The Institution of Christian Religion

that is, that Aaron and Joiadah toke wives of the tribe of Judah, and so the difference of tribes had then ben confounded, if woman had engendering seed in her. But it is well enough known, tha••s touching civil order, the kindreds are reckoned by the seed of the man, and yet the excellency of the kind of man above woman proveth nor the contrary, but that in generation the seed of woman mu•• ••te. And this solution extendeth to all the Genealogies. Oftentimes when the Scripture reckoneth up a Genealogy, it nameth the m•n only: shall we therefore say, that the women are nothing? But very children do know, that women are comprehended under the name of men. And after this sort it is said, that women bring forth to their husbands, because the name of the household alway remaineth with the males. Now as this is granted to the excellency of the male kind, that the children are counted noble or unnoble, according to the estate of their fathers: so also in the state of bondage the issue followeth the womb, according to the judgement of the Civil lawyers. Whereby we may gather, that the issue is engendered of the seed of the woman. And it hath of long time ben received in common use of all nations, that the mothers are called Genitrices, that is engendrers. Wherewith Gods law also agreeth, which else should wrongfully forbid the marriage of the uncle with his sisters daughter, because there were no consanguinity between them: and also it were lawful for a man to marry his sister by the mothers side, so that she were begotten of an other father. But as I grant that there is a passive power ascribed to women, so do I answer that the same thing is indifferently spoken of them that is of men.¹ And Christ himself is not said to be made by the woman, but of the woman. But some of their company shaking of all shame do to lewdly ask, whether we will say that Christ was engendered of the menstrual seed of the Virgin, for I will likewise ask of them, whether he did not congeal in the blood of his mother, which they shall be constrained to confess. Therefore it is fitly gathered of Matthew's words, that because Christ was begotten of Mary,² he was engendered of her seed: as a like engendering is meant when it is said, that Boaz was begotten of Rahab.