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Now, by the manner of his con∣ception, wee are to vnderstand, that the word did through grace onely, and not through a∣ny merit of his humanitie, as∣sume and put vpon him the bo∣dy of man, vniting the same vn∣to him.
NOw therfore, the selfe same Iesus Christ, the onely be∣gotten sonne of God, that is to say, our onely Lord, was borne of the holy Ghost, and the vir∣gin Marie. And on the other side, the holy Ghost is of the gift of God; which gift also, is e∣quall with the giuer. By which reason, the holy Ghost is God, not inferior either to the father, or to the sonne. Whereupon it is to be inferred, that seeing the birth of Christ touching his man-kinde, is to be imputed to the influence of the holy ghost, what other thing is demonstra∣ted therin, than the meere grace of God? For, when the virgin demanded of the Angel, how it should come to passe which hee told her, because shee did not carnally knowe any man? the Angel answered, The holy ghost shall replenish thee, and the power of the highest shall ouershadowe thee: and therefore that holy one which shall be borne of thee, shall
be called the sonne of God. And, whereas Ioseph would haue put her away, accounting her to bee an adulteresse, because he knew shee was not with child by him, hee receiued this answer from the angell, Bee not afraid to re∣taine Marie as thy wife still: for, that which is borne or conceiued in her (that is to say, that which thou suspectest to bee begotten by another body) is of the holy Ghost.
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,
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
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
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.
Not euery thing that is said to be borne of any thing, may proper∣ly be called the sonne of that it is said to be borne of.
IT is not therefore to be gran∣ted, that whatsoeuer is borne of any thing, it should straight∣way bee called the sonne of the selfe same thing. For, to omit o∣ther instances, the begetting of a sonne by a man, is after one manner, and the growing of the haire of a mans head, the bree∣ding of a lowse, and of a worme in mans body, is after another sort; not any of which kinds is to be tearmed a sonne. Therfore, to speak no more of these (because it is vnseemly to compare them with a thing of so diuine a na∣ture) they verely, which be born of water, and the holy Ghost, no man can properly call them the sonnes of the water, but be true∣ly
called the sonns of God, & of the Church their mother. In like manner therefore is Christ, bee∣ing begotten of the holy Ghost, the sonne of God the father, and not of the holy Ghost. For that also, which we haue spoken tou∣ching the haire of the head, and the rest, maketh onely for this purpose, to let vs to vnderstand, that not euery thing begotten of any mās body, may consequētly bee called the sonne of him, of whom hee is so borne, no more than it followeth, that all they which be called the sons of any person, must therefore of neces∣sitie be begottē of the same per∣son, whose sonns they be called; such as be they which be adop∣ted sonnes. Againe, some be cal∣led the sons of Gehenna, or hell, not because hell was their fa∣ther, or begot them; but because they be prepared for that place: Much like to them which be cal∣led the sons of Gods kingdome, because they are prepared for the same.
In that Christ is said to be borne of the holy Ghost, is meant, that man in like manner, by the meere grace of God (which is called the holy Ghost) and the word of God, is partaker of the diuine nature, and vnited or in∣grafted into the person of Christ.
SEing therefore, something may bee borne of any crea∣ture, and yet not so, as it needs must bee his sonne: Neither on the other side, euery one which is called a sonne, must necessari∣ly be the naturall childe of that person, whose sonne hee is cal∣led; Then, without all doubt, this maner of generation, wher∣by Christ was borne of the holy Ghost, not as it were his sonne, and yet as it were the sonne of the virgin Mary, doth couert∣ly conuaie into vs the grace of
God, whereby man, without a∣ny workes or merits precedent, in his first conception or gene∣ration, whereby he had his bee∣ing, is so vnited to the word, and the diuine nature, in the vnitie of the person of Christ, as that con∣sequently one and the same creature should be the sonne of God, which was the sonne of man; and likewise the sonne of man, beeing Gods childe. By which incarnation or assumpti∣on of humane nature in Christ, the grace of God should be after a sort naturall to that man which was the childe of God, the same being incapable of sinne: which grace, was in that regard to bee expressed vnder the name or ti∣tle of the holy Ghost; Because he is so properly God, that also hee may bee called the gift of God. Whereof to speake suffici∣ently, were too tedious in dis∣course.