the day of judgment, doth belong to Christ, not as Mediator, but as the eternal Son of God. But the general power and dominion by which Jesus Christ exerciseth sovereignty over all creatures, without exception, doing to them, and fulfilling upon them all the good pleasure of his will, belongs to that kingdom which shall be continued forever, and shall not be laid down at the day of judgment; therefore, that general power and dominion by which Jesus Christ exerciseth sovereignty over all creatures, without exception, doing to them, and fulfilling upon them, all the good pleasure of his will, doth belong to Christ, not as Mediator, but as the eternal Son of God. And thus I make a transition to another argument.

Fourthly, He that hath a kingdom administered by and in evangelical ordinances, and a kingdom administered by his divine power, without evangelical ordinances, hath two different and distinct kingdoms. But Jesus Christ hath a kingdom administered by and in evangelical ordinances, and a kingdom administered by his divine power, without evangelical ordinances; therefore, doth not Jesus Christ reign over devils and damned spirits by his divine power, reserving them in chains of darkness to the judgment of the great day? But will Mr Hussey say that Christ reigns over the devils and damned spirits as Mediator, or by the same kingdom by which he reigns in his church by and in his ordinances? Therefore we must needs say, that Christ hath one kingdom as the eternal Son of God, another as Mediator.

Fifthly, He that hath a kingdom in subordination to God the Father, and as his vicegerent, and another kingdom wherein he is not subordinate unto, but equal with God the Father, hath two most different kingdoms. But Jesus Christ hath a kingdom in subordination to God the Father, and another kingdom wherein he is not subordinate unto, but equal with God the Father; therefore, the kingdom which Christ hath as Mediator, doth (in regard of the office of Mediatorship) constitute him in a subordination to his Father, whose commandments he executeth, and to whom he gives an account of his ministration. So that though he that is Mediator, being the eternal Son of God, is equal with the Father, yet as Mediator he is not equal with the Father, but subordinate to the Father; which our divines prove from these scriptures, Isa. xlii. 1," Behold my servant;"

John xiv. 28, "My Father is greater than I;" 1 Cor. xi. 3, "The head of Christ is God." In the same consideration as Christ is our head, God is Christ's head, namely, as Christ is Mediator. But that kingdom which Christ hath as he is the eternal Son of God, he holds it not in a subordination to God the Father, but as being consubstantial with his Father, and thinking it no robbery to be called equal with God; so that, in this consideration, the Father is not greater than he. Mr Hussey, p. 37, saith of Christ, in respect of the government which he hath as Mediator, "He is as it were the vicar of his Father." I hope he will not say so of that government which Christ hath as the eternal Son of God. And, p. 27, he holds that Christ, as Mediator, is subject to God; "but in the consideration that Christ is the second person of Trinity, so he is not inferior to God the Father." So that he himself cannot but yield my argument.

Sixthly, If Christ hath a kingdom in time dispensed and delegated to him, and unto which he was anointed, and hath another kingdom which is not delegated, nor in time dispensed, nor he anointed to it, but doth necessarily and naturally accompany the communication of the divine nature to him by eternal generation, then he hath two very different kingdoms: one as he is Mediator, another as he is the eternal Son of God. But Christ hath a kingdom in time dispensed and delegated, &c. If you speak of Christ as Mediator, God hath made him both Lord and Christ, Acts ii. 36, but as he is the eternal Son of God, he is not Dominus factus; he is not made Lord and King, any more than he is made the natural Son of God. When the Psalmist speaketh of that kingdom which Christ hath as Mediator, he tells us of the anointing of Christ, Psal. xlv. 6, "The sceptre of thy kingdon is a right sceptre ;" ver. 7, "Thy God hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness." But we cannot say that Christ was anointed to that kingdom which he hath as the eternal Son of God.

