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from all others of the fame common nomination, as Jacob is called Ifrael, and Abraham the Friend of God, or Father of the faithful; fo is this Mary fufficiently characterized by that infeparable companion of her name, the Virgin. For the full explication whereof more cannot be required, than that we fhew first that the Meffias was to be born of a Virgin, according to the prediction of the Prophets; fecondly that this Mary, of whom Christ was born, was really a Virgin when the bare him, according to the Relations of the Evangelifts; thirdly, that being at once the Mother of the Son of God, and yet a Virgin, fhe continued for ever in the fame Virginity, according to the Tradition of the Fathers, and the conftant Doctrine of the Church.

The obdurate Jew, that he might more eafily avoid the truth of the second, hath most irrationally denied the first; refolved rather not to underftand Mofes and the Prophets, than to acknowledge the interpretation of the Apostles. It will therefore be neceffary from thofe Oracles which were committed unto them, to fhew the promifed Meffias was born after a miraculous manner, to be the Son of a woman, not of a man. The first promise of him feems to speak no lefs, the feed of the woman fhall bruife the ferpent's head: for as the name of feed is not generally or collectively to be taken for the generation of mankind, but determinately and individually for that one feed, which is Chrift; fo the woman is not to be understood with relation unto Man, but particularly and determinately to that Sex from which alone immediately that feed fhould come.

According to this first Evangelical promife followed that prediction of the Prophet, The Lord hath created a new thing on the earth, a woman shall Jer. 31. 22, compass a man. That new creation of a man is therefore new, and there- For it is not fore a creation, because wrought in a woman only, without a man, com- to be denied paffing a man, which interpretation of the Prophet is ancient, * literal and that the proper fignifica clear, and whatsoever the Jews have invented to elude it, is frivolous and tion of forced. For while they force the phrase of compaffing a man in the latter is circundare, part of the Prediction to any thing elfe than a Conception, they do not only wreft the Scripture, but contradict the former part of the Promise, ma- ferved but one king the new creation neither new, as being often done, nor a Creation, as interpretation being eafie to perform.

or cingere. R. Judah has ob

of this Verb,

כולם ענין and אתר:

Kimchi teftifieth that all words which come from the root fignifie incompaffing, or circuition. Therefore those words,
Japa, must literally import no less than that a woman fhall encompass, or enclose, a man, which, with the ad
dition of a new creation, may well bear the interpretation of a miraculous Conception. Efpecially confidering that the ancient
Jews did acknowledge this fenfe, and did apply it determinately to the Meffias: as appeareth in Bereshit Rabba Parash. 89.
where fhewing that God doth heal with that with which he woundeth, he faith, as he punished Ifrael in a Virgin, fo would be alfo
heal them with a Virgin, according to the Prophet, The Lord hath created a new thing on the earth, a woman shall compass
a man. By the teftimony of R. Huna in the name of R. Idi, and R. Jofuah the Son of Levi,
mu
This is Meffiah the King of whom it is written,.(Pfal. 2. 7.) This day have I begotten thee. And again in Midrash Tillim,
upon the 2d Pfal. R. Huna in the name of R. Idi, fpeaking of the fufferings of the Meffiah, faith, That when his hour is

-I inuft create him with a new crea וכן הוא אומר אני עלי לבראתי בר ית חדשה היום ולרתוך,come God ball Jay

tion. And fo (by virtue of that new creation) he faith, This day have I begotten thee. From whence it appeareth that this fenfe is of it felf literally clear, and that the ancient Rabbins did understand it of the Meffias; whence it followeth that the later interpretations are but to avoid the Truth which we profefs, that Jesus was born of a Virgin, and therefore is the Chrift.

