The Sum of Christian Religion, Catechism · Part 2 · creed · Question 34
Queſt. 34. Wherefore calleſt thou him Our Lord?
Anſ. Becauſe he, redeeming and ranſoming, both our body and ſoule from ſins, not with gold nor ſilver, but with his precious bloud, and delivering us from all the power of the Divell, hath ſet us free to ſerve him.a1 Pet. 1.18, 19. & 2.9. 1. Cor. 6.20. 1. Tim. 2.6. John 10.28.
The Explication.
Here we are to obſerve theſe two things:
1. In what ſenſe Christ is called Lord.
2. For what cauſes hee is our Lord.
1. In what ſenſe Chriſt is called Lord.
TO be a Lord, is, to have right and power granted by Law, either divine or humane, over ſome thing, or perſon, as to uſe and enjoy it, and to diſpoſe thereof at thy owne will and pleaſure. Chriſt therefore is our Lord: 1. Becauſe hee hath dominion over all things, and over us alſo: and hath care of all things, and of us eſpecially; that is, ruleth, preſerveth, and keepeth us as his own, to eternall life and glory, as being bought with his precious bloud. None of them is lost, John 17.12. John 10 28.whom thou gavest mee. None ſhall pluck them out of my hand. 2. Becauſe all things are ſubject unto him, and we are bound to ſerve him both in body and ſoule, that he may be glorified by us. Ye are bought with a price, therefore glorifie God in your body and in your ſpirit, Cor. 6.20.for they are Gods.
Queſt. To which nature then is the name of the Lord to be referred? Anſ. To both: like as alſo the names of Prieſt,Chriſt is out Lord according to both his natures. King, and Prophet. For, the names of the office, benefits, dignity, and bountifulneſſe of Chriſt towards us, are affirmed of his whole perſon, not by communication of properties (as the names of his natures and properties are) but properly in regard of both natures: For both natures of Chriſt will and work our redemption: For the humane nature of Chriſt is made the price of our redemption, by dying for us: his divine nature doth give and offer that price unto the Father, and doth, by the vertue of his Spirit, effectually apply it unto us, ſanctifie, rule, ſave and defend us againſt our enemies; and doth all theſe things, the humane nature being privy thereunto, and moſt earneſtly willing it. Chriſt then is our Lord, not only in reſpect of his Divinity, which created us; but alſo in reſpect of his humanity, which redeemed us: For the perſon of Chriſt, even as he is man, is Lord over all Angels and men.
2. For what cauſe, and how many waies he is our Lord.
CHriſt is Lord, Chriſt our Lord, 1. By right of creation. John 16.15.By right of creation and government. Of this rule and dominion it is ſaid, All things that the Father hath are mine: For by him, and in him, are all things created, and by his mighty word; that is, by his forcible pleaſure and will, or providence, they are ſuſtained and governed, and whatſoever good is in all the creatures, that wholly proceedeth from him. And this is a moſt general dominion, which extendeth it ſelfe unto all creatures, even unto Divels and wicked men, albeit not altogether after the ſame maner to us, and to all the wicked and divels: For, 1. He created us to eternall life: but them to deſtruction. 2. The dominion which Chriſt hath over the wicked and Divels, conſiſteth in the right of requiring and commanding, of exerciſing his power, and bridling his enemies: that is, he hath right and power over the Divels and the wicked, to do with them what him liſteth, ſo that without his will and pleaſure they cannot ſo much as move themſelves; and if it were his will, to bring them to naught, as the hiſtory of the poſseſſed man in the Goſpel teſtifieth: And he permitteth them,Mark 5.20. by bereaving and deſtituting them of the grace of his Spirit, to run head-long into ſin and eternall deſtruction. He hath alſo over us right and power to doe with us what him liſteth: but he furthermore keepeth and guardeth us as his own flock and proper people, whom he hath purchaſed with his bloud: he governeth us alſo, and guideth us by his Spirit: he worketh in our hearts faith and obedience, that we may doe things acceptable unto him, and ſo fenceth us againſt all the remptations of the Divel, and the fleſh, that we may never fall from him: Therefore he is our Lord after a far other ſort, than of the Divels and the reprobates.