Seventhly, If the Scripture holds forth a kingdom which Christ hath over all creatures, and another kingdom which he hath over the church only, then it holds forth the twofold kingdom which I plead for, and which Mr Hussey denieth. But the Scripture holds forth, &c.: Christ, as he is "God over all, blessed forever," Rom. ix. 5, exerciseth sovereignty and dominion over all

things, even as his Father doth, Psal. cxv. 3; Dan. iv. 34, 35, for his Father and he are one. But as he is Mediator, his kingdom is his church only, and he is "over his own house," Heb. iii. 6. You will say the word only is not in Scripture. I answer, When we say that faith only justifieth, the word only is not in Scripture, but the thing is. Just so here; for, first, David, Solomon, and Eliakim, were types of Christ the King. Now David and Solomon did reign only over God's people as their subjects, though they had other people tributaries and subdued. So doth Christ reign over the house of Jacob only, Luke i. 32, 33, "The Lord shall give unto him the throne of his father David, and he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever;" Isa. ix. 7, "Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it ;" Isa. xxi. 22," I will commit the government into his hand, and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah, and the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder." 2. It was foretold and applied to the church and people of God as a proper and peculiar comfort to the church, that Christ was to come and reign as a king, Isa. ix. 6, "Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder;" Zech. ix. 9, "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy king cometh unto thee;" Matt. ii. 6, "Out of thee shall come a governor that shall rule my people Israel." 3. The Jews did generally understand it so, that the Messias was to be the church's king only, which made Pilate say to them," Shall I crucify your King?" And hence it was also, that the wise men who came to inquire for Christ, said, "Where is he that is born King of the Jews?" Matt. ii. 2.

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Eighthly. That very place, Eph i. 21— 23, from which Mr Coleman drew an argument against us, doth plainly hold forth twofold supremacy of Jesus Christ: one over all things, another in reference to the church only, which is his body, his fulness, and to whom alone he is Head, according to that text. Of which more afterwards.

Ninthly. The Apostle, Col. i., doth also distinguish this twofold pre-eminence, supremacy, and kingdom of Jesus Christ: one which is universal, and over all things, and which belongeth to him as he is the eternal Son of God, ver. 15-17, "Who is the

image of the invisible God, the first-born of every creature: for by him were all things created that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers; all things were created by him and for him. And he is before all things, and by him all things consist." Another which is economical and particular in and over the church, and this he hath as Mediator;1 ver. 18," And he is the head of the body, the church; who is the beginning, the first-born from the dead; that in all things he might have the pre-eminence." That, ver. 18, he speaketh of Christ as Mediator, is not controverted. But Mr Hussey, p. 35, would fain make it out (if he could) that Christ, as Mediator, is spoken of, ver. 15-17. The Apostle, indeed, in that which went before, did speak of Christ as Mediator. But the scope of these three verses is to prove the godhead of Jesus Christ. Yea, Mr Hussey himself yieldeth, that as God, and not as Mediator, he did create the world. How can he then contend that the Apostle speaketh here of Christ as Mediator? and why doth he find fault with my exposition that the Apostle speaketh here of Christ as God? Do not our writers urge Col. i. 16, 17, against the Socinians and Photinians, to prove the eternal godhead of Jesus Christ, because by him all things were created, and he is before all things. See Stegmanni Photinianismus, disp. 5, quest. 12; Becmanus, exercit. 4 and 8; where you may see, that the adversaries contend (as Mr Hussey doth) that the Apostle, ver. 15-17, doth not speak of the person of Jesus Christ, proving him to be true God, but that he speaks of Christ as Mediator, or in respect of his office, and of that dominion which Christ hath as Mediator (so Jonas Schlichtingius contra Meisner, p. 469); and that ver. 15-17, ascribeth no more to Christ than ver. 18. But Becmanus, answering Julius, distinguisheth the text as I do; for which analysis I did formerly cite Beza, Zanchius, Gualther, Bullinger, Tossanus, M. Bayne, beside divers others. But I have found none that understands the text as Mr Hussey doth, except the Socinians and Photinians, who do not

1 Calvin in Col. i. 18.-Postquam generaliter de Christi excellentia disseruit, deque summo ejus in omnes creaturas principatu: iterum redit ad ea quæ peculiariter ad ecclesiam spectant. In nomine capitis alii plura considerant, etc. Hic vero potissimum. meo judicio, de gubernatione loquitur.

acknowledge that Christ hath such an universal dominion and lordship over all things as God the Father, but only that he ruleth over all things as Mediator.

