Father."--"It makes me blush," said the Giant,
"to think that a virgin should conceive without a man." "He," answered
Orlando, "that causes the worm in the bean, and many species of birds,
beasts, and serpents, to engender without the help of the male, could
procure God and Man of a pure Virgin without the help of Man. For as his
power enabled him to produce the first man from the ground, so could he
produce the second from a virgin."--"I grant it," replied the Giant; "he
might be born of a virgin; but if he was the Son of God, how could he
die, for God never dies?" "That indeed is true," said Orlando; "as God,
he could not die; but when he took our nature upon him, and was made
man, he became subject to death, for every man dies. As we believe his
nativity, so may we likewise believe his passion and resurrection."

"And what is it we are to believe of his resurrection?" inquired
Ferracute. "That he died, and rose again the third day."--The Giant,
hearing this, was greatly astonished, and exclaimed to Orlando, "Why do
you talk so idly? It is impossible that a man, after he is once dead,
can return to life again." "Not only did the Son of God rise from the
dead," replied Orlando, "but all the men that have died since the
creation of the world shall rise again, and appear before his tribunal,
where they shall be rewarded everyone according to his deeds, whether
they be good or evil. That God, who makes the tree spring from the soil,
and the grain of wheat to rot in the ground, that it may revive with
fresh increase, can at the last day clothe the souls of men with their
own bodies, and restore them to life. Take the mystic example of the
lion, which on the third day revives his dead cubs with his breath by
licking them. What wonder, then, that God should after three days revive
his Son? Nor ought it to seem strange that, as the Son of God rose from
the dead, many others of the dead should rise even before his own
resurrection. If Elijah and Elisha by the power of God could perform
this miracle, how much more easily could the Father restore the Son,
whom it was indeed impossible that Death could retain in his fetters.
Death fled at his sight, as he shall fly likewise at the sound of his
voice, when the whole phalanx of the dead shall rise again."--"Enough,"
said Ferracute, "I clearly perceive all this; but how could he ascend
into heaven?" "He that descended," answered Orlando, "could easily
ascend. He that rose of himself