(3.) As 6? of and ¢¢ éy are distinguished, the one expressing the
efficient the other the final cause, Rom. xi. 36; so also are 6” oS and —
6? év in this very epistle: chap. 11.10, Ar oy r& wdvra, xad Of 08 re réyre,—“ For whom are all things, and by whom are all things.” And is it likely that the apostle would put one of them for the other, contrary to the proper use which he intended immediately to assign severally unto them?
(4.) Ar of, “by whom,” here, is the same with 6 airod, “by him,” John i, 8; which the same person interprets properly for the efficient cause. ;
On these accounts, the foundation of this gloss being removed, the superadded translation of éroioe by “condiderat” is altogether useless; and what the Jews grant that God did with respect to the Messiah, we shall afterwards consider.
2. The Socinians generally lay no exception against the person making, whom they acknowledge to be Christ the Son, but unto the worlds said to be made. These are not, say they, the things of the old, but of the new creation; not the fabric of heaven and earth, but the conversion of the souls of men; not the first institution and form- ing of all things, but the restoration of mankind, and translation
hae
i
VER. 1, 2.] EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. } 71
into a new condition of life. This Schlichtingius at large insists on in his comment on this place; bringing, in the justification of his in- terpretation, the sum of what is pleaded by all of them, in answer not only to this testimony, but also to that of John i. 3, and that also of Col. i. 16, 17.
Chel The old creation,” he says, “is never said to be Neoenre’ by any intermediate cause, as the Father is here said to make these worlds by the Son.” But, [1.] This is “ petitio principii,” that this expression doth denote any such intermediate cause as should inter- pose between the Father and the creation of the world, by an opera- tion of its own, diverse from that of the Father. Job xxvi. 13, God is said to adorn the heavens 193, “by his Spirit,” which they will not contend to denote an intermediate cause; and da here is but what the Hebrews express by 3. [2.] In the creation of the world, the Father wrought in and by the Son, the same creating act being the act of both persons, John v. 17, their will, wisdom, and power being essentially the same.
(2.) He adds, “There is an allusion only in the words unto the first creation, as in John i. 1-3, where the apostle sets out the be- ginning of the Gospel in the terms whereby Moses reports the crea- tion of the world; and therefore mentions light in particular, because of an allusion to the light at first created by God, when of all other things, whereto there is no such allusion, he maketh no mention.” Ans. [1.] The new creation granted by the men of this persuasion being only a moral suasion of the minds of men by the outward doc- trine of the gospel, I know not what allusion can be fancied in it unto the creation of the world out of nothing. [2.] It is granted that the apostle speaks here of the same creation that John treats of in the beginning of his Gospel; but that that is the creation of the whole world, and all things contained in it, hath been elsewhere proved, and must be granted, or we may well despair of ever under- standing one line in the Scripture, or what we ordinarily speak one to another. [8.] John doth not mention any particular of the old creation, affirming only in general that by the Word all things were made; whereof he afterwards affirms that he was “the light of men,” —not assigning unto him in particular the creation of light, as is pretended.
(3.) He tells us, “The article proposed, rods asévas, intimates that it is not the old creation that is intended, but some new especial thing, distinct from it and’ preferred above it. Ans, [1.] As the same article doth, used by the same apostle to the same purpose in another place: Acts xiv. 15, “O¢ éwoinoe riv odpavv nal chy viv xal rv Sé?.c00av-—“ Who made the heaven, the earth, and sea;” which were certainly those created of old. [2.] The same article is used with the same word again in this epistle, chap. xi. 8, Mors: vootjuey
72 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP. I.
narnpricbas rods aitivas-— By faith we understand that the worlds were made;” where this author acknowledgeth the old creation to be intended.
(4,) He adds, “ That the author of this epistle seems to allude to the Greek translation of Isa. ix. 5, wherein 1¥"28, ‘The Father of eternity,’ or ‘ Eternal Father,’ is rendered ‘The Father of the world to come.” Ans. [1.] There is no manner of relation between Marie wéArrovros aidvos, “The Father of the world to come,” and A? of rod¢ aitives éxoinoev, “ By whom he made the worlds,” unless it be that one word is used in both places in very distinct senses; which if it be sufficient to evince a cognation between various places, very strange and uncouth interpretations would quickly ensue. Nor, [2.] Doth that which the apostle here treats of any way respect that which the prophet in that place insists upon; his name and nature being only declared by the prophet, and his works by the apostle. And, [3.] It is a presumption to suppose the apostle to allude to a corrupt translation, as that of the LXX. in that place is, there being no ground for it in the original; for TY°38 is not Tarp wédrovros aiaivos, but Tarjp aiduos, “The eternal Father.” And what the Jews and LXX. intend by “the world to come,” we shall afterwards consider.