when one is become that which he was not before so was Abel a Herdsman and David a King and a Prophet and Aaron a Priest without changing humane Nature from what it was and thus we say The Word of God was made Man God being not changed in his Nature The Son of David the Son of Abraham he calls him not the Son of Joseph because he had not to do in his Generation neither doth he call him the Son of Mary although he was made Flesh by her it being not agreeable to the custom of Scripture to compute Genealogies from Women but he mentions David and Abraham because the beginning of his Generation of Chist is referred to them For he said unto Abraham In thy seed shall all the Natious of the Earth be blessed And unto David Thy Children shall sit upon the Throne for ever And to shew unto the Hebrews that he descended from David as the Prophets had foretold Moreover he calls him the Son of David thereby to raise the greater esteem of him he was a Nazarite because nursed in Nazareth according to what Philip said unto Nathaniel We have found Jesus of Nazareth The Promise was made unto Abraham because he was the first who was converted from Idolatry It was also made unto David forasmuch as he was the first King who kept the Commandments and for that he pleased God and brought up the Ark and was desirous to build a house unto the Lord. He sets David before Abraham by reason of his Kingdom his Majesty and the Renown of his Time for the Fame of his Deeds were celebrated in the mouth of all men and from him they expected that Christ should arise according to that Was it not from the seed of David and from Bethlehem that Christ was to spring And they called all good Kings which ruled over them by the Name of David as David my Servant shall rule them and I will set over them David my servant And it was with an oath said unto David The Lord swore unto David in truth and will not repent Of the fruit of thy Belly And I have sworn unto David my servant and A Rod shall sprout out of the Root of Jesse Again he placeth David before Abraham because the Promise made unto Abraham was That he should be Father of Nations but it was promised unto David That Christ the Redeemer should spring out of his Seed and it was meet that he from whose Seed Christ the Redeemer was to come should be preferred to him who was Chief of the Nations For the Redeemer is more to be esteemed than they who are Redeemed For this cause it is that he mentions Abraham after David because unto him was the Promise of calling the Gentiles The Son of Abraham that is to say He calls Christ the Son of Abraham according to the flesh but he neither calls him the Son of David nor of Abraham as of Marital Conjunction but according to Genealogy and Descent and he whom Mathew calls the Son of David Mark calls the Son of God and Luke the Power of the most High and John the Word of God but he was called God and the Word and the Power of the most High because he was so and he was named the Son of David and of Abraham for that he was made so and he was one and the very same and not different Persons Abraham begat Isaac he sets down this Genealogy to shew that Christ came as God formerly had promised to Abraham and to David and that he was the Messiah expected by the Jews and that they were inexcusable if they would not believe in him Isaac begat Jacob Jacob begat Jadah and his brethren He did not mention the Brethren of Isaac and Jacob because they had no Commerce with the Stock of Israel for they were Heathens and the Sons of Ishmael Arabians and Edomites and not by reason of their being wicked as others say for the Scripture mentioneth those who were more wicked than they He mentioneth the Brethren of Judah because that from his Lineage is derived the Genealogy of Christ who was of the Seed of David Judah begat Pharez and Zarah of Thamar He mentions Thamar who was of the Gentiles and was guilty of Fornication hereby we are instructed of the Mercy and Goodness of God who was not only made Man but was born from such-like Ancestors as these and by reason all men were brought under the yoke of Sin there was a necessity of his coming upon earth and if Judah sinned and David committed Adultery how much more was the transgression of others He by his coming absolved those who were under the reproach of guilt and his Gospel accepted of every Believer Adulterers Fornicators and as many of all sorts as were Penitents And it was for our Consolation that he made mention of Thamar that we should not be ashamed of our wicked Ancestors but be comforted by the Vertue Pulchritude and Ornaments of our own minds for a man is not scandaliz'd by evil Parents for if a Fornicatrix be converted into vertuous habits her former evil manners will be no reproach unto her How much less reproach is it to a man to have been the Son of a Fornicatrix or the Adultery or Sins of his Fore-fathers if his own