Now that this Mary, the mother of Christ, was a virgin, is evident from the Evangelists. That she was a virgin when and after she was espoused to Joseph, appears from Luke (i. 27;) that she was so before she had conceived, appears from Matthew's express words, "Before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost." That she was so after, from his application of the prophecy, "A virgin shall bring forth *" to her. That the virgin was really and properly a mother, appears from the following considerations: 1st. We acknowledge that according to the prophecy and annunciation, “ A virgin shall conceive," "thou shalt conceive;" she by the enabling power of the Holy Ghost, did conceive. 2nd. That she did also nourish and increase what was so conceived by her own substance †, ovon εγκυψ. 3rd. That she brought Him forth by a proper parturition . Thus, therefore, she is frequently, and with the greatest propriety, styled Christ's mother. The belief of her virgin maternity is necessary, 1st. That we might be assured of Christ's having our true and proper nature. 2nd. That He might be properly man, and yet without sin, even from His * Matt. i. 23. + Luke ii. 5. Ibid. ii. 6, 7. very conception; "the Lamb without spot." 3rd. That He might fulfil the prophecy, in being of the seed of Abraham and David, according to the flesh. Recapitulation. Thus I believe that a virgin named Mary espoused Joseph, but that both before and after she continued a pure virgin; and being such, she conceived, by the power of the Holy Ghost enabling her, and in due time naturally brought forth the only-begotten Son of God; who thus assumed our nature, was born under the law without any spot or original corruption, that He might deliver us from sin; that He was born of that Mary, the Virgin, who was of the house and lineage of David, that He might sit on His throne, and rule for ever; and thus "I believe in Jesus Christ, born of the Virgin Mary." CHAPTER IV. ARTICLE IV.-SECTION 1. Suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead, and buried. JESUS CHRIST suffered. To understand this fully we must consider Christ both as to His office and His person. 1st. His office. That the promised Messias was to suffer, appears clearly from Isaiah, who declares the sad sufferings of the Messias thus: "He was to be a man of sorrows; oppressed; afflicted; wounded; bruised; brought to slaughter; cut off from the living *." This prediction so manifestly belongs to the Messias, according to the declaration of the prophet, that the Jews, who resolved to expect a glorious Messias, have been obliged to invent two; one a suffering Messias, of the tribe of Ephraim; the other a conquering one, of the tribe of Judah. But this is false, as no such Messias is ever named as of L Ephraim in Scripture; and whenever the Messias is mentioned, He is always represented in one and the same person; "the seed of the woman;" ."" the seed of Abraham;""the son of David ;" the " 6 pxoμεvos;" it was not they but " He who was to come." It will be indeed sufficient for Christians to hear what St. Paul says of the Son of Man, "that He must needs have suffered * ;" and also what St. Peter tells us, "Now the Spirit of Christ which was in the Prophets, testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ +." Besides the very argument of the Jews as to two Messiahs makes for us, inasmuch as it shews the twofold character which Christ was to sustain. 2nd. Now that Jesus did suffer is sufficiently apparent from the whole of the Gospels, and is freely confessed even by His enemies; therefore we shall say no more on this point. 3rd. We also hold that all the sufferings of Christ were agreed upon, and made a matter of compact between Him and the Father. "Of a truth against Pontius Pilate, with thy holy child Jesus, Herod, the Gentiles and people of Israel, were gathered, to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done ‡." This also appears by a com * Acts xvii. 3. † 1 Pet. i. 11. Acts iv. 27. parison of the Prophet's words with those of the Apostle. In the condition of "making His soul an offering for sin *," we see the condition of suffering propounded; in the words "Lo, I come to do thy will, O God +," we see what was propounded undertaken. These sufferings were also revealed by the prophets. St. Paul asserts, that He "said no other things but those which the prophets and Moses did say should come, that Christ should suffer :" the prophets said expressly the Messias should suffer and Moses intimated it clearly in his ceremonial institutions; as in the paschal lamb being slain; the lifting up of the brazen serpent in the wilderness; the atonement by blood when the High-Priest went into the Holy of Holies, &c. &c. Now all these sufferings thus revealed were undergone by Christ. This appears plainly from a comparison of His life with the prophecies, so that we cannot hesitate in concluding with St. Peter, "those things which God declared by all His prophets that Christ should suffer, He hath fulfilled §." Having shewn the sufferings in His office, we shall now consider them in His person. By reference to the preceding part of the Creed it will be Isai. liii. 10. Acts xxvi. 22. + Heb. x. 7. |