things he might have the preeminence." Jesus then, according to this representation, was not God; he did not naturally and of himself have the preeminence, but it was bestowed upon him, "because it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell."*

Christ is said to have done, or created all things, by power delegated from God. It is evident then that he was not the Supreme Creator, but there is some doubt what the Apostle means by his having done or made all things. Some suppose that he existed in glory before the foundation of the world, and was the agent employed by God in the creation and support of all things in the material universe. Others offer good reasons for believing that the phrase "all things" should be limited to all things done by the gospel dispensation for the spiritual new creation or moral renovation of mankind. Examples are found of such limitation of general or universal propositions. The following is exactly to the purpose-St John, addressing Christians, says to them, "But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.”+ The writer obviously means that they know all things which Christians ought to know. So St Paul says, can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.'

66

I

Our present inquiry however does not call for the discussion of this question. Whatever opinion is adopted, it is still equally clear that St Paul did not consider our Saviour as having underived power. For he speaks of "God who raised him from the dead." Col. ii. 12. He represents Christ, not as supreme, but as "sitting on the

* Col. i. 12 to 20.

† 1 John ii. 20.

Phil. iv. 13.

right hand of God." iii. 1. He implies the inferiority of the Son to the Father in his injunction to Christians to "do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him." iii. 17. When he approaches nearest to attributing to Christ the perfections of Deity, he refers to the Father as the source of all. Let the reader compare the following texts, " for in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily."* "For it pleased the

Father that in him should all fulness dwell." This is the doctrine of St Paul; the blessed Saviour is not a common man, as some philosophers have asserted-he is the Son and Messenger of God, with divine wisdom and power, "for in him dwelleth all the fulness of the divinity." He is not the Supreme God, as some Christians believe," for it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell."‡

This conclusion is placed beyond a doubt by the following "Who is the image of the invisible God, the first born of every creature" or of all creatures. I have before explained the phrase, image of the invisible God, as necessarily signifying, a being distinct from God, the visible representative of his power and perfections on earth. "The first born of all creatures"-this obviously places him first among created beings, but still one of them, who derived his being from God. Whether this means first in time, or first in dignity, or both, does not at all concern the present inquiry. In either sense, the passage cannot be reconciled with the eternal, underived

* Col. ii. 9.

† Col. i. 19.

§ Col. i. 15.

There is nothing in the original corresponding to the word Father, in this passage, yet the insertion of it by the translators is approved by the best Trinitarian commentators.

divinity of him who is called a creature by the inspired Apostle.

The two Epistles to the Thessalonians so fully authorize the same conclusion, that we need to notice only a single passage from each Epistle, to show that the Apostle speaks of God and Jesus as beings distinct from each other, not only while Christ was on earth, but after his ascension. "Ye turned to God from idols, to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus which delivered us from the wrath to come."* "We are bound to give

thanks always to God for you *

* * because God hath

*

*

*

from the beginning chosen you to salvation, whereunto He called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ." +

The Epistles to Timothy were charges to a minister whom St Paul was peculiarly anxious to instruct as to "rightly dividing the word of truth." Let us observe some specimens of what he deemed to be this word of truth. "Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory for ever." Wa it to Jesus Christ that this ascription was made? Let the following passage afford an answer. "For there is one God and one Mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus." Again, "I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things." || Is not the Lord Jesus here represented as a distinct witness of conduct, as well as the angels? If then he is not a distinct being from God, what can this mean? Further, "God, who hath saved us, and

* 1 Thess. i. 9, 10.
§ 1 Tim. ii. 5.
3

VOL. II.

† 2 Thess. ii. 13, 14. + 1 Tim. i. 17. || 1 Tim. v. 21.

called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, but is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ." * Christ, therefore, not being the original source ،، If we of our salvation, is inferior to God. Once more. 66 suffer with him" [i. e. Christ] "we shall also reign with him."+ Suffer with him—reign with him; it would be impious for mere human beings to assert this of themselves in relation to one whom they regarded as the supreme God.

The Epistle to Titus was also a charge to a minister, whom the writer exhorted to adhere to "sound doctrine." Does Paul address him in the manner of a Trinitarian? Far from it. Far from it. He is careful to distinguish between God and Christ as two beings. "Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God, and our Saviour Jesus Christ." The title, great God, is never applied to Jesus Christ in the Scriptures, but frequently to the Father, and to him alone. Again, "God our Saviour, * according to his own mercy, saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of the holy spirit, which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour.” || This is then the sound doctrine" of St Paul;-the "Great God " is our Saviour, as the eternal source of mercy and love, and Jesus Christ is our Saviour in a subordinate sense, as the organ or channel through which this mercy flows to man.

* *

The Epistle to Philemon, about a slave, who had been converted to Christianity by the preaching of Paul at

* 2 Tim. i. 8, 9, 10.
& Tit. ii. 13.

+ 2 Tim. ii. 12.

|| Tit. iii. 4-6.`

Tit. ii. 1.

Rome, contains nothing which relates to the subject of our present remarks.

We have now carefully examined the writings of Paul,* and find that they correspond with his preaching; they uniformly represent our Saviour as the anointed Messenger of God, exalted by him to be a Prince and a Saviour, but never as God himself. It remains to consider what may be said against this conclusion. There are two passages which require explanation, as they seem to contradict the general tenor of the apostle's writings. We shall find, however, that there is no real inconsistency.

We meet with one difficulty in the Epistle to the Romans. "My kinsmen according to the flesh, who are Israelites, to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises; whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever." A very slight addition, authorized by the original Greek, removes this difficulty, and renders the passage consistent with the rest of the Epistle. It might read, "God be blessed for ever." St Paul is here expressing his solicitude for his countrymen ; and he relates God's providence and peculiar care over them, mentions the old and new covenants, and the promises made to the fathers. To this chosen nation, he says, belong the fathers from whom Christ descended, who is above all-over all-or better than all these other dispensations and persons, "God be blessed for ever." This last clause accordingly is nothing more han a natu† Rom. ix. 3, 4, 5.

* See Note at the end,