Manners do not reproach him Moreover he mentioneth Thamar to reprove the Jews who boasted of Abraham and yet were destitute of a good Conversation as if he had said unto them Behold she who committed Fornication was the Mother of David Furthermore we say That Thamar did not sit there with a purpose of Fornication and it is manifest from what Judah said She hath been more righteous than I but that she might minister to the Generation of our Saviour Christ Gen. 32.26 who was concealed in Judah and this is known from hence that she did thus with him and no other man and thus she did after the death of his Wife that she might not seem to offend for the Law was not then written which prohibited the same Again she had the greater proclivity in her affections to Judah in regard of his want of Children for destitution of Children was reputed a disgrace to every man Moreover Thamar prefigured the Church and the Gentiles who committed Fornication with Idols and by the off-spring of Thamar were redeemed Thamar was of the off-spring of the Gentiles so also was the Church Thamar committed Fornication so likewise did the Church commit Fornication with Idols and as Thamar was mixed in the Genealogy of Christ so was the Church made a parcipitant of the Body and Blood of Christ Thamar is expounded the Church as calling Christ unto her 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Come my Lord unto me inhabit with me Wherefore doth he mention Pharez and Zarah Zarah signifieth the East they appeared in the light of Gods Worship as Enoch Shem Japheth and Melchizedech and he sprouting out for a while and stretching forth the hand
Esther became the Wise of Matatha of the Progeny of Nathan and of her he begat Heli and Esther had two Sons one by Mathan and one by Mattatha and Heli took a Wife and died Childless and Jacob his Brother took his Wife in conformity to the Law that he might raise Seed to him who was Dead that his Name might not be forgotten and Jacob begat Joseph and Joseph was the Son of Jacob according to natural propagation and to Heli according to the disposition of Law and Mathew calleth him in respect of Nature and Luke with regard to the Law for naturally the traduction of Seed constituted by Law was his who begat Children in the name of his deceased Brother who died Childless Wherefore doth Mathew proceed to Solomon but Luke sets down Nathan and so they run down to Joseph Some say that Mary was derived from Solomon and Joseph from Nathan and Mathew sets forth the Genealogy of Mary but Luke that of Joseph and if it be so wherefore doth Mathew declare this concerning Jacob that he begat Joseph whereas naturally he did not beget him And if they shall say that Luke speaks of the Genealogy of Mary and Mathew of that of Joseph wherefore did Luke impose this upon the stock from whence Christ was born that he was supposed Philoxenus said That Mathew wrote concerning the natural Genealogy and therefore said such an one begat such an one but Luke treated of Legal Genealogies and therefore wrote this that he was supposed And hereunto Affricanus gives Testimony who said that the Names of the Genealogies were reckoned among the Hebrews either naturally from the account of Seed or according to the direction of Law as he who is born by Adoption to one who dies without Children or of one who begets in the Name of his Brother dying Childless for as yet they had no hope of the Resurrection and the Evangelists computed both the Natural and Legal Genealogy for the Genealogies of Solomon and Nathan were intermixed Wherefore each of them from Nathan as well as from Solomon was the Father of Joseph Eli who was of Nathan and Jacob who was of Solomon and he was by Nature the Son of Jacob but by Institution of Law the Son of Heli that is to say Eli. And whereas Mathew shewed according to the Natural Account of Genealogy that Joseph was derived from David and some Men seemed to oppose him and said that Joseph was the Son of Heli and not of Jacob prevaricating in respect of the Legal Genealogy Wherefore Luke minded to confute their folly shewed that though Joseph should be referred to Heli by Legal Institution yet even so the Lineage of Christ would be found to proceed from David For he did not place the Genealogy on Mary nor did he say such an one begat Mary of whom Christ was born for it was not the Custom of the Hebrews to derive Genealogies by Women wherefore he computes not Mary but Joseph that he might not seem to confound Order Moreover we say That in the Commemoration of Joseph the Virgin also is notified with him to have descended from David for every Tribe was knit with its own Tribe although some rare Examples there are of departing from Tribe to Tribe But Joseph and Mary were near related to one another respectively as the Grand-children of two Brothers One Eliezer begat two Sons Mathan and Jotham and Mathan