accordyng to y e scriptures Jo. 1. the worde is made fleshe We Answere ¶ This wrong interpretation of the scriptures comineth by the equiuocation or diuerse signifycatiō of thys word Made Whyche hath in the scriptures two sygnifycatiōs The fyrst it sygnifyeth a chaunge of one nature into an other as Jo. 2. the water was made wyne And also Gene. 19. The wief of Loth was made into a stone of salt Thys word Made in y e scripture in many other places sygnifyeth asmouche as to saye receauyd as S. Paule wryteth Gala. 3. Christe is made for vs the curse or execration That is to saye receauyd in hym the curse and maledictiō of God for our synnes And agayn 2. cor 5 He that knew no synne Made synne for vs. That is to saye was the sacrifyce for oursynne Good Christiane reader remēbre to take the meanyng of the scripture accordyng to y e circūstaunce therof and then thou shalt perceaue for the immutabilyte of Godes nature that where sayncte Joanne sayth and y e worde was made fleshe is euen asmouche to say as the sonne of God receauyd fleshe And no other sense nor meanyng can it haue then thys except ye woulde the worde that was God before immortall is now chaumged into man becōme mortal which sentence repugneth euerye booke of the scripture Farther it should folowe that he that was before God as S. John sayeth now leueth to be God and is made man as the water that was turned into wyne Jo. 2. Lefte to be wyne and become water And as the corne of salt was no more the wyefe of Loth but a corne of salt ¶ Beside all thys yf God be turned into man how standeth there fyrst interpretacion that hys fleshe and trew humanite is of the holye Ghost ¶ Nomaner of waye doutles for no substaunce of fleshe is of the substaunce of y e holye ghost nor no substaunce of the holye Ghost can or maye be the substaunce of the fleshe Thus therfore wyth the scriptures we cōclude the worde remaynynge styll the word annexyd vnto it the nature of man whyche he toke of the blessed Uirgine and truelye is called the fruyte of here bellye The fourthe Obiection ¶ Whatso euer is borne of a woman hath a carnall bodye but Sainct Paule attrybuteth vnto Christe a spirituall bodye 1. Cor. 15. therfore he was not conceyued nor borne of the womannes nature We Answere ¶ S. Paule in that place speaketh not of the incarnation of Christ whether it be of the Uirgyne or from heauen as it is easelye to be sene by the mater he intreateth of But he wryteth of the state and condicion of the bodye after the resurrection And answereth there to the obiection of them that demaundyd in what bodye the dead shoulde ryse in the same sayeth he that they lyuyd but nomore mortall nor subiecte vnto the payne of mortalite as Adames bodye was after he synned but spirituall as Christes body was after his resuerrection spirituall I saye not that it losteth hys humanyte or is turned into the nature of a spiryte But because it shall lacke all mortall qualytes Thus proueth S. Paule whē he saeyth it is sowen a naturall bodye it shall ryse a spirituall bodye Here saynct Paule speaketh of y e bodye of Christe after the resurrection and not of his incarnation Wherfore there reason concludeth nothynge For they infer a wronge conclusion of an euele vnderstonde principall The fyfte Obiection ¶ If Christ should receyue his humanite of the nature of man it shoulde be to the ignominye and contempt of hys persone ▪ whois holynes wyll not admit any coniunction wyth the vnperfection of man We Answere ¶ It is no ignomyne or cōtēpt at all but rather a certayne argument of Goddes mercye which passeth all hys workes that he woulde not abhor to be partaker of our infirme nature ¶ Other cōmune Obiections S. Paule Col. 1. Ephe. 3. Heb. 1. Jo. 3. .1 Cor. 15. Jo. 6. Hebr. 13. Ephe. 4. In these places it is playne that Christe is callyd the fyrst begoten of creatoures That he came frō heauen That he is the bread geuē from heauen He is to day and was yester daye also He ascended that fyrst descēded These places saye they proue he toke not hys original of his mother We Answere ¶ Christe as he is verye God so is he very man accordyng to hys godhed he hath ben is and euer shalbe wyth out begynnynge and of thys hys diuine nature speaketh the places afore rehersed and not of hys humanyte Farther it is y e maner of the scripture by cause of the vnion and coniunctiō of these two natures in one person manye tymes to ascribe put y t vnto y e one nature which properly is dewe vnto y e other The conclusion ¶ Seinge the scripture hath in this poynt as wel stablyshed the truyth that Christ our sauioure toke hys humanite of the blessed Uirgine as also ansuered all the obiections that can be brought agaynst the truyth It shalbe the dewty and office of as manye as loue the Lorde in Christ wyth humblenes rather to cōsent vnto the truyth then of affection to stand at the defence of a lye The lyuinge God graūt vs hys holye spirit that ones we may all know one thynge in Christ Jesu to oure saluation So be it ¶ Imprented at London by Edwarde Whitechurch 1549. Cum Priuilegio ad Im ▪ primendum solum
