maye be detter vnto God because y t by y e dedes of the lawe no flesh maye be iustified in his sighte For by the lawe commeth but the knowlege of synne But now without addinge to of y e lawe is the righteousnes which avayleth before God declared hauynge witnesse of y e lawe and the prophetes but I speake of y e righteousnes before God which cōmeth by the faith on Iesus Christ vnto all and vpō all them that beleue For here is no difference For they are all synners and wāte the prayse that God shulde haue of thē but without deseruynge are they made righteous euē by his grace thorow the redempcion that is done by Christ Iesu whom God hath set forth for a Mercyseate thorow faith in his bloude to shewe the righteousnes which avayleth before him in that he forgeueth the synnes which were done before vnder the sufferaunce of God which he suffred that at this tyme he mighte shewe y e righteousnes which avayleth before him y t he onely mighte be righteous the righteous maker of him which is of the faith on Iesus Where is now then thy reioysinge It is excluded By what lawe By the lawe of workes Nay but by the lawe of faith We holde therfore that a man is iustified by faith without the workes of the lawe Or is God the God of the Iewes onely Is he not also the God of the Heythen Yes verely the God of the Heythen also for so moch as he is the God onely that iustifieth the circumcision which is of faith and the vncircūcision thorow faith Destroys we then the lawe thorow faith God forbyd But we mantayne the lawe The fourth Chapter WHat shal we saye thē that Abrahā o father as pertayninge to y e flesh dyd fynde This we saye Yf Abraham were made righteous thorow workes then hath he wherin to reioyse but not before God But what sayeth y e scripture Abrahā beleued God y t was counted vnto him for righteousnes Vnto hī y t goeth aboute w t workes is the rewarde not rekened of fauoure but of dutye Howbeit vnto him y t goeth not aboute with workes but beleueth on him y t iustifieth the vngodly is his faith counted for righteousnes Euen as Dauid sayeth also that blessednes is onely that mans vnto whō God counteth righteousnes without addinge to of workes where he sayeth Blessed are they whose vnrighteousnesses are forgeuen and whose synnes are couered Blessed is the man vnto whom the LORDE imputeth no synne Now this blessednes goeth it ouer the circūcision or ouer the vncircumcision We must nedes graunte y t Abrahās faith was coūted vnto hī for righteousnes How was it thē rekened vnto him In the circūcision or in the vncircumcision Doutles not in the circūcision but in the vncircumcision As for the tokē of circūcision he receaued it for a seale off the righteousnes off faith which he had yet in y e vncircūcision y t he shulde be a father of all thē y t beleue beinge in y e vncircūcisiō y t it might be coūted vnto thē also for righteousnes that he might be a father of circumcision not onely of thē that are of y e circumcision but of them also that walke in the fotesteppes of the faith which was in the vncircumcision of oure father Abraham For the promes that he shulde be y e heyre of the worlde was not made vnto Abraham or to his sede thorow the lawe but thorow the righteousnes of faith For yf they which are of the lawe be heyres thē is faith vayne and the promes of none effecte for so moch as the lawe causeth but wrath For where the lawe is not there is also no transgression Therfore was the promes made thorow fayth that it myght come off fauoure wherby the promesse myghte be made sure vnto all the sede not onely vnto him which is off the lawe but also vnto him that is of the faith of Abrahā which is the father of vs all As it is wrytten I haue made the a father of many Heythē before God whom thou hast beleued which quyckeneth the deed and calleth it which is not that it maye be And he beleued vpō hope where nothinge was to hope that he shulde be a father of many Heythen Acordinge as it was sayde vnto him Euen so shal thy sede be And he was not faynte in faith nether cōsidred his awne body which was deed allready whyle he was almost an hundreth yeare olde nether the deed wombe of Sara For he douted not in the promes of God thorow vnbeleue but was strōge in faith and gaue God the prayse was sure that loke what God promyseth he is able to make it good And therfore was it rekened vnto him for righteousnes But this is not wryttē onely for his sake y t it was counted vnto him but also for oure sakes vnto whō it shal be counted yf we beleue on him that