begat Jacob and Jacob begat Joseph and Jotham begat Tsadock and Tsadok begat Mary and her Mothers Name was Dinah and she was the Sister of Elizabeth and this was she of whom it was said Behold Elizabeth thy Kinswoman The matter was ordered by hint of Divine Providence that the Kingdom and Priesthood of David and of Levi might receive accomplishment in Christ Moreover for this reason he reckons Joseph and not Mary for that if the Jews had known that Mary had not conceived from Joseph they had stoned her her Virginity was conceal'd from all Mankind except Joseph who learn'd it from the Angel and Elizabeth who learn'd it from the holy Ghost John saith Christ was not willing that they should know the manner of his Nativity viz. that he was born of a Virgin but reserved the knowledge thereof to its proper time that the Virgin might be free from punishment for if the Jews had learned thus much at first they had not believed that a Virgin could bring forth and they had stoned her For if they called him who drove out Devils The Prince of Devils how would they believe that a Virgin should bring forth a Son It may be enquired Where were the Fathers of Mary for her Father was called by many Names Joiachim Jojachim Jonchir Tsadok Jezedik and her Mother also was called Dina and Hana Jacobus Auraeus saith That Histories do recount that Mary was the Daughter of Jojachim of the Tribe of Judah who was the Son of Asther in the Original Panthir and Asther was the Brother of Malchi the Son of Neni in the Original he who was of Neri and descended by the Genealogy from Nathan and was on the Mothers side from the Tribe of Levi and dwelt in Galilee in a place of the City of Tiberia he calls Joseph the Husband of Mary when he was her Spouse according to the Custom of the Scripture for it is said in Deuteronomy If there shall be a Wife betrothed unto a Man and a Man shall find her and lie with her take them both forth and let them be stoned the young Woman because she did not reveal it and the Man for that he lay with his Neighbours Wife It is known from hence that he who is betrothed is called Husband and she who is espoused is called Wife whence it is known that Christ and the Virgin were of the Seed of David We say it is manifest that Christ is of the Seed of David according to the flesh from this That he was born of Mary who was of the House of David and of his Seed and it is certain that the Virgin descended from David because every one took a Wife of his own Tribe that Inheritance might not be in Commixture nor Confusion be in the Lands nor War amongst them and Joseph observed this Commandment and took Mary a Daughter of David for had she not been from David she had not gone up to Bethlehem with Joseph the Son of David But how did Christ fit on the Throne of David We say That there seems to be a threefold kind of Davids Throne the one was corporal which was made of Wood and Ivory and was Adorned with pretious Stones Secondly They were accustomed to call the Throne of the Kingdom the Primacie and Authority over the whole Nation The third is according to what God promised to David I will build thy Throne for ever and ever and His Throne shall be as the Sun before me but these things which were promised to David but not fulfilled were accomplish'd in our Saviour
manifest from hence that he spoke of the Genealogy in reference to Baptism Moreover Mathew recounts the Natural Generation to signifie That the Natural Generation brought us downward but Luke the Legal Generation to shew that the Legal Generation is to us an adumbration of Adoption and of the Resurrection and that we are to Ascend by the Laver of Regeneration and to be made the Sons of God Wherefore doth Luke compute so many Names from David to Christ being forty three and those of Mathew are but twenty eight besides those omitted by the Writers being revera thirty two We say That there was not an equal course of Generations in all Families for it was one progeny that draweth from Nathan to David according to Luke and that is another which is by Solomon as Mathew Wrote for we have seen many being of equal years who took Wives some of whom have Children and Grand Children so that in the one may appear three descents and in the other one wherefore it is no wonder if one Genealogy be more or less fruitful than another in descents Moreover Mathew reckons the Natural Fathers from David to Christ but Luke computed Natural and Legal and therefore Luke hath more than Mathew Wherefore doth Mathew compute the Natural Genealogy and Luke the Legal Because Luke had formerly learnt That the Jews blamed Mathew concerning the Genealogy for that he had mentioned culpable persons as Jochania Moreover They said that Joseph although he was Naturally the Son of Jacob yet it being not fit that his Name should have been Written with his Name Luke but that Eli was he on whose Name the Seed