Clause 4

Testimonies out of the Prophetes and Apostles

It eame to passe neither by chaunce nor at aduenture that Christ died, but so it was foretolde of God: Genesis 3. The seede of the woman shall bruise the serpentes heade, and thou shalt bite his heele. To this agreeth the place of the Hebrewes chapter 2. For as much then as children are partakers of fleshe and bloode, he also himselfe likewise tooke parte with them, that hee might destroye through death, him that had the power of death, that is the diuel. The sacrifices of the olde Testament for sinne, were shadowes, of the sacrifice to come, of which thing it is so written in the 10, to the Hebrewes, and also the prophesie out of the 40. Psalme is expounded. The lawe obtayning a shadowe of good thinges to come, and not the verie image of thinges, can neuer with these sacrifices which they offer yeare by yeare continually, sanctifie the commers vnto it. And a little after: Wherefore entring into worlde hee saith, (Psalme 41.) sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not: but a bodie hast thou ordeined mee. Burnt offeringes and sacrifice for sinne thou hast not allowed. Then saide I, Loe I am present (In the beginninge of the booke it is writien of mee) that I shoulde doe thy will, O GOD (which hee so expoundeth there of the voluntarie death of Christe) through the which will wee are sanctified by the offering vp of the bodie of Iesus Christ once made for all.

The sacrifice of Abel, was acceptable to God, and in the sacrifice of Noah it is said that God smelled a sweete smelling sauour. Genesis 9. And whie? because they were figures of the sacrifice of the Messiah. To which place of the 9. of Gene. Paul had regarde in the 5. to the Ephesians, when he saith, Christe gaue himselfe for vs an oblation and offering to God, of a sweete smelling sauour: The Paschall lambe contayned a manifest and as it were a visible prophesie of the death of Christ, as Iohn the Euangelist teacheth in the 19. Chapter, that that prophesie was fulfilled by the wonderfull prouidence of God, There shall not a bone of his be broken. Which albeit it was spoken of the boanes of the Paschall lambe, Exodus 12. yet notwithstanding he saith that it was truely fulfilled in the death of Christ, saying, that when hee was deade, his legges were not broken, as were the theeues. Where also Iohn teacheth that an other prophesie which is written in the 12. of Zacharie was fulfilled, They shall see whome they haue pearced, when one of the souldiers, had pearced Christes side, and by and by there issued out water and bloode. Of the Passeouer also, thou hast in the 1. Cor. 5. Our passeouer is sacrificed for vs, euen Christ. Also that same dailie sacrifice, did set before our eyes, the sacrifice of Christ to come. Euerie daye morning and Euening a lambe was offered vp. Hitherto belong those same places. Iohn 1. verse. 36 and the 1. Pet. vers. 19. Isay 5.3. He was cut of, from the land of the liuing, For the transgression of my people, hee was wounded. To this agreeth that of the 9. of Daniel, The Messias shall be cut off, and this must be fulfilled before Ierusalem be destroyed. Againe, Isay 5.3. When hee shall haue laide downe his soule for a sacrifice for sinne, hee shall see a seede that shall prolong his dayes. And by the knowledge of himselfe my righteous seruaunt shall iustifie many, and hee himselfe shall beare their iniquities. Zacharie 9. Thou also shalt bee saued by the bloode of thy couenaunt. I haue sent out thy bond ones, out of the cesterne wherein there is no water.

Christ the heade of all the Prophetes foresheweth his death in the 12. of Iohn: Verilie, verilie I say vnto you, except a grain of corne falling into the earth be deade, it remaineth alone: but if it be deade it bringeth much fruite. And in the 10. chapter 15.16.17.18. verses. And Matth 20.28. See also a wonderfull prophesie by the mouth of Caiphas. Io. 11. vers. 49.50.51.52. 1. Cor. 15. I haue deliuered vnto you first of all that which I receaued: to wit, that Christe dyed for our sinnes according to the scriptures. Dauid in the 114. Psalme prophesieth of the stone refused by the builders, & Christ teacheth that that prophesie had an accomplishment in his death, Matth. 21. in that parable of the sonne, the heir of the vineyarde, slaine of those same husbandmen of the vineyarde. verses 38.39. For so he saith, haue yee not reade in the scriptures, The stone which the builders reiected, the same is made the chiefe corner stone? This is done of the Lorde, and it is wonderfull in our eyes, &c. And when the chiefe of the Priestes and Pharisees had hearde his parables, they kneewe those thinges to bee spoken concerning them. Herevnto belongeth that same excellent power which shewed it selfe in the 4. of the Actes, of that reicted stone (by death.) When they had placed them meaning the Apostles in the middest of them: By what power, or in whose name doe you this? Then Peter full of the holy Ghost saith vnto them: O ye chiefe of the people, and elders of Israel, forasmuch as the question is this day, of the benefite bestowed vppon the sicke man, to wit howe this man is saued; be it knowen vnto you all, and to all the people: that through the name of Iesus Christ of Nazareth, whome you haue crucified, whome GOD hath raised vp from death, by this I say, doeth this man stande whole and sounde in your sight. This is that stone that was esteemed as nothing of you builders, which is made the chiefe corner stone. Neither is there saluation in anie other. And a litle after, They seeing him stande with those that were healed, they coulde say nothing against it.

