22. But this wild talk must cease; the rhetoric of
exposing heretical folly must give place to the drudgery of framing
arguments. So, I trust, those among them who are capable of being
saved will set their faces towards the true faith taught by the
Evangelists and Apostles, and recognise Him Who is the true Son of God,
not by adoption but by nature. For the plan of our reply must be
that of first proving that He is the Son of God, and therefore fully
endowed with that Divine nature in the possession of which His Sonship
consists. For the chief aim of the heresy, which we are
considering, is to deny that our Lord Jesus Christ is true God and
truly the Son of God. Many evidences assure us that our Lord
Jesus Christ is, and is revealed to be, God the Only-begotten, truly
the Son of God. His Father bears witness to it, He Himself
asserts it, the Apostles proclaim it, the faithful believe it, devils
confess it, Jews deny it, the heathen at His passion recognised
it. The name of God is given Him in the right of absolute
ownership, not because He has been admitted to joint use with others of
the title. Every work and word of Christ transcends the power of
those who bear the title of sons; the foremost lesson that we learn
from all that is most prominent in His life is that He is the Son of
God, and that He does not hold the name of Son as a title shared with a
widespread company of friends.