The Sum of Christian Religion 2, Part 2 · Subpart 21
OF CHRISTES PASSION.
THE Paſſion of Chriſt onelie doth followe next his conception and natiuitie. 1. Becauſe in his Paſſion conſiſteth our ſaluation. 2. Becauſe his whole life was a Paſſion, ſuffering, and calamitie. Yet notwithſtanding many things maie and ought to be obſerued out of the ſtorie of the whole race of his life on earth. For that 1. doth ſhew This perſon to be the promiſed Meſſias, ſeeing in him concur and are fulfilled all the Prophecies. 2. That ſtorie is a conſideration or meditation of that humility or obedience, which hee perfourmed vntounto his Father.
The chiefe queſtions of Chriſtes Paſſion are theſe.
1 What Chriſt ſuffered.
2 Whether he ſuffered according to both natures.
3 What was the impellent cauſe of Chriſtes Paſſion.
4 What the final cauſe or end thereof.
1 WHAT CHRIST SVFFERED.
BY the name of Paſſion is vnderſtoode the whole humiliation, or the obedience of his whole humiliation, all the miſeries, tormentes, ignominies, paines and grifes, vntounto all which Chriſt was ſubiect, and obnoxious, as wel in ſoule as in body, from the point of his natiuity, vntill the howre of his death & reſurrection. Mat. 26.38. My ſoul is very heauy euen vntounto the death. Mat. 27.46. My God, my God, why haſt thou forſaken me? Iſa. 53.4. Surelie he hath carried our ſorrowes. But principally by the name of Paſſion is ſignified the laſt act of the humiliation, and pains of Chriſt: the chiefe part of which his pains and dolours was in his ſoule, wherein hee felt the ire and wrath of God againſt ſinne: which alſo was the cauſe why he ſo trembled and ſhooke at death, & was ſo faint-harted in his death, whereas other Martyrs of Chriſt hauehave ſuſteined ſtoutlie and couragiouſlie extreme torments. For the torments & puniſhments of others hauehave no proportion with the torments and puniſhments of Chriſt. For others, as Stephen, Laurence, and the like, ſuſteined only corporall paines and torments: but were vpheld within by the holy ghoſt. But Chriſt ſuffered the paines both of body & ſoule. For he ſuffered firſt our infirmity, that is, the infirmities of humane nature: he hungered, thirſted, was wearie, was stroken with ſadneſſe and griefe. 2 Hee ſuffered pouertie. Luk 9.58. The ſonne of man hath not whereon to lay his head. 3 He ſuffered infinite iniuries, contumelies, ſlaunders, layings in wait for him, backbitings, reproches, blaſphemies, annihilating, and contempt. Pſalm. 22.7. I am a worme, and not a man. Iſay. 53.2. He hath neither forme nor beutie: when wee ſhall ſee him, there ſhall bee no forme that we ſhould deſire him. 4 Hee ſuffered the Tentations of the diuel, Mat. 4.1. & He. 4.15. He was in all thinges tempted in like ſort. 5 Hee ſuffered the death of the bodie, and that reprochefull and contumelious, euen the death of the Croſſe. 6 He ſuffered the moſt grieuous torments of ſoule, that is, he found the ſenſe and feeling of the wrath of God againſt ſinne to be laide on him. Hereof it was that he cried with a loude voice, My God, why haſt thou forſaken me? as if he ſhould ſaie, why dooſt thou not driue and put away from me ſo great torments? For he ſignifieth by thoſe words not a diuulſion or ſeparation of his Godhead from his manhood, but the differring and delaying of help and ſuccour. We ſee then what and howe great thinges Chriſt hath ſuffered for vsus, which are therefore propoſed vntounto vsus and ſette before our eyes, to giuegive vsus to conſider 1. The hiſtory it ſelfe of Chriſts paſſion agreeing with Gods ſacred oracles, and prophecies. 2. The cauſe or fruites of Chriſtes Paſſion. 3. His example, that wee are alſo to enter into eternal life, and heauenlie glorie, by death, as did Chriſt: and theſe three thinges are eſpecially to be conſidered in Chriſts Paſſion.
