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and very different, too, from the language which he himself employed, when he certainly referred to the proper creation of the universe." But, how can we account for the apostle's omission of objects which, if the natural creation were meant, would have so readily presented themselves to his mind, if not to his visual organs? How account for his adoption of a phraseology which is entirely dissimilar to that which is almost uniformly employed in the Bible on the subject of creation?— These difficulties appear to us insuperable; and therefore do we think it in the highest degree probable, that the writer did not treat of Jesus as the Maker of this and other worlds; but as the author, under God, of the new moral creation effected in the minds of men by the doctrines of Christianity. And this very general explanation of the passage can easily be collected from the peculiar expressions of the apostle in other portions of his writings: for he frequently delighted in viewing the blessed effects of the Gospel on the hearts of Jews and Gentiles as a new creation; its subjects as new creatures; and Christ, who was the revealer of God's will, and the Author of our Faith, as our moral or spiritual Creator. This species of language, so forcibly expressive of a new state of being, seems, from its frequent occurrence in the book of Isaiah, to have been in common use amongst the Hebrews.t

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It is difficult for us, however, to attach definite ideas to the particular words used in the text. This may arise partly from the general obscurity of highly figurative language, and partly from the want of acquaintance with the minutiae of Jewish opinions, whence St. Paul derived the use of his metaphors. With respect to the phrase all things, it very probably in this place denotes persons, a meaning which it bears in many passages of the New Testament, particularly in the writings of the Apostle Paul." In the 16th verse, it is said that "in or through Christ all things in heaven and in earth were created;" and in the 19th and 20th verses, it is also said that "it pleased [the Father] that in him should all fulness dwell," or "to inhabit all fulness by him," "and by him to reconcile all things unto Himself, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven." But it would be very absurd to affirm of natural substances, that they were reconciled to God; although it would be quite proper, and in perfect harmony with the practice of the apostle, and with the great object of our Lord's mission, to say of persons who had lived at enmity with each other, and with their God, that they were made new creatures, and brought into a state of reconciliation, through the gospel of Jesus Christ. But who were the persons who were thus created and thus reconciled? Surely not angels and archangels. There is no reason whatever to think and Scripture is silent on the subject—that the revelation made by God to men through the instrumentality of his beloved Son, was intended to benefit the angelic hosts: but we certainly know, that this

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REMARKS ON HEAVEN AND EARTH."

That St. Paul should use heaven and earth for Jews and Gentiles, will not be thought so very strange, if we consider that Daniel himself expresses the nation of the Jews by the name of heaven, Dan. viii. 10. Nor does he want an example of it in our Saviour himself, who, (Luke xxi. 26,) by powers of heaven, plainly signifies the great men of the Jewish nation: nor is this the only place in this epistle of St. Paul to the Ephesians, which will bear this interpretation of heaven and earth: he who shall read the fifteen first verses of chap. iii. and carefully weigh the expressions, and observe the drift of the apostle in them, will not find that he does manifest violence to St. Paul's sense, if he understands by the family in heaven and earth, (ver. 15,) the united body of Christians, made up of Jews and Gentiles, &c.-Locke on Eph. i. 10.

See page 272 for remarks, by Trinitarians, favourable to the Unitarian exposition of Col. i, 16.

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9. Heb. i. 2: [His] Son, by whom also he made the worlds.

For various translations, see p. 65 and 279.
REMARKS.

The word alwvas, which we render worlds, does not signify the heavens and the earth, and all things in them, but it means properly ages, or certain periods of time: such were the patriarchal; that of the law; that of the Messiah; that of the antediluvians, &c.—Sykes apud Lardner.

Aw, in the New T. never signifies the material world, but age.-Carpenter.

10. Heb. iii. 3, 4: For this [man] was counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath builded the house hath more honour than the house. For every house is builded by some [man]; but he that built all things [is] God.

the regulator of all things.-Wakefield.

11. Rev. iii. 14: These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the beginning of the creation of God.

ILLUSTRATIVE TEXTS.

v Gal. iii. 28: There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female; for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. See Eph. i. 10; iii. 15. (Comp. Luke ii. 14.)

w Dan, viii. 10: And it waxed great, [even] to the host of heaven, and it cast down [some] of the host, &c. Hag. ii. saying, 21, 22: Speak to Zerubbabel, I will shake the heavens and the earth, &c. (Comp. Heb. xii. 26, 27.)-See Joel ii. 10. Acts ii. 19. Rev. vi. 12-15.

