In addition, it was necessary for human nature to undergo punishment, in that, if it had not been held accountable at all, it would not have received the benefit, which would not correspond to God's truth…. But how could all human nature be jointly subjected to a purifying penalty, which cannot be presented together, when it would be impossible to gather into one all the nature's parts belonging to different portions of time? Thus, it was necessary that such a Person should be born who alone would balance all human nature and who in His own person would suffer the punishment due to the whole nature. And the one who had to pay such a debt for all should not have been a sinner in any way…
St. Gennadius Scholarius (+1473), Homily on the Nativity
Fifteenth Century