The. holie. Bible. conteynyng the olde Testament and the newe.

¶The .vij. Chapter.

1.7.12. The vse of the lawe, 24 from the which Christe hath delyuered vs. 23 The fyght betwene the lawe of the fleshe, and the lawe of the spirite.

[unspec A] 1 KNowe ye not bre∣thrē (for I speake to thē that knowe the (a) 1.1 lawe) how that the law hath power ouer a mā, as long as he ly∣ueth?

2 For*the woman which is in subiectiō to a man, is bounde by the lawe to the man, as long as he lyueth: But yf the man be dead, she is loosed from thē lawe of the man.

3 So then*yf whyle the man lyueth, she couple her selfe with another man, she shalbe counted a wedlocke breaker: But yf the man be dead, she is free from the law, so that she is no wedlocke breaker, though she couple her selfe with ano∣ther man.

[unspec B] 4 Euen so, ye also my brethren, are dead concernyng the lawe by the (b) 1.2 body of Christe, that ye shoulde be coupled to another, who is raysed from the dead, that we shoulde bryng foorth fruite vn∣to God.

5 For when we were in the fleshe, the lustes of sinne whiche were by the lawe wrought in our members, to bring forth fruite vnto death.

6 But nowe are we delyuered from the lawe, and dead vnto it whervnto we were in bondage, that we shoulde serue in newenesse of spirite, and not in the oldnesse of the letter.

7 What shall we say then? Is the lawe sinne? God forbyd. Neuerthelesse, * 1.3 I knewe not sinne, but by the lawe: For I had not knowen lust, except the lawe had sayde, * 1.4 thou shalt not lust.

8 But sinne, takyng occasion by the com∣maundement, wrought in me all maner of concupiscence. For without the lawe, sinne [was] dead.

9 I once lyued without lawe: But when the commaundement came, sinne reuyued,

10 And I was dead. And the very same [unspec C] commaundemēt, which was ordeyned vnto lyfe, was founde to be vnto me an occasion of death.

11 For sinne, takyng occasion by the com∣maundement, hath deceaued me, and by the same slewe [me.]

12 Wherfore * the lawe is holy, and the commaundement holy, & iust, and good.

13 Was that then which was good, made death vnto me? God forbyd. But sinne, that sinne myght appeare, by that which was good to worke death in me:

that sinne by y^e commaundement, myght be out of measure sinfull.

14 For we knowe, that the lawe is spi∣rituall: but I am carnall, * 1.5 solde vnder (c) 1.6 sinne.

15 For that which I do, I alowe not. For what I woulde, that do I not: but what I hate, that do I.

16 If I do nowe that which I woulde not, I consent vnto the lawe, that it is good.

17 Nowe then, it is not I that do it: but sinne that dwelleth in me.

[unspec D] 18 For I knowe, that in me, that is to say in my * 1.7 fleshe, dwelleth no good thyng. For to wyll, is present with me: but I fynde no meanes to perfourme that which is good.

19 For the good that I woulde, do I not: But the euyll which I woulde not, that do I.

20 And yf I do that I woulde not, then is it not I that doth it, but sinne that dwelleth in me.

21 I fynde then by the lawe, that when I woulde do good, euyll is present with me.

22 For I delite in the lawe of God, after the inwarde man:

23 But I see another lawe in my mem∣bers, rebellyng agaynst the lawe of my mynde, and subduyng me vnto the lawe of sinne, which is in my members.

24 O wretched man that I am: Who shall deliuer me from the (d) 1.8 body of this death?

25 I thanke God through Iesus Christe our Lorde. So then, with the mynde I my selfe serue the lawe of God: but with the fleshe, the lawe of sinne.

Notes

• (a) 1.1

  Before the cōmyng of Christe al mē were maryed and bounde to the lawe, whi¦che dyd them none other ser¦uice but disclo¦sed their sinne and wicked∣nesse, forcyng them to seke helpe for their sin elswhere. Nowe then, the law being abolisshed for her imperfec∣tion, and they cleansed tho∣rowe Gods gra••••, are spoused vnto Christe their new husband, hym to serue in newnesse of lyfe.
• (b) 1.2

  Because the bodye of Christe is made an offe∣ryng and a sa∣crifice for our sinnes, wher∣by god is plea¦sed▪ and his wrath appea∣sed: and for Christes sake 〈◊〉〈◊〉 holy ghost is geuen to all beleuers, wherby the power of sinne is in vs dayly weakened: we are counted dead to the lawe▪ 〈◊〉〈◊〉 that y^• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 hath no dominion ouer vs.
• * 1.3

  Rom. v. c. Galath. iii. b
• * 1.4

  Exod. xx. c. Deut. v. b.
• * 1.5

  Esaias lii. a.
• (c) 1.6

  Lyke as bondmen are violētly thrust hurled, & tor∣moyled, as it pleaseth their cruel maister: So are we through hea∣pes of synnes drawen to ma¦ny euil doings which we do neither lyke nor alowe.
• * 1.7

  Gene. vi. a.
• (d) 1.8

  It is cal∣led the bodye of sinne, for that it is an whole lumpe of sinne, tos∣syng and tor∣mentyng the whole man, & pluckyng him frō god, wher¦by plagues & miseries are heaped on, & man liueth as he were in the myddest of death,