Now for answer to that which Mr Hussey, p. 26, 27, allegeth, to prove that Christ, as Mediator, reigneth over all things: first, he tells us out of Diodati, that Christ is Head of the church, and King of the universe; and out of Calvin, that the kingdom of Christ is over all, and filleth heaven and earth. But who denieth this? That which he had to prove is, that Christ, as Mediator, is King of the universe, and, as Mediator, his kingdom is spread over all; and when he hath proved that, he hath another thing to prove, that the universality of Christ's kingdom, as he is Mediator, is to be understood not only in an ecclesiastical notion, that is, so far as all nations are or shall be brought under the obedience of the gospel, but also in the notion of civil government, that is, that Christ reigns as Mediator over all creatures, whether under or without the gospel; and that all civil power, principality and government whatsoever in this world, is put in Christ's hand as Mediator. If, therefore, he will argue, let him argue so as to conclude the point.

The next objection he maketh is from Heb. i. 2, Christ, as Mediator, is made "heir of all things."

But I answer, Christ is heir of all things, 1. As the eternal Son of God, in the same respect as it is said of Christ in the next words of the same verse, that he made the world; and thus he may be called heir of all things by nature, even as Col. i. 15, he is called "the first-born of every creature." 2. He is heir of all things as Mediator, for the heathen and all the ends of the earth are given him for an inheritance, Psal. ii. 8; but that is only church-wise; he shall have a catholic church gathered out of all nations, and all kings, and people, and tongues, and languages shall be made to serve him.

Moreover, Mr Hussey objecteth from Heb. ii. 8, and 1 Cor. xv. 28, that God hath put all things under Christ's feet as he is Mediator. Ans. As this is not perfectly fulfilled in this world, but will then be fulfilled when "Christ shall have put down all rule, and all authority and power:" so in the measure and degree wherein it is fulfilled in this world, it concerneth not men only, but all the works of God's hands: Heb. ii. 7, "Thou crownedst him with glory and

honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands;" which is taken out of the eighth Psalm, ver. 6, 7, "Thou hast put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen," &c. Now how is it that the Apostle applieth all this to Christ? How doth Christ rule over the beasts, fowls, fishes? Calvin, in 1 Cor. xv. 27, 28, answereth, Dominatur ergo, ut omnia serviant ejus gloriæ,-He ruleth, so as all things may serve for his glory. So, then, all things are put under Christ's feet as he is Mediator, both in regard of his excellency, the dignity and glory unto which he is exalted, far above all the glory of any creature, and in respect of his power and over-ruling providence, whereby he can dispose of all things so as may make most for his glory. But it is a third thing which Mr Hussey hath to prove, namely, that Christ, as Mediator, exerciseth his office and government over all men as his subjects, and over all magistrates as his deputies, yea, over all things, even over the reasonable creatures; for, by his arguing, he will have Christ, as Mediator, to govern the sheep, oxen, fowls, and fishes; all things, as well as all persons, being put under Christ's feet. But in the handling of this very argument, Mr Hussey yields the cause:-"God is said to put all things under him (saith he), whereby it is implied, that all things were not under him before they were put under him; but as the second person in Trinity, so nothing could be said to be put under him, because they were in that respect always under him." Is not this all one for substance with that distinction formerly cited out of Polanus, of a twofold kingdom of Christ: one natural, as he is the second person in the Trinity, another donative, as he is Mediator?

Lastly. Mr Hussey argueth from Phil. ii. 8-10: Christ, as Mediator, is exalted to have a name above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee may bow. Ans. Here is indeed a dignity, glory, and power, as Diodati saith, above all things, but yet not a government or kingdom, as Mediator; for those who must bow the knee to Christ, are not only things in heaven, that is, angels, and things in earth, that is, men, but also things under the earth, that is, devils; yet devils are none of the subjects of Christ's kingdom as he is Mediator. Therefore this text proves not a headship or government over all (which Mr Hussey contends for), but a power over all.