But if this Prophecy of Jeremy feem obfcure, it will be fufficiently cleared + 1sa. 7. 14. by that of Isaiah Behold, a Virgin fhall conceive and bear a Son, and Jhall* How foon call his name Emmanuel. The ancient Jews * immediately upon the promul- these objectigation of the Gospel, understanding well how near this place did prefs them, use of by the

ons were made

Jews, will ap

pear by Juftin Martyr, the firft Writer which made any confiderable Explication and Defence of the Chriftian Religion;
who, in his Dialogue with Trypho the Jew, fhews us what were the Objections of the Rabbins: 'Ewei 3 vμeïs x oi didát-
καλοι ὑμῶν τολμᾶτε λέγειν, μηδὲ εἰρῆς ἐν τῇ προφητείᾳ τῇ Ἐσαίς, αλ' ἰδὲ ἡ παρθένο ε γαςρὶ ἕξει, αλ', ἰδὲ ἡ νεᾶνις c
varei ante, & Tixe you, And Tertullian, whofe works are full of the Divinity of Juftin; Si quando ad dejiciendos a-
liquos ab hac divinâ prædicatione, vel convertere fingulos fimplices quofque geftitis, mentiri audetis, quafi non Virginem,
fed juvenculam, concepturam Scriptura contineat. Adverf. Judeos, c. 9. & adv. Marcionem, lib. 3. cap. 13.
Z 2

gave

* And as they

jection: Hodie

argumentan- .

virginitate c

go in utero

concipiet,

gave

three feveral answers to this Text: First, denying that it fpake of a Virgin at all; fecondly, afferting that it could not belong to Jefus; thirdfoon began, fo ly, affirming that it was fully compleated in the perfon of Hezekiah. Wheredid they go on as the original word was tranflated a Virgin, by fuch * Interpreters as were with this Ob- Jews themselves, fome hundred years before our Saviour's birth. And did toto jam cre- not the notation of the word, and frequent ufe thereof in the Scriptures perdente mundo, fuade it, the wonder of the sign given by the Lord himself would evince tur Judæi, E- as much. But as for that conceit, that all fhould be fulfilled in Hezekiah, it faia docente is fo manifeftly and undoubtedly falfe, that nothing can make more for the de Maria & confirmation of our Faith. For this fign was given and this promise made jus, Ecce vir- (a Virgin fhall conceive and bear a Son) at fome time in the reign of Abaz. This Abaz reigned but fixteen years in Jerufalem; and Hezekiah his Son, who fucceeded him, b was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and therefore born feveral years before Ahaz was King, and confequently not now to be conceived when this fign was given. Thus while the ancient Jews name him only to fulfil the prophecy in whom it is impoffible it should be fulfilled, they plainly fhew, that for any knowledge which they had, it was not fulfilled till our Saviour came: and therefore they cannot Dicunt Ju- with any reafon deny but that it belonged unto the Meffias, as divers of dæi, Provo- the ancient Rabbins thought and confeffed; and is yet more evident by their monftrous error, who therefore expected † no Meffias, in Ifrael, because they nem Efaia, thought whatsoever was spoken of him to have been compleated in Hezekiah. & faciamus Which is abundantly enough for our prefent purpose, being only to prove nem, an Chri- that the Meffias promised by God, and expected by the People of God before fto, qui jam and under the Law, was to be conceived and born of a Virgin.

pariet filium, in Hebræo fuvenculam

Scriptum ef

fe, non virginem, id eft

halma, non

bethula.