raysed vp oure LORDE Iesus from the deed Which was geuen for oure synnes and raysed vp for oure righteousnesse sake The V. Chapter BEcause therfore that we are iustified by faith we haue peace with God thorow oure LORDE Iesus Christ by whō also we haue an intraunce in faith vnto this grace wherin we stonde reioyse in the hope of y e glorye for to come which God shal geue Not onely y t but we reioyse also ī troubles for so moch as we knowe y t trouble bryngeth paciēce paciēce bryngeth experiēce experiēce bryngeth hope As for hope is letteth vs not come to cōfusion because the loue of God is shed abrode in oure hertes by the holy goost which is geuen vnto vs. For whan we were yet weake acordinge to the tyme Christ dyed for vs vngodly Now dyeth there scace eny man for the righteous sake Peraduenture for a good man durst one dye Therfore doth God set forth his loue towarde vs in y t Christ dyed for vs whan we were yet synners Moch more then shal we be saued from wrath by him seynge we are now made righteous thorow his bloude For yf we were recōcyled vnto God by y e death of his sōne whā we were yet enemies moch more shal we be saued by him now y t we are reconcyled Not onely that but we reioyse also in God thorow oure LORDE Iesus Christ by whom we haue now receaued the attonement Wherfore as by one man synned entred in to the worlde and death by y e meanes off synne euen so wente death also ouer all men in so moch as they all haue synned For synne was in y e worlde vnto the lawe but where no lawe is there is not synne regarded Neuertheles death reigned from Adam vnto Moses euen ouer them also that synned not with like transgression as dyd Adam which is y e ymage of him y t was to come But it is not with the gifte as
agaynst And whā they had appoynted hī adaye there came many vnto hī in to his lodginge vnto whō he expoūded y e kyngdome of God preached vnto thē of Iesu out of y e lawe and out of the prophetes euē frō mornynge vntyll the euē And some beleued y e thinge y t he sayde but some beleued not But whā they agreed not amōge thē selues they departed whā Paul had spokē one worde Full well hath the holy goost spokē by y e prophet Esay vnto o fathers sayde Go vnto this people and saye With eares ye shal heare not vnderstōde with eyes shal ye se not perceaue For y e hert of this people is waxed grosse they heare hardly w t their eares their eyes haue they closed y t they shulde not once se w t their eyes heare w t their eares vnderstōde ī their hertes and be cōuerted y t I mighte heale thē Be it knowne therfore vnto you y t this saluaciō of God is sent vnto y e Heythē and they shal heare it And whā he sayde y t y e Iewes departed had a greate disputacion amonge thēselues But Paul abode two whole yeares in his owne hyred dwellinge receaued all thē y t came in vnto hī preachinge y e kyngdome of God and teachinge those thinges which concerne the LORDE Iesus with all boldnesse vnforbydden The ende of the Actes of the Apostles wrytten by S. Luke which was present at y e doynges of them The Epistle of the Apostle S. Paul to the Romaynes The Summe of this Epistle Chap. I. Paul declareth his loue towarde the Romaynes sheweth what the gospell is with the frute therof and rebuketh the beestlynesse of the flesh Chap. II. He rebuketh the Iewes which as touchinge synne are like the Heythē yee worse then they Chap. III. He sheweth what preferment the Iewes haue and that both the Iewes and Gētiles are vnder synne and are iustified only by the grace of God in Christ. Chap. IIII. He declareth by the exāple of Abrahā that faith iustifieth and not the lawe ner the workes therof Chap. V. The power of faith hope and loue ▪ and how death raigned frō Adā vnto Christ ▪ by whō only we haue forgeuenesse of synnes Chap. VI. For so moch as we be delyuered thorow christ from synne we must fashion oure selues to lyue as the seruauntes of God and not after oure awne lustes The vnlike rewarde of righteousnes and synne Chap. VII Christ hath delyuered vs from the lawe and death Paul sheweth what the flesh and outwarde man is and calleth it the lawe of the membres Chap. VIII The lawe of the sprete geueth life The sprete of God maketh vs Gods children and heyres with Christ. The abundaunt loue of God can not be separated Chap. IX Paul complayneth vpon the hard hertes of the Iewes that wolde not receaue Christ and how the Heythē are chosen in their steade Chap. X. The vnfaithfulnes of the Iewes Two maner of righteousnesses Chap. XI All the Iewes are not cast awaye