was Establish'd He being willing to solve this Querie wrote the Legal Progenies and Ascends to Genealogy of Persons who were differing from Nathan and comes again to call the Progeny and sheweth that although Joseph should be referred to Eli yet so Christ appears to be of the Lineage of David An Objection of Julian the Wicked If Luke wrote the Legal Genealogies wherefore speaks he of Obed the Son of Boaz as according to Nature and not of the Son of Malion according to the Law as it is written in Ruth And we answer That the Mad-man did not understand the matter for the Controversie concerning Joseph was Whether he was from David or no and there was no Controversie concerning this from David to Abraham for all the Jews were from Abraham therefore Luke from Christ to David computes the Legal Fathers and from David to Abraham the Natural and from Abraham to Adam the Legal Pedigree Wherefore doth Mathew mention the culpable Men and Women and Luke the vertuous We answer That it was Mathews design to shew that God came to call Sinners to Repentance and did not disdain that Mankind whom he created should be united to him and that he should Justifie the same and for this Reason he mentioned the Culpable But Luke having a design to teach that it was unfit that such as weâ—… baptized and made the Children of God should be subjected to Sin he computed the blameless Lineage of Nathan and for this reason doth not mention Jochania and the like of him Aphricanus and Eusebius place Malchi in the third place from the end as also Mathan who is written before Joseph Joseph the Son of Eli the Son of Malchi But in the Syriack Copy of Luke remaining with us he is set in the fifth place Joseph the Son of Heli the Son of Matthath the Son of Levi the Son of Malchi Moreover Aphricanus placeth Fifty Persons in Luke from Abraham to Joseph and in the Syriack Copy of Luke there were Fifty six and it is necessary to enquire after the Truth Gregorius Theologus saith There were Seventy Seven Generations from Adam to Christ according to the discourse concerning Genealogies of Luke the Glossarie and Jacobus Batanensis in the Epistle to Maron saith That from Abraham to Christ were forty two Generation as Mathew wrote and according to Luke Fifty Seven If therefore according to the Sayings of these Doctors and according to our Copy of the Gospel there were 77. Generations from Adam to Christ there remain 57 from Abraham to Christ as saith Dominus Jacobus so that taking one from 57 to wit Christ there are left 56 from Abraham to Joseph and not fifty only as said Aphricanus and our Syriack Copies are true and Aphricanus is not so in setting down only 50 persons And this also we are finally to take notice of that in the Syriack Copy there are written 55 persons from Joseph to Abraham and not 56 as said Theologus and Jacobus Batanensis and we are of opinion that the Scribe omitted one Name and so it was left out of many Copies computing the Names from Christ to Nathan the Son of David In the Greek and Syriack Gospel there are found but 42 so that adding thereunto 14 Generations from David to Abraham they make up only 56 and not 57 as said Jacobus which being all put together amount to 76 and not to 77 as said Theologus there being one Name forgotten about the Middle And the Nativity of Jesus Christ was thus For our Lord is called in Scripture by 52 Names whereof some agree to the time before his being made Man as the Word the Son Splendor and the like and some to the time of being made Man as Jesus Christ and some denote his Union as Emanuel so called from the Divinity and the Humanity which Word Emanuel is Expounded God with us Here it behoves us to inquire what the Name Jesuah signifies We say That Jesuah is an Hebrew Name and with us imports a Redeemer but the Grecians call him Jesus and say that it is Expounded Healing therefore he is a Redeemer because he Redeemed his people from their Sins and he is Healing because he Healed and Cured those who lay under the Calamity of Sickness and Diseases and Moses imposed first the Name on Joshuah the Son of Nun and he was a Type of Christ and was at first called Hoshea and as this Name was imposed from verity of Fact so the Name Emanuel signifieth this that by Birth from a Woman The Word of God was with us The Word Christ teacheth us That as Man he is said to have been Anointed after the manner of Men as the Name Jesus signifieth that he Revived and Redeemed us wherefore the Names of Jesus Christ and Emanuel are the same in force of Understanding Moreover The Name Christ signifieth an Unction in Christ a certain kind of Election The Ancients had three sorts of Anointing first Parabolically with Oyl as Kings and Priests Or by Grace That is to say by the Spirit in an hidden manner as Prophets and Priests or for Honor and Distinction by direction of Actings as the house of Abraham Cyrus and Hazael and the name Anointing is used in seven manner of ways First For quantity as what is measured by Cubits or Palms and as the Angel
