The Sum of Christian Religion, Catechism · Part 2 · creed · Question 35 – Question 36
ON THE 14. SABBATH.Queſt. 35. What beleeveſt thou when thou ſaieſt, He was conceived by the holy Ghoſt, and born of the Virgin Mary?
Anſ. That the Son of God, who is,aJohn 5.20. Joh. 1.1. & 17.3. Rom. 1.3. Col. 1.15. and continueth true and everlaſting God,bRom. 9.5. took the very nature of man, of the fleſh and bloud of the Virgin Mary,cGal. 4.4. Luk. 1.31, 42, 43. by the working of the holy Ghoſt,dMatth. 1.20. Luke 1.35. that withall hee might be the true ſeed of David,eRom…n. 1.3. Pſal. 132.11. 2 Sam. 7.12, Luke 1.32. Acts 2.30. like unto his brethren in all things,fPhilip. 2.7. Heb. 2.14, 17. ſin excepted.gHeb. 4.15.
The Explication.
The adverſaries againſt whom this doctrine of Chriſts taking fleſh of the Virgin is maintained.THE Explication of this Queſtion is very neceſſary for the convincement and ſuppreſſion of ancient and late Heretickes, who denyed, and now deny that the fleſh of Chriſt was taken out of the ſubſtance of the Virgin: For the Eutychians argue thus: Christ was conceived by the holy Ghost: Therefore the fleſh of Chriſt was produced out of the ſubstance of the Divinity, or out of the eſſence of the holy Ghoſt, and by this means the divine nature was changed into the humane. The particle by, in the Article conceived, &c. implieth not a materiall, but an efficient cauſe.Anſ. The fallacy of this argument is drawn from an abuſe of miſconſtruing of a common phraſe of ſpeech: For the termes, by the holy Ghoſt, or of the holy Ghoſt, doe not ſignifie unto us a materiall, but an efficient cauſe; ſo that the fleſh of Chriſt proceedeth not out of the eſſence of the holy Ghoſt, as out of the matter whereof it was made; but the whole man Jeſus Chriſt was conceived in the Virgins wombe by the vertue and working of the holy Ghoſt, as appeareth out of the words of the Angel: The holy Ghoſt ſhall come upon thee, Luke 1.35.and the power of the moſt High ſhall over-ſhaddow thee. Chriſt is called the ſeed of Abraham, the ſonne of David: Therefore hee took his fleſh of theſe Fathers, not of the holy Ghoſt. And as wee are born of God, becauſe he made us, not that we are of his ſubſtance: So Chriſt was conceived by the holy Ghoſt, that is, hee was conceived by the vertue and operation of the holy Ghoſt, not that he was conceived of the ſubſtance of the holy Ghoſt. Object. If in this article, He was conceived of the holy Ghoſt, the particle Of imply not a materiall cauſe; then, in like ſort, the Article which followeth, Born of the Virgin Mary, the ſame particle Of cannot imply a materiall cauſe; and ſo Chriſt cannot be ſaid to have taken his fleſh of the Virgin. Anſ. The caſe is not alike in both of theſe: but in this latter Article it muſt needs ſignifie a materiall cauſe. The reaſon is, becauſe it was neceſſary that Chriſt ſhould come of the ſeed of David: But when it is ſaid,Three reaſons why the particle ex, ſignifying by or of, though in the Article, Born of &c. it import a materiall cauſe, yet it doth not ſo in the Article, Conceived of &c. Three things to be obſerved in the Conception He was conceived of the holy Ghoſt, the particle Of intimateth no materiall cauſe. The reaſons are, 1. Becauſe if this were true, it could not be true which followeth, that Chriſt was born of the Virgin Mary. 2. Becauſe God is not changeable, and therefore the Deity is not changed into fleſh. 3. Becauſe the Word took fleſh, and was not changed into fleſh.
