The Holy Arbor, Chapter 4 · Section 4
§ 4. Who was conceived by the Holy Ghoſt, Born of the Virgin Mary.
CHriſts fleſh was conceived by the Holy Ghoſt, not that he transfuſed or paſſed his ſubſtance into the fleſh begotten, but becauſe in miraculous ſort he formed in the Virgins womb of her ſubſtance the body of Chriſt; ſo that it ſhould not be contaminated or polluted with Original ſin: for he could not be conceived in ſuch ſort by the Holy Ghoſt, that his fleſh ſhould iſſue from the Spirits ſubſtance. And this bleſſed Virgin, deſcended of the Linage of David, to anſwer to the Divine Oracles, as alſo for that our Faith might be the mor… confirmed to believe he was the very Meſſias promiſed to deſcend from the loyns of Abraham and David. And in that this hapned in the Reign of Auguſtus, very obſervable is the completion of the Divine Oracles, and juſtly to be condemned the blindeneſs of the Jews: Nor leſs deceived are they which hold the Virgin Mary to have been conceived without Original ſin, contrary to the tenor of the Scriptures, and her own confeſſion, who acknowledged her ſelf to have needed a Savior, Luke 1.47. for ſhe was born after the common courſe of the Nature of man; and what need was there that Chriſt Jeſus ſhould be conceived by the Holy Ghoſt, if he might have a pure conception free from Original ſin without it? Neither is it neceſſary to Salvation, to believe it as an Article of Faith, That Mary the Mother of Chriſt lived always a Virgin.
In the Humanity of Chriſt, ſix things are principally conſiderable; viz.
1. His Conception and Nativity.
2. His Death and Paſſion.
3. His Burial and Deſcenſion into Hell.
4. His Reſurrection.
5. His Aſcenſion into Heaven, and his ſitting there at the right hand of the Father.
6. His coming again to Judgement.
Touching the conception or Nativity of Chriſt, theſe ſix things are to be obſerved:
1. That the News thereof was brought by an Angel.
2. That he was conceived by the Holy Ghoſt; that is, by the power and vertue of it.
3. That he was Born of a Virgin.
4. That the Mother of our Lord was eſpouſed to a man.
5. That the bleſſed Virgin was of the Linage of David.
6. That he was born in the time of the Reign of Auguſtus.
In the Angels Annunciation obſerve theſe three things:
1. The Salutation, which declared the free love of God to the Virgin.
2. The delivery of the Meſſage, That of her ſhould be born the Son of God.
3. That ſhe ſhould be overſhadowed by the Divine Power of the Holy Ghoſt.
Chriſts conception by the Holy Ghoſt, ſignifieth three things; viz.
1. That the maſs of his Humane Nature was created or formed in the womb of the Virgin, miraculouſly and beſide the order of things diſpoſed of God in Nature, by the immediate operation of the Holy Ghoſt, without the ſubſtance of man.
2. That the Holy Ghoſt did in the ſame moment, and by the ſame operation, cleanſe this maſs, and from the very point of the conception ſanctifie it; that is, he cauſed that Original ſin ſhould not iſſue into it.
3. The Union of the Humane Nature with the Word, or the uniting of his fleſh unto his Godhead.
Chriſt was conceived by the holy Ghoſt for theſe Reaſons:
1. Leſt being born of fleſh he ſhould not be clean.
2. That he might be a pure Sacrifice and ſufficient Ranſom for our Redemption, 2 Cor. 5.12.
3. That being pure and holy, he might purifie us of all ſin, that he might alſo ſanctifie us by his ſanctity and holineſs.
4. That we may know he ſpake the very will of his Father, that whatſoever this Son ſpeaketh, is the will of God and the Truth.
Chriſt was born of the Virgins ſubſtance, chiefly for theſe Reaſons:
1. That we may know Chriſt our Mediator to be the true ſeed of David.
2. That the Propheſies might be fulfilled, Gen. 3. & 49. Iſa. 7. That it may certainly appear unto us, That this Jeſus, born of the Virgin, is that Meſſias promiſed to the Fathers.