cemus iftam

prædicatio

comparatio

venit compe

tat illi primo

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nomen quod Efaias prædicavit & infignia ejus quæ de eo nunciavit. Equidem Efaias prædicat eum Emmanuelem vocari oportere, dehinc virtutem fumpturum Damafci & fpolia Samariæ adverfus regem Affyriorum. Porro, inquiunt, ifte, qui venit neque fub ejufmodi nomine eft dictus, neque re bellicâ functus, Tertul. adv. Judeos. + So Juftin teftifieth of the Jews, Speaking to Trypho, and in him to them: 'Enycode 7 wagonlcíar as eis Elnxíar & How βασιλέα. And Trypho replies again to Juftin; Ἴδωρ ὡς ἐκεῖνον εἰς Χρισὸν τ' ὑμέτερον επιδεικνύεις εἰρήῶς, ἡμεῖς δ ̓ εἰς Εξηκίαν αὐτὴ λέγομθμ πεπροφηλας. *The LXX. 'Id wagter cv yusei ante. 'Tis true, the rest of the Interpre ters, concurring with the Objection of the Jews, tranflated it, 'Iden veris, i. e. adolefcentula, or juvencula. But as their antiquity, fo their authority is far short of the LXX. especially in this cafe. I shall not need to fhew how the Origination of by from by proves no less. We know the affinity of the Punick Tongue with the Hebrew; and by the Teftimony of S. Hierome, Linguâ Punicâ, quæ de Hebræorum fontibus manare dicitur, propriè virgo alma appellaa 2 Kings 16. 2. b2 Kings 18.2. It is the known faying of Hillel, recorded in Sanhedrin, c. Chelek,

tur.

There is no Meijias to the Ifraelites, becaufe they have already אין להם משיח לישראל אבבר אכלוהו בימי חוקיהו

enjoyed him in the days of Hezekiah. Divers of the later Rabbins endeavour to mollifie these words of Hillel by their feveral expofitions, but in vain. And R. Jofeph understood him better, who thought he took away all expectation of a Mellias, and therefore fairly prayed for him, Condonet Dominus hoc R. Hillel. Howfoever it appears that from two principles, whereof one was falfe, he gathered that falfe conclufion. For first, he thought those words in Ifaiah were spoken of the Melias: which propofition was true. Secondly, he conceived that those were spoken of Hezekiah, and fulfilled in him: which propofition was false. From hence he inferred, that the Ifraelites were not to expect a Meffias after Hezekiah: which conclufion was also false.

Luke 1.27.

Secondly, As we are taught by the predictions of the Prophets, that a Virgin was to be Mother of the promised Meffias; fo are we affured by the infallible relations of the Evangelifts, that this Mary the Mother of Jefus, whom we belive to be Chrift, was a Virgin when the bare him, when the brought forth her firft-born fon. That he was a Virgin when and after the was efpoufed unto Jofeph, appeareth by the narration of S. Luke: For the Angel Gabriel was fent from God to a Virgin espoused to a man whofe name was Jofeph. After the Salutation of that Angel, that fhe was ftill fo, appeareth by her ftion, How fhall this be, feeing I know not a Man? That the continued fo after the conceived by the Holy Ghoft, is evident from the relation of S. MatMatth. 1.18. thew: For when he was efpoufed unto Jofeph, before they came together, The was found with child of the Holy Ghoft. That fhe was a Virgin not only while fhe was with child, but even when he had brought forth,

que

* Hæc eft vir

is alfo evident out of his application of the Prophecy: Behold a Virgin fhall Matth. 1. 23. be with Child, and fhall bring forth a Son. For by the fame * prediction it is as manifeft that a Virgin fhould bring forth, as conceive a Son. Neither go quæ in was her act of parturirion mere contradictory to Virginity, than that former utero conceof Conception.

pit, virgoque

peperit fili

um. Sic enim

fcriptum eft, Ecce virgo in utero concipiet, & pariet Filium. Non enim concepturam tantummodo Virginem, fed & parituram Virginem dixit. S. Ambrof. Epift. 7. ad Siricium. So he argued from the Prophecy, and S. Aug. from the Creed Si vel per nafcentem corrumperetur ejus integritas, non jam ille de Virgine nafceretur; eumque falfo, quod abfit, de virgine natum tota confiteretur Ecclefia, qua, imitans ejus matrem, quotidiè parit membra, & Virgo eft. Enchin. c. 34. As alfo S. Ambrofe in the fame Epifle: Quæ potuit Virgo concipere, potuit Virgo generare, quum femper conceptus præcedat, partus fequatur. Sed fi doctrinis non creditur facerdotum, credatur oraculis Chrifti, credatur monitis Angelorum, credatur Symbolo Apoftolorum, quod Ecclefia Romana intemeratum femper cuftodit & fervat. And S. Bafil upon occafion of the fame Prophecy: 'I with youn x wagten μning, is is aliασμg & Jaeθενίας μθύατα, καὶ 7 ἢ τεκνο[ονίας ευλογίαν κληρονομέσα. Hom. 25. Virgo peperit quia Virgo concepit. Vigil. de unitate

Trinit. c. 10.