What then doth Chriſts conception of the holy Ghoſt ſignifie and import? Three things thereby are ſignified: The forming of Chriſts fleſh. Luke 1.35.That the maſſe of his humane nature was created, or formed in the wombe of the Virgin miraculouſly, and beſides the order of things diſpoſed of God in nature, by the immediate working and operation of the holy Ghoſt, without the ſeed and ſubſtance of man. The power of the moſt High ſhall over-ſhadow thee. Object. But wee are alſo made of God. Anſw. Wee are made of God mediately, Chriſt immediately. The ſanctifying of Chriſts fleſh.That the holy Ghoſt did the ſame moment, and by the ſame operation, cleanſe this maſſe, and, from the very point of the conception, ſanctifie it in the mothers wombe: that is, (ſith it became not the Word, Foure cauſes of this ſanctifying.the Sonne of God, to aſſume unto himſelfe a nature polluted with ſinne) he therefore cauſed, that originall ſinne ſhould not iſsue into it: and that for theſe cauſes; 1. That hee might be a pure ſacrifice, and a ſufficient ranſome for our redemption. Hee hath made him to be ſinne for us which knew no ſinne, 2 Cor. 5.11.that wee ſhould be made the righteouſneſſe of God in him. 2. That he might alſo ſanctifie us by his ſanctitie and holineſse: For if Chriſt had been a ſinner, he could not have ſatisfied for us, but himſelfe ſhould have remained in death: Therefore could hee not have been our ſanctifier, neither by merit, nor by his power and efficacy:He…. 2, 11. & 7, 16. For hee that ſanctifieth, and they that are ſanctified, are all of one. Such an High Prieſt it became us to have, which is holy, harmeleſſe, undefiled, ſeparate from ſinners. 3. It was not agreeable unto the Word, the eternall Sonne of God, to unite perſonally unto him humane nature, being ſtained and defiled, wherein he dwelleth as in his own Temple: For, God is a conſuming fire. 4. That wee might know that whatſoever this Sonne ſpeaketh,Deut. 4.2…. it is the will of God, and the truth: For Whatſoever is borne of fleſh, which is ſinfull, and not ſanctified, is fleſh, falſhood, and vanity. Object. But he was borne of a mother, which was a ſinner: Why then ſhould not Christ have ſin? Anſw. The holy Ghoſt doth beſt know how to ſever ſin from mans nature: For ſin is not the nature of man, but came elſe-whence, even from the Divel. Mary therefore was a ſinner: but the Maſſe of fleſh, which was taken out of her ſubſtance, was by the operation of the holy Ghoſt at the ſame inſtant ſanctified, when it was taken. The uniting of his fleſh to his God head.The third thing which is ſanctified, in that Chriſt is ſaid to be conceived by the holy Ghoſt, is the union of the humane nature with the Word: For the fleſh of Chriſt was together both created or formed, and alſo ſanctified, and united to the Son, of the holy Ghoſt immediatly, but of the Father and the Son by the Spirit.
The ſenſe and meaning then of this Article, Which was conceived by the holy Ghoſt, is,The full meaning of the Article, conceived by the holy Ghoſt. 1. That the holy Ghost was the immediate author of the miraculous conception of the fleſh of Chriſt. 2. That he ſeparated all uncleanneſſe and contagion of originall ſin from this conceived off-ſpring. 3. That he united, in the very moment of the conception, the fleſh with the Word in a perſonall union.
