This belief was widespread Christian church by the second century , and the doctrine was included in the two most widely used Christian creeds , which state that Jesus `` was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary '' ( the Nicene Creed as revised by the First Council of Constantinople ) and was `` born of the Virgin Mary '' ( Apostles ' Creed ) . The belief was not challenged , except by some sects which did not have much importance , before the Enlightenment theology of the eighteenth century . It is included in the two most widely used Christian creeds , which state that Jesus `` was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary '' ( the Nicene Creed in what is now its familiar form ) and was `` born of the Virgin Mary '' ( Apostles ' Creed ) , and was not seriously challenged , except by some minor sects , before the Enlightenment theology of the 18th century .