Latine Haebraice Ratione Judaeorum Graece Ratione Pilati Latine ratione Herodis in ipsissimis Linguis quibus usi fuerunt in accusatione ejus hostes ejus Evangelium praedicarunt Evangelistae Lucas processit secundum rerum ordinem omnia proprio ordine disposuit prout gesta erant a Domino nostro scripsit Johannes etiam similiter fecit salvo eo quod nonnulla in medio reliquit quia dicta fuerant per Socios suos Mathaeus vero non eodem processit modo sed usus est Doctrinae Methodo cohaerentiae insimul collocando Leges enim quas Instituit Dominus noster in uno capite ordinavit alteri vero Evangelistae sparsim eas tradiderunt Marcus sequitur dispositionem Mathaei multi vero non Intelligentes modum quo quisque eorum respective scripsit existimarunt se suisse sibi invicem contrarios Quia principium Evangelii fuit Baptismus Christi prout supra diximus propterea inde exorsus est Marcus Mathaeus enim altius ingressum fecit apud Geneologiam familiaram ut monstraret Haebreis quod sicuti praedixissent Prophetae Christus ortus est Lucas vero altius orditur pertingit usque ad Nativitatem Johannis ut subaccusaret eos qui praefatione omissa aggressi fuerunt scriptionem Historiae Christi Johannes ascendit usque ad sermonem divinum ut monstraret quod etiamsi socii sui scripsissent Christum hominem suisse quatenus incarnatum erat tamen Deus cum Patre fuerat postea incarnatus homo factus suit Doctrina eorum medio Plataearum alta voce fuit praedicata ipsis dicentibus Deus revelatus est in Corpore tolleravit passiones in carne mortuus fuit Resurrexit confirmata fuit eorum praedicatio per Miracula quae fecerunt Johannes loquutus est de sublimibus socii sui de inferioribus Mathaeus quidem quia ad Judeos scripsit ei curae fuit ut natraâ—et Generationem ejus consuetudinem in carne Marcus vero solicitus fuit ut scriberet contra Simonem qui praedicaverat Filium dispensationem suam egisse per Phantasium qua propter confirmavit ea quae ad corporationem spectabant dicitur quod in mandatis dedit ei Petrus ut scriberet vice sua hac ratione ut nonnulli existimant ne propter Petri Eminentiam socâ—orum suorum scripturae parvi haberentur ipse mandavit ei ut scriberet de ejus abnegatione accurate similiter Lucae mandavit Paulus ut scriberet in cujus Imitatione extense admodum Oratoris Loquitur in confirmatione Theophili Corrigenda in Epistola ad Lectorem p. 2. line 3. pro Cycles lege Cyclis A Clear and Learned Explication OF THE HISTORY OF OUR BLESSED SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST c. MAthew begins saying The Book of the Nativity of Jesus Christ Mathew said not as the Prophets that the Lord said unto me or I saw a Vision for by reason that the Jews were carried about after false Prophets it behoved them to say so but Mathew forasmuch as he wrote to the faithful he needed not to have imitated the Prophets nor did he put his Name to the Book because he wrote to those who were near at hand after the manner of a Narrative Yet Paul because he wrote to those who were afar off he wrote in the manner of an Epistle and therefore it was necessary to put his Name thereunto he calls the Book the Book of Nativity because the Nativity of our Saviour is the source of all Blessings or even as Moses names his Book from the Creation whil'st he Treats of such other things as were transacted and performed in the World for the space of two thousand two hundred and sixteen years and calls another Book by the name of going out yet wrote therein of other things so it is called the book of Generation by reason that this is the principal matter that God should be born in the Flesh tho' he treats of the rest of his Conversation on Earth for it is the principal part as being the best part that gives Denomination say the Philosophers and although Baptism be the begining of the Gospel yet he commenceth from the Nativity that he might instruct the Hebrews that this was the Messiah whom God had promised to Abraham and David that he should spring out of their Seed and that he was the Giver of the Gospel Nativity is spoken in many sences First as from a Woman Secondly as from Baptism according to that he who is not born of Water and the Spirit Thirdly from the Grave who hath heard such a thing who hath seen such things that the Earth should bring forth in one day or that a Nation should be born in one hour Fourthly Nativity is said also of things remote from the Birth Esa 66.8 according to this * 1 Cor. 4.15 for in Jesus Christ I have begotten you and he was pleased to beget us in the Spirit and I know not what to morrow is to bring forth and who hath begotten the drops of Rain and he Travelleth with Iniquity Joh. 38.28 Psal 7.14 and hath conceived falsehood and brought forth Destruction Fifthly as the beam and splendor