First question. Again the religious appeared, standing on his rung as before and saying: "O Judge, I ask you: Why did you prefer to be born of a virgin rather than of another woman not a virgin?"

Second question. "Item. Why did you not show with a visible sign that she was both a mother and a pure virgin?"

Third question. "Item. Why did you so hide your nativity, which was known to but a very few?"

Fourth question. "Item. Why did you flee before Herod into Egypt, and why did you permit innocent boys to be killed?"

Fifth question. "Item. Why do you allow yourself to be blasphemed and falsehood to prevail over truth?"

Response to the first question. The Judge replied: "O friend, I preferred to be born of a virgin rather than of a woman not a virgin because for me, God the most pure, all purest things are fitting. As long as man's nature remained in the order of its creation, it had no deformity; but when my command was violated, there arose at once a certain ability to blush for shame - as happens to persons who sin against their temporal lord and who blush even at the limbs with which they sinned. With the arrival of shame for the violation, inordinate impulses soon increased, and most of all in that organ which was set in place for the sake of fruitfulness. But so that this impulse might not be fruitless, by the goodness of God it was converted into something good; and through the institution of a divine command, the work of carnal intercourse was granted as the means by which nature could bear fruit.

However, it is more glorious to extend oneself beyond a command by doing whatever additional good one can out of love; and this is virginity. For it is more virtuous and more magnificent to be in the fire of tribulation and not burn, than to be without fire and yet wish to be crowned. Now, since virginity is a most beautiful path to heaven - while marriage is, as it were, a road - it befitted me, God the most pure, to rest in the purest virgin. Just as the first man was made from the earth when it was, in a way, a virgin - for it had not yet been polluted with blood - and because Adam and Eve sinned while their nature was still healthy, so too I, God, willed to be received by the purest receptacle so that through my goodness all things might be reformed."

Response to the second question. "Item. As to why I did not show by open signs that my Mother was both mother and virgin, I answer: I made all the mysteries of my incarnation known to the prophets so that it might be all the more firmly believed, the longer it had been predicted. That my Mother truly was a virgin both before and after childbirth was sufficiently attested to by Joseph, who was the guardian and the witness of her virginity. Even if her chastity had been shown by a more evident miracle, the distrustful, in their malice, would still not have ceased from blasphemy.

They distrust that a virgin conceived through the power of the Godhead because they do not attend to the fact that it is easier for me, God, to do this than it is for the sun to penetrate glass. It was an act of my divine justice that me mystery of God's incarnation was hidden from the devil and from mankind, to be revealed in the time of grace. Now, however, I say that my Mother truly is a mother and a virgin. Just as, in the molding of Adam and Eve, there was the wonderful power of the Godhead and, in their communion, a delightful honesty, even so, in my Godhead's approach to the Virgin, there was a wonderful goodness - for my incomprehensible divinity descended into that closed vessel without doing it violence.

And that place was a delightful habitation for me; for I, God - who was everywhere in my divinity - was, in my humanity, enclosed. Here, too, there was wonderful power; for I, God, who am bodiless, went forth with a body from her womb, while preserving her virginity. Because man made difficulties about believing and because my Mother is a lover of total humility, it therefore pleased me to hide her beauty and her perfection for a time in order that my Mother too might have some merit with which she might be more perfectly crowned and in order that I, God, might be more fully glorified at that time in which I would fulfill my promises of reward for the good and retribution for the wicked."

Response to the third question. "Item. As to why I did not show my nativity to mankind, I answer: Although the devil lost the dignity of his previous rank, he did not lose his knowledge, which he possesses for the testing of the good and for his own confusion. Therefore, in order that my human nature might grow and might reach the predetermined time, the mystery of my pity had to be concealed from the devil because I willed to come in secrecy to make war on the devil and because I chose to be despised in order to subdue the arrogance of mankind.

The very teachers of the law, who read about me in their books, despised me because I came in humility; and because they were proud, they would not hear the true justice that comes from faith in my redemption. Therefore they shall be confounded when the son of perdition comes in his pride.

But if I had come with great power and honor, how then would the proud have been humbled? Or will the proud now enter heaven? Not at all! And so I came humbly in order that man might learn humility; and I hid myself from the proud because they wished to understand neither my divine justice nor themselves."

Response to the fourth question. "Item. As to why I fled into Egypt, I answer: Before the violation of the commandment, there was a single way to heaven, broad and bright: broad in its abundance of virtues and bright with divine wisdom and with the obedience of a good will. And when that will had changed, two ways began. One led to heaven; the other led away. Obedience led to heaven; disobedience led astray. Therefore, because it was in the power of man's free will to choose good or evil - namely, to obey or not to obey - he sinned because he willed otherwise than I, God, wanted him to will. In order that man might be saved, it was just and right that someone came able to redeem him - someone who would possess perfect obedience and innocence and, in whose regard, those who so wished could show love and those who so wished could show malice.

But in order to redeem mankind, it was not an angel that ought to be sent; for I, God, do not grant my glory to another. Nor was there any human found who could placate me on his own behalf, much less for others. Therefore, I, God, who alone am just, came to justify all. The fact that I fled into Egypt showed the weakness of my humanity and fulfilled a prophecy. And I also gave an example to coming generations: that sometimes persecution must be eluded for the greater glory of God in the future. Because I was not found by my pursuers, my divine plan prevailed over that of men; for it is not easy to fight against God. The fact that the infants were slain was a sign of my future passion and a mystery of election and divine charity. Although these speechless infants did not bear witness to me with their voices or their mouths, they did so through their death, as befitted my own speechless infancy; for it had been foreseen that God's praise would be accomplished even in the blood of the Innocents.

For, although the malice of the unjust afflicted them unjustly, nevertheless it was my divine permission, always kind and just, that exposed them, not without justice, in order to show the malice of mankind and the incomprehensible counsel and pity of my Godhead. Therefore, where unjust malice boiled up against the children, there merit and grace justly abounded; and where confession of the tongue and age were lacking, there the blood that had been shed accumulated a most perfect goodness."

Response to the fifth question. "Item. As to why I allow myself to be blasphemed, I answer: It is written that when King David eluded his son's persecution, a certain man cursed him on the way; and when his servants wanted to kill that man, David prohibited them for a double reason: first, because he had hope of returning; second, because he considered his own weakness and sin, the foolishness of the curser, and God's patience and goodness towards himself. Figuratively, I am David. Man truly persecutes me with his evil deeds - as the servant persecuted his lord - casting me out of my kingdom, i.e., out of his soul, which I created and which is my kingdom. Then he rebukes me for being unjust in judgment and even blasphemes me because I am patient.

Indeed, because I am meek, I suffer their foolishness; and because I am a judge, I await their conversion even to the very last moment. Finally, because man believes falsehood rather than truth - loving the world more than me, his God - it is therefore no wonder if the wicked man is tolerated in his wickedness; for he wills neither to seek the truth nor to recover from his evil."