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the fame with an' apxns, from the beginning, 1 John i. 1.5 where, fpeaking of Chrilt by the name of eternal life, and of the word of life, That (fays he) which was from the beginning. Nonnus, the ancient paraphraft of St. John's gofpel, by way of explication of what is meant by his being in the beginning, adds, that he was povos, without time; that is, before all time: and if so, then he was from all eternity. In the beginning was the Word; that is, when things began to be made he was; not then began to be, but then already was, and did exist before any thing was made; and confequently is without beginning, for that which was never made, could have no beginning of its being. And fo the Jews ufed to defcribe eternity, before the world was, and before the foundation of the world; as alfo in feveral places of the New Teftament. And fo likewife Solomon describes the eternity of Wisdom, Prov. viii. 22. 23. &c. The Lord (fays he) poffeffed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. I was fet up from everlafting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. When he prepared the heavens, I was there: then I was by him as one brought up with him, rejoicing always before him. And fo Juftin Martyr explains this very expreffion of St. John, that he was, or had a being before all ages. So likewife Athenagoras, a moft ancient Chriftian writer: "God, (fays << he), who is an invifible mind, had from the beginning the Word in himself."

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2. That in the beginning the Word was with God. And fo Solomon, when he would express the eternity of Wifdom, fays, it was with God: and fo likewife the fon of Sirach fpeaking of Wisdom, fays, it was μerd To Deco, with God. And fo the ancient Jews often called the Word of God, the Word which is before the Lord;" that is, with him, or in his prefence. In like manner the Evangelift fays here, that the Word was with God; that is, it was always together with him, partaking of his happinefs and glory. To which our Saviour refers in his prayer, John xvii. 5. Glorify me with thine own felf, with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. And this being with God the Evangelift oppofeth to his appearing and being manifefted to the world, y 10. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world

knew

knew him not; that is, he who from all eternity was with God, appeared in the world; and when he did fo, though he had made the world, yet the world would not own him. And this oppofition between his being with God, and his being manifefted in the world, the fame St. John mentions elsewhere, 1 John i. 2. We fhew unto you that eternal life which was with the Father, and was manifefted

unto us.

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3. That he was God. And fo Juftin Martyr fays of him, That "he was God before the world; that is, from all eternity. But then the Evangelift adds by way of explication, The fame was in the beginning with God; that is, though the Word was truly and really God, yet he was not God the Father, who is the fountain of the Deity, but an emanation from him, the only begotten Son of God, from all eternity with him; to denote to us, that which is commonly called by divines, and for any thing I could ever fee properly enough, the diftinction of perfons in the Deity; at least we know not a fitter word whereby to exprefs that great mystery.

4. That all things were made by him. This feems to refer to the defcription which Mofes makes of the creation, where God is reprefented creating things by his word, Gen. i. God faid, let there be light, and there was light and fo likewife the Pfalmift, Pfal. xxxiii. 6. By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. And fo St. Peter alfo expreffeth the creation of the world, 2 Pet. iii. 5. By the word of the Lord the heavens were of old, and the earth made out of water. And in the ancient books of the Chaldeans, and the verses afcribed to Orpheus, the maker of the world is called the Word, and the divine Word. And fo Tertullian tells the Pagans, that by their philofophers the maker of the world was called Aoyos, the Word, or Reafon. And Philo the Jew, following Plato, who himself moft probably had it from the Jews, fays, that the world was created by the Word; whom he calls the name of God, and the image of God, and the Son of God: two of which glorious titles are afcribed to him, together with that of maker of the world, by the author of the epiftle to the Hebrews: In thefe laft days (fays he) God hath spoken to us by his Son, by whom

also

alfo he made the worlds: who is the brightness of his glory, and the exprefs image of his perfen. And to the fame purpofe St. Paul, fpeaking of Chrift, Colof. i. 15. 16. 17. calls him the image of the invifible God, the firft-born of every creature; that is, born before any thing was created; as does evidently follow from the reafon given in the next words why he called him the first-born of every creature: For by him were all things created that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invifible: all things were created by him, and for him. And he is before all things, and by him all things fubfift. From whence it is plain, that by his being the firft-born of every creature, thus much at least is to be understood, that he was before all creatures, and therefore he himself cannot be a creature, unless he could be before himfelf. Nay, the Apoftle fays it exprefsly in this very text in which he is called the firft-born of every creature, (or of the whole creation), that he is before all things; that is, he had a being before there was any created being, he was before all creatures both in duration and in dignity; for fo must he of neceffity be, if all things were made by him; for as the maker is always before the thing which is made, fo is he also better, and of greater dignity.

