Institutions of Christian religion framed out of Gods word, and the writings of the best diuines, methodically handled by questions and answers, fit for all such as desire to know, or practise the will of God. Written in Latin by William Bucanus Professor of Diuinitie in the Vniuersitie of Lausanna. And published in English by Robert Hill, Bachelor in Diuinitie, and Fellow of Saint Iohns Colledge in Cambridge, for the benefit of our English nation, to which is added in the end the practise of papists against Protestant princes.

What suffered he in the Hall?

He is brought before Pilate the Romane President, so that euen from hence it is manifest that the Scepter of the kingdome was taken away from the house of Iudah when Christ suffered, as it was prophecied Gen. 49.10. and that therefore no other Messiah is to be expected: and that Christ the innocent was condemned for vs by an earthly iudge, that thereby wee may know we haue esca∣ped the condemnation of the heauenly iudge.

2. He is there falsely accused of three crimes, of seducing the people, Sedition, and conspiring against the state, that he ouer∣threw the nation, forbad to giue tribute to, Casar, and said of him∣selfe, that he was Christ the King. Therfore hee was accused of treason, both in the Ecclesiasticall & Ciuil Court: in the Ecclesia∣sticall court of treason against Gods maiestie, in the ciuil Court,

against mans rule and maiestie; that so hee might deriue & take to him selfe that rebellion against Gods maiestie, whereof wee were all guilty in Adam, and that hee might make satisfaction and reconciliation for the same by humbling himselfe extreamly & obeying in all things. Neither doth he defend himselfe as most easily he might haue done, but is silent, & is like a lamb that ope∣neth not his mouth before him that sheareth him Esa. 53.7. least if hee had bin quit: we had perished, and that by his silence hee might obtaine liberty for vs to cry vnto Goda.

3. Yet notwithstanding, in the same place hee is pronounced innocent by the voice of the Iudge, because in himselfe hee was pure, & not guilty for his owne cause, but for others: and his en∣largement was laboured for; yea he was whipped, if at least by this meanes the mindes of the Iewes might be appeased: but all came to no effect: he is balanced with Barrabas, and Barrabas preferred, who was a captaine and author of sedition, & a grand theefe: he is cried for to be executed on the crosse by great & seditious clamors of the people, ct al this, that therby he might aduance vs to the dig¦nity of the sons of God, being made fellows with the holy Angels.

4. He is condemned by the Iudge sitting in the iudgement seate, in place of the Emperour, & in the name of the whole Em∣pire of Rome, as a man most wicked and worthy of death, because he bound himselfe to become suerty for vs, who were guilty of e∣ternall death, before the eternall Iudge.

5. Being now condemned as one that sought to surprise the Kingdom & state, he is laught at by the souldiers, and is cloathed with a souldiers garment, or purple cassock, to worke him more contempt and disgrace: a crowne of thornes is put vpon his head, in stead of a Scepter a reed is put in his hand, therby to sig∣nifie that his ridiculous kingdom was a miserable, a pitifull, & as it were, a kingdom of reeds: thē they mock him bowing the knee, & with this tant saluting him, Haile King of the Iews. They spit again in his face, they buffet him, & beat his most holy head with staues.

All these things he suffered most vniustly, if you consider Christs person: but most iustly if you consider the person which he tooke vpon him, which is ours, For the Lord (saith Esay 53.6) hath laid v∣pon him the iniquitie of vs all. Therfore he endured these reproaches both because we had deserued them, and also that he might deli∣uer vs from the like.

Notes

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  Rom. 8.15