14. Yet perchance inasmuch as He says, My firstborn Son Israel814    Ex. iv. 22., some one will interpret the fact that He said, My firstborn, so as to deprive the Son of the characteristic property of birth; as though, because God also applied to Israel the epithet Mine, the adoption of those who have been made sons was misrepresented as though it were an actual birth, and therefore the phrase used of Him, This is My beloved Son815    St. Matt. xvii. 5., is not solely applicable to the birth of God, since the epithet My is (so it is asserted) shared with those who clearly were not born sons. But that they were not really born, although they are said to have been born, is shewn even from that passage where it is said, A people which shall be born, whom the Lord hath made816    Ps. xxi. 32 (LXX.)..

14. Objectio quod Israel et proprius dicatur et factus. ---Nisi forte in eo quod ait: Filius primogenitus 0441B meus Israel (Exod. IV, 22), quisquam hoc quod primogenitus meus dixit, ad detrahendam Filio proprietatem generationis intelliget; ut quia et de Israel dixerit meus, assumptio factorum filiorum pro nativitatis proprietate usurpata sit? et idcirco non sit nativitati Dei proprium, quod de eo dictum est: Hic est filius meus dilectus (Matth. XVII, 5); cum meus etiam illis proprium esse dicatur, quos non natos esse manifestum est. Non natos autem esse, licet nati esse dicantur, vel ex eo docetur cum dicitur, Populo qui nascetur, quem fecit Dominus (Psal. XXI, 32).