It is added further in the Creed, that he was born of the Virgin Mary; that is, of the Virgins ſubſtance:Five cauſes why Chriſt was born: of the Virgin Mary namely, that we might know him to …e, and that chiefly for theſe cauſes: True man.That the truth of the humane nature, aſſumed by the Son of God, might hereby be ſignified unto us: to wit, that he was conceived by the power of the holy Ghoſt, and born true man of the ſubſtance of Mary his Mother; that is, Though the fleſh of Chriſt were miraculouſly conceived, yet it was taken and born of the Virgin. T… ſeed of David.That wee might know Chriſt our Mediatour to be the true ſeed of David, that is, to be true man and our brother, who hath humane fleſh, made not of nothing, neither elſe-whence, but iſſued from the ſeed of David, Iſaac, and Abraham, of whom alſo the virgin Mary her ſelfe came; yea of the very ſelfe ſame maſſe of Adam, whereof both they and wee are. The Meſsias.That it may certainly appeare unto us, that this Jeſus born of the Virgin, is that Meſſias promiſed unto the Fathers: Behold a Virgin ſhall conceive, Eſay 7.14. Gen. 3.15.and beare a Sonne. The ſeed of the woman ſhall break the head of the Serpent: For it was fore-told by the Prophets, that the Meſſias, the Redeemer of mankinde, ſhould be borne of the ſtock of David, and that by a miraculous conception and birth, having a Virgin for his Mother: Wherefore ſeeing both (that is, both the propheſies, and the miracles) are in this Jeſus fulfilled, there can be no doubt, but that this is the Meſſias, true man, and true God, the reconciler of God and man. Without ſin.That this Chriſts birth of a Virgin might be a teſtimony that he is pure and without ſin, ſanctified in the wombe of the Virgin, by the vertue of the holy Ghoſt. A ſigne of our new birth. John 1.13.That wee might know the Analogie which is between Chriſts nativitie and the regeneration of the faithfull: For Chriſts birth of the Virgin is a ſigne of our ſpirituall regeneration, which is not of bloud, nor of the will of the fleſh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
Queſt. 36. What profit takest thou by Chriſts holy conception and nativitie?
Anſ. That he is our Mediatour,aHe. 7.26, 27. and doth cover with his innocency and perfect holineſſe my ſins, in which I was conceived, that they may not come in the ſight of God.b1 Pet. 1.18, 19. 1 Pet. 3.18. 1 Cor. 1.30. Rom. 8.3, 4. Eſay 53.11. Pſal. 32.1.
The Explication.
Two benefits of Chriſts conception and nativity.TWO benefits wee reape from Chriſts conception and nativity. Confirmation of faith.A confirmation of our faith, that hee is the true Mediatour. Conſolation.A conſolation, that we through this Mediatour are justified before God. The reaſon hereof is: becauſe he cannot be a Mediatour between God and men, who is not himſelf man, who is not righteous, who is not united with the Word, that is, who is not by nature true God and true man, and of ſufficiency and ability to beſtow on us his ſalvation purchaſed for us. For ſuch an High Priest it became us to have, which is holy, harmleſſe, underfiled, ſeparate from ſinners, and made higher than the heavens. What is the meaning then of this Article, I beleeve in Jeſus Christ, Heb. 7.26.which was conceived by the holy Ghoſt, borne of the Virgin Mary? The meaning of the Article, I beleeve in Jeſus Chriſt, conceived by the holy Ghoſt, borne of the Virgin Mary.The meaning thereof is, 1. I beleeve that this naturall Son of God, conceived and born after this manner, was made true man after a marvellous order, and the ſame to be one Chriſt, having two natures united by perſonall union, one to another, which are his divinity and his humanity, and to be ſanctified from his mothers womb, by the holy Ghoſt. 2. I beleeve farther, that he, being true God and true man, but one Chriſt, was holy from his mothers womb, to redeem and ſanctifie me, (which he could not doe, unleſſe ſanctification and union were in him) and that I, for his Sonnes ſake ſo conceived and borne, have the right of the adoption of the ſons of God.
THE COMMON PLACE OF THE TWO NATURES IN CHRIST.
NExt after the Article of the Conception and Nativity of Chriſt, for the better underſtanding thereof, followeth not unfitly the Common place, Of the Incarnation of the Son of God, or, Of the two natures in Chriſt, and their perſonall union; wherein theſe queſtions following are more copiouſly to be diſcuſſed.
1. Whether there be two natures in the Mediatour.
2. Whether they be one, or two perſons.
3. If they be one perſon, what manner of union that is of them, and how made.
4. Why this perſonall union was neceſſary to be made.