The Benefits of Christ

The Benefits of Christ was arguably the most popular book of the short lived Italian Reformation. It is estimated that 40,000 to 80,000 copies were printed between 1541-1548, of which very few remain today due to the fact that most were burned once the title was placed on the list of prohibited books during the Inquisition. The treatise was originally published anonymously under the title Trattato Ultilissimo Del Beneficio Di Geisu Christo Crocifisso, and was for a few hundred years mistakenly attributed to Aonio Paleario (1503-1570), a martyr for the Reformation cause in Italy. But most scholars now agree, based on records from the Inquisition itself, that the “Trattato” was written by Don Benedetto, a student of the Spanish Reformer Juan de Valdes (1498?-1541) and friend of Peter Martyr Vermigli (1499- 1562). The subjects of this booklet include original sin, the purpose of the Law, our salvation depends upon Christ, the effects of living faith, clothed with Christ, and remedies against unbelief.