can that be Abrahames or Jacobes sede that neuer toke any of their substaunce but came from heauen and was made of an other kind of nature then Abraham and Jacob was of Who is able by good auctorite of the scrypture to warraunt Christes humanite incase it be vnknown of whō he shoulde take it As these mē knoweth not y t denyeth Christe to take the nature of man of the blessed virgine Unto Dauid God made the lyke promyse of Christe to be borne of hys sede 2. Samuel 7. When thy dayes be paste and thou slepeste wyth thy fathers I wyll suscitat thy sede after the that shall come out of thy bely The same haue ye 1. Paral. 17. and also Psalm 132. The Lorde swore a trueth vnto Dauid and wyll not go fromit I wyll set vpon thy sete one of the fruyte of thy belye Nothinge is more clere then these wordes Noman douteth but all these places appertayne vnto Christ the sonne of the holye virgine Who is called here the sede of Dauid Also that it shoulde come out of hys owne belye concernynge his posterite Thē is Christ called the fruit of Dauid belye God did sware he would thys do Except he be for sworne he hathe done it and in that God be presyde we be agryed Therfore we wyll not tarye long in the proue therof seinge it neadeth no probation One thing I desyre y e Christiā Reader of that he marke well euerye worde of the promyse ▪ where as he callethe hym that is promysed nowe the sede of Dauid then the fruyte of hys wombe yf he so do it shalbe easy to comprehende howe far these men be from the veryte that Christe shoulde be a man of the fathers nature accordynge to the scriptures and yet neuer receyued hys humane nature of none of them all Loke in the scrypture and se what the fruit of the belye is and thou shalte find in euery where it is taken for the child that taketh the beginnynge of hys humanite not onlye in hys mother but also of hys mother and parente And calleth not that the fruyt of the belye that passeth the bely with out the commixtion and participation of the mothers substaūce as the water runneth and passethe thoroughe the pype that mengleth it selfe nothyng with substaūce of the led For a more ample declaration and defence of the trueth concernynge the humanyte of Christ and the originall therof Esaie the prophet hath more open propheties not only assuringe of what familie and trybe Christ shuld be borne but also namethe the condicion of hys mother saying Behold a virgyne shall conceyue bare a chylde the. 7. Chapt. S. Mathew sayth not onelye that she had conceiued but also that the blessed fruit grew in her so that she was great Chap. 1. Esaie in the. 11. Chap. sayth There shall come forthe of the rase of Jesse a braunche and a floure of hys rote and so forth reade the place Now note the wordes of the holy Ghost Conceyue beynge great to bring for the chylde whether euer ye did read in the holy scriptures or in any other boke y t these propertes were found or may be founde in anye sauynge in her of whose nature and substaunce the chyld is formed and made Therfore the virgin which Esay here saythe shall conceyue bryng forth must ministre the part of her substaūce to her fruit otherwyse howe shal it be called her sonne The text amplifyeth thys mater so it self that it neadeth no help of any rethoricall amplificacion Fyrst with thys worde beholde for thys worde declareth that it should be wōderfull and aboue reason that the nature of a virgyne shoulde ministre mater and substaunce to any childe neuer being knowē of mā Had she done no more thē waxed great with nothing of her self and brought forth the thing that was made w t out her it had not bē a thing to be wondred at at al so much as the Prophet speaketh But it is a greater miracle a virgine of her owne nature to be father vnto a chylde by Goddes operation and neuer touched by mā then to bring forth y e burdē that she taketh from another made wythoute her assistaunce and helpe Then goeth forth the Prophete and discusseth the doute forther by a similitude and me taphore taken from atre after this sort Ther shal sayth Esay come forth of the stocke of Jesse a braunche That is to say the blessed virgin Mary note the processe of the texte and from the rote of thys braunche shall sprynge a floure to say Christe our sauiour Thys is the ordre of the text the meaning therof I make the Christiā reader iudge Oute of the which texte note those thinges Firste that Jesus of Nazareth our sauiour concerning his humanite hath not his beginning from heauen nor els where but from the sub staunce of the route of Jesse Marke the wordes of the prophete He sayth not that Christ shalbe a floure grafte or fayned to be annexed to the route but he shalbe borne of the same route