The Institution of Christian Religion

For to take away our damnation, every kind of death sufficed not for him to suffer, but to satisfy our redemption, one special kind of death was to be chosen, wherein both drawing away our damnation to ⟨p. 97⟩himself, and taking our guiltiness upon himself, he might deliver us from them both. If he had ben murdered by thieves, or had ben ragingly slain in a commotion of the common people: in such a death there should have ben no appearance of satisfaction. But when he was brought to be arraigned before the judgement seat, when he was accused and pressed with witnesses against him, & by the mouth of the judge condemned to dye: by these tokens we understand, that he did bear the person of a guilty man and of an evil doer. And here are two things to be noted, which both were afore spoken by the prophecies of the Prophets, and do bring a singular comfort and confirmation of faith. For when we hear that Christ was sent from the judges seat to death, and was hanged among thieves, we have the fulfilling of that prophecy which is alleged by the Evangelist. He was accounted among the wicked.¹ And why so• even to take upon him the stead of a sinner, not a man righteous or innocent, because he suffered death not for cause of innocency, but for sin. On the other side when we hear that he was acquitted by the same mouth whereby he was condemned, for Pilate was compelled openly more than ones to bear witness of his innocency: let that come in our mind which is in the other Prophet:² that he repaid that which he had not taken away. And so we shall behold the person of a sinner and evil doer represented in Christ: and by the open appearance of his innocency it shall become plain to see, that he was charged rather with others offence than his own. He suffered therefore under Ponce Pilate, and so by the solemn sentence of the President,³ was reckoned in the number of wicked doers: but yet not so, but that he was by the same judge at the same time pronounced righteous, when he affirmed that he found no cause of condemnation in him. This is our acquittal, that the guiltiness which made us subject to punishment, is removed upon the head of the son of God.