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after the descent of the Holy Ghost, had not a more just idea of the subject, nor one more free from vulgar prejudices.

"Meantime the" miraculous "child grew up and was strengthened in spirit, and was in the deserts, where he remained until the day of his manifestation to Israel (14)," which did not occur until the time when the Messiah was himself on the point of manifesting his presence. For the preaching of the Precursor was to be directly followed by the preaching of the Saviour, as his birth shortly preceded the birth of Christ. (a) "Now the birth of Christ was thus."

CHAPTER III.

DOUBT OF SAINT JOSEPH.-BIRTH OF JESUS CHRIST.-HIS CIRCUMCISION.-HIS GENEALOGY.

(b) "WHEN Mary, his Mother, was espoused to Joseph [we have seen that], before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Whereupon Joseph (1), her husband, being a just man (2), and not willing publicly to expose her, was minded to put (a) St. Matthew, i. 18. (b) St. Matthew, i. 18-25.

(14) We do not precisely know at what age he retired into the desert. It was from his tender years, according to the general impression which appears to have been adopted by the Church. We must not inquire whether he had sufficient discretion to guide himself, he to whom God had granted the use of this faculty in his mother's womb! The Holy Ghost, who had conducted him into solitude, continued still to be his director and master. There he led an evangelical life; and with good reason was he reckoned by the ancient Solitaries as their leader, and in some sort the founder of the anchorite life. Thus it was that he disposed himself for the sublime ministry to which he was destined, and warned those who were to follow him that the mould for forming apostolic men is the mortification of the solitary life.

(1) Mary had not informed him of any thing. There were two causes for her silence: 1st, her confidence in God, in whose care for her reputation she reposed entire confidence; 2d, her prudence: an occurrence of this nature could not be credited on her report; heaven must speak to make it credible.

(2) Had he denounced her, it seems that he would not have been unjust. But he liked better not to avail himself of the right given to him by appearances. He deemed a mild and moderate demeanor preferable, under these circumstances, to rigorous jus

her away privately. But while he thought on these things, behold the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in his sleep, saying: Joseph, son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary, thy wife; for that which is conceived in her is of (3) the Holy Ghost. She shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus; for he shall save his people from their sins."

This supernatural conception had been foretold. Had Joseph been but slightly versed in the knowledge of the Holy Scriptures, he ought not have been ignorant of it, and such knowledge served

tice. Besides, the quality of the just man given to him in the Gospel does not merely signify an equitable man; it expresses the assemblage of all virtues in a most exalted degree. Another cause, which is more than likely, is given for this proceeding. The virtue of his incomparable wife was of so unequivocal a character, that when confronting it, if we may venture so to speak, with what he perceived, he knew not what to believe or what to disbelieve. Wherefore he endeavored to reconcile both things by separating from her, on account of the semblance of crime, and by saving her honor, on account of the persuasion of her virtue, which was so forcible as to counterbalance in his mind such appearances.

(3) Every thing which God performs outside of his essence (ad extra) is common to the three divine persons. Nevertheless, the Incarnation is attributed to the Holy Ghost, because it is a work of love and goodness.

The Holy Ghost ought not, however, to be called the father of Jesus Christ, because, when forming his body, he furnished nothing from his own substance.

In this work there was no fresh creation. The entire matter which served to form the body of Jesus Christ was extracted from the blood of Mary. On this account we may say correctly, that she contributed more than any other mother to the formation of the body of her son.

It does not follow from this that Mary, who certainly was Jesus Christ's mother, should be called the father of Jesus Christ, because that particle of her blood from which the body of Jesus Christ was formed was not a germ, and the same particle took the form of a human body only by the supernatural operation of the Holy Ghost.

God was not the natural father of Adam, although God himself immediately produced Adam, since he did not produce him from his own substance.

Adam was not the father of Eve, although she was produced from his substance, because the side of the first man, which served in the construction of the first woman, was not a human germ: thus it is that Jesus Christ, inasmuch as he is God, has a father and not a mother and inasmuch as he is man, he has a mother and no father. As God, he was begotten, not made (genitum non factum); and as man, he was made, and not begotten, properly so speaking.

We deem it right to add, the body of Jesus Christ was not formed successively and by degrees, nor animated some time after conception, as happens to other children. Perfect organization, yet of suitable diminutiveness, animation, and hypostatic union of body and soul with the person of the Word, were all the work of one and the same instant, and the instant was, as has been said, that of Mary's consent.

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apparently to facilitate his belief. "Now all this was done that the word might be fulfilled which the Lord spoke by the Prophet: Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emanuel, which, being interpreted, is God with us. Joseph rising up from sleep, did as the Angel of the Lord had commanded him, and took unto him his wife. He knew her not until she brought forth her first-born son, and he called his name Jesus."

It was at Nazareth that Joseph had these perplexities, and the vision of the angel which dissipated them. No doubt he did not then intend to quit that town where he usually resided. But the prophets had already foretold that the Christ should be born at Bethlehem; and God, who does every thing, even when he seems least active, obliged Joseph to remove there with his wife precisely at the time when Mary was to bring forth her son. The occasion of this journey was as follows:

(a) "In those days there went out a decree from Cæsar Augustus, that the whole world (4) should be enrolled. This enrolling was first made by Cyrimus, the governor of Syria; and all went to be enrolled, every one to his own city. Because he was of the house and family of David, Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of Judea, which is called Bethlehem, to be enrolled with Mary, his espoused wife, who was with child. When they came, her days were accomplished that she should be delivered, and she brought forth her first-born son (5), wrapped him up in swaddling-clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. There were in the same country shepherds watching and keeping the night-watches

(a) St. Luke, ii. 1-21.

(4) That is to say, all the subjects of the Roman empire. The Romans called themselves masters of the world, although their empire, in its widest extent, had never been one-fourth part of the habitable world. It is true, that the part which they occupied constituted the greatest part that was known in those times.

(5) And at the same time her only son. To enable him to be called first-born, it is enough, especially in the language of Scripture, that no other should have preceded him. It is thus that he is called by Saint John, the only begotten son of the Father; and his first-begotten, by Saint Paul (Heb. i. 6).

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