TESTIMONIES TO THE DEITY OF CHRIST VINDICATED. 311
the sight of his mother," eminently expressing his preferment as to her affections. How Httle is this to what the gospel says of Jesus Christ ! I have only to say concerning Grotius in this matter, that from none of these expressions, in any place, doth he take the least notice of what is necessarily concluded concerning the deity of Christ; wherein he might use his own liberty. The opening, interpretation, and improvement of these testimonies to the end aimed at, I desire the reader to see, chap. vii. They proceed : —
Q. What scripture calls Christ the '^first-horn of every creature"?
A. Col. i. 15.
Q. What dost thou answer thereunto?
A. Neither can it hence be gathered that Christ hath a divine nature: for seeing Christ is the " first-born of every creature," it is necessary that he be one of the number of the creatures ; for such is the force of the word "first-born" in the Scrip- tures, that it is of necessity that he who is first-born be one of the number of them of whom he is the first-born, Col. i. IS; Rom. viii. 29; Rev. i. 5. Neither that our Lord Jesus was one of the things created in the old creation can our ad- versaries grant, unless they will be Arians. It behoveth them that they grant him to be one of the new creation. From whence not only the divine nature of Christ cannot be proved, but also that Christ hath no such divine nature is firmly evinced. But now that Jesus is called by that name by the apostle, it is from hence, that in time and worth he far exceedeth all other things of the new creation.'
1. That by the " creation" in this verse, and the things enumerated to be created in the verses following, are intended the creation of the world, and all things therein, "visible and invisible," was before abun- dantly evinced, in the consideration of the ensuing verses, and the exceptions of these catechists wholly removed from being any hin- derance to the embracing of the first obvious sense of the words. All, then, that is here inferred from a supposition of the new creation being here intended (which is a most vain supposition) falls to the gTound of itself; so that I shall not need to take the least farther notice of it. 2. That Christ is so the first-horn of the old creation as to be a prince, heir, and lord of it, and the things thereof (which is the sense of the word as here used), and yet not one of them, is evident from the context. The very next words to these, "He is the first-born of every creature," are, " For by him were all things created." He by whom all things, all creatures, were created, is no creature ; for he else must create himself. And so we are neither Arians nor Photinians, Though the former have more colour of saving
' " Quse scriptura eum vocat primogenitum omnis creaturaj ? — Col. i. 15.
" Quid ad earn respondes? — Neque hinc naturam divinam Christum habere exsculpi posse, ctenim cum Christus primogenitus omnis creaturse sit, eum uniim e numero creaturarura esse oportere necesse est ; ea enim in Scripturis vis est primogeniti, ut primogenitum unum ex eorum generc, quorum primogenitus est, esse necesse sit, Col. i. 18 ; Kom. viii. 29 ; Apoc. i. 6. Ut vero vmus e rebus conditis creationis veteris ex- istat Domiuus Jesus, nee adversarii quidcm concedent, nisi Ariani esse velint. Unum igitur esse e nova) creationis genere Uomiimm Jesum conccdant oportet. Unde non solum divina Christi natura effici non potest, verum etiam quod nullam divinam na- turam Christus habeat firmiter conficitur. Quod vcro eo nomine vocatur ab apostolo Jesus, eo fit, quod tempore et praestantia res omncs novae creationis longe antecedat."
312 VINDICI^ EVANGELIC^.
themselves from the sword of the word than the latter, yet they both perish by it. 3. The word irpcjrorozos, " first-born/' in this place is metaphorical, and the expression is intended to set out the excel- lency of Christ above all other things. That that is the design of the Holy Ghost in the place is confessed. Now, whereas the word may import two things concerning him of whom it is spoken, — (1.) that he is one of them in reference to whom he is said to be the first-born, or, (2.) that he hath privilege, pre-eminence, rule, and inheritance of them and over them, — I ask. Which of these significa- tions suits the apostle's aim here, to set out the excellency of Christ above all creatures? that which makes him one of them, or that which exalts him above them? 4. llfw-oVoxos ttmVtjj x-zVsw;, is "be- gotten before all creatures," or "every creature." The apostle doth not say Christ was -rpairog xTiakig, " the first of them made," but, he was born or begotten before them all, — that is, from eternity. His being begotten is opposed to the creation of all other things; and though the word, where express mention is made of others in the same kind, may denote one of them, yet where it is used concerning things so far distant, and which are not compared, but one preferred above the other, it requires no such signification. See Job xviii. 13; Ps. Ixxxix. 27; Jer. xxxi. 9.