The Institution of Christian Religion

An other principal point of our reconciliation with God was this, ⟨p. 82⟩that man which had lost by his disobedience, should for remedy set obedience against it, should satisfy the judgement of God, & pay the penalty of sin. Therefore there came forth the true man, our Lord, he put on the person of Adam, & toke upon him his name to enter into his stead in obeying his father, to yield our flesh the price of the satisfaction to the just judgement of God, and in the same flesh suffer the pain that we had deserved. Forasmuch as therefore neither being only God he could feel death, nor being only man he could overcome death, he coupled the nature of man with the nature of God, that he might yield the one subject to death to satisfy for sins. and by the power of the other he might wrestle with death, & get victory for us. They therefore that spoil Christ either of his godhead or of his manhood, do in deed either diminish his majesty & glory, or obscure his goodness: but on the other side they do no less wrong unto men whose faith they do thereby weaken and overthrow, which can not stand but resting upon this foundation. Beside that, it was to be hoped, that the Redeemer should be the son of Abraham and David, which God had promised in the law and the Prophets. Whereby the godly minds do gather this other fruit, that being by the very course of his pedigree brought to David and Abraham, they do the more certainly know that this is the same Christ that was spoken of by so many oracles. But this which I even now declared, is principally to beholden in mind, that the common nature between him and us is a pledge of our fellowship with the son of God: that he clothed with our flesh vanquished death & sin together, that the victory so might be ours and the triumph ours: that he offered up for sacrifice the flesh that he received of us, that having made satisfaction he might wipe away our guiltiness, and appease the just wrath of his father.

An other principal point of our reconciliation with God was this, ⟨p. 82⟩that man which had lost by his disobedience, shuld for remedie set obedience against it, should satisfie the iudgement of God, & paye the penaltie of sinne. Therfore there came forth the true man, our Lord, he put on the persone of Adam, & toke vpon him his name to entre into his stede in obeyeng his father, to yeld our fleshe the pryce of the satisfaction to the iust iudgement of God, and in the same fleshe suffer the peyne that we had deserued. For asmuch as therefore neyther beyng only God he could fele death, nor beyng only man he could ouercome death, he coupled the nature of man with the nature of God, that he might yelde the one subiect to death to satisfie for sinnes. and by the power of the other he might wrastle with death, & get victorie for vs. They therfore that spoile Christ eyther of his godhed or of his manhode, do in deede eyther diminishe his maiestie & glory, or obscure his goodnesse: but on the other side they do no lesse wrong vnto mē whose faith they do thereby weaken and ouerthrowe, which can not stande but restyng vpon this fundation. Byside that, it was to be hoped, that the Redemer should be the sonne of Abraham and Dauid, whyche God had promised in the lawe and the Prophetes. Wherby the godly mindes do gather this other frute, that beyng by the very course of his pedigree brought to Dauid and Abraham, they do the more certainely knowe that this is the same Christ that was spoken of by so many oracles. But this whiche I euen now declared, is principally to beholden in mynde, that the common nature betwene him and vs is a pledge of our felowship with the sonne of God: yt he clothed with our flesh vāquished death & sinne together, that the victorie so might be oures and the triūph oures: that he offred vp for sacrifice the flesh that he receyued of vs, that hauyng made satisfaction he might wype away our giltinesse, and appease the iust wrath of his father.