*

Mixe

a noas vaya avia,

και τ' οίκονο

ας

δ' ἐφεξῆς πο λυπραγμόνητον.

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eis xala

Thirdly, We believe the Mother of our Lord to have been not only before and after his Nativity, but alfo for ever, the most immaculate and bleffed Virgin. For although it may be thought fufficient as to the mystery of the Incarnation, that when our Saviour was conceived and born, his Mother was a Virgin; though whatsoever fhould have followed after could have no reflective operation upon the firft-fruit of her womb; though there be no farther mention in the Creed, than that he was born of the Virgin Mary: yet the peculiar eminency and unparallell'd privilege of that Mother, the fpecial honour and reverence due unto that Son, and ever paid by her, the regard of that Holy Ghost who came upon her, and the power of the Highest which S. Bafil. Hom. overshadowed her, the fingular goodness and piety of Jofeph, to whom she de Nativ. was efpoufed, have perfuaded the Church of God in all Ages to believe that Greek Church she still continued in the fame Virginity, and therefore is to be acknowledged always called the † Ever Virgin Mary. As if the gate of the Sanctuary in the Prophet and t Ezekiel were to be understood of her; This gate fhall be shut, it shall not from them the be opened, and no man shall enter in by it: because the Lord the God of Latins SemIfrael bath entered in by it, therefore it fhall be fhut.

a

λείψομθμ.

† For fo the

her άειπάρ

per Virgo.
a Ezek. 44. 2.

Many indeed have taken the boldness to deny this truth, because not re- ‡ First we corded in the facred Writ; and not only fo, but to affert the contrary as de-read in the livered in the Scriptures; but with no fuccefs. For though, as they object, gen, that

time of Ori

fome did

maintain the Virginity of Mary no longer than to Chrift's Nativity. In tantam nefcio quis prorupit infaniam, ut affererit negatam fuiffe Mariam à Salvatore, eo quod poft nativitatem illius juncta fuerit Jofeph. Homil. 7. in Lucam. Tertullian himself was produced as an Affertor of the fame Opinion; nor does S. Hierome deny it, though I think he might have done it. Apollinaris, or at least his followers, delivered the fame, fays Epiphanius, and Eunomius with hus, - Ἰωσὴφ με τ' άφρασον κυοφορίαν άπλων & πιπρίκασι τῇ παρθένῳ. Photius out of Philoftorgius. Not that thefe words in Photius were the words of Philoftorgius, for he was clearly an Eunomian, and therefore would never express their Opinions with an exa. And as he always commended Eunomius, so he was not commended but by an Eunomian, that is, a man of his own Sect. As that Epigram,

