13. And we indeed are sons of God, but sons because the Son has made us such. For we were once sons of wrath, but have been made sons of God through the Spirit of adoption, and have earned that title by favour, not by right of birth. And since everything that is made, before it was made, was not, so we, although we were not sons, have been made what we are. For formerly we were not sons: but after we have earned the name we are such. Moreover, we have not been born, but made; not begotten, but purchased. For God purchased a people for Himself, and by this act begot them. But we never learn that God begot sons in the strict sense of the term. For He does not say, “I have begotten and brought up My sons,” but only, I have begotten and brought up sons813    Is. i. 2 (LXX.)..

13. Nos Dei filii facti, non nati, ideoque non sui.---Et nos quidem filii Deo, sed per facturam filii. Fuimus 0441A enim aliquando filii iracundiae (Ephes. II, 3); sed filii Deo per spiritum adoptionis effecti, et dici id meremur potius quam nascimur. Et quia omne quod fit, ante quam fiat, non fuit; nos cum filii non fuissemus, ad id quod sumus efficimur. Ante enim filii non eramus: sed post quam meruimus hoc sumus. Sumus autem non nati, sed facti; neque generati, sed acquisiti. Acquisivit enim sibi Deus populum (I Pet. II, 9): et per hoc genuit. Genuisse autem Deum filios, numquam cum proprietatis significatione cognoscimus. Non enim ait: Filios meos genui et exaltavi: sed hoc tantum: Filios genui et exaltavi (Esai. I, 2).