Christs eternal existence, and the dignity of his person asserted and proved in opposition…

Thirdly, Though Christ be called the firstborn of every Creature, it doth not imply that he is to be reckoned as one of them, or accounted a Creature. It is true, when he is said Rom. 8.29. That he is the first-born among many brethren, it implieth that he is head of the renewed estate, that he and all new creatures are of the same kind, allowing him the dignity of his rank and degree, for God is his God, and their God, his Father and their Father: but here it is not the first-born amongst the creatures, but the first-born of every creature. And for farther confirmation, here is not Identity of Nature, for he is not at all of the same nature with the Angels, those Principalities and Thrones, Dominions and Powers spoken of in the next verse, nor issued of the same stock with any of them: mark, he is called the first-born, not first created, which must be understood of his divine nature, and eternal Generation of the Father before all creatures. The creatures are not begotten and born of God▪ •ut made by him: so Christ is primogenitus, that ⟨p. 42⟩unigenitus the first-born, that only begotten. In the following verse he is brought in not as a creature, but the Creator of all things. The first-born is not the cause of the rest of the Children: Peter was the first-born, yet may be a Brother to James and John, but not a Father to them. Now all the rest of the creatures are created, and produced by him: he is not reckoned among them as one of them, he is the Image of the invisible God.

Thirdly, Though Christ be called the firstborn of every Creature, it doth not imply that he is to be reckoned as one of them, or accounted a Creature. It is true, when he is said Rom. 8.29. That he is the first-born among many brethren, it implyeth that he is head of the renewed estate, that he and all new creatures are of the same kind, allowing him the dignity of his rank and degree, for God is his God, and their God, his Father and their Father: but here it is not the first-born amongst the creatures, but the first-born of every creature. And for farther confirmation, here is not Identity of Nature, for he is not at all of the same nature with the Angels, those Principalities and Thrones, Dominions and Powers spoken of in the next verse, nor issued of the same stock with any of them: mark, he is called the first-born, not first created, which must be understood of his divine nature, and eternal Generation of the Father before all creatures. The creatures are not begotten and born of God ut made by him: so Christ is primogenitus, that