which is begotten of the Sun or fire and as the Eternity of the Son is begotten of the Father according to the Divine Nature but here he doth not speak of the Eternal Generation from the Father but of the Temporal from the Virgin and tho' it be called in Scripture the birth of Abel and Jacob yet it is not there said of any of the Fathers the book of the Nativity except of Christ to the end that we may take notice that Christ is not meer Man but God made Man And that he was not born according to the ordinary Course of Humane Nature of Father and Mother but Supernaturally of the Holy Ghost and the blessed Virgin Moreover he begins at the Genealogies to signifie that although Christ was reputed by the Jews to be the Son of Joseph yet they were not perswaded of his Eternal Sonship yet of Joseph there was some doubt whether he were the Son of David or not and this is accurately made known by the Genealogies and the doubt Resolved The Greek hath it the Book of making or being and making or being is said to be nine fold First when of nothing something is made as the Heaven and Earth were made of nothing Secondly when of something something was made as the Firmament and Trees were made of something Thirdly by way of Contempt as God said Adam is made as one of us Fourthly by way of Transmutation as Lots Wife was made a Pillar of Salt Fifthly Impersonally the Evening and the Morning were the first day Sixthly by way of help or assistance as the Lord was with Moses Seventhly Temporally and I was as one who heareth not Eightly Of Grace according to that Moses was a God with Pharaoh Ninthly Without Transmutation
was thus It hath been shewed to the Hearers That Christ was to come when the Princes of the People should fail and the Seventy Weeks of Daniel should be accomplished here he teaches the manner of his Corporeal Birth When thou Husband shalt hear this do not think that he is to be born according to the Law of Nature who prescribes a Law to Nature and when he came to Joseph he said who begat Christ and therefore he saith afterwards That the Generation of Jesus Christ was thus that is to say he was not born as all other men but this his Generation was of a new kind and it was above the nature of ordinary Generations wherefore he said it was thus that he might expound the Novelty of that kind of Generation When Mary his Mother was espoused to Joseph They were Espoused but without Marital Conjunction and before such Association she was found to have Conceived wherefore did she not Conceive before she was Betrothed That this matter might be concealed from the Prince of the World for Satan did not know from the manner of his Nativity that it was God who was incarnated for St. Ignatius saith That this Prince Erred in the Virginity of Mary and in the Birth and Death of Christ Again Mary did not conceive before the Espousals that the matter might be concealed from the Jewes and that the Virgin her self might be free from punishment that under the name of a bounden husband she might not be stoned as a whore and because the Genealogies were not written in the name of women therefore she assumed the name of a Spouse Before they came together he saith that she was found to have conceived but not before her coming to his house for she was in his house for also the Sons in Law of Lott dwelt in his house and Jacob dwelt with his spouse in the house of Laban and so the Virgin dwelt with Joseph in his house for it was the Custom for Women betrothed to dwell with their Husbands for the space of three years and afterwards they came together to shew thereby that they came together not as overcome of lust but for the procreation of Children who reputed them as the Reward Wages and Fruit of Righteousness She had need of a betrothed Husband that he might be an Help and Protection to her from the Jews who observing her to be with Child might have thought her to be with Child by her reputed Husband and so forbear to stone her and that he might flee away with her when Herod designed to destroy the Child and that the Virgin might not suffer disgrace for it was a shame for a Woman to remain without a Husband among the Jews as said Isaiah Onely let us be called by thy Name Moreover whoever was a Votary amongst the Jews was Unmarried and the Virgin being a Votary espoused Joseph being well stricken in years that no thought might arise against her like to the common desire of an Husband amongst Women And it is manifest from hence that Joshua the Son of Nun who was a Votary did not redeem himself for a Price and therefore took no Wife But to what kind of Betrothing was she Espoused Gregory Nyssen St. Athanasius and Jacobus Auriensis say It was by way of Custody and that by Command of the Priests because she was a Votary and it is known from this that in one of the Copies it is written that she knew not man but Jacobus Sarugensis and