And yet I must acknowledge, that there feems to be no fmall difficulty in the interpretation I have given of this expreffion in which Chrift is faid by the Apoftle to be the firft-born of every creature, or of the whole creation; because in ftrictnefs of fpeech the first-born is of the fame nature with those in refpect of whom he is faid to be the first-born and if fo, then he muft be a creature as well as thofe in refpect of whom he is faid to be the firft-born. This is the objection in its full strength, and I do own it to have a very plaufible appearance: and yet I hope, before I have done, to fatisfy any one that will confider things impartially, and without prejudice, and will duly attend to the scope of the Apoftle's reafoning in this text, and compare it with other parallel places of the New Teftament, that it neither is, nor can be the Apoftle's meaning in affirming Chrift to be the first-born of every creature, to infinuate that the Son of God is a

creature.

For how can this poffibly agree with that which fol

lows;

lows, and is given as the reason why Chrift is faid to be the firft-born of every creature, namely, becaufe all things were made by him? The Apoftle's words are thefe: The firft-born of every creature, (or of the whole creation); for by him all things were created: but now, according to the Socinian interpretation, this would be a reafon juft the contrary way: for if all things were created by him, then he himself is not a creature.

So that the Apostle's meaning in this expreffion muft either be, that the Son of God, our bleffed Saviour, was before all creatures, as it is faid presently after, that he is before all things; and then the reafon which is added will be very proper and pertinent, He is before all things, because all things were created by him. In which fense it is very probable, that the Son of God elfewhere calls himfelf the beginning of the creation of God, Rev. iii. 14. meaning by it, as the philofophers moft frequently ufe the word an, the principle or efficient caufe of the creation and fo we find the fame word which our tranflation renders the beginning, used together with the word firft-born, as if they were of the fame importance, Colof. i. 18. the beginning and firft-born from the dead; that is, the principle and efficient cause of the refurrection of the dead.

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Or elfe, which feems to me to be the most probable, and indeed the true meaning of the expreffion, by this title of the first-born of every creature, the Apostle means, that he was lord and heir of the creation: for the firftborn is natural heir; and Justinian tells us, that heir did anciently fignify lord: and therefore the fcripture ufes thefe terms promifcuoufly, and as if they were equivalent. For whereas St. Peter fays of Jefus Chrift, that he is Lord of all, Acts x. 36.; St. Paul calls him heir of all things, Rom. iv. 13.; and then the reafon given by the Apostle why he calls him the firft-born of every creature, will be very fit and proper, because all things were created by him. For well may he be faid to be lord and heir of the creation, who made all things that were made, and without whom was not any thing made that was made.

And this will yet appear much more evident, if we confider, that the Apostle to the Hebrews (who, by feve ral of the ancients, was thought to be St. Paul, where he

gives to Chrift fome of the very fame titles which St. Paul in his epiftle to the Coloffians had done, calling him the image of God, and the maker of the world) does, instead of the title of the first-born of every creature, call him the heir of all things: and then adds, as the reafon of this title, that by him God made the worlds. God (fays he) hath in thefe last days Spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath conftituted heir of all things: who being the brightnefs of his glory, and the exprefs image of his perfon, and upholding all things by the word of his power, &c. Which is exactly parallel with that paffage of St. Paul to the Coloffians, where Chrift is called the image of the invifible God; and where it is likewife faid of him, that he made all things, and that by him all things do fubfift. Which the Apostle to the Hebrews, in different words, but to the very fame fenfe, expreffeth by his upholding all things by the word of his power; that is, by the fame powerful word by which all things at firft were made: but then, inftead of calling him the first-born of every creature, because all things were made by him, he calls him the heir of all things, by whom God alfo made the worlds:

And indeed that expreffion of the firft-born of every creature cannot admit of any other fenfe which will agree fo well with the reafon that follows, as the fenfe which I have mentioned; namely, that he is therefore heir and lord of the whole creation, because all creatures were made by him; which exactly answers those words of the Apostle to the Hebrews, whom he hath conftituted heir of all things, by whom alfo he made the worlds.

And now.I appeal to any fober and confiderate man, whether the interpretation which I have given of that expreffion of the first-born of every creature, be not much more agreeable both to the tenor of the scripture, and to the plain scope and design of the Apostle's argument and reafoning in that text?

I have infifted the longer upon this, because it is the great text upon which the Arians lay the main ftrength and ftrefs of their opinion, that the Son of God is a creature, because he is faid by the Apostle to be the firft-born of every creature; by which expreffion, if no more be meant than that he is heir and lord of the whole creation, which I have fhewed to be very agreeable both to

the

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