The Byble in Englyshe that is to saye, the content of all the holye scrypture, bothe of the olde and newe Testament, truly translated after the veryte of the Hebrue and Greke textes, by the diligent studye of dyuers excellent lerned [men e]xperte in the fore[saide] tongues.

¶ He declareth by the example of Abraham, that fayeth iu∣styfyeth, and not the lawe nor the workes therof.

CAPI. IIII.

WHat shall we saye then, that * 1.1 A∣brahan [unspec A] our father (as pertaning to the feshe) dyd fynde? If Abra∣ham were iustyfyed by dedes, then hathe he wherin to reioyce: but not with God. For what sayeth the scripture? * 1.2 Abraham bele∣ued God, and it was counted vnto hym for ryghtewesnes. To hym that worketh, is the rewarde not reckned of fauoure, but of dutye. ☞ To hym y^• worketh not, but bele∣ueth on hym that iustyfieth the vngodly, is his fayth counted for rightewesnes. {fleur-de-lys} (accor¦dynge to the purpose of the grace of God) Euē as Dauid descrybeth the blessedfulnes of that mā vnto whō God imputeth righte∣wesnes without dedes. * 1.3 Blessed are they, whose vnryghtewesnesse are forgeuen, and [unspec B] whose synnes are couered. Blessed is y^• mā, to whom the Lorde wyll not impute synne:

Came this blessednes then vpon the vn∣cyrcumcysyon, or vpon the cyrcumcysyon also? For we saye, that fayth was rekened to Abraham for ryghtewesnes. Howe was it then rekened? whan he was in the circumci∣syon, or whan he was in the vncircūcision? * 1.4 Not in the tyme of circumcision: but when he was yet vncircumcised. And he receaued the * 1.5 sygne of circumcisyon, as a seale of the ryghtewesnes of fayth, whiche he had yet beynge vncircumcised: that he shulde be the father of all them that beleue, thought they be not circūcysed, that ryghtewesnes myght be imputed to them also: and that he myght be father of circumcisyon, not vnto them onely whiche came of the circumsised, but vnto them also that walke in the steppes of the fayth that was in our father Abraham, before the tyme of circumcisyon.

For the promes (that he shuld be the heyre [unspec C] of the worlde) happened not to Abraham or to his seed thorowe the lawe: but thorow the ryghtewesnes of fayth. * 1.6 For yf they which are of the law, be heyres, thē is fayth but vayne, and the promes of none effecte. Because the lawe causeth wrath. For where no lawe is, there is no transgressyon. Ther∣fore by fayth is the inheritaunce geuen, that it myght come of fauoure: that the promes myght be sure ☞ to all the seed. Nor to thē

onely whiche are of the lawe: but to them also whiche are of the fayth of Abraham, * 1.7 which is y^• father of vs al (▪As it is wrytten: ‡ 1.8 I haue made the a father of many nacyōs) euen before God, whom he beleued, whiche restored the deed vnto lyfe: & calleth those thynges which be not as though they were.

Whiche Abraham, contrary to hope, be∣leued in hope, that he shulde be the * 1.9 father of many nacyons, accordyng to that which was spoken: ‡ euen so shall thy sede be. {fleur-de-lys} (as the starres of heauen, and the sande of the see) And he faynted not in the fayth, nor yet consydered his owne bodye whiche was nowe deed, euen when he was almoste an hundred yeare olde: nether yet that Sata was paste chyldeberynge. He stackered not at the promes of God thorow vnbelefe: but became stronge in fayth, and gaue God the prayse, beynge full certyfyed, that he which had promysed, was able also to make it good. And therfore was it reckened to hym for ryghtewesnes.

* 1.10 Neuertheles it is not wrytten for hym onely, that it was reckened to him for rygh∣tewesnes: but also for vs, to whom it shalbe coūted for ryghtewesnes, so y^• we beleue on him, that rayseth vp Iesus our Lorde from deeth: whiche was delyuered for oure syn∣nes, and rose agayne for to iustifye vs.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Esay. 51. ••.
• * 1.2

  Gene. xv. b. Gala. iii. ••. Iacob. ii. ••.
• * 1.3

  Ps••••. 32. ••.
• * 1.4

  Gene. xv. ••.
• * 1.5

  Gen. xvii. ••
• * 1.6

  Gala. iii. ••.
• * 1.7

  Esay. 51. a.
• ‡ 1.8

  Gene. 17. a.
• * 1.9

  Gene. 17. a Gene. xv. b.
• * 1.10

  Rom. xv. ••.