I will here anticipate another objection,

which is not moved by Mr Hussey. It may be objected from 1 Cor. xi. 3, "That the head of every man is Christ." I answer, 1. Some understand this of Christ as God, and as the Creator of man. And if it be said that the latter clause, the "head of Christ is God," is meant of Christ as Mediator, and not as God: yet Martyr tells us out of Chrysostom, that all these comparisons and subordinations in this text are not to be taken in one and the same sense. 2. I grant also that Christ may be called the head of every man, not only in respect of his godhead, but as Mediator; that is, the head of every man in the church, not of every man in the world; for the apostle speaks, de ordine divinitus sancito in ecclesiæ corpore mystico, as Mr David Dickson (an interpreter who hath taken very good pains in the textual study of Scripture) saith upon the place. I shall clear it by the like forms of speech, Jer. xxx. 6, "Wherefore do I see every

man with his hands on his loins ?" Luke xvi. 16, "The kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it ;" 1 Cor. xii. 7, "The manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal;" Heb. ii. 9, "Jesus did taste death for every man." Yet none of these places are meant of every man in the world. 3. Yea, in some sense Christ, as Mediator, may be called the head of every man in the world; that is, in respect of dignity, excellency, glory, eminence of place, quia in hoc sexu ille supra omens eminet, saith Gualther, or because no man had parity or equality of honour with Christ; so Martyr and Hunnius. The English Annotations say that Christ is the head of every man, as much as he is the first-begotten among many brethren." Which best agreeth with my second answer.

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But for taking off all these, and for preventing of other objections, that one distinction will suffice, which I first gave in examining Mr Coleman's sermon. In the Mediator, Jesus Christ, there is, 1. "Yepox" or dia, dignity, excellency, honour, glory, splendour. 2. Aúraues, his mighty power, by which he is able to do in heaven and earth whatsoever he will. 3. Βασιλεία, his kingdom, and kingly office or government; which three, as they are distinguished in God, "thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory," why not in the Mediator also? In the first two respects, Christ, as Mediator, is over all things, and so over all men, and so over all magistrates, and all

they in subjection to him, but in the third respect, the relation is only between Christ and his church, as between king and kingdom, so that the thing in difference is that which Mr Hussey hath not proved, namely, that Christ, as Mediator, doth not only excel all things in glory, and exercise a supreme power and providence over all things for his own glory, and his church's good (neither of which is denied), but that he also is as Mediator, King, Head, and Governor of the universe, and hath not only the government of his church, but all civil government put in his hand. When Mr Hussey, p. 28, saith, that I denied, p. 43, what this distinction yieldeth, namely, that Christ, as Mediator, exerciseth acts of divine power in the behalf and for the good of his church, it is a calumny; for that which I denied, p. 43, was concerning the kingdom, not the power. My words were these: "But, as Mediator, he is only the church's King, Head, and Governor, and hath no other kingdom.' Yea himself, p. 26, speaking to these words of mine, noteth that I did not say, that as Mediator he hath no such how compower; eth it to pass that he chargeth me with the denying of that which himself, but two pages before, had observed that I deny it not?

Well, but, p. 43, he desires from me a further clearing of my distinction, "kingdom, power, and glory," and that I will show from Scripture how it agreeth to Christ. I shall obey his desire, though it was before easy to be understood, if he had been willing enough to understand. Solomon did excel all the kings of the earth in wisdom, riches, glory, and honour, 2 Chron. i. 12, and herein he was a type of Christ, Psal. lxxxix. 27, "I will make him my first-born, higher than the kings of the earth" but as Solomon was only king of Israel, and was not, by office or authority of government, a catholic king over all the kingdoms of the world, nor all other kings Solomon's vicegerents or deputies, so Jesus Christ, as Mediator, is only the church's King, and is not King or Governor of the whole world, nor civil magistrates his vicegerents, though he excel them all in dignity, glory, and honour. Again, David did subdue, by power, divers states, provinces, and kingdoms, and make them tributary but was David king of the Philistines, and king of the Moabites, and king of the Syrians, and king of the Edomites, because he smote them and subdued them? 2 Sam. viii. Nay it