Cōsider the symylytude and the wordes of the scripture Christ is called the flour of the braunche It is not vnknowen vnto all men but that the flour is of the nature substaunce of the tre that bareth the floure How can they thē proue tarye in y e text of Esaie seing our sauiour Christ is the flour of that sa crate virgine Mary should not be of her substance and nature Shew vs any floure that is ether of appel tre nut or other y t is not of y e same nature and substaunce that the tre is of whō it springeth If ye graūt the flour to be of the nature substaunce of the stock that bareth y e flour be nomore iniuryouse cruell against Christ the flour fruyt by Gods ordinaūces of the sacrate virgin thē vnto the stock and route of euery floure of the felde Shew vs the flour of an Orange to spring of an Oke thē we wil graunt the humanite of Christe nor to take hys orygynall of man but from heauen or elles from somother begynnynge as you do fayne ye knowe not what And then it muste be graunted euen as of y e nature of no ▪ Orange cā come no orange so of none of Abrahames nature and stocke cā come Abrahames naturall kynsman oure Sauyoure Christ Jesus accordynge to the fleshe But ye wyl not contrary to reason graunt to vs the fyrste nomore can we cōtrary both to reason and to the holy scripture graūt you the seconde These places and promyses of the olde testament consydered we wil bring forth the autoryte of the newe Testament that shall confirme the same ¶ Testimonyes of the new Testamente OUte of the olde Testament we haue heard y t Christ should be born according to the holy scripturs Nowe let vs heare how y e effect answereth to y ◠for more propheties In case the new testament should not in effect performe asmuch
as y e olde testament figured by shadows and sawe before by prophetye they bothe myghte be iustlye suspected and no forse though both of the were denyed And for a probacyon let vs take the experyence of it in this matter concernynge the humanyte of Christ and that it toke hys begynnynge in and of the holye virgine by the operation of the holye Ghost The Aungel sayd vnto the blessed vyrgine Luce the fyrste Beholde thou shalte conceyue in thy wombe bare a sonne the whyche thynges S. Mathewe expresseth thus Thou shaltbe great and bare a sonne Marke the whole state of the scripture and the words here rehersed to conceyue and bare a child and ye shal alwaies fynd it is none othere thynge but that the mother shalbe a verye true and natural parent wyth partycypatyon of here own substauuce with her child Therfore Sayncte Mathewe in the fryste Chapiter to helpe this dout amonge other thynges touchynge the genealogie and stocke of Christ sayth thus speakynge of the blessed virgin Mary Of whom is born christ and doeth not say by whome or through whome Christ passed The same worde Of vseth S. Paule twysse to the Romains and ones to the Galathians y e whyche worde he woulde not haue vsed so manye tymes incase Christ hathe taken no substaunce of hys mother but passed through her without participation of her nature as y e water throughe a conduit To the Romaynes in the first chapter he saith thus which was borne of y e sede of Dauid as touching the fleshe And in the in the. 9. Chapter Christ after the fleshe is of the fathers in y e fourthe to the Galathiās he sayth whē the tyme was fulfylled God sende hys sonne borne of a woman What can be more playnlye sayde to proue oure sauiour Jesus Christe to haue taken of the virgyne the substaunce of humane nature Namelye because the newe Testamente the authorytes therof doeth so Godlye corresponde and answere to the propheties of the olde lawe Gene. 22. 26. In thy sede sayth Moses and not in an other sede or in a heauenlye sede The same doeth S. Paul repet saying Christe is of the fathers as concernynge to the flesh Mark y e word Of it shal destroy y t fond opiniō of them y t say true it is we graūt y e Christ is of the sede of Dauid yet it foloweth not he shuld take of the nature and substaunce of the sacrate virgin Note well y e wordes and they shall satisfye the. Unto this obieccion and other I wyll answere vnto here after in the ende of the oration Now to the proue of our proposytion reade the fyrst of Saint Luke and marke the gretinge of Elizabeth vnto the holy vyrgyne beyng great Blessyd said she is the fruyte of thy wombe Thys holye womanne callyth Christ the fruite but wherof from whens had she this fruite of heauen or othere where no treulye but it was the fruyte of her owne belye then of her owne substaunce or else it were a manifest lye to call Christ the fruyte of her belye Nether I thynke there is no man that would call a thing the fruite of a tre that neuer had the nature of a tre What man was euer so founde to saye that a Pere were the fruyt of a Chery tre Or who is he that can say that Jesus of Nazareth takyng his humanite frō heauen or of some other thinge besyde hys mother can truely call him y e fruit of hys mothers wombe The scripture sayeth Christe is her sonne and she is hys mothere not a faynyd mother but a true and verye naturall mother So sayeth saynct Mathew in the fyrst Chapt. She broughte forth her sonne And so the virgyne callyd hym Luke the second Sonne why haste y u done thus vnto vs. Belyue the scryptures and pondre accordingly the words and sentences therof Math. 1. Luce. 3. Jo. 2. 