A. No Doubt, I think, concerning the Thing, nor any Diffidence in refpect to the Iffue of it; but rather Admiration in respect to the wonderfulManner.of effecting it. And if we have any Regard to the Tradition mentioned by Epiphanius, that Jofeph was old when efpoufed to the blessed Virgin, it will be probable, what many of the Ancients believed, that by this Anfwer, the Virgin feems to hint at fome Refolution of continuing in a State of perpetual Virginity; at least it implies that the defired to be fatisfied in the Manner, as well as in the Matter of this Mystery. Q. How did the Angel anfwer the Difficulty fhe fuggefted? A. By declaring the wonderful Manner how his Luke i. 35. Meffage fhould be brought about, viz. That the Holy Ghoft bould come upon her, and that the Power of the Highest bould overshadow her. By furnishing her with an Example fomewhat of the like Nature in her Cousin Elizabeth; and by confirming her from the Power of God, to which nothing is impoffible. Q. What Effect had this upon the blessed Virgin? A. She demonftrated an entire Faith and perfect Ver. 38. Obedience in her Reply: Behold the Handmaid of the Lord, be it unto me according to thy Word. Neither is it to be doubted, but that upon her Confent and Defire the Promise began to be fulfilled, and the Son of God became incarnate, and was made Man, taking upon him human Nature, Body and Soul. Q. How doth the bleffed Virgin exprefs her Joy and Gratitude upon this Occafion? Luke i.49. A. In that admirable Hymn called the Magnificat, wherein the fhews fuch a thankful Senfe of the great Honour that was conferred upon her, and expreffes at the fame Time, in fo full a Manner, her Humility and Devotion, as well as the infinite Power and Goodness of God, that it appears, as fhe was highly favoured, fo fhe was alfo full of Grace, and had a Mind plentifully enriched with the Gifts of God's Holy Spirit. This Hymn was fo refpected among the Primitive Chriftians, that they used it as a Part of their Devotions; and the Church of England has retained it in her divine Service, as proper to exprefs the pious Affections of godly and devout Minds. may we learn from this Hymn we fo fre Q. What quently repeat? A. The infinite Mercy and Goodness of God, in fending his Son into the World to redeem us from a State of Sin and Mifery, when we were Encmies to him by our evil Works. That all the Faculties of our Souls, our Reafon, our Will, and our Affections, ought to be employed in bleffing and praifing his holy Name; and though we cannot add to his Greatness, yet we are then faid to magnify the Lord, when we publish and proclaim to the World our Sense of his mighty Perfections. That the best Method to engage God's Favour, is to govern all our Actions by a Fear to offend him. That to obtain the Bleffings of Heaven, we must have a great Senfe of our Want of them. That we may advance ourselves into the Rank of thofe that had the great Honour of being related to our Saviour, by conceiving Chrift in our Hearts by Faith and Obedience; for by doing the Will of God, we are esteem- Mat. xii. ed by him as his Brethren, Sifters, and Mother. Q. Hath this Festival only a Relation to the blessed Virgin Mary? A. It hath farther a particular Refpect to the Incarnation of our bleffed Saviour; who being the Eternal Word of the Father, was at this Time made Fleth. And thus the Feftival is by Athanafius reckoned as one of the chiefeft that relates to our Lord; whether we confider the Order and Method of thofe Things that the Evangelifts declare con-. cerning L 52. Artic. 2. cerning our Saviour, or the profound Mystery we Q. What are we to believe concerning the Incar- A. That the Son, who is the Word of the Father, begotten from everlasting of the Father, the very and eternal God, ofone Subftance with the Father, took Man's Nature in the Womb ofthe bleffed Virgin, of her Subftance; fo that two whole and perfect Natures, that is to fay, the Godhead and Manhood, were joined together in one Perfon, never to be divided, whereof is one Chrift, very God and very Man; who truly fuffered, was crucified, dead, and buried, to reconcile his Father to us, and to be a Sacrifice not only for the original Guilt, but alfo for the actual Sins of Men. Q. What do ye mean by the Godhead and Manhood being joined together in one Person, whereof is one Chrift? A. The true Design of the Church, in using the Word Perfon, was to exprefs a Vital Subftantial Union; as that thence did refult a true proper Communication of Names, Characters, and Properties, from the two Natures to the Perfon, made up of them. For though the Eternal Word was a Perfon before the Incarnation, yet he is not confidered under the fame formal Notion after it. Before he fubfifted only in the Divine Nature, afterwards in the Human as well as the Divine; yet without any Change or Alteration, but under both Refpects continues but one and the fame Perfon. Q. But are there not many Difficulties and Abfurdities that flow from attributing the Actions, Paffions, and Properties of two fuch diftin& Natures as the Human and Divine, to the fame Subject, viz. our bleffed Saviour? A. Though they are abfolutely inconsistent in themselves, and cannot be affirmed of the fame Nature, Nature, yet they may and must be averred of the A. Because the fecod Perfon in the bleffed Trinity, the Son of God, by virtue of an eternal Generation, vouchfafed to defcend from Heaven, and to stoop fo low as to enter into the Womb of the Virgin; where being united to our Nature, which was formed and conceived there, he submitted to a second Generation according to the Flefh. So that this Son of God was truly the Son of the Virgin, and confequently, the that brought forth the Man was really the Mother of God, and by her Coufin Elizabeth fhe is ftyled the Mother of her Lord; which Lukei. 43. Word L 2 John i. 27, 30. 13, 16. Word Lord was accounted equivalent to the Word Q. But can the Divine Nature be born, and suffer, and die, and be buried, and rife from the Grave? A. No, it cannot; and fo wild a Thought hath always been disclaimed by all orthodox Chriftians, with the utmost Abhorrence and Deteftation. But this they have said, that he was God, that he was made of a Woman, who was feen and handled; who was arraigned, condemned, and crucified, and afterwards laid in the Grave; not indeed in his Divine, but Human Nature; but it was one and the fame Perfon which fubfifted in both Natures. Q. What Inftances are there in Scripture that justify the Manner of thefe Expreffions? A. John Baptift says, that he who cometh after me, was before me; which could not be true if affirmed of the fame Nature, but yet was verified of the Mat. xvi. fame Perfon. So St. Peter affirms, that the Son of Man was the Chrift, the Son of the living God. Chrift avers of himself, that he was the Son of God, truly and properly, as his Words were understood by his Friends and Enemies. The Apoftles ftill preached the fame Doctrine, that the Church was purchased with the Blood of God: That the Man whom the Jews crucified was the Lord of Glory: The fame Lord who was nailed to a Crofs, was afterwards laid in the Grave, and rofe from thence; and this Lord was God. Acts xx. 28. 1 Cor. ii. 8. Q. It being fufficient, as to the Mystery of the Incarnation, that when our Saviour was conceived and born, his Mother was a Virgin; what is reafonable to believe concerning her continuing in the fame Sate of Virginity? A. The peculiar Eminency, and unparalleled Privilege of that Mother; the special Honour and Reverence due unto that Son, and ever paid by her; the Regard of that Holy Ghofl that came upon her; the |