Chapter XII.
All-ruling and disposing providence assigned unto Christ, and his eternal Godhead thence farther confirmed, with other testimonies thereof.
That Christ is that God who made all things hath been proved by the undeniable testimonies in the last chapter insisted on. That, as the great and wise Creator of all things, he doth also govern, rule, and dispose of the things by him created, is another evidence of his eternal power and Godhead, some testimonies whereof, in that order of procedure which by our catechists is allotted unto us, come now to be considered.
The first they propose is taken from Heb. i. 3, where the words spoken of Christ are, Φέρων τε τὰ πάντα τῷ ῥήματι τῆς δυνάμεως αὑτοῦ, — “Upholding all things by the word of his power.”
He who “upholdeth all things by the word of his power” is God. This is ascribed to God as his property; and by none but by him who is God by nature can it be performed. Now, this is said expressly of Jesus Christ: “Who being the brightness of his Father’s glory, and the express image of his person, upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins,” etc.
This place, or the testimony therein given to the divine power of Jesus Christ, they seek thus to elude:—
The word here,” all things,” doth not, no more than in many other places, signify all things universally without exception, but is referred to those things only which belong to the kingdom of Christ; of which it may truly be said that the Lord Jesus “beareth,” that is, conserveth,” all things by the word of his power.” But that the word” all things” is in this place referred unto those things only appeareth sufficiently from the subject-matter itself of it. Moreover, the word which this writer useth, “to bear,” doth rather signify governing or administration than preservation, as these words annexed, “By the word of his power,” seem to intimate.1
This indeed is jejune, and almost unworthy of these men, if any thing may be said so to be; for, — 1. Why is τὰ πάντα here “the things of the kingdom of Christ”? It is the express description of the person of Christ, as” the brightness of his Father’s glory, and the express image of his person,” that the apostle is treating of, and not at all of his kingdom as mediator. 2. It expressly answers the “worlds” that he is said to make, verse 2; which are not “the things of the kingdom of Christ,” nor do our catechists plead them directly so to be. This term, “all things,” is never put absolutely for all the things of the kingdom of Christ. 3. The subject-matter here treated of by the apostle is the person of Jesus Christ and the eminency thereof. The medium whereby he proves it to be so excellent is his almighty power in creating and sustaining of all things. Nor is there any subject-matter intimated that should restrain these words to the things of the kingdom of Christ. 4. The word φέρων, neither in its native signification nor in the use of it in the Scripture, gives any countenance to the interpretation of it by “governing or administering,” nor can our catechists give any one instance of that signification there. It is properly “to bear, to carry, to sustain, to uphold.” Out of nothing Christ made all things, and preserves them by his power from returning into nothing. 5. What insinuation of their sense they have from that expression,” By the word of his power,” I know not. “By the word of his power” is “By his powerful word.” And that that word or command is sometimes taken for the effectual strength and efficacy of God’s dominion, put forth for the accomplishing of his own purposes, I suppose needs not much proving.
Grotius would have the words δύναμις αὑτοῦ to refer to the power of the Father, “Christ upholdeth all things by the word of his Father’s power,” without reason or proof, nor will the grammatical account bear that reddition of the relative mentioned.
About that which they urge out of Jude 5 I shall not contend. The testimony from thence relies on the authority of the Vulgar Latin translation; which, as to me, may plead for itself.
Neither of what is mentioned from 1 Cor. x. shall I insist on any thing, but only the 9th verse, the words whereof are, “Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.” The design of the apostle is known. From the example of God’s dealing with the children of Israel in the wilderness upon their sins and provocations, there being a parity of state and condition between them and Christians as to their spiritual participation of Jesus Christ, verses 1–4, he dehorts believers from the ways and sins whereby God was provoked against them. Particularly in this verse he insists on the tempting of Christ; for which the Lord sent fiery serpents among them, by which they were destroyed, Num. xxi. 6. He whom the people tempted in the wilderness, and for which they were destroyed by serpents, was the Lord Jehovah; now, this doth the apostle apply to Christ: he therefore is the Lord Jehovah. But they say, —