Q. What is said of this miracle by the Evangelists?

A. "The angel Gabriel," says St. Luke," was sent from God to a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the Virgin's name was Mary. And the angel came in to her and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee. Behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a Son, and shalt call his name Jesus." And thus it shall be. "The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee; therefore also that holy thing that shall be born of thee, shall be called the Son of God"."

St. Matthew also gives a description of the same wonderful event in the first chapter of his Gospel.

Q. How does the excellent Barrow explain the mystery of the incarnation?

A. He observes, "The manner of that operation, whereby the Holy Ghost did effect the human generation of our Lord, is by the archangel Gabriel expressed to be from the supervention of the Holy Ghost, and the Divine Power overshadowing the blessed Virgin. The which

b Luke i. 27. 35.

Luke i. 35.

C

words being of so general interpretation, and as to precise meaning so little intelligible by us, may well serve to bound our curiosity, and to check farther inquiry." Then follows a brief statement of the "rash and groundless conceits” of Valentinus and Apollinarius, Menno, Servetus, and others. After which he proceeds: "The holy fathers having weighed and discussed such imaginations, to prevent dangerous or unbecoming thoughts and speeches about a point of so sacred a nature, more soberly do teach, that our Saviour was conceived by the Holy Spirit, not σπερματικως ; but δημιουργικως ;ου δια συνουσίας; but δια δυναμεως ;-not de substantiâ spiritûs Sancti, of the substance of the Holy Ghost; but de potentiâ, by virtue of it; and farther than this say they, Generationem ejus quis enarrabit?' Who can declare his generation, to the which no experience doth furnish any event like or comparable? When therefore it is said that the conception or generation was εκ πνευματος αγίου, of the Holy Ghost, the preposition ε is to be taken for the same with vo or dia, (as it is very commonly used), denoting not matter out of which, but efficiency by which the effect was derived "."

The authorities brought forward by Dr. Barrow are, Just. Mart. Apol. ii. August. de Temp. Serm. VI., &c.

Vol. ii. Serm. XXIV. p. 346.

Q. Did the Son of God really and truly become man?

A. The nature he assumed was in every respect the same as ours, sin only excepted. "Forasmuch as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same." Behold my hands and my feet," said Christ to his disciples before his ascension," handle me and see, for a spirit hath not flesh and blood, as ye see me have." "The Word was made flesh," saith St. John, "and dwelt among us"." "God sent his own Son," saith St. Paul," in the likeness of sinful flesh i."

• Be it remembered, says Bishop Horsley, (vol. i. Serm. IX. p. 199), that our Lord was as truly man, as he was truly God; that neither of the two natures was absorbed in the other, but both remained in themselves perfect, notwithstanding the union of the two in one person. The divine word to which the humanity was united, was not, as some ancient heretics imagined, instead of a soul to inform the body of the man; for this could not have been without a diminution of the divinity, which, upon this supposition, must have become obnoxious to all the perturbations of the human soul,-to the passions of grief, fear, anger, pity, joy, hope, and disappointment; to all which our Lord, without sin, was liable. The human nature in our Lord was complete in both its parts, consisting of a body and a rational soul. See also St. Cyril, Cateches. iv. § vi. and Tertull. De Carne Christi. § v.

f Heb. ii. 14,

h John i. 14.

8 Luke xxiv. 39.

i Rom. viii. 3.

The events of his life afford a further proof of his humanity. He grew up like other men, encreasing by degrees "in wisdom and stature," he fulfilled all the offices of life, like other men; and was subject to the like afflictions, passions, joys, and sorrows'.

m

Q. During his agony in the garden of Gethsemane, Christ said to his disciples, "My soul is exceeding sorrowful even unto death "." What is the meaning and force of the word soul in this passage?

A. Soul here means that immaterial spirit, which Christ received when he took our mortal nature upon him.

Q. Was the soul of Christ, then, like unto the soul of man?

A. Yes; for first, without the soul of man, he could not be perfect man. Secondly, he could not be said to increase in wisdom, unless that wisdom was capable of increase, i. e. was imperfect, finite, and mortal; consequently very different from the wisdom of God, which is boundless, all-perfect, and immortal. Finite and imperfect wisdom appertains to the soul of man, as stature to his body. When Christ, therefore, clothed himself with mortality, he inherited the

Luke ii. 52.

Barrow, vol. ii. Serm. XXIII. p. 336. m Matt. xxvi. 38.

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soul, as well as the body of man". This explanation agrees with the Athanasian Creed, where it is said, that our Lord Jesus Christ is of "a reasonable soul and human flesh subsisting."

Q. Did you not say in the last article, that Christ was God, and one with God, consequently possessed of infinite wisdom.. How then do you reconcile that doctrine with your present position, that he became man, and that his wisdom was imperfect and finite? How could his wisdom be both finite and infinite?

A. If we had stated that Christ exercised both finite and infinite wisdom at the same time in the same way, then indeed there would have been a difficulty. But we make no such assertion. A familiar instance may explain our meaning suppose a person qualified for a superior office; might we not with propriety say, such an one submitted to fulfil the duties, and exercise the powers of an inferior one? Just so, might we not without inconsistency testify, that Christ partook of the being and wisdom of God; and at the same time add, that he condescended to adopt the nature, and live the life of man? That is all we mean, when we say, he inherited

n

Hoc toto credente mundo, puto quod et Dæmones confiteantur Filium Dei natum de Mariâ Virgine, et carnem naturæ humanæ atque animam suscepisse. Hierom. tom. ii. Apol. 2. Adv. Ruffin.