By right of redemption.Hee is our Lord by right of redemption: For hee alone, paying the ranſome for us, delivereth us from the power of the Divell: by his Spirit regenerateth us, and cauſeth us to begin to ſerve him: and in this liberty, whereunto he hath brought us by his merit and power, hee alſo preſerveth us, againſt all, both outward and inward enemies, even unto the end: and being raiſed from the dead, hee fully enfreeth and delivereth us from all ſinne and miſery, and endoweth us with eternall bliſſe and glory. The manner of our redemption is moſt precious, ſith it is a thing of greater moment to redeeme us with his bloud, than with money: Therefore hee hath the greateſt right of poſſeſſion in us. And ſeeing hee hath delivered and freed us, it is manifeſt that wee were ſervants: and truely ſo wee were, and are by nature ſervants and bond-ſlaves of the Divel, from whoſe tyranny Chriſt hath delivered us; and hereupon now are wee the ſervants of Chriſt: becauſe us, who were by nature his enemies, and deſerved to be deſtroyed of him, he notwithſtanding preſerved and delivered: For*The reaſon of this derivation of the name Servant could not be expreſsed in Engliſh, as it is in Latin, from whence our Engliſh word cometh. Servi (which ſignifieth ſervants) cometh from Servando, that is, ſaved or preſerved. Servi, or ſervants, were firſt ſo named by the Romans, from ſervando, which is in ſignification preſerved; becauſe, when in warres they might have been ſlaine of their enemies, they were preſerved. But this dominion of Chriſt over us is ſpeciall, that is, extendeth it ſelfe only to the Church. Object. If wee be redeemed from the power of the Divel, then a ranſome hath been pay'd him for our redemption: For from whoſe power wee are redeemed, unto him is the price and ranſome due. But God gave not him the ranſome: Therefore wee are not redeemed from the power of the Divell. Anſ. From whoſe power wee are redeemed, as having been ſupreme Lord over us, and holding rightly his dominion over us; unto him the price and ranſome is due: But the Divel is no ſupreme Lord, but the executioner of the ſupreme Lord, which is God, who alone hath, and holdeth by right dominion over us. The Divel indeed hath enthralled us unto himſelf by the juſt judgment of God for our ſin, and took us by force, and invaded us though we were anothers right and poſſeſſion: But Chriſt, that ſtronger armed man, ſatisfying for our ſins, brake the power of the Divel, and enfranchiſed us, being freed from the yoke of his tyranny: Wherefore, in reſpect of God, Christ redeemed us; for unto him he hath paid the price: But he hath delivered us, We are ſaid to be redeemed in reſpect of God, wee are delivered in reſpect of the Divell.or ſet us at liberty in reſpect of the Divell: For we are given unto Chriſt our Redeemer to be his own, neither hath the Divell any more right or power over us: And this Chriſts Dominion over us coſt him enough, who therefore alſo hath care of it, and preſerveth it. Of that dominion we diſpute eſpecially in this place: For the Divel doth not acknowledge Chriſt to be ſuch a Lord unto him, as we confeſſe him to be unto us, becauſe he hath redeemed us, and becauſe he guideth us with his Spirit.
By right of preſervation.In reſpect of our preſervation, Christ is our Lord, becauſe he defendeth us unto the end, and keepeth and ſafe-guardeth us to eternal life: not only by defending our bodies from enemies, but our ſoules alſo from ſins: For our preſervation muſt be underſtood not only of our firſt freedome from the power of the Divell, but alſo of the continuall guarding of us, and the conſummation of all his benefits. Of this dominion himſelfe ſpeaketh: None of them are lost which thou gaveſt me. No man ſhall pluck my ſheep out of my hands. He keepeth the wicked to deſtruction,Joh. 17.22. & 10.28. & 6.37. and defendeth their bodies only.