19. One place more there is in S. Paule wryten in the second to the Ebrew which is thys for asmuche then as the chyldren were partakers of fleshe and bloude he also hymselfe lykewyse toke part wyth thē And in the same place he sayeth He toke the sede of Abrahā not of the Angels so that he muste be lyke vnto his brothers in all thynges This place apperteining to the natiuite of Christe let vs consydere dilygently the wordes of S. Paules oration how he prouyth Christ to haue oure nature whiche he toke of hys mother If it be so sayeth S. Paule that the chyldren that is to say men be partakers of fleshe and bloude Christe because he myghte destroye hym that hath y e dominion of death by the death in his owne body was made partaker of y e same to wyte of fleshe and bloude Here he vsythe thre wordes Lykewyse Partaker Of the same Reade the text and note the wordes ¶ Fyrst it is out of doute that oure fleshe is of the nature and substaunce of a woman Nowe sayeth S. Paule Christe lykewyse that is to saye after the same maner toke fleshe as hys brothers I saye not lyke vnto vs for we receaue oure nature wyth synne and in synne and by naturall coniunccion Christ receaued his humanyte of hys mother wythoute synne by the operacyon of the holye ghoste But to Saynct Paules wordes like as man taketh his nature of hys parentes so lykewyse toke Christe hys humane nature of the blessyd vyrgyne or else S. Paules symyle proued nothynge ¶ The second word of Saynt Paule sayth that he was made participant or partaker Now there is no participatyon nor can be except it be of such thinges as is commune betwene them that be partakers of one thynge It cannot be therfore that Christe hath taken other fleshe then hys brothers had whych was of the sede of man Forther he addeth Christ toke the sede of Abraham and not of Angelles that is asmuche to say Abrahams fleshe verely humane and not any body or flesh celestiall or made of the ayer In this place S. Paule sheweth playnely from whens and of whom Christ toke his humanite In the same chapter S. Paule sayeth Christe is made lyke vnto hys brothers in all thynges ¶ Howe can thys I praye you be true in case he neuer toke hys humane nature of anye of hys brothers substaunce The whyche thynge if ye take from Christ there is nothinge can be more vnlyke then Christe and vs that be hys brothers In the last reason S. Paule sayth that Christ was tempted that he myght succour such as were tēpted Now there is no fleshe cā be tempted but mans fleshe And there is no mannes fleshe but hath taken his begynnyng of y e substaunce of man except it were Adam the fyrste man that was made of the Earth Gen. 1. Farther howe can he helpe vs as S. Paule sayth beyng in an other flesh from vs. If he haue an other fleshe then we haue I except synne nowe mortalyte how or wherin is
the iustyce of God satisfied for sinne How can he be a faythful medyatour betwene God and man that neuer toke hys humanite of y e substance or natur of any man ¶ These places and autorytes I trust suffycyth euerye Chrystian hart for the stablyshement of thys Article of oure beleue where we confesse that Christe was conceaued by the holye ghost and borne of the vyrgyn Marye By the whyche word Of we beleue that he toke hys humanite of her substance and had none othere begynnynge as touchynge hys humanyte then in her and of her by the operatyon of the holye ghoste There now restyth nomore to be sayd of me in thys parte but to answere vnto suche obieccions as the contrary part resystyth thys trueth wythall The fyrst obieccyon ¶ If Christe toke hys fleshe of a woman then were he a synner and partaker of the synne that naturally dwelleth in euerye of Adams posteryte Romano 5. 