HOMILY III.] HOMILIES ON COLOSSIANS. 271 than this, that He is the Firstfruits of the Res urrection. Surely then neither in the place before us. 1 Next he proceeds to the doctrine itself. For that they may not think Him to be of more recent existence, because that in former times the approach was through Angels, but now through Him ; he shows first, that they had no power (for else it had not been " out of darkness" (ver. 13) that he brought), next, that He is also before them. And he uses as a proof of His being before them, this ; that they were created by him. "For in Him," he saith, "were all things created." What say here the followers of Paul of Samosata ? 2 " The things in the heavens." What was in question, he has placed first ; 3 " and the things upon the earth." Then he says, " the visible and the invisible things " ; invisible, such as soul, and all that has come to exist in heaven ; visible, such as men, sun, sky. "Whether thrones." And what is granted, he lets alone, but what is doubted he asserts. "Whether thrones, or dominions, or principal ities, or powers." The words " whether," " or," comprehend the whole of things ; but by means of the greater things show it of the less also. But the Spirit is not amongst the " powers." " All things," he saith, " have been created through Him, and unto Him." Lo, " in Him," is 4 "through Him," for having said "in Him," he added, " through Him." But what " unto Him "? It is this ; the subsistence of all things depends on Him. Not only did He Himself bring them out of nothing into being, but Him self sustains them now, so that were they dis severed from His Providence, they were at once undone and destroyed. But He said not, " He continues them," which had been a grosser way of speaking, but what is more subtle, that " on " Him they depend. To have only a bearing on Him is enough to continue anything and bind it fast. So also the word " firstborn," in the sense of a foundation. But this doth not show the creatures to be consubstantial with Him ; but that all things are through Him, and in Him are upheld. Since Paul also when he says elsewhere, "I have laid a foundation" (i Cor. iii. 10), is speaking not concerning substance, but opera tion. For, that thou mayest not think Him to be a minister, he says that He continues them, 1 i.e. is anything else meant by the word TrptoToro/co?, than that He is the Firstfruits of the Creation. This may be his meaning, or " that he, the Only-begotten, is the Beginning of the Creation." See note on St. Athanasius against Ananism, Disc, i, Oxf. Tr. 2 P. of Samosata held the Divine Word, or Reason, to be a mere Attribute, and not a Person. The Person ofour Lord would thus be simply Human, only with a Divine influence. See St. Ath. Def. of Nic. Def. c. v. n, Tr. This text of St. Paul is quoted against P. of Samosata, Cone. Ant. i. Labbe, t. i, p. 846, by the orthodox Bishops. See also Epiph. Haer. 45. The heretics might allow what is said here of the Word as an Attribute; the refutation follows pres ently. 3 One MS. has, " first the things in heaven," &c., which agrees with the sense. 4 i.e. " In Him," in the beginning of the verse, is said in such a sense as to agree with " through Him." which is not less than making them. Certainly, with us it is greater even ; for to the former, art conducts us ; but to the latter, not so, it does not even stay a thing in decay. " And He is before all things," he saith. This is befitting God. Where is Paul of Samosata? "And in Him all things consist," that is, they are created into 5 Him. He repeats these ex pressions in close sequence ; with their close succession, as it were with rapid strokes, tearing up the deadly doctrine by the roots. For, if even when such great things had been declared, still after so long a time Paul of Samosata sprung up, how much more [would such have been the case], had not these things been said before? " And in Him," he saith, " all things consist." How "consist" in one who was not? So that the things also done through Angels are of Him. "And He is the head of the body, the Church." Then having spoken of His dignity, he after wards speaks of His love to man also. " He is," saith he, " the Head of the body, the Church." And he said not "of the fullness," 6 (although this too is signified,) out of a wish to show His great friendliness to us, in that He who is thus above, and above all, connected Himself with those below. For everywhere He is first ; above first ; in the Church first, for He is the Head ; in the Resurrection first. That is, Ver. 1 8. "That He might have the preemi nence." So that in generation also He is first. And this is what Paul is chiefly endeavoring to show. For if this be made good, that He was before all the Angels ; then there is brought in along with it this also as a consequence, that He did their works by commanding them. And what is indeed wonderful, he makes a point to show that He is first in the later generation. Although elsewhere he calls Adam first ( i Cor. xv. 45 ), as in truth he is ; but here he takes the Church for the whole race of mankind. For He is first of the Church ; and first of men after the flesh, like as of the Creation. 7 And there fore he here uses the word " firstborn." What is in this place the meaning of " the Firstborn"? Who was created first, or rose before all ; as in the former place it means, Who was before all things. And here indeed he uses the word " firstfruits," saying, "Who is tl-e 8 B [Chrys. here seems to insist on the local sense of (, " into," which above, and in Rev. Ver., is translated " unto." All things in Him consist, being created into Him. But the fancy is of doubtful value. J. A. B.J 6 roil irAT)p<uju.aTos. Here used of the universe, somewhat as i Cor. x. 26, only in a more extended sense. 7 Cat. "and first of men even as he that was first of Creation after the flesh," then one Par. and Br. M. read, " For this cause both here and there the word Firstborn is used. But whnt is Firstborn of all creation ? It is for First Created, as Firstborn from the dead is for Who rose again before all. And as thfre he puts Who is before all, so bere also he has put Firstfruits. JA Paris MS. has the same reading, except that for " First Created " it has " First Creator." J. A. B.] Rec. text opx*). St. Chrys. has dn-opxi [and so six cursives.