3. That this Chriſts birth of a Virgin, might be a Teſtimony that he is pure and without ſin, ſanctified in the womb of the Virgin, by the vertue of the Holy Ghoſt.
4. That it might be a ſign or figure of our Spiritual Regeneration, which is not of blood, nor of the will of the fleſh, nor of the will of man, but of God, Joh. 1.13.
For what Reaſons the Mother of our Lord was eſpouſed to a man:
1. That hence the honor of marriage might be commended unto us.
2. That the chaſtity and good name of the Virgin might be provided for.
3. That Joſeph might be as a Guardian to the Virgin, as a Foſterfather to the childe.
4. Leſt the blaſphemous enemies ſhould ſay, That the Chriſt of the Chriſtians was unlawfully born.
To believe in the Son of God, conceived by the Holy Ghoſt, is to believe
1. That he was made man after a marvellous maner, and that he was made one Chriſt of a Divine and Humane Nature.
2. That he being ſo holily conceived and born, doth purchaſe for us the right and power to be the Sons of God.
In this Article of the Creed we believe,
1. That there be two Natures in Chriſt our Mediator, that in one and the ſame Chriſt are Properties diverſe and contrary, Divine and Humane, Finite and Infinite, Paſſible and Impaſſible, and ſuch like. For the proof of his Divine Nature, or that the Eternal Son, called The Word, is another Nature from the Fleſh taken, and a ſubſiſtence even before the Fleſh born of the Virgin, reade Joh. 1.14. Heb. 2.14, 16. 1 Joh. 4.2. who being in the form of God, took on him the form of a Servant, Phil. 2.6. In the Beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and that Word was God, Joh. 1.1. Many other are the quotations of Scripture, to prove his Divine Nature; as Pſal. 2.7. Acts 13.33. Heb. 1.5. Joh. 17.3. Matth. 1.23. Heb. 1.3. Joh. 2.19. 1 Tim. 3.16. Joh. 6.51. 1 Pet. 3.19. as alſo his Humane Nature, Rom. 1.3. & 9.5. Luke 1.31. Heb. 2.11. Luke 1.42. & 2.7. Gal. 4.4. & 3.16. Heb. 2.16. Mat. 26.38. Luke 2.52. Joh. 10.18. Luke 23.46. 1 Cor. 15.21. Eph. 5.30. & 4.12, 16. Joh. 5.56. Rom. 8.11. Gen. 3.15. & 49.10. Iſa. 7.14. Matth. 10.18, 23. Luke 1.27, 31, 34. & 2.40. Mat. 4.2. Joh. 4.7. & 19.41. Mark 4.38. Mat. 27.50. Mark 15.37. Luke 23.46. Joh. 19.30, 33.
2. That theſe two Natures make but one perſon in Chriſt; or that in Chriſt are two perfect Natures, whole and diſtinct, and double properties alſo, and operations natural, but one perſon; for it was requiſite that one and the ſame ſhould be Mediator both by Merit and by Power: But they who make two perſons, make alſo two Chriſts, with Neſtorius, the one a Man paſſive, and crucified, the other God, not crucified, and onelyonly aſſiſting the Man Chriſt by his Grace. But this Hereſie hath been long ſince confuted and condemned. And that the Divine and Humane Natures of Chriſt are united in one perſon, accordeth with the holy Scripture, Joh. 1.14. Mat. 3.17. Eph. 4.10. 1 Tim. 2.5, 6. for his Humane Nature was at once both formed and aſſumed of the Word into unity of perſon, and made proper unto the Word; before or without which aſſumption or perſonal union, it neither was, nor had been, nor ſhould be.
Some Hereticks of old have proudly ſaid,
That of the ſubſtance of the bleſſed Maid
Chriſts fleſh ne're formed was, but that 'twas brought
Down from Heav'n into her womb; others thought
He had not true and real fleſh indeed,
But in appearance onelyonly. Be't our Creed
To believe he was true God, true Man; one
OnelyOnly natural Son of God alone;
Two Natures, whole, perfect, diſtinct, to be
One undivided perſonality.