who have sinned in the law shall he judged by the law. For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall he justified. For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which show that the work of the law is written in their hearts, their conscience also hearing witness to them, and their thoughts within themselves either accusing or excusing each other (Rom. ii. 11-15). That is, or signifies, thus much:
35. When the Gentiles do apprehend Christ, then they do apprehend the law of nature to do uprightly, for Christ is the beginning, and the fulfilling, of the law. But the Jews have the law. Now whosoever transgresses and sins (either the Jew in the law of nature, or the Gentile who acknowledges Christ in the law of the fulfilling), each shall be punished or judged in his law; viz. the Jew in the law of God the Father in Christ, and the Christian in the law of the Gospel, viz. in the law of the accomplishment.
36. For here is no respect of name, in that one says, I am a Jew, the other, I am a Christian. The name makes no difference in the adoption of God, but the spirit in the heart to do uprightly, to obey God. They all come in the grace under the obedience of Christ unto God; both the Jew and the Christian.
37. For without Christ there is neither law nor Gospel; Christ is the righteousness which avails before God in the law, so that man, without Christ, has no God. Now let him run either in the law or Gospel, if he runs in the desire to obey God, then he runs in the law of the accomplishment; for Christ is the only obedience which avails before God, both in the law and Gospel. All men who give up themselves in obedience unto God, they are received in Christ's obedience, viz. in the fulfilling of the obedience, the Jew and the Christian, and so likewise the heathen who has neither the law nor Gospel.
38. For if the Gentile desires to obey the only God, and yet knows him not according to the essence of his manifestation, but presses into the obedience of God, then he is a law unto himself; and declares indeed that God has written his law in him, which he has fulfilled in his Son, as Paul says. For he who knows the law and Gospel, knows the same only as a gift of the Giver, who has given him the knowledge; but he that does not know it, and yet desires the power of the law and Gospel, in him God in Christ knows what he pleases.
39. For grace does not lie only in knowing, that one knows the grace in Christ; but it lies in the pressing into that grace, and in the mercy of God. One presses into mercy in the law, the other in the Gospel, and the third without the law, and without the knowledge of the Gospel; he that has neither, but hangs on the grace of God, the same is freely given without his knowledge of it.
40. Even as the branch on the tree does not know whence the stock does introduce the sap and power into it, it only longs and gasps after the power and virtue of the root, and draws with its desire the sap into itself; even so likewise many an ignorant man does long after his eternal mother, out of whom he is arisen with Adam, and comes in his ignorance [or unknowing condition] again unto the free gift of grace which God freely bestowed on Adam in his fall. For the Covenant and grace passed from Adam upon all originally or by way of inheritance, even as sin passed from one upon all: whosoever desires the grace of the only God, he obtains it in Christ, who is the grace itself.
41. The Jews will not believe the outward humanity of Christ, and do deny the same. But the Christians do believe it, and yet defile the same with ungodly conversation; and the one is as the other before God, except the children of faith among the Jews and Christians, whose defiled garment is washed in the blood of Christ.
42. We do not hereby confirm or speak for the unbelief of the Jews and Gentiles, that they should or might remain in blindness, for the time of their visitation is at hand,l that they shall see; but we hereby disclose and lay open the wicked Antichrist among the Jews and Christians, in that everyone boasts of his name, and condemns
who have sinned in the law shall he judged by the law. For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall he justified. For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which show that the work of the law is written in their hearts, their conscience also hearing witness to them, and their thoughts within themselves either accusing or excusing each other (Rom. ii. 11-15). That is, or signifies, thus much:
35. When the Gentiles do apprehend Christ, then they do apprehend the law of nature to do uprightly, for Christ is the beginning, and the fulfilling, of the law. But the Jews have the law. Now whosoever transgresses and sins (either the Jew in the law of nature, or the Gentile who acknowledges Christ in the law of the fulfilling), each shall be punished or judged in his law; viz. the Jew in the law of God the Father in Christ, and the Christian in the law of the Gospel, viz. in the law of the accomplishment.
36. For here is no respect of name, in that one says, I am a Jew, the other, I am a Christian. The name makes no difference in the adoption of God, but the spirit in the heart to do uprightly, to obey God. They all come in the grace under the obedience of Christ unto God; both the Jew and the Christian.
37. For without Christ there is neither law nor Gospel; Christ is the righteousness which avails before God in the law, so that man, without Christ, has no God. Now let him run either in the law or Gospel, if he runs in the desire to obey God, then he runs in the law of the accomplishment; for Christ is the only obedience which avails before God, both in the law and Gospel. All men who give up themselves in obedience unto God, they are received in Christ's obedience, viz. in the fulfilling of the obedience, the Jew and the Christian, and so likewise the heathen who has neither the law nor Gospel.
38. For if the Gentile desires to obey the only God, and yet knows him not according to the essence of his manifestation, but presses into the obedience of God, then he is a law unto himself; and declares indeed that God has written his law in him, which he has fulfilled in his Son, as Paul says. For he who knows the law and Gospel, knows the same only as a gift of the Giver, who has given him the knowledge; but he that does not know it, and yet desires the power of the law and Gospel, in him God in Christ knows what he pleases.
39. For grace does not lie only in knowing, that one knows the grace in Christ; but it lies in the pressing into that grace, and in the mercy of God. One presses into mercy in the law, the other in the Gospel, and the third without the law, and without the knowledge of the Gospel; he that has neither, but hangs on the grace of God, the same is freely given without his knowledge of it.
40. Even as the branch on the tree does not know whence the stock does introduce the sap and power into it, it only longs and gasps after the power and virtue of the root, and draws with its desire the sap into itself; even so likewise many an ignorant man does long after his eternal mother, out of whom he is arisen with Adam, and comes in his ignorance [or unknowing condition] again unto the free gift of grace which God freely bestowed on Adam in his fall. For the Covenant and grace passed from Adam upon all originally or by way of inheritance, even as sin passed from one upon all: whosoever desires the grace of the only God, he obtains it in Christ, who is the grace itself.
41. The Jews will not believe the outward humanity of Christ, and do deny the same. But the Christians do believe it, and yet defile the same with ungodly conversation; and the one is as the other before God, except the children of faith among the Jews and Christians, whose defiled garment is washed in the blood of Christ.
42. We do not hereby confirm or speak for the unbelief of the Jews and Gentiles, that they should or might remain in blindness, for the time of their visitation is at hand,l that they shall see; but we hereby disclose and lay open the wicked Antichrist among the Jews and Christians, in that everyone boasts of his name, and condemns
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