Dominus legis erat. Earn ob causam ipsius obedientia (non ea tantum, qua patri paruit in tota sua passione et morte, verum etiam, qua nostra causa sponte sese legi subjecit, eamque obedientia ilia sua implevit) nobis ad justitiam imputatur, ita, ut Deus propter totam obedientiam (quam Christus agendo et patiendo, in vita et morte sua, nostra causa Patri suo coelesti praestitit) peccata nobis remittat, pro bonis et justis nos reputet, et salute seterna donet."
The Reformed Confessions are of like import. The Second Helvetic Confession ^ says, " Christus peccata mundi in se recepit et sustulit, divinseque justitias satisfecit. Deus ergo propter solum Christum passum et resuscitatum, propitius est peccatis nostris, nee ilia nobis imputat." The Belgic Confession says,'-^ "Credimus, Jesum Christum summum ilium sacerdotem esse, .... qui se nos- tro nomine coram Patre ad placandam ipsius iram cum plena satis- factione obtulit, sistens se ipsum super altare crucis, et sanguinem suum pretiosum ad purgationem peccatorum nostrorum profudit." The Heidelberg Catechism says,^ " Deus vult justitiae satisfieri ; quocirca necesse est, vel per nos, vel per alium satisfaciamus." In the following answers it is taught that man cannot satisfy the jus- tice of God for himself, nor any creature for him ; that it was necessary that He who, as our substitute, would make satisfac- tion in our stead, should be both God and man. In answer to the question,* Why it was necessary that Christ should die, it is said, " Propterea quod justitiae et veritati Dei nullo alio pacto pro nos- tris peccatis potuit satisfieri, quam ipsa morte filii Dei." The Hei- delberg Catechism being the standard of doctrine in all the Dutch and German Reformed churches in Europe and America, is one of the most important and authoritative of the symbols of the Ref- ormation.
In the "Formula Consensus Helvetica"^ it is said, "Ita Chris- tus vice electorum obedientia mortis suas Deo patri satisfecit, ut in censum tamen vicariae justitias et obedientiae illius, universa ejus, quam per totius vitae suae curriculum legi .... sive agendo sive
patiendo praestitit, obedientia vocari debeat Rotundo asserit
ore Spiritus Dei, Christum sanctissima vita legi et justitiae divinae pro nobis satisfecisse, et pretium illud, quo empti sumus Deo, non in passionibus duntaxat, sed tota ejus vita legi conformata col- locat."
The "Westminster Confession"® says, "The Lord Jesus, by
1 XV. ; Niemeyer, O)llectio Confessionum, Leipzig, 1840, p. 494.
a XXI.; Ibid. p. 373. a xii. Ibid. p. 432.
* XL.; Ibid. p. 439. / « XV. 32, 33, Ibid. pp. 734, 735
• Chap. viii. § 5.
VOL. n. 31
482 PART in. Ch. VII.— satisfaction of CHRIST.
his perfect obedience and sacrifice of Himself, which He through the eternal Spirit once offered up unto God, hath fully satisfied the justice of his Father ; and purchased not only reconciliation, but an everlasting inheritance in the kingdom of heaven for all those whom the Father hath given unto Him."
This, however, is not a doctrine peculiar to the Lutheran and Reformed churches ; it is part of the faith of the Church universal. The Council of Trent says,^ "Jesus Christus, cum essemus inimici, propter nimiam caritatem qua dilexit nos, sua sanctissima passione in ligno crucis nobis justificationem meruit, et pro nobis Deo patri satisfecit." " Christus Jesus, qui pro peccatis nostris satisfecit."^ The Roman Catechism says,^ " Hoc in passione, et morte Filius Dei salvator noster spectavit, ut omnium astatum peccata redimeret ac deleret, et pro eis Patri abunde, cumulateque satisfaceret." " Prima satisfactio et prsestantissima ilia est, qua pro scelerum nostrorum ratione, etiam si Deus summo jure nobiscum velit agere, quidquid a nobis debeatur, cumulate persolutum est. Hsec vero ejusmodi esse dicitur, quse nobis Deum propitium et placatum red- didit, eamque uni Christo domino acceptam ferimus, qui in cruce. ])retio pro peccatis nostris soluto, plenissirae Deo satisfecit,"^
§ 2. The Intrinsic Worth of Chris fs Satisfaction.
The first point is that Christ's work was of the nature of a satis- faction, because it met and answered all the demands of God's law and justice against the sinner. The law no longer condemns the sinner who believes in Christ. Those, however, whom the infin- itely holy and strict law of God does not condemn are entitled to the divine fellowship and favour. To them, there can be no condemnation. The work of Christ was not, therefore, a mere substitute for the execution of the law, which God in his sovereign laercy saw fit to accept in lieu of what the sinner was bound to render. It had an inherent worth which rendered it a perfect satisfaction, so that justice has no further demands. It is here as in the case of state criminals. If such an offender suffers the penalty which the law prescribes as the punishment of his offence he is no longer liable to condemnation. No further punishment can justly be demanded for that offence. This is what is called the perfection of Christ's satisfaction. It perfectly, from its own intrin- sic worth, satisfies the demands of justice. This is the point meant
1 Sess. vi. cap. 7 ; Streitwolf, Libri Symbolici, Gottingen, 1846, pp. 24, 25.
2 Sess. xiv. cap. 8; JMd. p. 63. 8 I. V. 11; Ibid. pp. 155,156.
* II. V. 53 (Ixxxvii. or 63), Ibid. p. 401.