Nutrition and Parturition, we must acknowledge that the blessed Virgin was (1) truly and properly the Mother of our Saviour. And fo is the frequently ftyled the Mother of Jefus in the language of the Evangelifts, and by Elizabeth particularly the Mother of her Lord, as alfo by the general confent of the Church (m) (because he which was fo born of her was God), the (n) Deipara; which being a compound title begun in the Greek Church, was refolved into its parts by the Latins, and fo the Virgin was plainly named the (0) Mother of God.

The neceffity of believing our Saviour thus to be born of the Virgin Mary, will appear both in refpect of her who was the Mother, and of him who was the Son.

In refpect of her it was therefore neceffary, that we might perpetually preferve an efteem of her perfon proportionable to fo high a dignity. It was her Luke 1. 48. own prediction, (p) From henceforth all generations fhall call me blessed; but the obligation is ours, to call her, to esteem her fo.. (q) If Elizabeth cried out with fo loud a voice, Bleffed art thou among women, when Chrift was but newly conceived in her womb; what expreffions of honour and admiration can we think fufficient now that Chrift is in Heaven, and that Mother with him? (r) Far be it from any Chriftian to derogate from that special privilege granted her, which is incommunicable to any other. We cannot bear too reverend a regard unto the Mother of our Lord, fo long as we give her not that worship which is due unto the Lord himself. Let us keep the language of the Primitive Church: (s) Let her be honoured and esteemed, let him be worshipped and adored.

In refpect of him it was neceffary, first, that we might be affured he was made, or begotten of a Woman, and confequently that he had from her the Heb. ii. 16. true nature of man. For he took not on him the nature of Angels, and therefore faved none of them,

ހ

who,

who, for want of a Redeemer, are referved in everlafting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. And Man once fallen had been, as defervedly, fo irrevocably condemned to the fame condition, but that he took upon him the feed of Abraham. For being we are partakers of flesh and blood, we could Ver. 14. expect no Redemption but by him who likewife took part of the fame: we could look for no Redeemer, but fuch a one who by confanguinity was our (t) Brother. And being there is but one Mediator between God and man, the Man Chrift Jefus, we cannot be affured that he was the Chrift, or is our Jefus, except we be firft affured that he was a Man. Thus our Redeemer, the Man Chrift Jefus, was born of a woman, that he might (u) redeem both men and women, that both fexes might rely upon him, who was of the one, and from the other.

Secondly, It was neceffary we should believe our Saviour conceived and born of fuch a woman as was a moft pure and immaculate Virgin. For as it be. hoved him in all things to be made like unto us; fo in that great fimilitude a diffimilitude was as neceffary, that he should be (x) without fin. Our Heb. iv. 15. Paffover is flain, and behold the Lamb that taketh away the fins of the World; but the Lamb of the Paffover must be without blemish. Whereas then we draw fomething of corruption and contamination by our feminal traduction from the first Adam; our Saviour hath received the fame nature without any culpable inclination, because born of a Virgin without any feminal traduction. Our High Prieft is feparate from finners, not only in the actions of his life, but in the production of his nature. For as (y) Levi was in the loins of Abraham, and paid tithes in him, and yet Chrift, though the Son of Abraham, did not pay tithes in him, but receive them in Melchizedeck: fo though we being in the loins of Adam may be all faid to fin in him; yet Chrift, who defcended from the fame Adam accord

ing to the flesh, was not partaker of that fin, but an
expiation for it. For he which is contained in the
feminal virtue of his Parent, is fome way under his
natural power, and therefore may be in fome manner
concerned in his actions: but he who is only from
him by his natural fubftance, according to a paffive or
obediential
and fo receiveth not his propa,
gation from him, cannot be fo included in him as
to be obliged by his actions, or obnoxious to his
demerits.

power,

Thirdly, It was neceffary that we fhould believe Chrift born of that perfon, that Virgin Mary which was efpoufed unto Jofeph, that thereby we might be affured that he was of the family of David. For whatsoever promises were made of the Meffias were appropriated unto him. As the feed of the woman was firft contracted to the feed of Abraham, fo the feed of Abraham was next appropriated to the Son Luke i. 32. of David. He was to be called the Son of the Higheft, and the Lord God was to give unto him the throne of his father David. When Jefus afked the Pharifees, Matt. xxii. What think ye of Chrift? whofe Son is he? they faid unto him, The Son of David. When Herod demanded of the chief Priefts and Scribes where Chrift should be born; they faid unto him, In Bethlehem of Judea, because that was the city of David, whither Jofeph Luke ii. 4. went up with Mary his efpoufed wife, because he was

42.

