Igo e Expofitiòn of the C H A P. L (hallfay the latter, that they didnotyet believe it bow do we fuppofe that be takes a.great deal ofpains to littlepurpofe ? for heaßures and takes for granted, that that was true which was alone in.queffion. What need He then to proveby fo many Arguments that Chriff wasmore excellent than the Angels, and to take that for granted which would have put it out of queffion, namely that hewas God who made heaven andearth.. Anfw.,ThtsDilemma bath as much force againft the otherteffimontes produced in this Chapter or elfe-whereby the Apotile. as it hath against this; fo that the uiugof it doth fcarce argue that Reverence to theHoly Word ofGod which is required ofus. But the truth is, grant whether of thefuppofitions you pleafe, nothing of inconveniency as untothe Apoftlesargumentation will enfue. Let it begranted that theydid believe, and.that exprefly Chrilt tobe God; Have Believersno need to have their faith confirmed by teftimon es out of the Word, that may not fo readily occur, to themfclves ? Have they no need to be tlrengthned in the faith, efpecially in filch points as were inthofe days greatlyoppofed,aswas this ofthe Eternal Glory ofthe Meffiah, concerning which thebelieving Hebrews had todowith learned and ltubborn Adverfarics continually. And lithe Apoftle might have ended thewhole controverfie, by plainly affirming that hewas theCreator of all things, and the Angels creatures; might he not as well have endedthe difpute about his Preheminence above Angels with one word, without cit- ing to many testimonies to prove it ? But had he then unfolded the myiteries.of the Oldieffament to theHebrews, which was his defign? Had he manifested that he taught nothingbut what was before revealed ( thoughobfcurely ) to tblafes and the Prophets, whichhe aimed to do, thereby to flrengthen and confirm in the faith thole that did believe, and convincegain- fayers ? .Again, fuppofe.ftme of them to whom he wrote did. not yet exprefly believe the Deity of Chrilt, as theApollles theanfdves21id not for a while believe his Refurreliion ; could any more convincing way be taxed on to per- fwade them thereinto, thanby minding them of thofe tabu-Ionics ofthe Old jffa- metit, wherein the Attributes and Works.of God areafcribed unto him ? Nor was it now inquestion whether.Chrift was God or no.; but whether he were more Excellent than the Angels that gave the Law : And what more effectual COW fecould be taken to put an endto that Enquiry, than by proving that hemade theHeaven and Earth ; that is; producing a teftimony, wherein the creation ofall things n afgnedunto him, is be- yond the wfdomofman to invent. 3. Heaides, That Chriff might befpog^n of in this place, either in refpel ofhis Humane Nature, orof his Divine; if of theformer, to what endfhould he make mention ofthecrea- tienofHeaven and Earth ; Chrift as amen, and as made above the Angels, made not Heaven andEarth. If as God, how could bebe faid to be made above the Angels? But the anfwer is eafie ; Chrilt is faid to be made above, and more excellent than the Angels, neither abfolutelyas God, nor abfolutely as man, but as he was Gad-Mang the Mediator between God and man; in which refpeót at Mediator for the difcharge of onepartof his Office, he was a littlewhile made lower than they; and fo the Creation of Heaven and earth does demonfirate the Dignity ofhis Perlon, and the Equity of hisbeingmade moreexcellent than the Angels in his Office. And this fully removes his following exceptions, that the remembring ofhis Deity could be no argument to prove that the Humanitywas exaltedabove the Angels : for it is not an argument ofthe Ex- altation ofhis Humanity, but the demonllrationofthe Excellencyof hisFelon that the Apofile hath in hand. .. He alledgeth, That it is contrary to the perpetual ufe ofthe Scripture, to affirm abfa- lutey ofOrr that he created any thing. When any creation is afcribedunto him, it is NI applied to him as the immediate caul, andfaid to bemade by him, or in .him ; he is no where abfolutely faid to create. And if be created the world, why did not Irfofes as plainly attribute thatjinto him, as theWriters ofthe NewTeffament do the newCreation? Anfw. Were it affirmed inthis only place that Chrilt,made all things, yet the words being plainand evident, and the thing it Pelf agreeable to theScripture in other places, and notrepugnant to anytellimony therein contained, there is no pretence for them who truly reverence the Wifdom and Authority ofthe Holy Gholi in the Word, to deny the words to be fpoken properly and direétly : Nor ifwe may take that course will therebe any thing left facred and aeavnesv in the Scripture. Betides, we have chewed already the vanityof that diltindtion, ofGod's making things by Chrilt, as though it denoted anyJubordination in caufality; nor will the Socinians themfclves ad- mitofany fach thing, butconfute that notion in the Arians. But this is not the only placewherein it isaffirmed that Chrilt made all things that are in the Heavenand the Earth,
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=