6. And on this account, that
one female, not only in the Spirit, but also in the flesh, is both
a mother and a virgin. And a mother indeed in the Spirit, not of
our Head, Which is the Saviour Himself, of Whom rather she was born
after the Spirit: forasmuch as all, who
have believed in Him,
among whom is herself also, are rightly called “children of the
Bridegroom:”2033
but
clearly the mother of His members, which are we: in that she
wrought together by
charity, that
faithful ones should be
born in
the
Church, who are members of That Head: but in the
flesh, the
mother of the Head Himself. For it behoved that our Head, on
account of a notable
miracle, should be
born after the
flesh of a
virgin, that He might thereby signify that His members would be
born after the Spirit, of the
Church a
virgin: therefore
Mary alone
both in Spirit and in
flesh is a mother and a
virgin: both the
mother of
Christ, and a
virgin of
Christ; but the
Church, in the
Saints who shall possess the
kingdom of
God, in the Spirit indeed
is altogether the mother of
Christ, altogether a
virgin of
Christ:
but in the
flesh not altogether, but in certain a
virgin of
Christ,
in certain a mother, but not of
Christ. Forsooth both
faithful
women who are
married, and
virgins dedicated to
God, by holy
manners, and
charity out of a pure
heart,
2034
and good conscience, and
faith
unfeigned, because they do the will of the
Father, are after a
spiritual sense mothers of
Christ. But they who in
married life
give
birth to (
children) after the
flesh, give
birth not to
Christ,
but to
Adam, and therefore run, that their offspring having been
dyed
2035
in His
Sacraments, may become members of Christ, forasmuch as they know
what they have given birth to.
E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