therfore Paul warneth the Gentiles that be called not to be hye mynded ner to despyse the Iewes for the iudgmētes of God are depe and secrete Chap. XII The swete conuersacion loue and workes of soch as beleue in Christ. Chap. XIII The obedience of men vnto their rulers Loue fulfilleth the lawe It is now no tyme to folowe the workes of darknesse Chap. XIIII The weake ought not to be despysed No man shulde offende anothers conscience Agayne for outward thinges shulde no man condemne another Chap. XV. The infirmite and fraylnesse of the weake ought to be borne with all loue and kyndnesse after the ensample of Christ. Chap. XVI A chapter of salutacions He warneth them to bewarre of mens doctryne and commendeth vnto them certayne godly men that were louers and brethren in the trueth The Epistle of the Apostle S. Paul to the Romaynes The first Chapter PAVL the seruaunte of Iesus Christ called to be an Apostle put aparte to preach the Gospell of God which he promysed afore by his prophetes in y e holy scriptures off his sonne which was begottē of y e sede of Dauid after the flesh and mightely declared to be the sonne of God after the sprete which sanctifieth sence the tyme that he rose agayne from the deed namely Iesus Christ oure LORDE by whom we haue receaued grace and Apostelshippe amonge all Heythen to set vp the obedience of faith vnder his name of whom ye are a parte also which are called of Iesus Christ. To all you that be at Rome beloued of God and sayntes by callynge Grace be w t you and peace frō God oure father and the LORDE Iesus Christ. First I thanke my God thorow Iesus Christ for you all that youre faith is spoken of thorow out all the worlde For God is my witnesse whom I serue in my sprete in the Gospell of his sonne that without ceassynge I make mencion of you besekinge allwayes in my prayers that I mighte once haue a prosperous iourney by the will off God to come vnto you For I longe to se you that I mighte bestowe vpon you some spirituall gifte to strēgth you that is that I mighte be conforted with you thorow yo faith myne which we haue together But I wolde ye shulde knowe brethren how that I haue often tymes purposed to come vnto you but haue bene let hither to that I mighte do some good amonge you like as amonge other Gentyles I am detter both to the Grekes and to the vngrekes to the wyse and to the vnwyse Wherfore as moch as ī me is I am ready to preach the Gospell vnto you at Rome also For I am not ashamed of the Gospell of Christ for it is the power of God which saueth all that beleue theron the Iewe first also the Greke for in it y e righteousnes that is of value before God is opened which cōmeth out of faith ī to faith As it is wryttē The iust shal lyue by his faith For y e wrath of God is declared from heauen vpon all vngodlynes and vnrighteousnes of mē which witholde the trueth of God in vnrighteousnes because that it which maye be knowne of God is manifest with thē For God hath shewed it vnto thē that the inuisible thinges of God that is his euerlastinge power and Godheade mighte be sene whyle they are considered by the workes from the creacion of the worlde so that they are without excuse in as moch as they knewe that there is a God and haue not praysed him as God ner thanked him but became vayne in their ymaginacions and their foolish hert was blynded Whan they counted them selues wyse they became fooles and turned y e glory of the incorruptible God in to y e symilitude of y e ymage of a corruptible mā of byrdes of foure foted of crepinge
in to my mynde Wherfore do I beare my flesh in myteth and my soule in myne hondes Lo there is nether cōforte ner hope for me yf he wil slaye me But yf I shewe and reproue myne owne wayes in his sight he is euen the same that maketh me whole and why there maye no Ypocrite come before him Heare my wordes and pondre my sayenges with youre eares Beholde though sentence were geuen vpon me I am sure to be knowne for vngilty What is he that will go to lawe with me For yf I holde my tonge I shal dye Neuerthelesse graunte me ij thinges and then will I not hyde my self from the. Withdrawe thine honde fro me let not the fearfull drede of the make me afrayed And then sende for me to the lawe y t I maye answere for my self or els let me speake and geue thou the answere How greate are my myszdedes synnes Let me knowe my trāsgressions offences Wherfore hydest thou thy face and holdest me for thine enemye Wilt thou be so cruell extreme vnto a flyenge leaf and folowe vpon drye stubble