CHAP. 38.
That Christ is neither the sonne of the holy Ghost, no yet begot∣ten or conceiued by him, as by a naturall father.
ARe wee yet therefore to af∣firme, that the holy Ghost is father vnto Christ, as he is man, as namely, that God the father begot the word, and the holy Ghost his humanity; of which substances, Christ beeing vnited & made one, is by that reasō on the one side, the son of the father, Page 95 in that he is the word, and on the other side, the sonne of the holy Ghost, as he is man; as though the holy Ghost, as it were his father, did beget him of the vir∣gin his mother? Who dare be so bold, as to auouch this? neither is it needful by argument or dispu∣tation to declare, what other absurdities doe followe hereof; seeing this one assertion is so absurd in it selfe, as the eares of the faithfull cannot indure to heare it. Therefore, as it is in the Creed, our Lord Iesus Christ bee∣ing God of God, and man begottē of Mary the virgin and the holy Ghost, consisting of either sub∣stance, that is to say, both di∣uine and humane, is notwith∣standing, the onely begotten son of God the father, from whome the holy. Ghost doth proceed. How then doe we say that Christ was borne of the H. ghost, if the ho∣ly Ghost did not beget him? or is it so said, because he made him? The reason is, because as Iesus Page 96 Christ is God, all things were of his creation; but, as hee was man, he himselfe was created & made, according to the saying of the Apostle, For, he was made of the seed of Dauid according to the flesh. But, seeing the whole Trinitie did create and make that creature, which the virgin did conceiue and bring forth, tho appertaining and adioyned to the person of the sonne (for the workes of the Trinitie be in∣separable) why is the holy ghost onely named in the making of this creature? Is it because, whē one of these three bee named in any one worke, that the whole Trinitie is assistant in that work? It is euen so, and may be made plaine vnto vs by example or demonstration. Howbeit, wee must no• any longer stand vpon this point. For, it remaineth, that wee declare how it is said, that he was borne of the holy Ghost, beeing no way the sonne of one same holy Ghost. For, no more Page 97 may the world, without impie∣tie, be called the sonne of God, because God made the same; neither else, that it was borne of him: but rather, wee may rightly say, that it was made, or created, or builded, or ordained by him; or vse wordes of the like sense. Seeing therefore wee doe con∣fesse, that hee was borne of the holy Ghost, and the virgin Ma∣rie, it is a matter of great diffi∣cultie to discusse, how he should not bee the sonne of the holy Ghost, but the sonne of the vir∣gin Mary; notwithstanding, that hee was begotten both of the one, and of the other. With∣out all doubt he was not borne of him, as of a father, though hee were so of her, as of a mother.