:

"And

is added in that very place, ver. 15, David reigned over all Israel, and David executed justice and judgment unto all his people." (And this is one argument to prove that those subdued and tributary territories were not properly under the government of Israel, because Israel was not bound to extirpate idolaters out of those lands, but only out of the holy land. See Maimonides de Idolol, cap. 7, sect. 1, with the annotation of Dionysius Vossius.) So Christ, who was set upon the throne of David, doth, as Mediator, put forth his divine and irresistible power in subduing all his church's enemies, according to that, Psal. ii. 9, "Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron, thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel;" Rev. xvii. 14, "The Lamb shall overcome them, for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings." But this vis major, this restraining, subduing power, makes not Christ, as Mediator, to be King and Governor, not only of his church, but of the whole world beside. Yea, the power of Christ is over all things, as well as all persons; over all beasts, fowls, and fishes; Heb. ii. 7, 8, compared with Psal. viii. 7, 8; yea, his power is over devils, meant by things under the earth, Phil. ii. 10.

Wherefore it cannot be said, that Christ, as Mediator, is King, Head and Governor of all those whom he excelleth in glory, or whom he hath under his power, to do with them what he will. It is a strange mistake when Mr Hussey, p. 43, objecteth against this distinction, that a kingdom without power and glory, is a nominal empty thing. Surely there may be a kingly right and authority to govern where there is little either power or glory. But this is nothing to my distinction, which doth not suppose a kingdom without power and glory, nor yet power and glory without a kingdom, but only that the kingdom and government is not to be extended to all those whom the king excelleth in glory (for then one king that hath but little glory shall be subject to a king that hath much glory), or over whom the king exerciseth acts of power (for then the king shall be king to his and his kingdom's enemies). I verily believe that this distinction, rightly apprehended, will discover the great mistakes of that supposed universal kingdom of Christ, as Mediator, reigning over all things, and the civil magistrate as his vicegerent.

CHAPTER VI.

WHETHER JESUS CHRIST, AS MEDIATOR AND HEAD OF THE CHURCH, HATH PLACED THE CHRISTIAN MAGISTRATE TO HOLD AND EXECUTE HIS OFFICE UNDER AND FOR HIM, AS HIS VICEGERENT. THE ARGUMENTS FOR THE AFFIRMATIVE DISCUSSED.

Mr Hussey is very angry at my distinctions and arguments which I brought against Mr Coleman's fourth rule, insomuch that, in his reply to me, he spendeth very near two parts of three upon this matter, from p. 16 to 44, having passed over sicco pede much of what I had said of other points in difference. Come now, therefore, and let us try his strength in this great point. He holds that Christ, as Mediator, hath placed the Christian magistrate under him, and as his vicegerent, and hath given him commission to govern the church, which, if he or any man can prove from the word of God, it will go far in the decision of the Erastian controversy, though this is not all which is incumbent to the Erastians to prove; for, as I first replied to Mr Coleman's fourth rule, the question is, Whether there be not some other government instituted and appointed by Jesus Christ to be in his church beside the civil government? And if it should be granted that Christ, even as Mediator, hath committed, delegated, and instituted, civil government in his church, yet they must further prove that Christ hath committed the whole and sole power of church government to the magistrate, and so hath left no share of government to the ministry. But I can by no means yield that so much contended for vicegerentship of the Christian magistrate, and his holding of his office of and under Christ, as he is Mediator.

Mr Coleman in his Re-examination, p. 19, was fearful to set his foot upon so slippery ground. He was loath to adventure upon this assertion, that magistracy is derived from Christ, as Mediator, by a commission of deputation and vicegerentship (which yet did necessarily follow upon the fourth rule which he had delivered in his sermon). Wherefore he made a retreat and held him at this: "That magistracy is given to Christ to be serviceable in his kingdom." But out steps Mr Hussey and boldly avers a great deal more. I much mistake if he shall not