that thou layest so sharply to my charge and wilt vtterly vndoo me for y e synnes of my yougth Thou hast put my fote in the stockes thou lokest narowly vnto all my pathes marckest the steppes of my fete where as I notwithstondinge must consume like as a foule carion and as a cloth that is moth eaten The XIIII Chapter MAn that is borne of a woman hath but a shorte tyme to lyue and is full of dyuerse miseries He cōmeth vp and falleth awaye like a floure He flyeth as it were a shadowe and neuer continueth in one state Thinkest thou it now well done to open thine eyes vpon soch one and to brynge me before the in iudgment Who can make it cleane that commeth of an vncleane thinge No body The dayes of man are shorte y e nombre of his monethes are knowne only vnto the. Thou hast apoynted him his boundes he can not go beyonde them Go from him that he maye rest a litle vntill his daye come which he loketh for like as an hyrelinge doth Yf a tre be cutt downe there is some hope yet that it will sproute and shute forth the braunches againe For though a rote be waxen olde and deed in the grounde yet whē the stocke getteth the sent of water it will budde and brynge forth bowes like as when it was first planted But as for man when he is deed perished and consumed awaye what becommeth of him The floudes when they be dryed vp the ryuers when they be emptie are fylled agayne thorow the flowinge waters of the see but when man slepeth he ryseth not agayne vntill the heauen perish he shal not wake vp ner ryse out of his slepe O that thou woldest kepe me and hyde me in the hell vntill thy wrath were stilled to appoynte me a tyme wherin thou mightest remembre me Maye a deed man lyue agayne All the dayes of this my pilgremage am I lokynge when my chaunginge shal come Yf thou woldest but call me I shulde obeie the only despyse not the worke of thine owne hondes For thou hast nombred all my goynges yet be not thou to extreme vpon my synnes Thou hast sealed vp myne offences as it were in a bagg but be mercifull vnto my wickednesse The mountaynes fall awaye at the last the rockes are remoued out of their place the waters pearse thorow the very stones by litle and litle the floudes waszshe awaye the grauell earth Euen so destroyest thou the hope of man in like maner Thou preuaylest agaynst him so that he passeth awaye thou chaungest his estate and puttest him from the. Whether his children come to worshipe or no he can not tell And yf they be men of lowe degre he knoweth not Whyle he lyueth his flesh must haue trauayle and whyle the soule is in him he must be in sorowe The XV. Chapter THen answered Eliphas the Themanite and sayde Shulde a wyse man geue soch an answere as it were one that spake in the wynde and fyll his stomacke with anger Thou reprouest w t wordes that are nothinge wroth and speakest the thinges which can do no good As for shame thou hast set it asyde els woldest thou not make so many wordes before God but thy wickednesse teacheth thy mouth and so thou hast chosen the a craftie tonge Thine owne mouth condemneth the and not I yee thine owne lippes shappe the an answere Art thou the first man that euer was borne Or wast thou made before the hylles hast thou herde the secrete councell of God that all wyszdome is to litle for y e What knowest thou y t we knowe not What vnderstondest thou but we can the same With vs are olde and aged men yee soch as haue lyued longer then thy forefathers Dost thou nomore regarde the comforte of God but thy wicked wordes wil not suffre the. Why doth thine herte make the so proude Why stondest thou so greatly in thine owne conceate Where vnto loke thine eyes y t thy mynde is so puft vp agaynst God lettest soch wordes go out of thy mouth What is man that he shulde be vncleane what hath he which is borne of a woman wherby he might be knowne to be rightuous Beholde he hath founde vnfaithfulnesse amōge his owne sanctes yee the very heauens are vnclene in his sight How moch more then an abhominable and vyle mā which dryncketh wickednesse like water I will tell the heare me I wil shewethe a thinge that I knowe which wyse men haue tolde hath not bene hyd from their fathers vnto whom only the londe was geuen ▪ that no straunger shulde come amonge them The vngodly despayreth all the dayes of his life the nombre of a tyrauntes yeares is vnknowne A fearfull sounde is euer in his eares when it is peace yet feareth he destruccion He beleueth neuer to be delyuered out of darcknesse the swearde is allwaye before his eyes When