Why Christ died

The ende of Christes death, was to satisfie the righteousnes and wrath of God for our sinnes, and so by dying to destroye and abolish sinne, in which all the power of sathan consisted. For in as much as sinne by the iust iudgement of God raged vppon mankinde, his wrath was appeased, and satisfied for sinne, and all power taken frō it, that it might not raigne in the beleeuers. 1. Ioh. 3. To this ende was the sonne of God manifested, that hee might dissolue the workes of the Diuel: both which the Apostle plainly ioyneth together 2. Cor. 5.15. and Rom. 5.18.21. and Rom. 6.7.8. 2 Tim. 1.10.

Of the fruites, whereof we are made partakers by the death of Christ

The first fruite is, that the obedience of Christ is our righteousnes before God. For in the death of Christ faith specially looketh vpon that same voluntarie, and speciall obedience of the sonne, whereby he was made obediente to the father, euen to the death, and to the death of the crosse: Philip. 2.8. Hebr. 5.8. And therefore euen as by the disobedience of one man, manie were made sinners, so by the obedience of one righteous, many are made righteous. Rom. 5. And because by his death he iustifieth vs from our sinnes, through which the diuell gotte the power of death, the scripture saith that the sonne of God through death abolished him, that had the power of death, that is the diuel, & set free, as manie as through the feare of death through all their life were subiect to bondage. Heb. 2. Therefore in this article, there is contayned this promise, which I take by faith, that Christ died for my sinnes, the iust for the vniust, that I clothed through faith with this obedience, might be esteemed righteous before God. And surely when Isay in the 53. chap. had largely set forth that same willing obedience of the death of Christ, as a lambe not opening his mouth, after wardes he expressely setteth foorth in the same being laid hold on by faith, our iustification in these wordes: My righteous seruaunt by his knowledge shall iustifie manie, because he shall beare their sinnes. Certainly it must needes be, that the voluntarie passion and death of the son of God be an excellent thing, seeing that there are not so many & so euident prophesies of any thing, as of that, so that there was no day passed, but the same in a figure, as in a visible prophesie, to wit, in that continuall sacrifice morning and euening, was set before the eyes; and seeing without the shedding of bloode there coulde be no remission, it must of necessitie be a most precious thing; and seeing S. Peter saith, that the Prophets haue enquired and searched, when or what time, that same forewitnes, which was yᵗ same spirit of Christ in them, should declare the sufferinges that should come vnto Christ, and the glorie that shoulde followe. 1. Pet. 1.11.19.20. Nowe the worthines of this obedience euen to the death, hangeth vppon the worthines of the person, for that so great a person, to wit, as the sonne of God, who was in the forme of God, was made so far foorth obedient in his humaine nature, that hee refused not to vndergoe that same curssed death vpon the crosse. By these it is plaine that this is the first fruit of the death of Christ, that hee might be our righteousnes before God, and vnlesse that thing be vndoubtedly determined of vs, wee doe not worthily enough esteeme the precious death of the sonne of God.

Of the second fruite of the death of Christ

The seconde fruite is the mortifying, or killing of sinne. For he hath not only through his death satisfied the iudgement of God, for sinne, but also hath broken the power of the infection of it, which by the iust iudgement of God it had ouer vs. This I open thus: in that Christ died, he died once, and that for sin. And that he died for sinne, I vnderstand thus, that he not onely satisfied for it, by his death: but also so brake the power of sinne, which was altogether & wholy comprehēded in yᵉ iust iudgemēt of God, by making a perfect satisfaction, that nowe it cannot any longer, as before, creepe & rage in the bodie of Christ, which is yᵉ church, but must by little and little decay. Heb. 9.14. 2. Tim. 1. ver. 10. For euen as when the hearte of a man hath receaued a deadly wounde, he is as one for dead, because he cannot escape death: euen so sinne hath receaued a deadly wounde in Christ, so as we are saide to be dead in Christ. Rom 6. And so the Lord speaketh in Hosee the Prophet cap. 13. I will redeeme them from the power of hell, o death, I will be thy death, saith he, euen I Iehouah will be thy death, O death; Therfore Christ who is God, or Iehouah manifest in yᵉ flesh, by hearing & ouercōming death, was the death of death & sin, yᵗ is to say, by satisfying for sinne, that it shoulde not be laide to our charge, and by breaking the force of sinne, (which is the sting of death) that is the power of infection, which the iust wrath of God had gotten ouer vs, to wit the wrath of God being appeased. 1. Corinthians 15. Therefore John saith, The sonne of God was manifested to this end, to dissolue the workes of the diuel. Therefore the sonne of God, which is the true Iehouah, Iere. 23. dyed, not onely that he might satisfie for sinne: but also that by satissatisfying, he might destroy sinne as the worke of the diuel. For in satisfying hee both tooke away the cursse, and also that might & strength of growing further from sinne, all which was conteyned in yᵉ iust iudgement of God, to which he fully satisfied: and this fauour he also obtayned for vs, that hee by his spirite might kill sinne in vs, who grewe vp together by one spirite into one bodie together with him. 1. Corinthians 12.