Dist. 8
by St. Bonaventure
Source text: Public Domain Mark 1.0. English translation/apparatus/encoding: CC BY-NC 4.0, Wroot Press.
https://bonaventure.wrootpress.com/browse/3/d/8/q/bon-sent-III-d8-littera
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### DISTINCTION VIII.

### Ch. I. *Whether the divine nature ought to be said to be born of the Virgin.*

After what has been said, it must be inquired whether it is to be conceded of the divine nature that it was born of the Virgin, as it is said to have been incarnate in the Virgin. And it seems indeed that it ought not to be said to have been born of the Virgin, since it was not born of the Father. *(Doubt 1.)* For a thing that is not begotten of the Father does not seem to be born of the Mother; lest some thing have the name of filiation in the humanity which it does not hold in the divinity. — *(It is objected.)* Yet it seems it can be proved that it was born of the Virgin, because, if this is for God to be born of the Virgin, namely to assume a man in the womb of the Virgin, then, since the divine nature was said above to have assumed a man, it seems it ought to be said to have been born. On this Augustine says, in the book *On Faith, to Peter*: «The eternal and divine nature could not be temporally conceived and born of the human nature, unless, according to the assumption of the true human [nature], the ineffable divinity had received in itself a true conception and nativity in time. Thus God eternal is, truly and according to time, both conceived and born of the Virgin». — By this authority it seems to be insinuated that the divine nature was born and conceived of the Virgin. *(It is resolved.)* But if the words are diligently noted, it is rather understood that the person is being treated of, which without doubt ought to be said to have been born both of the Father and of the Mother.

### Ch. II. *On the twofold nativity of Christ, who was born twice.*

*(Doubt 2.)* It is also wont to be asked whether Christ ought to be said to be twice begotten, as he is called the Son of God and of man. — To which it can be said that Christ was twice born and had two nativities. Whence Augustine, in the book *On Faith, to Peter*: «God the Father begot from his own nature the Son, God coequal and coeternal to himself». «The same only-begotten God was likewise born a second time: once from the Father, once from the Mother. For the Word of God was born of the Father, [and] the Word made flesh was born of the Mother. Therefore one and the same Son of God was born before the ages and born in time; and each nativity is of the one Son of God, namely the divine and the human». On this also John Damascene says: «We venerate two nativities of Christ: one from the Father before the ages, which is above cause and reason and

time and nature; and one which is in the last times, *(Doubt 3.)* for us and according to us and above us: for us, because it is for our salvation; according to us, because he was born a man from a woman and in the time of conception, namely of nine months; above us, because [he was born] not from seed, but from the Holy Spirit and the holy Virgin, above the law of conception». — From these things it manifestly appears that Christ has two nativities, and that the same one was to be born twice.

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