he goeth forth to get his lyuinge he thinketh planely that the daye of darcknesse is at honde Sorow and carefulnesse make him afrayed cōpasse him rounde aboute like as it were a kinge with his hoost redy to the battayll For he hath stretched out his honde agaynst God armed himself agaynst y e Allmightie He runneth proudly vpon him with a stiff necke fighteth he agaynst him where as he couereth his face with fatnesse and maketh his body well lykynge Therfore shall his dwellynge be in desolate cities in houses which nomā inhabiteth but are become heapes of stones He shall not be rich nether shall his substaunce continue ner encrease vpon earth He shal neuer come out of darcknesse the flame shal drye vp his braunches with y e blast of the mouth of God shal he be takē awaie He wil nether applye himself to faithfulnes ner treuth so sore is he disceaued w t
remayne And after seueÌ„ dayes the worlde that yet awaketh not shal be raysed vp shal dye corrupte And the earth shal restore those that haue slepte in her and so shall the dust those that dwell in syleÌ„ce and the secrete places shal delyuer those that be committed vnto them And yeâ—ost hyest shal be openly declared vpon the seate of iudgment all misery shal vanysh awaye and loÌ„ge suffringe shal be gathered together But the iudgment shall contynue y e trueth shal remayne and faith shal waxe stroÌ„ge the worke shal folowe and the rewarde shall be shewed the righteousnesses shall watch and the vnrighteousnesses shall beare no rule Then sayde I Abraham prayed first for the Sodomites Moses for the fathers y t synned in the wyldernes he y t came after him for Israel in y e tyme of Achas and Samuel and Dauid for y e destruccion and Salomon for them that came in to the Sanctuary Helias for those that receaued rayne and for the deed that he might lyue and Ezechias for y e people in the tyme of Senna cherib dyuerse other in like maner which haue prayed for many EueÌ„ so now seynge y e corrupte is growne vp and wickednes increased and the righteous haue prayed for the vngodly wherfore shal it not be so now also He answered me and sayde This present worlde is not y e ende there remayneth moch honoure in it therfore haue they prayed for the weake But the daye of dome shal be the ende of this tyme and y e begynnynge of the immortalite for to come wherin all corrupcion vanysheth all volupteousnes is lowsed all myszbeleue taken awaye righteousnes growne and the verite spronge vp Then shall no man be able to saue him that is destroyed ner to oppresse him y t hath gotteÌ„ y e victory I answered theÌ„ sayde This is my first last sayenge y t it had bene better not to haue geuen the earth vnto Adam or els whan it was geueÌ„ him to kepe him that he shulde not synne For what profit is it for men now in this present tyme to lyue in heuynes after death to loke for punyszment O thou AdaÌ„ what hast thou done For though it was thou y t synned thou art not falleÌ„ alone but we all y t come of the. For what profit is it vnto vs yf there be promysed vs an immortall tyme where as we medle w t deadly workes that there is promysed vs an euerlastinge hope where as we o r selues are euell vayne y t there are layed vp for vs dwellynges of health fredome where as we haue lyued euell and that the worshipe of y e Hyest is kepte to defende them which haue led a pacient life where as we haue walked in y e most wicked wayes of all and that there shal be shewed a paradyse whose frute endureth for euer wherin is fredome and medycyne where as we shal not go in for we haue walked in vnpleasaunt places And that the faces of them which haue absteyned shal shyne aboue the starres where as oure faces shal be black and darcke For whyle we lyued and dyd vnrighteously we considered not that we shulde suffre therfore after death TheÌ„ answered he me and sayde This is the consideracion thought of the battayl which man hath vpon earth that yf he be ouercome he shall suffre as thou hast sayde But yf he gett the victory he shall receaue the thinge that I saye For this is the life wherof Moses spake vnto the people whyle he lyued sayenge Chose the life that thou mayest lyue Neuertheles they beleued him not nether the prophetes after him No ner me which haue spoken vnto them that heuynes shulde not reach vnto them to their destruccion like as ioye is for to come ouer those that haue suffred theÌ„ selues to be enfourmed in saluacion I answered then sayde I knowe LORDE that the Hyest is mercyfull in y t he hath mercy vpon them which