Page 183
¶ Of the abolishing of the lavve of Moyses, and of the olde Testament, and of the things vvhich ought to be conside∣red therin.
[unspec 23] T. I Haue well vnderstoode all this, but I do thinke, that I haue also heard say yt the whole law of Moses was abolished. And in like sort I haue heard say yt we haue now no more to do neither with Moyses his law, nor any part of the old Testament, but wt Iesus Christ & his gospel. Wher∣fore I woulde gladly know of thee if this law of decalogue be also abolished or no, or whether we be yet subiect vnto it, or ells that we be clerely free from it, and how we ought to thinke of it. And then I do thinke yt it shal be more easye for me afterward to vnderstand, if the distinction of the law of rigour and of grace (of the which we haue lately spoken) be any thing meete in such a matter, and how we ought to vse both the one and the other. D. Beside those things wher∣of we haue alreadye spoken, we muste note if we will well vnderstand thys matter, that thys abolyshing must be con∣sidered in two sortes. The one concerning the transgressi∣on, the other the fulfillyng of the lawe. The transgression * 1.1 bryngeth with it the wrath and curse of God vpon yt trans∣gressour, and maketh euery man subiecte to that curse and wrath. The meane to be deliuered, is by fayth, by the which we embrace Iesus Christ with all the good giftes that are in hym, now it is written that he woulde become subiecte to the lawe, to deliuer from subiection of the lawe those that be subiecte thereunto: and that he being hanged vppon a tree, was made accursed for vs, bearing vpon himselfe the curse * 1.2 which was due for our transgression to abolyshe the same, and to make vs partakers of ye blessing of God, which was promysed to Abraham and to other holy Patriarches and Prophets through him. For it is he that is the true seede of * 1.3 Abraham, in & through whom that promysed blessing was sprinckled vpon all people and nations.