The Institution of Christian Religion

And truly even in the same death his willing submission hath the first degree, because the sacrifice, unless it had ben willingly offered,¹ had nothing profited toward righteousness. Therefore, where the Lord testified, that he gave his soul for his sheep, he expressly addeth this, no man taketh it away from my •elfe. According to yt which meaning, Isaiah saith,² that he held his peace like a lamb before the shearer. And the history of the Gospel rehearseth, that he went forth and met the soldiers, and before Pilate he left defending of him self, and stood still to yield him self to judgement to be pronounced upon him. But that not without some strife: for both he had taken our infirmities upon him, and it behoved that his obedience to his father, should be this way tried. And this was no slender show of his incomparable love toward us, to wrestle with horrible fear, & in the middest of these cruel torments, to cast away all care of himself, that he might provide for us. And this is to be believed, that there could no sacrifice be well offered to God any otherwise, but by this that Christ forsaking all his own affection, did submit and wholly yield himself to his fathers will.³ For proof whereof, the Apostle doth fitly allege that testimony of the Psalm: In the book of the law it is written of me, that I may do thy will, O God. I will, & thy law is in the middest of my heat. Then I said: Lo, I come. But because trembling consciences find no rest but in sacrifice and washing whereby sins are cleansed: therefore for good cause we are directed thither, and in the death of Christ is a appointed for us the matter of life. Now forasmuch as by our own guiltiness, curse was due unto us, before the heavenly judgement seat of God, therefore first of all is recited how he was condemned before Ponce Pilate president of Jury: that we should know that the punishment whereunto we weer subject, was justly laid upon us. We could not escape the dreadful judgement of God: Christ, to deliver us from it, suffered himself to be condemned before a mortal man, yea a wicked and heathen man. For the name of the president is expressed not only to procure credit to the history, but that we should learn that which Isaiah teacheth,⁴