Common Places, Part 2 · Chapter 18 · Section 3
Conceiued of the holie Ghoſt, borne of the virgine Marie.
10 This bleſſed God and man Ieſus Chriſt, who (as we heard before out of the holie oracles) is our lawfull Lord, although as concerning diuine eſſence he was yeſterdaie, to daie, and ſhall be for euer (as it is written in the 13. chapter to the Hebrues) yet, Heb. 13, 8.in reſpect of his humane nature he was not without beginning: ſo by reaſon hereof, we ſaie, that he was made. Séeing Paule ſaith vntounto the Galathians, Gal. 4, 4.that He was ſent from God, and was made of a woman, and vnderunder the lawe. VntoUnto the Romans alſo; Who was made of the ſeed of Dauid, Rom. 1, 3.according to the fleſh. And leaſt we ſhould either ſtand in doubt touching this procreation, or elſe iudge otherwiſe of it than becommeth vsus: faith dooth direct vsus vntounto theſe two things, and bindeth vsus vntounto them. The one is, That Chriſt was conceiued by the holie Ghoſt.that he was conceiued by the holie Ghoſt; and the other, that he was borne: and that both of the virgine Marie. Which alſo we ſpeciallie confeſſe. And this is written diſtinctlie by the Euangeliſts, Matth. 1, &c Luke. 1.to let vsus vnderſtand, that he (euen according to the fleſh) was frée from the curſſe, and from ſinne. Whereby alſo it appéereth moſt plainlie, that all the poſteritie of Adam were ſo ſubiect to the curſſe and ſinne, Epheſ. 2, 3.as there was no place for anie to be exempted.
Wherefore, to exempt Chriſt, according to the fleſh, from the common fall of all mankind, ſo as he might euer reteine his owne nature; the wiſedome of God decréed by a woonderfull counſell, that man, which was to be aſſumed in the vnitie of perſon, ſhould hauehave a beginning, both diuine and humane. For this cauſe, as it had béene foreſhewed by the angell vntounto Marie, ſo the holie Ghoſt came downe into hir, Luke. 1, 35.and by the principall power thereof, the bloud being now purified by his grace, did create a ſingular and perfect man, which the mercifull GOD, euen God, which was the word from euerlaſting, did miraculouſlie take vponupon him. Inſomuch as the wombe of the virgine Marie, and holie mother was the diuine fornace, whereby the holie Ghoſt, of a matter well purified, builded this one onelie bodie, which was a moſt obedient inſtrument of a noble ſoule. And by this means, all the old blemiſhes of Adam were alienated from Chriſt, albeit that his bodie, as concerning the nature and forme of creation, was not much diſagréeable from the bodie of Adam. For our firſt parent Adam alſo was maruellouſlie, and by diuine power created out of the earth, without accuſtomed ſéed. And certeinlie, there is no néed of anie longer talke, to ſhew how much Chriſt, in reſpect of his manhood, excelled Adam in all excellent gifts of nature: ſéeing the order and circumſtance of his natiuitie is deſcribed; Of the natiuitie of Chriſt.to wit, his humble and baſe ſtate of pouertie, which neuertheleſſe had a glorious and renowmed teſtimonie from the maieſtie of GOD, and from the angelicall nature.
Of the fruit of Chriſts natiuitie.11 Wherefore, paſſing ouer theſe things, we will occupie our whole ſpéech in this profitable conſideration; namelie, that who ſo is regenerated by Chriſt, muſt call to remembrance, what and how great hath béene the louelove of God towards vsus, who diſdained not our foule and vncleane nature; but clenſing the ſame, did cloth himſelfe therewith, to make vsus partakers of his diuine nature. Apparitions of fained gods.True indéed it is, that the diuell, by his lieng ſpirit, fained; and that idolaters indeuoured to perſuade, that the gods, which they worſhipped, tooke ſometimes humane forme vponupon them: howbeit, not to the intent they might ſanctifie our nature, but to contaminate the ſame with infinite and beaſtlie filthineſſe. So that none of ſuch like appéerances, as are read in the writings of the Poets doo bring anie other thing with them; ſéeing they both ſhamefullie pollute the bodie, and that minds by ſuch infamous examples are allured vntounto euill. For if they would order their life after the example of thoſe things, they were alſo to let ſlacke the bridles of luſts vntounto adulterie, fornication, and other horrible offenſes. But on the contrarie part, the diuine woord hath clenſed our nature, by heaping of diuine gifts vponupon the ſame. And this is not onelie to be vnderſtood, touching that man, which it aſſumed; but of all them, which with him in true faith be ioined togither as members of him. And this heauenlie word (which is Chriſt) being ſecretlie hidden vnderunder that nature, is ſo couered with iuſtice, patience, temperance, prudence, wiſdome, and ſubmiſſion of the mind, ſhewed foorth ſuch perfect examples of ſingular iuſtice, &c. that his life onelie, if it be dulie conſidered, is a miſtreſſe fit enough to liue well.
12 Wherefore, let diſſolute and wanton chriſtians go; let them count it but a ſmall matter to liue vnpurelie, let them make but ſmall account of the nature and members, which Chriſt by putting on hath ſanctified; Chriſt is the example of holineſſe and righteouſneſſe.let them deſpiſe that noble example of holineſſe and righteouſneſſe, which Chriſt ſhewed, while he liued in the fleſh; let them ceaſe alſo to expreſſe in their déeds, what participation of diuine nature they hauehave obteined in Chriſt. Vndoubtedlie, this is no part of the end, which God purpoſed to himſelfe, when he became man: neither certeinlie did he, vponupon this conſideration, liue among vsus by the ſpace of 33. yeares. Wherefore, it ſhould be méet for the children of God, to liue a diuine life; ſéeing their nature is made diuine. But the life of brute beaſts and of men ſhould be left vntounto thoſe, which in their incredulitie, either hauehave remained méere men; or elſe, which hauehave degenerated through their wicked acts, and be changed as it were into brute beaſts. Héerehence moreouer we hauehave to take comfort, if we be driuen at anie time by the ſenſe of the fleſh, to take it gréeuouſlie, and complaine that we are ſubiect to humane infirmities; namelie, if we doo beléeue indéed, that Chriſt ſuffered thoſe infirmities for vsus: for by this means they will ſéeme to be much more eaſie vntounto vsus, than the nature of them dooth permit. Moreouer, if he ſo humbled himſelfe for our ſakes, that when he was Lord, yet he appéered in the forme of a ſeruant; it ought not to ſéeme ſo hard a thing vntounto vsus, ſometime to ſlacke the ſaile, and to ſubmit the loftineſſe of mind for the ſafetie of our weake and poore brethren. Therefore, Phil, 2, 5,not without iuſt cauſe Paule exhorted the Philippians, that amongſt them ſhould be The verie ſame affection that was in Chriſt Ieſus, who, when he was in the forme of GOD, yet diſdained not to put vponupon him the forme of a ſeruant. And thus far touching the originall conception, and natiuitie of Chriſt, according to the humane nature. Now let vsus go forward.