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    toother persons : hence I am autborized to conclude , that as applied to him it ought to be taken in the same general sense as it is when applied to others , that he and tiiey are the sons of God , in ^ he sam e way ; not by nature but by office , excellency of character , and whatever else may give pre «* eminence . In all matters of con .

    troversy it is of importance to re « fer to some leading principles , which are so clearly laid down in scripture , that ail Christians are constrained to admi t them : I will take this method on the present occasion .- — 1 . AU Christians fully admit

    that there is trtit one God ; the most jealous of the reputed orthodox , whatever other notions ^ they may maintain , will not say there is more

    than one God ; it follows that the phrase u Son of God" must either mean the one and only God , or a being of &-- different nature , who is not God- It must be so

    construed as not to introduce a new Deity , nor to contravene or infringe that universal article of faith , There it no God but one *

    To make Christ idejprtipal with the one God , his Father , is to destroy all ideas of paternity and filiation , so far as he [ s concerned , as well as to introduce manifest

    confusion and absurdity into the gospel testimony . The conclusion is unavoidable , he is not the Son of God literally but figuratively , Dot by nature but by office , &c . 2 . All Christians are

    constrained to admit that Christ was a ,, and that the name " Son of God" iaapplied ^ by the wri - ters of $ he New Testament , to a B * &n who was crucified by the & ** * who actually died and was taised from the dead ; it follows

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    that it ought to be so understood as to be applicable to that crucified man : it cannot be * trtie that the Jews crtrciffed the divine

    nature , or a being who was identic cal with the only God , or every way such as the only God is ; but who will deny that they crucified

    the very persoa who is called the Son of God by the apostles , that the same person who is distinguish-, ed by that name died and was raised from the dead i The con *

    elusion , as before , is unavoidable , he was not the Son of Go& literally , or by ijature , but figurativel y * &e . 3 L We find the same name

    in the sacred writings , either in the singular of the plural , given to other men besides Jesus the Christ . Israel is called God ' s son , Epkraitti his first-born . Those to * vrhom

    the word of God came , the judges and rulers of Israel , are called Gods , and children of the Most High . Christians are called the sons of God . It will be admitted , by Christians of all parties , that in all the above instances the lart

    gunge most be construed figuratively ; but what authority ca r there be tot Construing a name , which occurs so frequently in Scripture , in a different Way when applied to Jesus , who it is

    Acknowledged was a man , to what it is construed in all other instances , especially as we have no intimation that , as applied to bifti , it was used in a new sense , in which it had never been used before , or should be used after i

    4 « Jesu * himself explained the sense in which he was the Son of God . John i- 34 , $ S 36 * When the J& * a > were about ft * stone him for calling , God his f * - therhe explained , that he called

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    On tie Phrase Sen of 6 od . ** 499

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    ^ ? ox ., v . 3 s

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Oct. 2, 1810, page 497, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2409/page/25/