The Institution of Christian Religion

Now if a man should ask me, if Christ went then down to hell, when he prayed to escape that death: I answer, that then was the beginning of it: whereby may be gathered, how grievous and terrible torments he suffered, when he knew himself to stand to be arraigned for our cause before the judgement seat of God. But although for a moment of time, the divine power of the spirit did hide it self, to give place to the weakness of the flesh: yet must we know, that the tentation by feeling of sorrow and fear was such as was not against faith. And so was that fulfilled which is in the Sermon of Peter,¹ that he could not be holden of the sorrows of death, because when he felt himself as it were forsaken of God, yet he did nothing at all swerve from the trust of his goodness. Which is proved by that his notable calling upon God,² when for extremity of pain he cried out, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? For though he was above measure grieved yet he ceaseth not to call him his God, of whom he crieth out that he was forsaken. Moreover hereby is confuted as well the error of Apollinaris, as theirs that were called Monothelites. Apollinaris feigned that Christ had an eternal spirit in stead of a soul, so that he was only but half a man. As though he could cleanse our sins any other way, but by obeying his father. But where is the affection or will of obedience but in the soul? which soul of his we know was troubled for this purpose, to drive away fear, and bring peace and quietness to our soul. Again, for confusion of the Monothelites, we see how now he willed not that thing according to his nature of manhood, which he willed according to his nature of godhead. I omit to speak how he did subdue the aforesaid fear with a contrary affection.³ For herein is a plain show of contrariety. Father deliver me from this hour. But even herefore I came even into this hour. Father glorify my name. In which perplexity yet was there no such outrage in him as is seen in us, even then when we must of all endeavour to subdue our selves.

Now yf a man should aske me, if Christ went then downe to hell, when he prayed to escape that death: I answere, that then was the beginnyng of it: whereby may be gathered, how greuous and terrible tormentes he suffred, whē he knew himself to stand to be arrayned for our cause before the iudgement seate of God. But although for a moment of time, the diuine power of the spirit did hide it selfe, to geue place to the weakenesse of the fleshe: yet muste we know, that the tentation by felyng of sorrowe and feare was suche as was not agaynst fayth. And so was that fulfilled whiche is in the Sermon of Peter,