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Rufinus also, a Christian philosopher, with no mean place among
Ecclesiastical Doctors testifies as follows of the Lord's Nativity in his
Exposition of the Creed. "For the Son of God," he says, "is born of a
Virgin, not chiefly allied to the flesh alone, but generated in the soul
which is the medium between the flesh and God." Does he witness
obscurely that God was born of man? Augustine the priest of Hippo
Regiensis says: "That men might be born of God, God was first born of them:
for Christ is God. And Christ when born of men only required a mother on
earth, because He always had a Father in heaven, being born of God through
whom we are made, and also born of a woman, through whom we might be re-
created." Again, in this place: "And the Word was made flesh and dwelt
among us. Why then need you wonder that men are born of God? Notice how God
Himself was born of men." Again in his Epistle to Volusianus: "But Moses
himself and the rest of the prophets most truly prophesied of Christ the
Lord, and gave Him great glory: they declared that He would come not as one
like themselves, nor merely greater in the same sort of power of working
miracles, but clearly as the Lord God of all, and as made man for men. Who
therefore Himself also willed to do such things as they did to prevent the
absurdity of His not doing Himself those things which He did through them.
But still it was right also for Him to do something special; viz., to be
born of a Virgin, to rise from the dead, to ascend into heaven. And if
anyone thinks that this is too little for God, I know not what more he can
look for.
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