are not yet in the worlde and vpon those also that walke in his lawe and that he is pacient and longe sufferinge towarde those that haue synned in their workes and that he is liberall to geue where as it requyreth and that he is of greate mercy for he multiplieth his louynge kyndnesses towarde those that are present and that are past and to them which are for to come For yf he multiplie not his mercies the worlde shal not be made lyuynge with those that dwell therin He geueth also for yf he gaue not of his goodnesse that they which haue done euell might be eased the ten thousande parte of men shulde not be made lyuynge And yf the iudge forgaue not those y t be healed with his worde and yf he wolde destroye y e multitude that stryueth there shulde be very few left in an innumerable multitude The VIII Chapter ANd he answered me sayeÌ„ge The most hyest made this worlde for many but the worlde to come for few I wyl tell the a symilitude Eszdras As whan thou axest the earth it shal saye vnto the that it geueth moch moulde wherof erthen vessels are made but litle of it y t golde coÌ„meth of Euen so is it with the worke of this worlde There be many created but few shall be preserued Then answered I sayde Then swalowe vp the witt thou soule and deuoure the vnderstondinge for thou art agreed to herken and to geue eare and wyllinge to prophecie for thou hast no longer space geuen the but only to lyue O LORDE wilt thou not geue thy seruaunt leue y t we maye praye before the and that thou mayest geue sede vnto oure hert and buylde oure vnderstondinge that there maye come frute of it and that euery one which is corrupte and beareth the state and place of a man maye lyue For thou art alone and we all are one workmanshipe of thy handes like as thou hast sayde and like as the body is fashioned now in the childeszbed and thou geuest the membres and thy creature is preserued in fyre and water ix monethes doth thy worke suffre thy creature which is fashioned in her but the thinge that preserueth and it y t is preserued shal both be kepte together whan tyme is the childeszbedd delyuereth y e thinge that is kepte and growne in her For thou hast commaunded the brestes to geue mylck vnto the frute that the thinge which is created and fashioned maye be norished for a tyme and then thou disposest and ordrest it with thy mercy bryngest it vp with thy righteousnes nurturest it in thy lawe and refourmest it with thy vnderstondinge mortifiest it as thy creature and makest it lyuynge as thy worke Seinge then that thou destroyest him which w t so greate labours is created and fashioned thorow thy commaundement thou coudest lyghtly ordene also that the thinge which is made might be preserued And this I speake now of all men in generall as thou knowest
with the synne for yf thorow the synne of one many be deed yet moch more plenteously came the grace and gifte of God vpon many by the fauoure that belonged vnto one man Iesus Christ. And the gifte is not onely ouer one synne as death came thorow one synne of one that synned For the iudgment came of one synne vnto condempnacion but the gifte to iustifye fro many synnes For yf by y e synne of one death raigned by the meanes of one moch more shal they which receaue the abūdaunce of grace and of the gifte vnto righteousnes raigne in life by y e meanes of one Iesus Christ. Likewyse thē as by the synne of one condemnacion came on all men euen so also by the righteousnes of one came the iustififienge off life vpon all men For as by the disobedience of one many became synners euen so by the obedience of one shal many be made righteous But the lawe in the meane tyme entred that synne shulde increace Neuertheles where abundaunce of synne was there was yet more plenteousnes of grace that like as synne had reigned vnto death euē so mighte grace reigne also thorow righteousnes to euerlastinge life by the meanes of Iesus Christ. The VI. Chapter WHat shal we saye then Shal we contynue in synne that there maye be abundaunce of grace God forbyd How shal we lyue in synne y t are deed from it Knowe ye not that all we which are baptysed in to Iesu Christ are baptysed in to his death Therfore are we buried w t him by baptyme in to death that like as Christ was raysed vp from the deed by the glory of the father euen so we also shulde walke in a new life For yf we be grafted w t him vnto like death then shal we be like the resurreccion also For so moch as we knowe that oure olde man is crucified with him that the synfull body mighte