Εικόνες σελίδας
PDF
Ηλεκτρ. έκδοση

66

He argued, that according to Moses, before God formed the earth, it was without form, and invisible. (Gen. i. 2, And the earth was without form, and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep,") which words signify matter to be pre-existent, eternal, uncreated.

"In him

[ocr errors]

*

See Tertullian. cont. Hermogen.

were created all things†.”—Belsham's Translation. "* In him.-All things are said to be created in him, εν αυτῳ ; by him, δι' αυτου; and for him, εις αυτόν. The Apostle appears evidently to intend a distinction which the generality of interpreters have overlooked. All things are created in him, i. e. all are new modelled under the Christian dispensation, or by the profession of Christianity. This is the proper sense of ev avry. See Rom. xvi. 2. 7, 8.; εν 2 Cor. v. 17, where ev Xplory, and similar phrases, evidently mean nothing more than professing Christianity. The consequence of which was such a change in their moral state, as might be called a new creation; an expression exactly similar to those which occur here. See also Gal. vi. 15."

"Were created all things, &c.-Observe, that the Apostle does not say that natural objects, the heavens, the earth, and the sea, &c. were made by Christ; the formation of these things is uniformly attributed to the Supreme Being. Moreover, if the observation in the preceding note be just, that the words ev aury, in him, imply that this change took place in consequence of the Christian dispensation, it entirely precludes the notion of a creation of natural substances. Also, when the Apostle enters into the detail of things said to be created, he

mentions neither animate nor inanimate beings; neither angels nor men; but enumerates merely states of things, thrones, dominions, &c. which, whatever they mean, are not substances, but orders and ranks or conditions of being; so that nothing can be more astonishing than the confidence with which the generality of Christian interpreters explain this text, as asserting, that all natural substances, all worlds and all their inhabitants, and even celestial intelligences, angels, archangels, and the like, were created by Christ, than which nothing could be more remote from the Apostle's meaning."

Belsham.

"That the Apostle does not here intend the creation of natural substances is evident; for, first, he does not say that by him were created heaven and earth, but things in heaven and things on earth: secondly, he does not, in descending into detail, specify things themselves, viz. thrones, dominions, &c. which are only ranks and orders of beings in the rational and moral world: thirdly, it is plain from comparing ver. 15 and ver 18, that Christ is called the first-born of the whole creation, because he is the first who was raised from the dead to an immortal life fourthly, the creation of natural objects, the heaven, the earth, and sea, and all things therein, when they are plainly and unequivocally mentioned, is uniformly and invariably ascribed to the Father, both in the Old Testament and the New. Hence it follows, that the creation which the Apostle here ascribes to Christ, expresses that great change which was introduced into the moral world, and particularly into the relative situation of Jews and Gentiles, by the dispensation of the Gospel.

This is often called creation, or the new creation, and is usually ascribed to Jesus Christ, who was the great prophet and messenger of the new covehant. See Eph. i. 10. ii. 10-15. iii. 9. iv. 24.; Col. iii. 10.; 2 Cor. v. 17. This great change the Apostle here describes under the symbol of a revolution introduced by Christ amongst certain ranks and orders of beings, by whom, according to the Jewish demonology, borrowed from the oriental philosophy, the affairs of states and individuals were superintended and governed. See Mr. Lindsey's Sequel, p. 477, and Westein in loc."

Note to the Unitarian Version.

No. 1.

COLOSSIANS i. 17.

"He is before all things," &c.
(BERYLLUS.)

Towards the middle of the third century, Beryllus, an Arabian bishop of Bozrah, renowned for piety and learning, taught, that Jesus Christ, before his incarnation, subsisted in the person of the Father, and had no personality of his own; and the Holy Ghost, issuing from God, as a portion of his nature, and superior to all souls, was united to Jesus at the time of his birth.

Origen pointed out the inconsistency of this doctrine with such force, that Beryllus renounced it and returned to the church.

Euseb. Hist. Eccles. lib. vi. cap. xx. p. 222, c. xxxiii.

p. 231.

[blocks in formation]

"He is above all things, and all these things are holden together in him."-Wakefield's Translation.

"He is superior to all things, and all these things are holden together in him."-Belsham's Translation.

COLOSSIANS i. 23.

(QUAKERS.)

(See Note on Rom. ii. 14.)

COLOSSIANS ii. 9.

"In him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily."

No. 1.

Dr. Watts is supposed to have become a Sabellian towards the close of his life, and to have then written several pieces in defence of it.

His sentiments appear to have been, that the Godhead, the Deity itself, personally distinguished as the Father, was united to the man Christ Jesus; in consequence of which union or indwelling of the Godhead, he became properly God. This indwelling scheme, which has, no doubt, some appearance of Sabellianism, is chiefly founded on Colossians ii. 9. Where St. Paul, speaking of Christ, says, "In him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily."

Mr. Palmer, in his useful edition of Johnson's Life

of Watts, observes, that "Dr. W. conceived this union to have subsisted before the Saviour's appearance in the flesh; and that the human soul of Christ existed with the Father before the foundation of the world; on which ground he maintains the real descent of Christ from heaven to earth, and the whole scene of his humiliation, which he thought incompatible with the common opinion concerning him. Dr. Doddridge is supposed to have been of these sentiments, and also Mr. Benjamin Fawcett, of Kidderminster, who published a valuable piece, entitled, • Candid Reflections concerning the Doctrine of the Trinity.""

[blocks in formation]

This text, and John xii. 44, 45, were cited by Baron Swedenborg in support of his opinions respecting Jesus Christ.

See a work entitled "The Beauties of E. Swedenborg," translated from the French by R. Socius.

(See Note on 1 Cor. viii. 4.)

No. 3.

(UNITARIANISM.)

"In him resideth substantially a fulness of divine communications." Belsham's Translation.

"Fulness of divine communications; Taν TO Tλnowμa της θεότητος. This text is the strong hold of what is called the indwelling scheme of the doctrine of the Trinity, of which Dr. Thomas Burnett, Dr. Watts, and Dr. Doddridge, are the most considerable advo

« ΠροηγούμενηΣυνέχεια »