In reſpect of Gods ordinance.In reſpect of Gods ordinance: becauſe the Father ordained the Word and this perſon, Chriſt, unto this, that by him he might worke all things in heaven and in earth: For Chriſt is not in this reſpect only our Lord, in that hee ſaved us: that is, delivered us from our enemies, and of enemies made us the ſonnes of God: but alſo becauſe the Father gave us unto him, manifeſted unto us, to be our Prince, King, and Head,Feb. 1.2. John 6.17. & 7.5. Acts 5.31. Epheſ. 1.22. and hath made him heire of all. Hee hath made him heire of all things. All that the Father giveth mee ſhall come to me. Thine they were, and thou gavest them mee. Him hath God lift up with his right hand, to be a Prince and Saviour, to give repentance to Iſrael, and forgiveneſſe of ſins. God hath made all things ſubject under his feet, and hath appointed him over all things to be the head of the Church. Now whereas he is our Lord after a far more excellent manner than others: we alſo are far more bound to his allegeance and obedience: For he is ſo our Lord, that he doth indeed with us what he will, and hath full right and power over us: but yet he uſeth that his power to our ſalvation only: For we receive daily of this Lord, moe, and by infinite parts more excellent benefits, than doe any other throughout the whole world: And therefore we ought alwaies to acknowledge the dominion and power,TWO parts of our acknowledging Chriſts dominion over us. which Chriſt hath over us. Which acknowledging of his dominion is, 1. A profeſsion of ſo great a benefit of Chriſt, as, that he hath vouchſafed to be our Lord, and to ſet free us his enemies into this ſo fruitfull and glorious a liberty. 2. A confeſsion of our bond and duty: For Chriſt being ſo mercifull a Lord unto us, we ought both in word and life to profeſſe our ſelves as his ſervants, to be bound to faithfull ſubjection and obedience unto him in all things, that he may be magnified of us for ever.
What is then the meaning of this article, I beleeve in Chriſt our Lord? Anſ. Three divers ſpeeches are here to be obſerved:The meaning of the Article, I beleeve in Chriſt our Lord. 1. To beleeve that Chriſt is Lord. To beleeve this, is not ſufficient: for we beleeve alſo that the Divel is Lord, but not of all, or ours, as we doe beleeve Chriſt to be Lord of us all. 2. To beleeve that Chriſt is Lord, and that of all, and alſo ours. Neither is it enough to beleeve this: For the Divels beleeve alſo that Chriſt is their Lord, as he hath full right and authority, not only over all other things, but over them alſo, to determine of them whatſoever pleaſeth him. 3. To beleeve in Christ our Lord, that is, ſo to beleeve Chriſt to be our Lord, that in him we place our truſt and confidence, and be throughly perſwaded, that by him we are wholly freed and delivered from all evill, and are defended and ſafeguarded againſt all our enemies: and this is it, which we eſpecially ought to beleeve. When as therefore we ſay, that we beleeve in our Lord, we beleeve, 1. That the Son of God Chriſt is Creatour of all things, and therefore hath power over, and is Lord of all creatures. John 16.5All things that the Father hath are mine. 2. But eſpecially of his Church, which being purchaſed with his own bloud, he guideth, defendeth, and preſerveth by his ſpirit. 3. And that I am alſo one of his ſubjects, whom, being redeemed from the power of the Diven, he mightily preſerveth, ruleth, maketh obedient unto him, and at length enricheth with eternall glory: that is, I beleeve that hitherto I have been by and for Chriſt preſerved, and ſhall hereafter be preſerved of him through all eternity: and laſtly, that he uſeth and will uſe his dominion and power, which he hath, as over all other creatures, ſo over mee, unto my ſalvation, and his own glory.