Tell me (ye that desyre to be vnder the lawe) do ye not heare of the lawe? For it is written, that Abraham had two sonnes, the one by a bonde mayde, the other by a free moman. Yea, and he whiche was borne of the bonde woman was borne after the fleshe, but he whiche was of the free woman, was borne by promise.
But peculiarly to speake vnto suche of you, as are contented to fall backe to Iewishnes, I beseche you answere me: If Moses lawe so great¦ly please you, why folowe ye not the authoritie of it, if ye distrust the gos∣pel? Euen very Moses lawe selfe would suche as are receiued into the felowship of Christ, to be free from bondage of the lawe. Ye receiued the lawe, but ye geue none eare to that it sayd, or if ye gaue eare vnto it, ye vnderstande it not, because ye cleaue to the litterall meanyng onely, and pearce not to the spiritual sence therof. For it is written in the booke of Genesis, that Abraham the beginner and father of all right beleuers had two sonnes, of whom the elder called Ismael he begatte of Agar the bonde maide, the yonger called Isaac, he had of his lawfull wife Sara. He that was borne of the handemaide, was borne as children are comen∣ly wont to be, and was nothing but Abrahams sōne, euen as the Iewes be, be they neuer so farre from Christ. He that was borne of the free wife, contrarye to the comon course of nature was borne of a barrain mother, of an olde father, accordyng as God had promised: so that them, whom age and weakenes of body put in desperacion of hauyng an heyre, Gods promise put in perfite assuraūce to haue a child. The fyrst childe therfore was the childe of nature, the other was the childe of fayth.