Obiection There is no proportion betweene temporal puniſhment and eternal. Chriſt ſuffered only temporal paines and puniſhmentes. Therefore he could not ſatisfie gods iuſtice. Aunſwere. There is no proportion betweene temporall, and eternall puniſhment, if they bee conſidered as beeing both in the ſame degree and in the ſame ſubiect. Queſtion. But how may the raunſome of one perſon anſwere for the ſins of an infinit number of men? Aunſwere. It may, and that for theſe two cauſes. 1. Becauſe he is true God which ſuffered. Obiection. But god cannot die and ſuffer. Aunſwere. God cannot ſuffer, in that he is God; Or further, we graunt, that Chriſt was not God, in that he ſuffered, & died. Obiect. Chriſt is not God in that he ſuffered, Therefore it is falſe which is ſaide, Acts 20.28. That God hath purchaſed the Church with his owne bloode. Anſ. This was ſpoken by a communicating of the properties, but this was in the perſon, not in the nature: that is, That perſon which is God and man, purchaſed the Church. The communicating of properties is, to attribute that to the whole perſon, which is proper vntounto one nature; and this is attributed in a concrete voice, not in an abſtract: becauſe the concrete voice ſignifieth the perſon, in which are both natures, and the property of that nature, whereof ſome thing is affirmed. But the abſtract name ſignifieth the nature which is in the perſon, but not the perſon. And therefore it is, that nothing hindereth, why that which is proper to one nature, may not bee affirmed of the whole perſon, ſo that propertie it ſelfe be in the perſon. But contrarie, of the abſtract name onelyonly the properties of that nature are affirmed, vntounto which they properly belong. As of the God-heade, (which is the abſtract name) no propertie of the man-hoode maie be affirmed, but onelie the properties of the God-heade; becauſe the God-heade ſignifieth not the perſon which hath both natures, but onelie the diuine nature it ſelfe. But of God (which is the concrete name) the properties not of the God-head only, but of the manhood alſo may be affirmed, becauſe God ſignifieth not the diuine nature, but the perſon which hath both the diuine nature, and humane.
The ſecond cauſe, why the raunſome of one perſon may aunſwere for the ſinnes of an infinite number, is the grieuouſneſſe of his puniſhment, becauſe hee ſuffered that which wee ſhould hauehave ſuffered for euer. His Paſſion therefore is equiualent to euerlaſting puniſhment; yea it ſurpaſſeth it; For, that God ſhould ſuffer, is more, than, that all the creatures ſhoulde periſh euerlaſtinglie.
2 According to which nature Chriſt ſuffered.
CHRIST ſuffered not according to both natures, neither according to his God-head, but according to his humane nature onelyonly, both in body and ſoule. For his diuine nature is immortal. Now he ſo ſuffered according to his humanity, that by his death and Paſſion he made ſatisfaction for infinite ſinnes of men.
Queſtion. But why could not his God-head ſuffer? Anſwere. Becauſe it is not changeable: neither can that, which is life it ſelfe, dy. This ſuſteined & vpheld the humane nature in paines, & after death reſtored it to life. Obiection. God purchaſed the Church with his owne bloode. Actes 20.28. Therefore the god-head ſuffered. Aunſwere. It doth not follow, becauſe an argument from the concrete (which is, God) to the abſtract (which is, the God-heade) is if no conſequence. Againe, the kind of affirmation is altered. God is ſaid to hauehave died, by a figure of ſpeech, which is Synecdoche (vſed whē we ſignifie the whole by a part, as whole Chriſt, by, God,) and by a communicating of the properties. But when it is ſaid, The god-head died, that admitteth no figure, as beeing a meere abſtract. The concrete ſignifieth the ſubiect or perſon hauing the nature or forme: But the abſtract ſignifieth the bare nature and forme onelie. Wherefore the argument doth not follow. A man is compounded of the elementes, and is corporeal: Therefore his ſoul alſo is corporeal. This cannot follow; Becauſe al things agree not to the forme, which agree to the ſubiect; the ſoule is the forme of man, man is the eſſentiall ſubiect of the ſoule. Wherefore neither doth it follow. Chriſt, God, died: Therefore Chriſts God-heade died. For, from the concrete to the abſtract the reaſon doth not follow.