Ευνομιαν

Ἰσορίων ἐτέλεσσα Θεν χαρίτεσσι βοφήσε

Which I therefore mention, because Gotofred hath made an unneceffary Emendation in the Verse irineos' ábéx, and a worfe Interpretation in the Infcription, taking the Eunomian to be a Catholick, and the name of the Sect for the name of a Man; and confirming this Error by a greater mistake, faying Eunomianus was the name of a Man, twice spoken of in Suidas, once in Europiaròs, and again in Erste. 'Tis tris indeed Suidas faith exprefly, Europianos, óvopa xerov, and immediately adds thefe words, à 3 Ευνομιανὸν ἔλεσε Βελισάριο τὸ θεῖον λείον, as if Belifarius had baptized one whofe name was Eunomianus. But the words are taken out of Procopius in Hift. Arcana pag. 2. from whence it appears that he who was baptized was by name Theodofius, and by Sect an Eunomian. And whatsoever his name was who wrote that Epigram on the Hiftory of Philoftorgius, he was certainly by Sect an Eunomian, and that was intended in the Infcription, written without question by fome Catholick, who thought no man could commend the Hiftory of Philoftorgius but one of his own Opinion. Thefe Contradictors of the perpetual Virginity of the Mother of our Lord afterwards increased to a greater number, whom Epiphanius calls by a general name Antidicomarianitæ. And from S. Aug. Antidicomarianite appellati funt Hæretici, qui Mariæ Virginitati ufque adeò contradicunt, ut affirment eam poft Chriftum natum viro fuo fuiffe commixtam, de Hæref. Condemned under that name by the fixth General Council, Act. 11. The fame were called by the Latins, Helvidiani, from Helvidius, (a Difciple of Auxentius the Arian) whose name is most made use of, because refuted by S. Hierome. He was followed by Jovinian a Monk of Milan, as S. Hierome teftifieth; though S. Auguftine delivereth his opinion other wife, Virginitatem Mariæ deftruebat, dicens eam pariendo fuifle corruptam. And Bonofus, a Bishop in Macedonia, referred by the Council of Capua to the judgment of Anyfius Bishop of Theffalonica, was condemned for the fame, as appeareth by the 79. Ep. of S. Ambrofe, written to Theophi

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lus and Anyfius: Sanè non poffumus negare de Marie filiis jure reprehenfum, meritoque veftram Sanctitatem abhorruiffe, quod ex eodem utero virginali, ex quo fecundùm carnem Chriftus natus eft, alius partus effufus fit. This is the Catalogue of thofe by the Ancients accounted Hereticks for denying the perpetual Virginity of the Mother of our Lord.

word "Ews

τὸ μέχρι με τάδι τίθησι, το

с

a

* Matth.1.25. S. Matthew teftified that Joseph knew not Mary, until she had brought forth * For in the her first-born Son, from whence they would infer, that afterwards he knew there is no fuch her; yet the manner of the Scripture-language produceth *no fuch inference. force. To as When God faid to Jacob, b I will not leave thee until I have done that which · πάντως άν- I have spoken to thee of, it followeth not that when that was done, the God τιδιαιρείς τω μé à of Jacob left him. When the conclufion of Deuteronomy was written, it was faid of Mofes, no man knoweth of his fepulchre unto this day but it ATTx were a weak argument to infer from thence, that the fepulchre of Mofes hath vive, Naz. been known ever fince. When Samuel had delivered a fevere prediction unto Orat. 2. de Fi- Saul, he came no more to fee him until the day of his death: but it were a xx-ftrange collection to infer, that he therefore gave him a vifit after he was dead. v piva do- Michal the daughter of Saul had no child until the day of her death: and xes wensen- ,, yet it were a ridiculous ftupidity to dream of any Midwifry in the grave. - Chrift promised his prefence to the Apostles unto the end of the world: who θείαν το savo ber ever made fo unhappy a conftruction as to infer from thence, that for ever S. Bafil. Hom, after he would be abfent from them?

lio. Τὸ ἕως

509 δείκνυσιν.

de Nat. Dom.

