V R R. 1, Z. Eple to the lit 13 R Elio, s, I. It finks under its own weaknefl and abfurdity. TheApoftle intending to fet out theExcellency of the Son 'ofGod, affirms that by him the worlds were made; that is, fay they, Chriff preaching theGoff+el convertedfame to thefaith of it , and many more were converted by the Apofflespreaching the fame Doflrine, whereupon bled times of Light and Salvation enfued. Who not overpoweredwith prejudice could once imagine any fuck fenfe iu thefe words ? efpecially confidering that it is as contrary to the defign of the Apoftle, as it is to the importance ofthewords themfelves. This is that whichPeter calls, mens wreffing the Scripture to their own perdition. z. The Apoftle as we obferved, writes didactically, plainly expreffnng the matter whereofhe treats, in words ufual and.proper. To what end then fhould he ufe fo firained an Allegory in a point ofDoarine, yea, a fundamental Article of the Religion he taught, and that to exprefs what he had immediately in the words foregoing properly expreffed s For, by whom he made the worlds, is no more in thefe mens apprehenuions, than, in him bath he fßoken in theft latter dayes. Not is this Expreflion any where ufed , no not in the molt allegorical Prophecies of the Old Teftament, tode- note that which here theywould wren it unto.' But making of the world, lignifies, making of the World, in the whole Scripture throughout, and nothingelfe. 3. The making of the worlds here intended, was a thing then pall ; i76410-4, he made them, that is, he did fo of old t and the fame word is ufed by the LXX. to ex- prefs the old Creation. But now that which the Jews called the world to come, or the bleffed flare of the Church under the Mefab, the Apollle (peaks of, as of that which was not yet come ; the prefint worldly State of the Judaical Church yet continuing. q,. Theword dido; and ,i,pas, or d II and h10`33, which are fo rendred, taken ablolutely as they arehere ufed, do never inany one place in the Scripture in the Oldor New Teffament lignifie the newCreation, or irate of the Church under the Gofpel ; but the whole world and all things therein contained, they do in this very Epifìle, Chap. It. 3. 5. Wherever theApoftle in this Epifflefpeaks in the Judaical Idiom of the Church- State under the Meph, he never calls it by the name of b sovµtipn, or Rnìe, but frill with thelimitation of, to come, as Chap. 2. 5. Chap. 6. 5. And where the word isufed abflutely as in thisplace, and Chap. t t. 3. it is thewhole world that is intended. 6. TheContext utterly refufeth this Glofs. TheSon in the preceedingwords, is foist to be made Heir or Lord of all that is, ofallthings abfolutely and univerfally, as we have evinced, and is confelfed. Unto that Affertion he fubjoyns a reafon of the equi- ty of that tranfcendent Grant made unto him; namely, becaufe by him all things were made, whereunto he addshis upholding, ruling, and difpofing ofthem beingfo made by him ; he upholdeth all things by the word ofhis power. That between theall things whereof he is Lord, and the all things that he upholds, there fhould be an interpoli- tionofwords of the fame importance with them, expref ling the Keafon of them that go afore, and the foundation of that which follows, knittingboth parts together,and yet indeed have a lignification in'them of thingsutterly heterogeneous to them, is molt unreafonableto imagine. We have nowobtained liberty by removing the entanglementscall in our way, to proceed to theopening of the genuine fenfe and importance oftheft words. at i ; by whom; not asan Iuffrument or an inferiour intermediate created Caufe for then alfomull hebe createdby himfelf, teeing all things that weremade, were made by him, Job. 1.3. but as hisown eternal Word, Wifdom and Power, Prov. 8.22,23,34. Job. I. 3. The fame individual creatingoil, being the work ofFather andSon; whole Power and Wifdom being one and the fame individed, fo alto are the works which outwardly proceed from them. And as the joint-working ofFather and Son Both not inferr anyother fubordination but that of Jùbfiilence and order ; fo the Prepoltion lei dothnot of it felt' intimate the fubjedtionof an inffrumentalCattle', being ufed fome- times to exprefs the work of the Father himfelf, Gal. t. r. 'Cuí,nre, NM, created ; fo theApoftle expreffeth that word, Ads 17. 24, 26. And theLXX. molt commonly, as Gen. 1. t, though fometimes they use stud, as our Apoftle alto Both, Chap. to. He made, created, produced out of nothing, by the things not fen, Chap. 11.3. Tìs Beirut; duh, i =419, to that word is conftantly rendered by the Greeks. 171) is tohide, or to be hid, kept fecret, clofe, undifcovered. Whence a Virgin is called mot; one not yet come into the [niblickhate of Matrimony ; as by theGreek, on the Bbb fame 43
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