11. We answere ¶ Incase Christ had bene in all thynges conceaued and borne as we be there obieccyon were true But the Angel in the first of Saynt Luke declareth the dyuersyte betwene the conceptyon and byrth of Christe and oures The holye ghoste sayth he vnto the holye vyrgyne shal come vpon the and the mighte of the hyest shall shadowe the. And incase the almightye had not sanctified and halowed the sede of Dauid in the sacrate virgyne whych Christ toke in her wombe it mighte haue mynystred some suspicioÌ„ that Christ beynge man of synfull nature shuld also ben a synner him self But the scrypture declareth not only Christ to be the sede fruyte of the vyrgyne but also a sede and fruyte wythout syn Saying the thynge that shalbe borne of the is holye shall be called y e sonne of God This testimony of the wyll of God in the scrypture shulde suffyce the people of God Whye seke we a knot ina roush put doute in a manyfest veryte or to feare of y e thynge y t Gods worde playnelye puttyth out of feare and sayth It shalbe no synful fruit nor vyciated sede that the blessed vyrgyne shall brynge forth but it shalbe an holye fruyte Luc. 1. And in y e same place Elizabeth saith Blessed is y e fruyte of thy bely The holye woman wyll admytte no curse or maledyccyon of synne in thys fruyt The Prophet Hier. 23. sayeth that God promysed to suscytat vnto Dauid a ryghtuous braunche ¶ In thys Prophete there is conteyned â—wo veriteis of Christe The â—â—rste is that he shalbe of the sede of Dauyd as the braunche of a tre is of y e tre it selfe Now it is knowen that the tre and the braunche therof is partycypant of one and of the same nature of the same sape and condycyon So is Christe touchynge hys humanyte of the same nature that hys mothere was of That is to saye of the seede of Dauid And thys proueth the Artycle of oure fayth He was borne of the vyrgyne Marye ¶ The seconde parte of the Prophesye proueth the confutacyon of suche as woulde infer and make to folow if Christ be of the substaunce and nature of hys mothere then is he a synner Marke the texte and it wyl answere the coÌ„trary The texte sayth it shall not only be a braunche but a iuste braunche That is to saye innocente and wythout synne before the face and iudgemente of GOD as thoughe the Prophete hadde sayd Thys braunche shall take hys beynge orygynall of Dauid posterite yet want synne ¶ So doeth the Prophete Esay saye cap. 53. speakynge of thys blessed and innocent sede Who did no sinne nether fraud was founde in his mouth The same wryteth Saynt Peter 1. Petr. 2. and Saynt Johan 1. Johan 3. He appered to take away oure synne and no synne was founde in hym Of these places we humble beseche all Christyan men to iudge whether the word of God proueth not as well Christe to take of the substaunce of hys mother as to proue the same braunche and fruyte of here belye to be voyde of all synne the holye ghost workyng the same as it is wryten Luc. 1. The seconde obieccyon ¶ S. Math. in hys fyrst Chapter sayeth That whyche is borne of here is of the holye ghoste then it is not of the nature and substance of y e virgin We answere ¶ If the cyrcumstaunce of the place be marked they shall know they do iniuries to y e text here as in othere places For when the vyrgyn harde there shoulde be a chyld borne of her she yet in y e grace perfeccion of her vyrgynyte as of a thyng impossible by nature to be done wondreth at the tydyngs and requyreth the Angell of the meanes how it maye be done where vnto the Angell maketh answere to satisfy the admyration of the troubled vyrgyne thus The holy ghost shal come vpon the and he shall worke thys wonderfull worke in the although aboue the consent of thy reason yet not without thassystaunce of thy nature whych shalbe shadowed by the holye ghost Thys interpretatyon of S. Luke admitteth S. Mathew in the fyrste Chapter where as Joseph was no lesse troubled to se hys affiaunced and promysed wyefe to be wyth chylde thoughte it had bene by some synystre and forbydden meanes as wel as the poure vyrgyne wyth reason thought it could neuer be without the knowledge of man As from heauen her reason was confunded and made to geue place vnto faith and the power of GOD so was Josephe by nyght admonyshed of hys ouer hasty iudgement and lyght suspycyon that hys promysed wyfe was not greate by anye man but by the holye ghoste Thus myndyth the Euangeliste to take oute of Joseph the suspycyon y t he had of the Godlye virgine for her beyng wyth chylde and not to proue that the chyld wythin her was not of her owne substaunce and nature Reade the place marke the state and argument thereof then shal the text interprete at it selfe If it be so as God forbyd it shoulde anye would wrest constrayne thys worde of the holy ghost against y e circumstaunce meanynge of the Euangelyste We wyshe and requyre it to be admitted of all men for the scryptures sake all the Prophetyes that sayth Messyas shoulde be borne of a woman and not by a woman or passynge through a woman If they wyll not thus be contendyd but forse the lettre that sayeth of the holye ghost that is to saye Christe was borne of the substaunce of the holye ghoste then should they proue ethere Christ to haue no fleshe because the holye â–ª ghoste hath none nor neuer hadde or else the God to be turned into y e nature of man And so where as God before was and is euer immortal should by there reason be made mortall whyche were a blasphemye to graunt The thyrd obiection ¶ Christ the sonne of God toke not oure nature but by a certayne chaunge commutatioÌ„ the word that before was God to be made flesh