¶ He rebuketh the vnstedfastnesse of the Galathyans she∣wynge the vnparfectnesse of the lawe and declareth neuer∣thelesse that it was not geuen for nought.
CAPI. III.
OYe folysshe Galathyans: who hathe [unspec A] bewitched you, that ye shulde not be∣leue the trueth? To whō Iesus Christe was described before the eyes, & now amōge you crucifyed. This only wolde I learne of you whether ye receaued the spirit by the dedes of the lawe, or by the prechynge of the fayth Are ye so vnwyse, that after ye haue begone in the spyryte, ye nowe ende in the flesshe?
So many thinges ye haue suffred in vaine, yf it be also in vayne. Moreouer, he that mi∣nistreth to you the spyrite, & worketh myra∣cles amonge you, doth he it thorowe the de∣des of the lawe, or by prachyng of the fayth? * 1.1 Euen as Abraham beleued God, & it was asscrybed to hī for ryghtewesnes, ye knowe therfore, that they whiche are of fayth, the same are the chyldren of Abraham.
For the scripture seynge afore hande, that [unspec B] God wolde iustifye the Hethē thorow fayth, shewed before hande glad tydinges vnto A¦braham sayenge: * 1.2 In the shall all nacyons be blessed. So then, they whiche be of fayth, are blessed withfaythfull Abraham. For as many as are of the dedes of y• lawe, are sub∣iecte to the curse. For it is wrytten * 1.3 cursed be euery one, y• cōtynueth not in all thynges which are writen in the boke of the lawe, to fulfyl them. That no mā is iustifyed by the lawe in the syght of God it is euident. * 1.4 For the iust shall lyue by fayth. The lawe is not of fayth ‡ 1.5 but the mā that fulfylleth the thin∣ges contayned in the lawe, shall lyue in thē. Christ hath delyuered vs frō the curse of the lawe, in as muche as he was made a curse for vs. For it is wrytten: * 1.6 cursed is euery one, that hāgeth on tree, that the blessynge of Abraham myght come on the Gentyls thorowe Iesus Christ, ye we myght receaue the promes of the spirit thorowe fayth.
Brethren, I spake after the maner of mē. [unspec C] Though it be but a mans testament, yet no man despyseth it, or addeth any thynge ther to, yf it be alowed. ✚ To Abraham and his seed were the promyses made, He sayth not in the seedes, as many: but in thy seed, as of one, which is Christ. This I saye, that the lawe whiche beganne after warde, beyonde * 1.7 foure. C. and thyrtye yeares, doth not dis∣anul the testamente, that was confermed afore of God vnto Chryste warde, to make the promes of none effecte ‡ 1.8 For yf the inhe∣ritaunce come of the lawe, it commeth not nowe of promes. But God gaue it vnto A∣braham by promes.
Wherfore thē serueth y• law? * 1.9 The lawe was added because of trāsgressiō (tyl y• seed came, to whom the promes was made) & it was ordeyned * 1.10 by Angels in the hande of a mediator. A mediator is not a mediator of one. But God is one. * 1.11 Is the lawe then agaynst the promes of God? God forbyd. For yf there had bene a lawe geuen whiche coulde haue geuen lyfe: then no doute rygh∣tewesnes shulde come by the lawe But the scrypture〈2 pages missing〉〈2 pages missing〉