15

Ἔθω τῇ γραφῇ * ῥήσιν ταύτίω μὴ ἐπὶ διωρισμούς τιθέναι χρόνε. s. Chryfoft. Τὸ Ἕως πολλάκις καὶ ἐπὶ τῇ διωεκῶς ἐν τῇ θεία γραφή ευρίσκομῳ κείμρον. Ifid. Peleuf. L. 1. Ep. 18. Τὸ Ἕως πολλαχὸ ἐκ ἐπὶ χρόνε λέξη, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τῇ αὐτὸ πράγματα. Adria. Ifag. in s. S. Τὸ ἕως ἐνίοτε μὲ πρὸς ἀντιδιαςολίω τῇ ἐφεξῆς χρόνια του αλαμβάνει, ενίοτε δ' ἐν ἐπὶ δηλώσει μεγάλων μὲ ἔργων καὶ θεοπρεπῶν· καθάπερ καὶ ναῦ ἐ ΐ προς ανιδιάς λίω ἑτέρε χρόνε τινός, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐναντίον εἰς ὑποδήλωσιν ἀπεράντα Nashual. Phot. Ep. 30. In the fame manner it is obferved by the Greek Grammarians of we, that if any one declared that he did it not we before fuch a thing were done, it followeth not that he did it when or after that thing was done. As when Helena faw and knew Ulyffes a Spy in Troy, fhe promised upon Oath that she would difcover him to none till he was fafe returned to the Grecian Fleet.

Καὶ ὤμοσα καρἹερὸν ὅρκον,

Μὴ μ πρὶν Οδυσκα με τρώει ἀναφιῶαι,

Πρίν γε τ ἐς νῆας τε θοὰς κλισίας τ' ἀφικές, Οι. δ.

And yet it is not likely, fays Euftathius, that Helena did ever difcover Ulyffes to the Trojans after he was returned. Ἐν ἢ τῷ, Μὴ πρὶν Οδυσήα Τρωσιν ἀναφαι, πρὶν αὐτὸν εἰς νῆας ικέας, εἴπερ μὴ δοκεῖ πιθανὸν ἢ οὐλό[ισον τὸ ἀναφίώαι όλως - Οδυσήα τοῖς Τρωσίν, ενθυμητέον τ' διύαμιν τ8, μὴ πρὶν ποιῆσαι τόδε τι πρὶν ἂν τόδε γύη), (ἥτις ἐν τῇ ο ῥαψωδία Ιλιάδα και η) καὶ φανεῖῇ ἐκεῖθεν, ὡς ἐκ εἰκὸς ἢ Ελένίω εἰπεῖν τοῖς Ἰλιεῦσι περὶ τῷ Οδυσσέως ἐδὲ ὅτε εἰς νέας καὶ κλίσιας apixelo autos. A Negation anteceding wei or "ws, is no Affirmation following them. b Gen. 28. 15. c Deut. 34.6.

di Sam. 15.35.

*For I fhall

Chrift was

Spect of his

Mother, tho'
Epiphanius

thought that
a fufficient
Answer: x

e2 Sam. 6. 23.

Again, 'tis true that Chrift is termed the firft-born Son of Mary, from not deny that whence they infer the muft needs have a fecond; but might as well conclude called the firft- that wherefoever there is one there must be two. For in this particular born in re- the Scripture-notion of priority excludeth an Antecedent, but inferreth not a Confequent; it fuppofeth none to have gone before, but concludeth not any to follow after. Sanctifie unto me, faith God, all the firft-born; which was a firm and fixed Law, immediately obliging upon the Birth: whereas if the First-born had included a relation to a fecond, there could have been no pre- fent certainty, but a fufpenfion of obedience; nor had the Firft-born been fanctified of it felf, but the fecond Birth had fanctified the first. And well vaat might any † facrilegious few have kept back the price of Redemption due unto since the Prieft, nor could it have been required of him, till a fecond Off-fpring had appeared; and fo no Redemption at all had been required for an only Son. Whereas all fuch pretences were unheard of in the Law, because the Original+ Hebrew word is not capable of any fuch conftruction; and in the Law it felf it carrieth with it a clear interpretation, Sanctifie unto me all the firft

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αὐτῆς, ἀλλὰ Η πρωτότοκος.