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Luke xxi. 26: Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

y Matt. xi. 23: And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell, &c.

z Heb. ix. 26: Now once in the end of the world hath he [Christ] appeared, &c, Heb. xi. 3: Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen, &c. the ages have been so ordered by the power of God,

that what is seen had not its origin in what was conspicuous.-Norton,

See chap. vi. 5. Matt. xii. 32; xiii. 39. 1 Cor. ii. 6; x. 11. Col. i. 26. et al.

a See 1 Cor. x. 11. Eph. i. 10; ii. 2. Tit. i. 3. Heb. ix. 26. b See

p.

19-23.

c Heb. iii. 1, 2: Jesus, who was faithful to Him that appointed him, as also Moses [was faithful] in all his house. Ver. 5, 6: And Moses verily [was] faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after; but Christ as a Son over his own house: whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence, &c.

d Rev. i. 5: Jesus Christ, the faithful Witness, [and] the first-begotten of the dead. Col. i. 18: The beginning, the first

born from the dead. 1 Cor. xv. 21: Now is Christ risen from the dead, the firstthe first cause of the creation of God.-Macknight. fruits of them that slept, &c. (G.)

the primary cause of, &c.-Scarlett.

the chief of the creation of God.-Smith Bagot; Priestley, Wakefield, Imp. Ver.

i. e. the most excellent of the creation of God.-Priestley.

See Appendix, page 272, second column.

e Col. i. 15: Who is.. the first-born of every creature [or, of the whole creation]. (Comp. Exod. iv. 22. Ps. lxxxix. 27.)

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revelation was designed to be a blessing to the whole human race-to Gentiles as well as to Jews;" and to these great classes of mankind the apostle probably alluded when he said, "All things in heaven and earth were created by (in, or through) Christ, and reconciled to God." The probability of this opinion is greatly strengthened by observing, that in Scripture the Jewish nation is sometimes distinguished by the name of heaven;" their rulers are termed the powers of heaven; and those individuals who were raised above others by peculiar privileges, said to be exalted to heaven. Hence, as the term heaven in Col. i. 16 signifies the Jews, the correlative word earth will denote the Gentiles.

Thus we perceive, that a passage of Scripture which undoubtedly appears more favourable than any other to the popular opinion of Christ's being the Creator of the universe, does not—when examined by the light thrown on it by the context, and other portions of Holy Writ, particularly by the phraseology of St. Paul himself—give any support either to the Arian or the Trinitarian hypothesis.

9. In this text Christ is represented as the agent by whom God made the worlds, and therefore cannot be the same Being that appointed him to the work. As, however, the term here rendered world generally in the New Testament signifies age, and the plural of this and similar words is sometimes used by way of eminence," it is not improbable that the Christian age or dispensation is here meant. The passage cannot refer to the agency of Christ in the material creation; for, according to the whole tenor of Scripture, the universe is the production of only one divine Intelligence, namely, the Sovereign of heaven and earth, who is clearly exhibited in the New Testament as the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."

10. What house did Christ build? The material fabric, or the Christian church? We answer, The latter, as is evident from the connection of the passage; the disciples of Jesus being there termed the house, of which he was the founder. In this distinguished character, however, he was still subordinate to God, the chief constructor or regulator of the household, and the great Being who appointed "Christ as a son over

his own house."c

11. Were the expression which is here put in Italic characters justly conceived to have a reference to the natural creation, it would imply, not that Christ was himself the Creator, but the first being who had been brought into existence. Jesus of Nazareth was undoubtedly the first of his brethren who had been raised by God from the dead, to the enjoyment of eternal life; and to this fact the phrase referred to may allude. It is more probable, however, that our Lord meant to represent himself as the "head of his church," or the principal person in the new creation.

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REMARKS.

The common way of expounding the expression is, that "the Son upholds all things by the word of his own power." And, accordingly, our printed copies have here αύτου, and not αὐτου.

And 'tis urged that the MS. copies, which have accents added, read it with an aspiration. But none of the ancient MSS. having any accents at all, every reader is at liberty to affix such spirits as appear most agreeable to the scope of any text.-Peirce as quoted by Christie.