Chriſt therefore ſuffered according to his humane nature onelie, making a ſufficicnt and moſt perfect ſatisfaction thereby for our ſins. Which his ſatisfaction is made ours by applicatiō, which is double. The one from god, who iuſtifieth vsus for chriſts merit, & maketh vsus to ceaſe from ſin. The other from our ſelues who by faith apprehend & applie vntounto vsus Chriſts merit by being fully perſuaded that God for the ranſome of his Son doth pardon vsus our ſinne. Nowe that there was another nature in chriſt, which nether ſuffered nor died, is proued by theſe teſtimonies, Ioh. 2.19. Deſtroie this Temple, & in three daies I wil raiſe it vp again. 1. Pe. 3.18, was put to death concerning the fleſh, but was quickned in the ſpirit. Reu. 1.18. I was dead: and behold J am aliue. Ioh. 18. I hauehave power to laie downe my ſoule, and power to take it vp againe.
3 The cauſes impellent, or motiues of Christs Paſſion.
1 THE louelove of God towardes mankind. Ioh. 3.16. So God loued the world, that he gaue his onlie begotten Sonne. 2. The mercy of God towards men fallen into ſin. 3. The wil of God to reuenge the iniurie of the Diuel, who in reproch and deſpite of God auerted vsus from him, and maimed the image of God in vsus in deſpite of the creator.
But here it maie be demaunded whether Chriſt fulfilled the Lawe or no; and ſecondly if he did, why then hee ſhoulde ſuffer ſo bitter a Paſſion? Whereunto we aunſwere firſt, that he fulfilled the Law. 1. By his righteouſnes in obſeruing it. 2. By ſatisfaction in ſuffering puniſhment for our ſinnes, who had tranſgreſſed it. Both which are moſt perfect. Nowe to the ſecond demand then, why if Chriſt fulfilled the law, was he ſo grieuouſly puniſhed of God, ſeeing puniſhment is the wages of ſinne, and ſinne was not in him, who neuer committed anie? We anſwere, that it was not for himſelfe, but for vsus that hee was puniſhed. Reply. A righteous man ought not to be puniſhed for the vnrighteous. Aunſwere. True, except first he voluntarilie offer himſelfe for them. Secondly, except he willinglie do ſuffer in ſuch ſort for them, as that he yeelde a ſufficient ranſome and payment. Thirdly, except he hauehave the power of recouering himſelfe out of the puniſhment once ſuffered. Fourthly, except he be able to bring to paſſe that they alſo, for whom he offereth himſelfe to ſatisfie, leaue off to tranſgreſſe and ſinne hereafter. Fifthly, except he bee of the ſame nature with them for whom he ſatisfieth.
If ſuch a ſatisfier bee ſubſtituted, there is nothing committed againſt the iuſtice of God: for in ſo ſuffering, both are ſaued, both he that ſuffereth, and they for whome hee ſuffereth. Now ſuch a ſuretie, and ſatisfier was Chriſt, who is not onelie man, or of the ſame nature with vsus; but wee are alſo his members, & when the whole ſuffereth puniſhment, the members alſo and partes are puniſhed. And for this coniunction of ours with Chriſt our head, the Apoſtles commonly ſay that he ſuffered in Chriſt.
4 The final cauſes or ends of his Paſſion.
THE firſt final cauſe or end of his paſſion is, That his paſſion might bee a ſufficient ranſome for our ſins, or the redeeming of vsus. 2. The m…nifeſting of the louelove, goodnes, merciemercy, righteouſnes of God, while he punniſheth his ſonne for vsus. The chiefe finall cauſes then are, Our ſaluation, and the glorie of God. To the former belongeth the knowledge of the greatneſſe of ſinne, that we may knowe how great an euil ſinne is, and what it deſerueth: and further to knowe that death is not now pernicious and hurtfull to the Godly, and therfore not to bee feared. To the latter belongeth our Iuſtification, wherein all the benefites are comprehended, which Chriſt merited, by dying, & euen our deliuery from death, which hee beſtoweth vponupon vsus. Obiection. If hee hauehave ſatisfied for all, then al ſhould be ſaued. Anſwere. He ſatiſfied for al, as touching his ſatisfaction, but not as touching the application thereof, al not applying it vntounto them. Wherefore hee hath ſatisfied for al, but doth not deliuer all, but only thoſe who by faith applie it. And thoſe he deliuereth, 1. Becauſe the Father ordeined him to this, or becauſe the Father will. 2. Becauſe the Son willingly offereth himſelfe. 3 Becauſe this ranſome is ſufficient.
SVFFERED VNDERUNDER PONTIVS PILATE.
