matter, one of these is not put for the other, 3. Why must sVo/jjffs be " condiderat?" and Avhat example can be given of so rendering that aoristus? If men may say what they please, without taking care to give the least pro- bability to what they say, these things may pass. 4. If the apostle must be supposed to allude to any opinion or saying of the Jews, it is much more probable that he alluded, in the word alSJvag, which he uses, to the threefold world they mention in their liturgy, — the lower, middle, and higher world, or [residence of the] souls of the blessed, — or the fourfold, mentioned by Eab. Alschech : " Messias prosperabitur, vocabulum est quod qnatuor mundos complectitur ; qui sunt mundus inferior, mundus angelorum, mundus sphararum, et mundus supremus," etc. But of this enough.
Though this last testimony be sufficient to confound all gainsayers, and to stop the mouths of men of common ingenuity, yet it is evi- dent that our catechists are more perplexed with that which follows in the same chapter ; which, therefore, they insist longer upon than on any one single testimony besides, — with what success comes now to be considered.
The words are, Heb. i. 10-12, "Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: they shall perish, but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment ; and as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed : but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail." That these words of the psalmist are spoken concerning Christ we have the testimony of the apostle ap- I^lying them to him ; wherein we are to acquiesce. The thing also is clear in itself, for they are added in his discourse of the deliver- ance of the church ; which work is jDeculiar to the Sou of God, and where that is mentioned, it is he who eminently is intended. Now, very many of the arguments wherewith the deity of Christ is con- firmed are wrapped up in these words: — 1, His name, Jehovah, is asserted : " Thou, Lord ;" for of him the psalmist speaks, though he repeats not that word. 2. His eternity and pre-existence to his incarnation : " Thou, LoRD, in the beginning," — that is, before the world was made. 3. His omnipotence and divine power in the crea- tion of all things: " Thou hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the Avorks of thine hands." 4, His immutahility : "Thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail ;" as Mai. iii. 6. 5. His sovereignty and dominion over all : " As a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed." Let us now see wdiat dark- ness they are able to pour forth upon this sun shining in its strength.