St. Severus say that she was espoused in reference to Marriage Before they came together That is to say they had scarce associated or had almost associated when this Miracle prevented Concubition And moreover it is known that he espoused her as to Marriage because that when she conceived Joseph was not accused as one who had violated his Vow to God for Joseph was not far from association She was found to have Conceived That is to say she appeared to Joseph to have Conceived Perhaps some one might doubt where and how for it is the nature of Women to Conceive from Men but she Conceived without knowledge of humane Consociation But he briefly resolves the doubt saying From the holy Spirit In that he said the Spirit he shews that she did not Conceive of any other humane Consociation besides Josephs and in as much as he said the holy Spirit he shewed that she did not conceive of an ordinary or accidental Spirit for sometimes VVomen conceive certain kinds of Accidental Winds as said Isaiah They conceived and brought forth as they who brought forth Windes The word from is said in many sences naturally as the Beams are said to be from the Sun by way of generation of what is generated as the Son from the Father Eternally Efficiently as a Stool from a Joyner by way of Creation as the Creature from the Creator and other ways But here the vvords From the holy Spirit are taken efficiently for the Body was framed and made by the holy Spirit and so the Word was united thereunto and by the holy ghost that is to say the Spirit of Omnipotent Power who from the beginning framed the first Man of Earth without Copulation and took Eve out of his side and made the Rod to bud forth and made Waters spring from the Rock and from an Arid that is to say a dry Cheek and from a Tree a Ram and from a Root Children and here he of the Virgin framed pure Body for the Word of God Furthermore This Body united to the Word was from the Virgin because she afforded whatever Women contribute to the framing of a Body and he was from the Spirit because the Spirit supplied the part of a Man and created it framed it and anointed it and the Word was united personally to the Son But thou when thou hearest that the Spirit did this believe and be confirmed and do not curiously enquire Nor were Gabriel and Mathew able to say how this was done for it was a miracle beyond Comprehension they declared onely who did it but how it was done they were not able to explain St. Cyril It is demanded when the Word was to be conceived and incarnated of the Virgin why was it that the holy-Ghost for that cause should come unto her that he might take from her that Curse In sorrow shalt thou bring forth Children and that he might purifie her and Sanctifie her and fill up the place of a Man and constitute into one person with the word this holy body and that he might receive it first Joseph was a just Man and unwilling to put her to Shame It is therefore here called Justice not to defame or disgrace a Man and he who hath one Species of Justice is justly said to be just and here he doth not call just one that is Adorned with all Vertues and behold Justice was contrary to the Law which saith Thy Hand shall be first upon her he knew that either she was Innocent
a Virgin shall conceive and bring forth a Son A Jew will say that other Interpreters render it a young Woman and not Virgin Unto whom we say That the Seventy Two are true and more to be relyed on than all other Interpreters first of all for their Number their Truth and Agreement of their Words secondly because they made their Interpretations long before the coming of Christ and are free from all suspition of Fraud but those Interpreters who followed after are of less esteem because they interpreted after Christ and being in Judaism hated Christ Moreover these words A Virgin shall conceive the Lord gave as a Sign unto Achaz and how had it been a sign that a young Woman should bring forth with carnal knowledge For a Sign is a Work above Nature Furthermore the Scripture usually calls Virgins young Women for it saith The young Woman went forth to fill Water and in Deuteronomy it is written concerning a Virgin that is corrupted The young Woman because she did not cry out and the young Women were Virgins whom the Benjamites Ravished And they shall call his Name Emanuel which is interpreted God with us He did not say Thou shalt call but they shall call that is to say from his Works it shall be known that it is God who came unto us who shall converse bodily with us Which is interpreted that is to say Expounded and he hath been called Emanuel by approved Doctors and Doctors are Men and this is like to that of Zacharie behold a Man and his Name is a Branch or Splendor where also from the matter of Fact it was known that he was the Light and Splendor which arose to those who sate in Darkness though not by Name so called And if the