40. I defer the consideration of the words, which is in the bosom of the Father, to a more appropriate place. My present enquiry is into the sense of Only-begotten, and the claim upon us which that sense may make. And first let us see whether the word mean, as you assert, a perfect creature of God; Only-begotten being equivalent to perfect, and Son a synonym for creature. But John described the Only-begotten Son as God, not as a perfect creature. His words, Which is in the bosom of the Father, shew that he anticipated these blasphemous designations; and, indeed, he had heard his Lord say, For God so loved the world that He gave His Only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life312    Ib. iii. 16.. God, Who loved the world, gave His Only-begotten Son as a manifest token of His love. If the evidence of His love be this, that He bestowed a creature upon creatures, gave a worldly being on the world’s behalf, granted one raised up from nothing for the redemption of objects equally raised up from nothing, this cheap and petty sacrifice is a poor assurance of His favour towards us. Gifts of price are the evidence of affection: the greatness of the surrender of the greatness of the love. God, Who loved the world, gave not an adopted Son, but His own, His Only-begotten. Here is personal interest, true Sonship, sincerity; not creation, or adoption, or pretence. Herein is the proof of His love and affection, that He gave His own, His Only-begotten Son.

40. Unigenitus filius Joanni non est creatura perfecta. ---Nondum quaero quid sit, qui est in sinu Patris; habet interrogatio ista suum ordinem: quaero quid unigeniti significatio sibi postulet. Et videamus an hoc sit, quod tu esse profiteris, id est, creaturam Dei perfectam; ut perfecta pertineat ad unigenitum, creatura vero referatur ad filium. Sed Deum unigenitum 0190A filium Joannes dixit, non creaturam perfectam. Non ignoravit haec blasphemiae nomina, dicens: Qui est in sinu Patris; et a Domino suo audiens: Sic enim dilexit mundum Deus, ita ut filium suum unigenitum daret: ut omnis qui credit in eum non pereat, sed habeat vitam aeternam (Joan. III, 16). Deus mundum diligens, hoc dilectionis suae in eum testimonium protulit, ut unigenitum filium suum daret. Si dilectionis hinc fides est, creaturam creaturis praestitisse, et pro mundo dedisse quod mundi est, et ad ea quae ex nihilo sunt substituta redimenda, cum qui ex nihilo substitit praebuisse: non facit magni meriti fidem vilis et spernenda jactura. Pretiosa autem sunt quae commendant charitatem, et ingentia ingentibus aestimantur. Deus diligens mundum, filium non adoptivum, 0190B sed suum, sed unigenitum dedit. Hic proprietas est, nativitas est, veritas est: non creatio est, non adoptio est, non falsitas est. Hinc dilectionis et charitatis fides est, mundi saluti et filium et suum et unigenitum praestitisse.