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τῷ αὐτῆς ἐσή

μανεν, ἐξ αὐτῆς καὶ βάρκα γελυηπς· ἐπὶ ἢ τῇ τα πρωτογόκα ἐπωνυμία εκέτι τὸ αὐτῆς ἔθεῖο, ἀλλὰ πρω]ότοκον μόνον. Haref. 18. As if her Son the firft-born were not her firft-born Son. Ou warras i wę włóτox weg's Ty's initivopies "xt + Cisneros, πάντως πρω]ότοκα πρὸς τὰς ἐπιδινομθρες ἔχε (ύγκρισιν, ἀλλ' ὁ πρῶτον Δανοί Γων μέτρον πρω]ότοκΘ ονομάζε). S. Bafil. Hom. de Nativ. Primogenitus eft non tantum poft quem & alii, fed ante quem nullus. S. Hieron. adv. Helvid. It is obferved by Servius, to that of Virgil's Æneid. 1. Trojæ qui primus ab oris, that Primus i. poft quem nullus. Thus Hieron makes his Plea: Quid me in unius menfis ftringis articulo? quid primogenitum vocas, quem an fequantur fratres ignoro? Exfpecta donec nafcatur fecundus : nihil debeo facerdoti, nifi & ille fuerit procreatus, per quem is qui ante natus eft incipiat effe primogenitus. Adverf.

Helvid.

כלום

Exod. 13. 2.

2

born;

a

born; what foever openeth the womb among the children of Ifrael, both of

b

quid fit Pri

vulvam. S.

man and beast, it is mine. The Apertion of the womb determineth the * Definivit first-born; and the law of redemption excludeth all fuch tergiverfation: fermo Dei Thofe that are redeemed, from a Month old thou shalt redeem; no ftay- mogenitum; ing to make up the relation, no expecting another birth to perfect the re- omne, inquit, demption. Being then they brought our Saviour to Jerufalem, to prefent quod aperic him to the Lord; As it is written in the Law of the Lord, Every male Hier, adv. that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord: it is evident he was Helv. called the firft-born of Mary according to the notion of the Law of Mofes, Luk.2.22,234 and confequently that title inferreth no fucceffion, nor proveth the Mother to have any other off-fpring.

Indeed, they thirdly object, it cannot be denied but that we read exprefly

aNum. 18.16.

delivereth it

on S. Matt.

fheweth his o

in the Scriptures of the Brethren of our Lord: He went down to Caper- John 2. 12. naum, be, and his mother, and his Brethren; and, While he talked unto Matt. 12. 46. the people, his mother and his brethren flood without, defiring to speak with him. But although his Mother and his Brethren be named together, yet they are never called the Sons of his Mother; and the queftion is not whether Chrift had any Brethren, but whether his Mother brought forth any other Children. 'Tis poffible Jofeph might have Children before Mary was efpoufed to him; and then as he was reputed and called our Saviour's Father, fo might they well be accounted and called his Brethren, as the ancient Origen first t Fathers, especially of the Greek Church, have taught. Nor need we thus affert that Jofeph had any off-spring, because the language of the Jews in- and Eufebius cludeth in the name of brethren not only the ftrict relation of Fraternity, pinion, speakbut also the larger of Confanguinity; and therefore it is fufficient fatisfaction ing of S. James for that expreffion, that there were fuch perfons allied unto the bleffed Vir- the Brother of gin. We be Brethren, faid Abraham unto Lot; when Abraham was the Eccl.... Son of Terah, Lot of Haran, and confequently not his brother, but his ne- Tór draj phew, and as elsewhere properly ftyled, the fon of his Brother. Mofes Tax T called Mihael and Elzaphan the fons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and ρθρον ἀδελφὸν, Jaid unto them, Come near, carry your Brethren from before the Sanctuari dù x 8 ry; whereas thofe brethren were Nadab and Abihu, the Sons, not of Uz-worœziel, but of Aaron. Jacob told Rachel that he was her father's brother, and that he was Rebekah's fon: whereas Rebekah was the fifter of Rachel's father. It is fufficient therefore that the Evangelifts according to the conftant language of the Jews, call the kindred of the blessed Virgin the brethren R. and Sifters of her only Son; which indeed is fomething the ‡ later, but the moft generally approved, answer.

