That this is the meaning will soon appear:—
1. From the scope of the place, which is to teach the Colossians not to worship angels, because they are but servants, and the Son of God is their Lord and Head.
2. The Apostle expounds himself how Christ is the head of all principality and power: Col. i. 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.” Now all this is, without controversy, to be understood not of the office, but of the person of Jesus Christ; not of his governing and kingly office, as he is Mediator, but to prove that he is true and very God; therefore Beza, Zanchius, Gualther, Bullinger, Tossanus, M. Bayne, and divers other interpreters upon the place, do generally agree that the Apostle (ver. 15-17) speaks of the dignity and excellency of the person of Jesus Christ, proving him to be true God; and that (ver. 18) he cometh to speak of his office, as he is Mediator: “And he is the head of the body, the church,” &c. So that we may distinguish a twofold headship of Jesus Christ: One, in regard of his Godhead,—and so he is head of all principality and power; another, in [pg 2-017] regard of his office of Mediatorship,—and so he is head of the church only. The present question is of the latter, not of the former. The former is common to the Son of God with the Father and the Holy Ghost; the latter is proper to Christ as God and man. The former shall continue for ever; the latter shall not continue for ever. The former doth not necessarily suppose the latter; but the latter doth necessarily suppose the former. Christ can reign as God, though he reign not as Mediator; but he cannot reign as Mediator and not reign as God. The object of the former is every creature; the object of the latter is the church gathered out of the world.
This digression concerning the headship of Jesus Christ may for the future prevent divers objections, so I shall return.
And now (I desire all to consider it) there is not one word in those three last verses of Eph. i. which will give any ground for that which the brother with so much confidence averreth. Ver. 21 affordeth this argument against him: The honour and dignity of Jesus Christ there spoken of hath place “not only in this world, but also in that which is to come.” But the kingdom and government which is given to Christ, as Mediator, shall not continue in the world to come (for when Christ hath put his enemies under his feet, he shall deliver up the kingdom to the Father, and reign no longer as Mediator, 1 Cor. xv. 24, 25); therefore the government given to Christ, as he is Mediator, cannot be meant in that place, but the dignifying, honouring, preferring, and exalting of Christ to a higher degree of glory than either man or angel.
Come on now and see whether ver. 22 maketh any whit more for him: He “hath put all things under his feet;” that is, saith Zanchius, all things but the church, which is his body. But this must be meant in respect of the decree and foreknowledge of God, as Jerome expounds the place; and so doth the Scripture expound itself: Heb. ii. 8, “But now we see not yet all things put [pg 2-018] under him;” 1 Cor. xv. 25, “He must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet;” Acts ii. 34, 35, “Sit thou on my right hand, until I make thy foes thy footstool.” Now, when Christ shall have put down all rule, and all authority, and power, and shall put his enemies under his feet, then he shall cease to reign any more as Mediator (which I have even now proved); but before that be done he reigns as Mediator. So that it can never be proved that the meaning of these words, “He hath put all things under his feet,” is, that all government in this world is given to Christ as Mediator; and whoever saith so, must needs acknowledge that Christ's exercising of government, as he is Mediator, over all principalities and powers, shall continue after all things shall be put under his feet; or that Christ shall not govern as Mediator, “till all things be put under his feet,” which is so contrary to the Apostle's meaning, that Christ shall then cease to reign as Mediator.
The next words, “And he gave him to be the head over all things to the church,” do furnish another argument against him. Christ's headship, and his government as Mediator, are commensurable, and of an equal extent. Christ is a head to none but to his church; therefore no government is given to him as Mediator but the government of his church.
The last verse doth further confirm that which I say; for the Apostle, continuing his speech of the church, saith, “Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.” He calls the church Christ's fulness, in reference to his headship, that which makes him full and complete so far as he is a head or king. Having his church fully gathered, he hath his complete kingdom, his perfect body; and this being done, he wants nothing, so far as he is Mediator: so that the Holy Ghost doth here, as it were on purpose, anticipate this opinion, lest any should think all civil government is given to Christ as Mediator. Though, as God, he filleth heaven and earth, yet, as Mediator, his filling of all in [pg 2-019] all extends no further than his body, his church, which is therefore called his fulness.
Finally, To avoid the mistake of this place, and upon the whole matter, let these three things be well distinguished in the Mediator Jesus Christ. 1. His ὑπεροχὴ or δυχα, his eminence and highness in respect of the glory and majesty he is exalted to, far above whatsoever is highest among all the creatures. 2. His δύναμις, the power by which he can, and doth by degrees, and will more and more subdue his and his church's enemies, and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel, and break them with a rod of iron. 3. His βασιλεία, his kingly power, by which he exerciseth acts of government. These three are distinguished in an earthly king, the first two being of a larger extent than the third. The conclusion of that prayer which our Lord taught his disciples doth distinguish the same three in God: “Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory.” Now these being distinguished in the Mediator Jesus Christ, I conclude with these three distinct assertions (the truth whereof I hope I have made to appear): 1. As Mediator, he is exalted and dignified above all creatures, and his glory is above all the earth; 2. As Mediator, he exerciseth acts of divine power and omnipotence over all creatures, in the behalf of, and for the good of his church, and restraineth, or diverteth, or destroyeth all his church's enemies; 3. As Mediator, he is king, head, and governor to none but his church: neither was all government put in his hand, but that of the church only.
I could enlarge myself further against that most dangerous principle, “That all government, even that which is civil, is given to Christ, and to him as Mediator;” but let these things suffice for the present. The reverend brother's opinion will find better entertainment among the Jews, who expect a temporal monarchy of the Messiah; and among Papists, who desire to uphold the Pope's temporal authority over kings, as Christ's vicegerent upon earth.