SONNA
881
SONSHIP OF CHRIST
scriptural characters well know that it is almost impos- sible to trace the withors or dates of these sacred leg;ends. Neither can the language in which they were originally written be always ascertained. These legends grew with the nation; they accompanied the Jews into their wanderings, assumed the complexions and were re- peated in the languages of the different localities in which the Jews colonized. An Apocr3'phal piece may, therefore, hav^e a Palestinian or Babylonian origin, and yet have all the drapery of the Alexandrian school.
De Wette (Lelirhiich) conceives that the prayer and the hymn betray marks of two different authors (Dan. iii, 38 ; comp. with ver. 53, 55, 84, 85, Stephen's Divi- sion), and that the latter has the appearance of being written with a liturgical -object. Certain it is that, from a very early period, it formed part of the Church service (see Kutinus, in /Symbol. Apost., who observes that this hymn was then sung throughout the whole Church; and Athanasius, I)e Virf/iiiitate). It is one of the canticles still sung on all festivals in the lioman, and retained in the daily service of the Anglican, Church. In its metrical arrangement it resembles some of the ancient Hebrew compositions. De Wette adduces {loc. cit.) several proofs from the style to show that it had a Chaldee original, and had undergone the labors of va- rious hands. It is maintained by those who contend for the divine authority of this hymn that the context requires its insertion, as without it there would be an evident hiatus in the narrative (Dan. iii, 23). "Then these men, Shadrach, iMeshach, and Abed-nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning tiery furnace," after which we tind immediately (ver. 24, Heb.), "then Nebuchadnezzar was astonished," etc. The cause of this astonishment is said to be supplied by the Greek translation — "And they walked in the midst of the fire praising God, and blessing the Lord (ver. 1, A. V. Apocr.) . . . but the angel of the Lord came down into the oven," etc. (ver. 27). But this addition seems by no means necessary in order to account for Nebuchadnez- zar's astonishment, as the cause of it is given in Daniel, ver. 92 (ver. 25 in the Heb. and A.V.). See Daniel, Apocryphal Additions to.
Sonna, in Moliammedan law, is, according to the Bouk of Dffinitioiis, the observance of religion in mat- ters respecting which there is no positive and necessary command; also the general practice of the prophets, with some few exceptions. Now this general practice in matters of religion is called the Sonna of guidance, but in those of common occurrence the Sonna of excess. The Sonna of guidance is that by the due performance of which religion is rendered complete, and the derelic- tion of which is either detestable or sinful. The Sonna o{ excess is that to embrace which constitutes guidance; that is, it performs, insures good works, but the derelic- tion of which is neither detestable nor sinful; as, for instance, the custom of the prophet in rising, sitting, putting on his clothes, etc., is not binding, but if fol- lowed is meritorious. The Sonna, therefore, comprises the Mohammedan traditions. See Sunna.
Sonnites are the orthodox Mohammedans who rigidly adhere to the traditions, and are famous for their opposition to the several heretical sects, especial- ly the Shiites (q. v.), who reject the traditions. The Turks belong to the former, the Persians to the latter sect. They regard the Sonna (q. v.), or traditions, as of equal authority with the Koran, but still do not under- value the latter. They are accounted orthodox Mo- hammedans, and recognise the Ottoman emperor as the caliph and spiritual head of Islam. There are four or- thodox sects of Sonnites, who agree in points of dog- matic and speculative theology, but differ on ceremonial points and questions of civil and |)olitical administration. These sects all unite in hostility to the house of Ali, a)ul to the Shiites, who support his cause.
Sonntag, Chkistoph, a German Lutheran theolo- gian, was born Jan. 28, 1G54, at VVevda. In 1G7G he was
IX.— K K K "
called to the pastorate of Oppurg, in 1686 he was made superintendent at Schleusingen, and four years later he was appointed professor of theology at Altdorf, where he died, July 6, 1717. He wrote, IHsputado de Allegatis Apocryphis in Codice IV Kcanyeliorum (Altdorf, 1716): — Scrutinium Biblicum (ibid. 1703) : — Ennea Periochu- rum Philoniarum (ibid. 1713): — De Sacerdotum Vet. Test. Epkemeris (ibid. 1691): — Miculce XX Autlientice Chaldaic(B (ibid. 1703): — Dissertutio in Vatic. EsaicB liii, 11 (ibid. lGd2) : — Triadologia Vet. Test. Catholica (ibid. 1698) : — Titiili Psalmorurn in Methodum Anniver- sarium Redacti (1687). See Fiirst, Bill. Jud. iii, 355 sq. ; Winer, Handbiich der theol. Lit. s. v. ; Koch, Gesch. d. deutsch. Kirchenliedes, v, 419. (B. P.)
Sons OF (iOD. See Son of God, 1.
SONS OF THUNDER. See Boanerges.
Sonship of Christ. The Creed of Nice declares, " We believe in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the only begotten of the Father, that is, of the essence of the Father, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, of one essence with the Father." These sentiments have been the faith of the Church in every age, but they have been in many in- stances explained by unjustitiable imagery and lan- guage, often taken in the earlier centuries from the Platonic ontology, and drawn in later times from ma- terial sources. The two constituent elements of the divine sonship are, the Son's consubstantiality with the Father, and his peculiar ante-mundane origin in the Father.