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5 καὶ ἔτῶν ὑὸς μὲ τὸ Ἰωσήφ το νομιζομθώς παλιός οἱοιεί το Χρass which is much more plain, for ὠνόματα παῖς is nothing fo pertinent in this particular, as you. So Epiphanius Hy 'lán STO Yos TE 'Iwono i'n gevounds to 'Iwond, de Maglas. Haref. 29. And Haref. 42. Speaking of the reft, he calls them, 185 48's 'lwor© en ↑ dvIwG AUTỡ üλars ywaixòs. Thus S. Hilary, Homines praviffimi hinc præfumunt opinionis fuæ authoritatem, quod plures Dominum noftrum fratres habuiffe fit traditum, quali Mariæ illi fuiffent, & non potius Jofeph ex priore conjugio fufcepti. Com. in Matth. cap. 1. Thus alfo S. Ambrofe de Virg. And generally all the Fathers to that time, and the Greeks afterwards. S. Chryf. s. Cyril, Euthymius, Theophylact, ŎEcumenius, and Nicephorus. These all feem to have followed an old tradition, which is partly fill continued, in Epiphan. "Εχε 3 έτι ὁ Ἰωσὴφ 7 μ πρώτίω αυτό γιναικα ἐκ + φυλῆς Γέδα· καὶ κυίσκε αὐτι αὕτη παῖδας ἢ ἀριθμὸν ἐξ, τέσσαρας με ἄρρενας θηλείας ἢ δύο. Haref. 78. The firf of thefe fix Children was James : μετ' αὐτὸν ἢ γίνει παῖς Ἰωσῆ καλάμπρου, εἶτα μετ' αὐτὸν Συμεών, ἔπειτα Ιάδας· καὶ δύο θυγατέρες, η Μαρία, καὶ ἡ Σαλώμη naλón. Thus had the Greeks a diftinct relation of the fons and daughters of Jofeph, and of the order of their generarion. Whole authority I fall conclude with that of Jobius OEcon. L. 9. Εδή πατέρα ἢ ἀδελφὸς ἐπὶ γῆς ὀνομάσαι ἢ ἀπά τορα ἐκ ἐκ ν λησῶν καὶ πονηρῶν τότες ἐξελέξαῖο, ἀλλὰ τὰς ἐν δικαιοσιώη διαλάμποντας που τα δ Ἰωσήφ, καὶ οἱ τάτο παῖδες. Phot. Biblioth. 222. And that of Amphilochius, Jun. Orat. in Diep. Hissar de wore x of To 'Iwond you, xalas paglug ὁ Ευαγ[ελισὴς, καὶ τῇ πείρα διδαχθέντες τὸ ἀληθὲς, γεγραφήκασιν ἸάκωβΘ καὶ Ἰδας παντὶ τῷ κοσμῷ, Θεό και Κυρίῳ Ἰησ8 Και

το δέλες ἑαυτὸς εἶναι. c Gen. 13.8. d Gen. 12.5. * Lev.10.4. f Gen.29.12. The first I conceive who returned this

answer was S. Hierome, in a Tractate written in his youth at Rome against Helvidius; wherein, after a long discourse of feveral acceptions of Brethren in the Scriptures, he thus concludes: Reftat igitur, ut fratres eos intelligas appellatos cognatione, non effectu, non gentis privilegio, non naturâ, quo modo Lot Abrahæ, quo modo Jacob Laban eft appellatus frater. And as for the other opinion of those which went before him, he fays was grounded merely upon an Apocryphal History, Com. in Mat. cap. 12. Quidam fratres Domini de alia uxore Jofeph filios fufpicantur, fequentes delirimenta Apocryphorum, & quandam Efcham mulierculam confingentes. Indeed Origen himself, followed in this particular by the Greek Church, did confefs no lefs; who tells the Authors from whom that Interpretation firft arofe; Fratres autem Jefu putabant

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