Remarks on the Eternal Sonship of Christ; and the Use of Reason in Matters of Revelation: Suggested by Several Passages in Dr. Adam Clarke’s Commentary on the New Testament: In a Letter to a Friend

When Adam Clarke had published his famous and much-needed Wesleyan Commentary on the Holy Bible, controversy over Methodist Trinitarian theology ignited over his interpretation and application of Jesus’ “sonship” and the meaning of “Son of God.” The debate lasted decades and resulted in new movements within the Methodist world, including the formation of the Methodist Unitarian Movement in 1818. Around the same time, Richard Watson responded to the cry for a more orthodox clarification of Clarke’s commentary and the New Testament’s use of “Son of God.” This document is Watson’s response to the situation and his interpretation of the meaning of the New Testament on the sonship of Christ.