Jews shall say That Christ was not called Emanuel by Men let us ask them when was Esaiah called by the Name of Swift to Captivity and given to Prey But they cannot shew it unless by matter of Fact because of the Captivity and Prey which happened in his days he might have had that Name It is Written also concerning Hierusalem That it shall be called the City of Righteousness and the City of Fidelity yet we have observed it not to be so named but it retained the Name Hierusalem though from matter of Fact it might have been denominated from those two Qualities In like manner it is as to Emanuel whom the Prophet Names so from matter of Fact That is because he conversed with us bodily for it is the Custom of the Scripture to use the thing done instead of a Name Emanuel signifies God who conversed openly with Men and if they shall say that he also conversed with the Just according as he said to Jesus as I have been with Moses so will I be with thee by way of Assistance and is not there called Emanuel We say That here he speaks concerning his bodily Nativity being made Man and conversant with us on Earth Moreover The Angel said Emanuel that is to say God with us and not God with him as Wicked Nestorious would have it for the Word is not only United to one Man Framed Assumed and Segregated but also hath drawn and collected by the power of his Operation our whole Nature into Union with himself When Joseph arose from his Sleep he did as the Angel commanded him that is he Teacheth us by the Obedient Conscience and awakened mind of Joseph in that he did nothing indiscreetly and readily obeyed Divine Pleasure and was very desirous to get an Excuse for the Virgin And he took his Wfie and knew her not he calls her his Wife that the present Mystery might not be disclosed and to prevent an Opinion of Adultery it being the custom of the Scripture to call the Spouse Husband according to that If there be a young Virgin betrothed to an Husband behold she calls the Spouse Husband and commands him to be Stoned who abused her This That he knew her not He speaks of commixture by Carnal Conjunction Vntil she brought forth her first born Son This Word Vntil is taken three several ways signifying either a fixed term or the ceasing of things or an indefinite term a fixed term as this The people removed not until Miriam came into the host after she was Cured in token that after her coming the people did remove and according to this The Scepter shall not depart from Judah until he shall come whose it is and it is known that after his coming then the Scepter that is the Kingdom departed it signifieth the ceasing of things as this hitherto the end of the Speech And Eliah walked in the strength of the Meat to the Mountain and it is certain that he rested after he came to the Mountain and that his Discourse ceased after he had spoken and that there was an end and term to his Speech Sometimes it is spoken indefinitely and as an unfixed time according to this The Raven went forth and did not return until the Waters were dryed up and it is certain he returned not after the Waters were dryed up and it was said to Jacob I will not forfake thee until I shall do for thee what I have said and afterwards he forsook him not And Malchil brought not forth untill her death and if whilest she lived she brought not forth much less after her death and And behold I am with you untill the end of the world is he therefore afterward to forsake them or be remiss No. And these words Thou art Lord from generation unto generation do not impose an end to God and this Expression amplitude of peace until the moon shall pass away doth not inferr an end to this beatitude and Christ shall reign until he shall put all his enemies under his feet and it behoves him that the heavens contain him until the end of times Is he therefore thereafter to be cast out of heaven or to become a Stranger to his Kingdom No wherefore the Word Vntil in these and other the like places are not spoken desinitely In like manner the World Vntil is not so to be understood in this place as if he knew her after she brought forth but that he knew her not and it is of a fence unfixed to term and of an indefinite signification Moreover This word Vntil is not to be understood by way of distinction as if before she brought forth he knew her not and that he did know her after she brought forth that is to say 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being the same with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it being the custom of the Scripture to use this Expression and that Joseph did not approach unto her is evident from the honour due unto her Son and that she was an Habitacle to the Spirit and that she received the Vertue of the most High and that she was the most blessed of Women and that it was indecent that she should bring forth with pain and curses For all these