See Appendix, page 272, column second.

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ILLUSTRATIVE TEXTS.

f Eph. i. 10: Concerning the dispensation of the fulness of times, that he might gather together in one all things in Christ, which are in heaven, and which are on earth, [even] in him. (G.) Col. iii. 11: There is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Scythian, bond [nor] free; but Christ [is] all, and in all. Gal. iii. 28: There is neither Jew nor Greek; .. for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.-See Eph. iii. 13–16.

g Ver. 1-9: GOD.. hath in these last days spoken unto us by [his] Son, &c. h

..

2 Sam. xix. 28. Job xxii. 8

2 Kings xviii. 20. Neb. ix. 13.

Men of death-dead men ......
Man of arm-mighty man.....
Word of the lips-vain words
Laws of truth-true laws
Waters of quietness-still waters Ps. xxiii. 2.
Rock of strength-strong rock .. Ps. xxxi. 2.

i See Acts vii. 55; ix. 4. 2 Cor. xii. 8, 9. Gal. i. 12. Rev. i. 2-20. et al.

j See Neh. ix. 6. Ps. civ; cvii; cxlv; cxlvii. Dan. iv. 35. et al.

k Matt. vi. 26-30: Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your Are ye heavenly Father feedeth them. not much better than they? &c. (Comp. Luke x. 21. John xx. 17.)- Acts xvii. 24-28: God, that made the world, and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth. He giveth to all life, and breath, and all things, &c. In Him we live, and move, and have our being, &c. (Comp. ver. 30, 31.)

....

7 John vii. 46; viii. 40. 1 Tim. ii. 5. m John vii. 15-18: And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned? Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, BUT HIS THAT SENT ME, &c.See chap. viii. 26-28; xiv. 24. et al.

n Deut. xxxii. 1-3: Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. My doctrine shall drop as the rain, I because I will publish the name of Jehovah : ascribe ye greatness unto our God.-See chap. xxvii. 1; xxx. 11, 15, 16. Isa. xxviii. 23.

...

OBSERVATIONS.

12. The interpretation of this passage will be differently modified, according to the opinion entertained of St. Paul's meaning in the context. If he treats of the creation of material objects, these words, " By (or in) Christ all things consist," will probably signify that he is the Governor and Preserver of universal nature. But if, on the other hand, the apostle, in the connecting verses, writes concerning the moral creation effected by the doctrines and the death of Jesus, the great probability of which we have already shown, the meaning of the passage will most likely be, that Jews and Gentiles are become one in Christ their Head.

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13. Throughout the context, God and Christ are evidently mentioned as two distinct existences; the former as the primary, the latter as the instrumental agent. In the clause which immediately precedes the words quoted, our Lord is termed "the express image of His person," that is, of God's person; and hence it is probable, that the word of His power, a Hebraism for His powerful word or authority," refers to the power of that Being by whom he was appointed heir of all things. What these things are of which he is the heir, and which he supported or ordered, we are not here told; but we know with certainty that Christ, while on earth, was intrusted by the Father with the distinguished power of controlling the laws of nature, as a testimony to the truth and divinity of his mission; and that he had, under God, the direction of the Christian church, during the age of the apostles. But we do not know, that he is, or ever was, the Governor or Preserver of the universe; and therefore we conceive that the passage has a reference merely to that support which Christ gave to the religion of which he was constituted the Author. It may also be remarked, that the general tenor of revelation countenances the opinion, that only one Person or Being is the Sustainer of animate and inanimate nature; and this Being is represented, in the Christian Scriptures, as the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.*

14. The authoritative mode in which our Lord delivered instructions to his followers, is considered by some Trinitarians as forming an indubitable proof for the divinity of his person. Undoubtedly, never man spake like the man Christ Jesus:' yet it ought particularly to be observed, that his doctrines were not his own, but derived from the Father whose Messenger he was;m and that the superiority of his character and office to those of other divine Teachers is evinced more by the importance and universality of his instructions, than by the manner in which he thought proper to communicate them. The peculiarity of that manner, however, is immensely overrated; for we find that even Moses, and other Jewish prophets, delivered their sentiments in the high tone of authority."

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