Questions 35–36

¹First christ is said here to haue bin conceiued by the holy ghost.

Whereby three thinges are signified. 1. That the masse of his humane nature was created or formed, in the wombe of the Virgin, miraculouslie, and beside the order of thinges disposed of God in nature, by the immediate working & operation of the holy Ghost; without the seede and substance of man. Obiection. But we are also formed and made of God. Answere. We mediately, Christ immediately.² 2. That the Holy Ghost did in the same moment and by the same operation cleanse this masse, and from the verie point of the conception sanctifie it; that is, he caused, that originall sinne should not issue into it: and that for these causes. First, that hee might bee a pure sacrifice and a sufficient ransome for our redemption, 2. Cor. 5.12. He hath made him to be sinne for vs, which knew no sinne, that we should be made the righteousnes of god in him. Secondly, That he might also sanctify vs by his sanctitie and holynesse. For if Christ had beene a sinner, hee could not haue satisfied for vs, but himselfe should haue remained in death. Therefore could he not haue bin our sanctifier, neither by merit, nor by his power and efficacie. Heb. 2.11. For he that sanstifieth, and they that are sanctified, are all of one. Heb. 7.26. Such an high Priest it became vs to haue, which is holy, harmelesse, vndefiled, separate from sinners. Thirdly, John was not agreeable vnto the Word the eternall sonne of god, to vnite personallie vnto him humane nature being stained & defiled, where in hee dwelleth as in his owne temple. For God is a consuming fire. Fourthly. That wee might know, that whatsoeuer this sonne speaketh, it is the will of God, and the truth. For whatsouer is borne of flesh, which is sinful, and not sanctified, is flesh, falshood and vanitie. Obiection. But he was borne of a Mother which was a sinner. Why then should not Christ haue sinne? Aunswere. The Holy Ghost doth best know how to seuer sinne from mans nature, for sinne is not of the nature of man, but came else-whence, euen from the Diuel. Mary therefore was a sinner, but that masse of flesh which was taken out of her substaunce, was by the operation of the Holy Ghost at the same instant sanctified when it was taken.

The third thing which is signified,³ in that Christ is saide to bee conceiued by the holie Ghost, is the vnion of the humane nature with the Woorde. For the fleshe of Christ was together both created or formed, and also sanctified and vnited to the Sonne, of the holy Ghost immediatelie, but of the Father and the Sonne by the spirite.

It is added furder in the Creede,⁴ that he was borne of the Virgine Mary, that is, of the Virgins substance: and that cheifely for these causes.

1 That we might know,⁵ Christ our Mediatour to be the true seede of Dauid, that is, to be true man, and our brother, who hath humane flesh, made not of nothing, neither elsewhence, but issued from the seede of Dauid, Isaack, and Abraham, of whome also the virgine Mary hir selfe came, yea of the selfe same masse of Adam, whereof both they and we are.

2 That it may certainly appeare vnto vs,⁶ That this Jesus borne of the Virgine, is that Messias promised vnto the Fathers. For it was foretolde by the Prophets, that the Messias, the redeemer of mankind, should be born of the stocke of Dauid, and that by a miraculous conception & birth, hauing a Virgin for his Mother. Wherefore seeing both, that is, both the prophecies and the miracles are in this Iesus fulfilled, there can bee no doubt but that this is the Messias, true Man, and true God, the reconciler of GOD and man.

3 That this Christes birth of a Virgin might be a testimonie that he is pure and without sinne,⁷ sanctified in the wombe of the Virgin, by the vertue of the holy Ghost.

4 That it might bee a figure of our regeneration,⁸ which is not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the wil of man, but of God, Iohn. 1.13. Wherefore to beleeue in Christ which was conceiued by the Holie Ghost, and borne of the Virgin Mary, is to beleeue, That this natura• Sonne of God, conceiued and borne after this maner, is made true man after a marueilous order, and the same to bee one Christ hauing two natures vnited by personall vnion one to another; which are his diuinity and his humanitie; and to beleeue farther, that he was holy from his mothers wombe, to redeeme & sanctifie me, and that I for this Sonnes sake so conceiued and born haue the right of the adoption of the Sonnes of God. For he cannot be Mediatour betweene God & men, who is not himselfe man, who is not righteous, who is not vnited with the Woorde, that is, true, and by nature God & man, & of sufficiencie and abilitie to bestowe his purchased saluation for vs, on vs. Next after this article of the conception and Natiuitie of Christ, for the better vnderstanding thereof, followeth not vnfitly the common place, Of the incarnation of the Sonne of God, or, Of the two natures in Christ.

Footnotes

1. In the conception three thinges to bee obserued. 1 The forming of Christs flesh. ↩

2. 2 The sanctifieng of his flesh. ↩

3. 3 The vniting of his flesh vnto his Godhead. ↩

4. Born of the Virgin. ↩

5. 1 The seede of Dauid. ↩

6. 2 Messias. ↩

7. 3 Without sinne. ↩

8. 4 A figure of our new birth. ↩