Catechismus, that is to say, a short instruction into Christian religion for the singular…Catechismus, that is to say, a shorte instruction into Christian religion for the synguler…

And again, if he had not been very God, he could not have been pure and clean from all sin, and so have made a true and perfect satisfaction for our since. For no man can perfectly fulfil the will of God, but God himself alone. Wherefore in that he suffered for our since, thereby he declared, that he was a very pure and natural man. Again he gave most certain and evident tokens of his Godhead, in that he overcome and vanquished the devil sin and death. For if he had not been very ⟨image 150⟩God, he could not have loosed the bands of death, nether have raised himself from death to life. So you hear good children, that our lord Jesus Christ was very God and very man, not conceived in sin (as we be) but conceived by the holy ghost, and borne of the most pure virgin Mary. And as man he suffered death for us, and descended into hell. But as naturally God he loosed the bands and pains of hell, he destroyed the kingdom of death, he rose from death to life, and so payed the ransom for our since, and toke away all the guiltiness of the same. Therefore when we believe in Christ and steadfastly cleaving to the word of God, surely persuade our selves in our hearts, that we be thus redeemed by Christ, then God is no more angry or displeased with ⟨p. cxxviii⟩us for our since, but freely and mercifully he forgiveth us all our offences, for the death and passion of his son Jesus Christ, and he giveth us also the holy ghost, by whose help we may withstand sin, and be delivered from the same. The which matters saint Paul doth knit up in one brief sentence, not so short as notable and weighty, saying. Christ was delivered to death for our since, and did rise again for our justification. In the which sentence saint Paul doeth not only declare what Christ did, but also for what end, and for whom he suffered death, and rose again. For seeing that Christ was that most innocent lamb, that never was blotted with any spot of sin, and yet he suffered for us as a ⟨image 151⟩sinner, it is evident hereby, that he dyed not for himself, but toke upon him our since, and bore for us the burden which we should have borne.

And agayne, yf he had not bene veraye God, he coulde not haue bene pure and cleane from al syn, and so haue made a true and perfect satisfaction for oure synnes. For no man can perfectly fulfyll the wyl of God, but God himself alone. Wherfore in that he suffered for our synnes, therby he declared, that he was a verye pure and natural manne. Agayne he gaue moost certayne and euydente tokens of hys Godhed, in that he ouercomed and vanquyshed the deuell synne and deathe. For yf he hadde not bene veraye