ceasse that hence forth we shulde serue synne nomore For he that is deed is made righteous frō synne But yf we be deed with Christ we beleue that we shal lyue also with him and are sure that Christ raysed from the deed dyeth nomore Death shal haue nomore power ouer him For as touchinge that he dyed he dyed cōcernynge synne once but as touchinge that he lyueth he lyueth vnto God Likewyse ye also counte youre selues to be euen deed concernynge synne and to lyue vnto God thorow Iesus Christ oure LORDE Let not synne reigne therfore in youre mortall bodye that ye shulde obeye vnto the lustes of it Nether geue ye ouer youre membres vnto synne to be wapens of vnrighteousnes but geue ouer youre selues vnto God as they that off deed are become lyuynge and youre membres vnto God to be wapēs off righteousnes For synne shal not haue power ouer you in so moch as ye are not vnder the lawe but vnder grace How then Shal we synne because we are not vnder y e lawe but vnder grace God forbyd Knowe ye not that loke vnto whō ye geue ouer youre selues as seruauntes to obeye his seruauntes ye are to whom ye obey whether it be of synne vnto death or of obediēce vnto righteousnes But God be thanked that though ye haue bene the seruauntes of synne ye are now yet obedient of herte to the ensample off the doctryne whervnto ye are commytted For now that ye are made fre from synne ye are become the seruauntes of righteousnes I wil speake grosly because of the weaknes of youre flesh Like as ye haue geuen ouer youre membres to the seruyce of vnclennesse from one wickednesse to another Euē so now also geue ouer youre membres to the seruyce of righteousnesse that they maye be holy For whan ye were the seruauntes of synne ye were lowse from righteousnes What frute had ye at that tyme in those thinges wherof ye are now ashamed For the ende of soch thinges is death But now that ye be fre from synne and are become the seruauntes of God ye haue youre frute that ye shulde be holy but the ende is euerlastinge life For death is the rewarde of synne but the gifte of God is euerlastinge life The VII Chapter KNowe ye not brethren for I speake vnto them that knowe the lawe how that y e lawe hath power vpon a man as longe as he lyueth For the woman y t is in subieccion to the man is bounde vnto the lawe whyle the man lyueth but yf the man dye then is she lowsed from the lawe that concerneth the man Yf she be now with another man whyle the manlyneth she shal be called a wedlocke breaker But yf the man be deed then is she fre from the lawe so that she is no wedlocke breaker yf she be with another man Euen so my brethren ye also are deed vnto the lawe by the body of Christ that ye shulde be with another namely w t him which is raysed vp from the deed that we shulde brynge forth frute vnto God For whan we were in the flesh the synfull lustes which were stered vp by the lawe were mightie in oure membres to brynge forth frute vnto death But now are we lowsed from the lawe and deed vnto it that helde vs captyue so that we shulde serue in a new conuersacion of the sprete and not in the olde conuersacion of the letter What shal we saye then Is the lawe synne God forbyd Neuertheles I knewe not synne but by y e lawe For I had knowne nothinge of lust yf the lawe had not sayde Thou shalt not lust But then toke synne occasion at the commaundement and stered vp in me all maner of lust For without the lawe synne was deed As for me I lyued some tyme without lawe Howbeit whan the commaundement came synne renyued but I was deed And the very same commaundement that was geuen me vnto life was founde to be vnto me on occasion of death For synne toke occasion at the cōmaundement and disceaued me and slewe me by the same commaundement The lawe in dede is holy and the commaundement holy iust and good Is that then which is good become death vnto me God forbyd But synne that it mighte appeare how y t it is synne hath wroughte me death thorow good that synne mighte be out of measure synfull by the commaundement For we knowe that the lawe is spirituall but I am carnall solde vnder synne because I knowe not what I do For I do not y t I will but what I hate y t do I. Yf I do now that which I wil not thē graunte I that the lawe is good So then it is not I that do it but synne that dwelleth in me for I knowe that in me y t is in my flesh there dwelleth no good thinge To wyll is present w t me but to perfourme y t which is good I fynde not For y e good that I wyll do I not but the euell which I wil not