MEntion is made of Pilate in Chriſts paſſion, 1. Becauſe Chriſt would receiue from him a teſtimony of his innocencie, that thereby we might knowe that he was pronounced innocent by the voice of the iudge himſelfe. 2. Beecauſe it was requiſite that he ſhould be ſolemnly cōdemned, that we might know that hee, though innocent, was notwithſtanding condemned, that we might not be cōdemned, as alſo he ſuſtained death, that we might be freed from it. 3. That wee might be aduertiſed of the fulfilling of the Prophecy. Gen. 49.10. The ſcepter ſhall not depart from Iudah, nor a Law-giuer from betweene his feete, vntill Shilo come. For then was the Scepter taken from Iudah, when Chriſt was a little after condemned of Pilate a Romane gouernour, of whom before he was abſolued. This circumſtance therefore is diligently to be cōſidered in Chriſts paſsion, that we may know him to be the Meſſias: becauſe al conditions are fulfilled in him, which are required in the Meſſias. Whereof this Prophecie, of the taking away of the Scepter from Iudah, was one. 4. That we might know that Chriſt was condemned of God himſelfe alſo, and therefore that hee ſatisfied God for vsus. For the head and gouernour of ordinarie iudgement is God himſelfe. Wherefore Chriſt was not to hauehave beene priuily taken away by the Iewes, neither to be drawen to death by tumult, and diſorderlie, but by lawefull order, and iudgement, and by inquiſition made concerning all the accuſations of Chriſt, God would hauehave him, firſt to be examined, that his innocencie might appeare; Secondly to be condemned, that it might appeare that hee beeing before pronounced innocent, was now condemned not for his owne fault, but for ours: and that ſo his vniuſt condemnation might be inſteed of our moſt iuſt condemnatiō. Thirdly, to be put to death, both that the prophecies might bee fulfilled, and alſo that it might appear, that both Iewes & Gentils did put Chriſt to death.
CRVCIFIED.
I Beleeue in Chriſt Crucified, that is, I beleeue Chriſt did vndergo this puniſhment, and this curſe of the Croſſe for my ſake, and that he was made obnoxious for my ſake to Gods curſe, which I, and we all deſerued, a type alſo of which curſe, was the death of the Croſſe curſed by God himſelfe.
Now for three cauſes would God hauehave his Sonne ſuffer the puniſhment of ſo ignominious a death. 1 That we might knowe, The curſe due for our ſinnes to hauehave laine vponupon him, & ſo ſhould be ſtirred vp to greater thankefulneſſe, conſidering how deteſtable a thing ſinne is, ſo that it could not be expiated or ſatisfied for, but with the moſt bitter and moſt opprobrious and ſhamefull death of the onelyonly begotten Sonne of God. 2 That it might be an exaſperating of the puniſhment, and ſo wee ſo much the more confirmed in a true faith, when wee conſider Chriſt by this kinde of puniſhment to hauehave taken vponupon him our gilt, & euen our puniſhment alſo and curſe, according to that, Curſed is euerie one that hangeth on tree, Deut. 21.23. Gal. 3.13. 3 That the trueth might anſwere according to the types and figures, & ſo we might know the types to be fulfilled in Chriſt. For, 1 The ſacrifices which ſhadowed the ſacrifice of Chriſt were hung vponupon trees, thereby to ſignifie, that Chriſt ſhould be faſtned on a tree, and accompliſhing his ſacrifice, offer a holy ſacrifice vntounto his Father. 2 The ſacrifices being lifted vp on high before they were burned, did ſignifie the exalting and liſting vp of Chriſt on the Altar of the Croſſe. 3 The ſame was ſhadowed in Iſaack. who being laid on wood, was to hauehave beene ſacrificed of his Father. 4 The braſen Serpent, which Moſes ſet vp vponupon a pole in the wilderneſſe, depainteth this kind of puniſhment. Chriſt himſelfe interpreted of himſelfe this type of the braſen Serpent. Joh. 3.14.
DEAD.
I Beleeue in Chriſt dead, that is, I beleeue Chriſt, not onelyonly to hauehave ſuffered extreame torments for my ſake, but alſo death it ſelfe, & hath by his death obtained for me remiſſion of ſinnes, and reconciliation with God, & conſequently alſo the holy Ghoſt, who beginneth in me a new life, that I may againe bee made the Temple of God, and at length attaine vntounto euerlaſting life, wherein I ſhall woorſhip and magnifie God for euer.