UVhat shall we saye then / that Abraham oure father as pertayninge to þe; flesshe / dyd finde? A   If Abraham were iustified by ^note dedes / th&ebar; hath he wherin to reioyce: but not with god. For what sayth the scripture? Abraham beleved god / and it was counted vnto him for rightewesnes. To him that worketh / is the rewarde not reckened of favour: but of duty. To him that worketh not / but beleveth on him that iustifieth the vngodly / is his fayth counted for rightewesnes. Even as David describeth the blessedfulnes of the man vnto whom god ascribeth rihgtewesnes without dedes. ^{note note}Blessed are they / whose vnrightewesnes are forgeven / ∧ whose synnes are covered. Blessed is that m&abar; to whom the Lorde imputeth not synne.

B   Came this blessednes then vpon the circumcised or vpon the vncirc&ubar;cised? We saye verely how that fayth was rekened to Abraham for rightewesnes. How was it rekened? in the tyme of circumcision? or in the tyme before he was circumcised? Not in tyme of circ&ubar;cision: but when he was yet vncircumcised. ^noteAnd he receaved the signe of circumcision / as a seale of þt; rightewesnes which is by fayth / which fayth he had yet beynge vncirc&ubar;cised: that he shuld be the father of all them that beleve / though they be not circumcised / that rightewesnes myght be imputed to them also: C    and that he myght be the father of the circumcised / not because they are circumcised only: but because they walke also in the steppes

of that fayth þt; was in oure father Abraham before the tyme of circumcision.

For the promes that he shuld be the heyre of the worlde / was not geven to Abrah&abar; or to his seed thorow the lawe: ^note but thorow þe; rightewesnes which cometh of fayth. For yf they which are of the lawe / be heyres / then is fayth but vayne / ∧ the promes of none effecte. ^noteBecause the lawe causeth wrathe. For where no lawe is / there is no tr&abar;sgression. Therfore by fayth is the inherita&ubar;ce geven / that it myght come of faveour: and the promes myght be sure to all the seed. Not to them only which are of the lawe: but also to them which are of the fayth of Abraham / which is the father of vs all. As it is wrytten: I have made the a father to many nacions / ^note even before god whom thou hast beleved / which quyckeneth the deed / and called those thinges which be not / as though they were.

D   Which Abraham / contrary to hope / beleved in hope / that he shuld be the father of many nacions / accordynge to that which was spoken: So shall thy seed be. And he faynted not in the fayth / nor yet consydered hys awne body which was now deed / ^note even when he was almost an hondred yeare olde: nether yet that Sara was past chyldeberinge. He stackered not at the promes of God thorow vnbelefe: but was made stronge in the fayth / and gave honour to God / full certifyed / that what he had promised that he was able to make good. And therfore

was it reckened to him for rightewesnes.

It is not written for him only / that it was reckened to him for rightewesnes: but also for vs / to whom it shalbe counted for rightewesnes / so we beleve on him that raysed vp Iesus oure Lorde from deeth. ^noteWhich was delivered for oure synnes / and rose agayne forto iustifie vs.

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