DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.9552#0547
TO THE CHRISTIAN PUBLIC
2 5
i. 6 : " When the sons of God came to present them-
selves before the Lord,'' &c. Is .Solomon, because he is
called a son of God, to be considered a partaker of the
divine nature ? Are the angels, designated " the sons of
God/ ''considered to be of the same nature with the
Deity ? The Editor, however, adds, (page 594.) " Our
author hints that in the sacred writings others have been
termed the sons of God : this, however, only proves,
that Christ is, by nature, the Son of God, while all
others are the sons of God by adoption, or metaphori-
cally." To establish Christ's being the only Son of
God, he quotes Rom. viii 32, in which Christ is termed
God's own son ; and John i. 16, where he says, that
" the Holy Spirit also terms him, not merely the only
son, but the only-begotten son of the Father.'' I there-
fore quote here verse 32 in question, with the preceding
verse of the same chapter of Romans : " What shall we
then say to these things ? If God be for us, who can be
against us ? He that spared not his own Son, but deli-
vered him up for us all, how shall he not with him
also, freely give us all things ?" Here St. Paul proves
beyond doubt, the unlimited mercy of God towards
men, as manifested by his appointment of his own Son,
to save mankind from death, at the risk of the life of
that son, without limiting the honour of a spiritual birth
to Jesus, and denying to others the same distinction, who,
in common with Jesus, enjoy it according to unquestion-
able sacred authorities. Deut. xxxii. 18 : "Of the Rock
that begat thee thou art unmindful." Exod. iv. 22 :
" Israel is my son, even my first-bo?'?i.'' 2 Sam. vii. 14 :
" I will be his (Solomon's) father, and he shall be my
son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the
2 5
i. 6 : " When the sons of God came to present them-
selves before the Lord,'' &c. Is .Solomon, because he is
called a son of God, to be considered a partaker of the
divine nature ? Are the angels, designated " the sons of
God/ ''considered to be of the same nature with the
Deity ? The Editor, however, adds, (page 594.) " Our
author hints that in the sacred writings others have been
termed the sons of God : this, however, only proves,
that Christ is, by nature, the Son of God, while all
others are the sons of God by adoption, or metaphori-
cally." To establish Christ's being the only Son of
God, he quotes Rom. viii 32, in which Christ is termed
God's own son ; and John i. 16, where he says, that
" the Holy Spirit also terms him, not merely the only
son, but the only-begotten son of the Father.'' I there-
fore quote here verse 32 in question, with the preceding
verse of the same chapter of Romans : " What shall we
then say to these things ? If God be for us, who can be
against us ? He that spared not his own Son, but deli-
vered him up for us all, how shall he not with him
also, freely give us all things ?" Here St. Paul proves
beyond doubt, the unlimited mercy of God towards
men, as manifested by his appointment of his own Son,
to save mankind from death, at the risk of the life of
that son, without limiting the honour of a spiritual birth
to Jesus, and denying to others the same distinction, who,
in common with Jesus, enjoy it according to unquestion-
able sacred authorities. Deut. xxxii. 18 : "Of the Rock
that begat thee thou art unmindful." Exod. iv. 22 :
" Israel is my son, even my first-bo?'?i.'' 2 Sam. vii. 14 :
" I will be his (Solomon's) father, and he shall be my
son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the