Matt. ii. 4, 5.

Matt. xv.

22. & xx.

of the house and lineage of David. After John the Luke i. 69. Baptist, the forerunner of Chrift, was born, Zacha rias bleffed the Lord God of Ifrael, who had raised up an born of falvation for us in the houfe of his fervant David. The woman of Canaan, the blind men fitting 30. & ix. by the way, and thofe other blind that followed him cried out, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David. The very children, out of whofe mouths Matt. xxi. God perfected praise, were crying in the Temple, and faying, Hofannah to the Son of David. And when Matt. xii. the blind and dumb both fpake and faw, all the people were amazed, and faid, Is not this the Son of

27.

15.

23.

David? Thus by the publick and concurrent testimonies of all the Jews, the promised Meffias was to come of the house and lineage of David (z) for God had fworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of Acts ii, 30. his loins according to the flesh he would raife up Chrift to fit upon his throne. It was therefore neceffary we fhould believe that our Saviour was made of the feed Rom. i. 3. of David according to the flesh of which we are affured, because he was born of that Virgin Mary who defcended from him, and was efpoufed unto Jofeph, who defcended from the fame, that thereby his Genealogy might be known.

The confideration of all which will at laft lead us to a clear explication of this latter branch of the Article, whereby every Chriftian may inform himfelf what he is bound to profefs, and being inform ed, fully express what is the object of his Faith in this particular, when he faith, I believe in Jefus Chrift which was born of the Virgin Mary. For hereby he is conceived to intend thus much: I affent unto this as a most certain and infallible truth, That there was a certain woman, known by the name of Mary, efpoufed unto Jofeph of Nazareth, which before and after her efpoufals was a pure and unspotted Virgin, and being and continuing in the fame virginity, did, by the immediate operation of the Holy Ghoft, conceive within her womb the Onlybegotten Son of God, and, after the natural time of other women, brought him forth as her firft-born Son, continuing ftill a moft pure and immaculate Virgin; whereby the Saviour of the World was born of a Woman under the Law, without the leaft pretence of any original corruption, that he might deliver us from the guilt of fin; born of that Virgin which was of the houfe and lineage of David, that he might fit upon his throne, and rule for evermore. And in this latitude I profefs to believe in Jesus Chrift, born of the Virgin Mary.

ARTICLE

ARTICLE IV.

Suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried.

HIS Article hath also received fome acceffion

T in the particular expreffion of Chrift's humi

liation. For the firft word of it, now generally fpeaking of his Paffion, in the most ancient Creeds was no way diftinguished from his Crucifixion; for as we fay, fuffered and crucified, they only, (a) crucified under Pontius Pilate: nor was his Crucifixion diftinguifhed from his Death, but where we read, crucified, dead, and buried, they only, crucified and buried. Because the chief of his fufferings were on the Crofs, and he gave up the ghoft there; therefore his whole Paffion and his Death were comprehended in his Crucifixion.

But again, being he fuffered not only on the Crofs; being it was poffible he might have been affixed to that curfed tree, and yet not have died; therefore the Church thought fit to add the rest of his fufferings, as antecedent, and his death, as confequent to his Crucifixion.

To begin then with his Paffion in general. In those words, He fuffered under Pontius Pilate, we are to confider part as fubftantial, part as circumftantial. The fubftance of this part of the Article confifteth in our Saviour's Paffion, He fuffered: The circumstance of time is added, declared by the prefent Governor, under Pontius Pilate.

Now for the explication of our Saviour's Paffion as diftinct from those particulars which follow in the Article, more, I conceive, cannot be required than that we fhew, Who it was that fuffered, How he fuffered, What it was he fuffered.

First, If we would clearly understand him that fuffered