¶ What preferment than hath the Jewe? other what advantageth circumcision? Surely very much. First unto them was committed the word of God. What then though some of them did not believe? shall their unbelief make the promise of God without effect? God forbid. Let God be true, and all men liars, as it is written: That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings and shouldest overcome when thou art judged. If our unrighteousness make the righteousness of God more excellent: what shall we say? Is God unrighteous which taketh vengeance? (I speak after the manner of men.) God forbid. For how then shall God judge the world? if the verity of God appear more excellent thorow my lie, unto his praise, why am I hence forth judged as a sinner? and say not rather (as men evil speak of us, and as some affirm that we say) let us do evil, that good may come thereof. Whose damnation is just.
¶ What say we then? Are we better than they? no, in no wise. For we have all ready proved how that both Jewes and gentiles are all under sin, as it is written: There is none righteous, no not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God, they are all gone out of the way, they are all made unprofitable, there is none that doeth good, no not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre, with their tongues they have deceived: the poison of Aspes is under their lips. whose mouths are full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood. Destruction and wretchedness are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes.
¶ Yea and we know that whatsoever the law saith, he saith it to them which are under the law: That all mouths may be stopped, and all the world be subdued to God, because that by the deeds of the law, shall no flesh be justified in the sight of God. For by the law cometh the knowledge of sin.
¶ Now verily is the righteousness that cometh of God declared with out the fulfilling of the law having witness yet of the law, and of the prophets. The righteousness no doubt which is good before God cometh by the faith of Iesus Christ unto all, and upon all them that believe.
¶ For there is no difference, all have sinned, and lack the praise that is of valour before God: but are justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Iesu, whom God hath made a seat of mercy thorow faith in his blood, to shew the righteousness which before him is of valour, in that he forgiveth the sins that are passed, which God did suffer to shew at this time: the righteousness that is allowed of him, that he might be counted just, and a justifier of him which believeth on Iesus.
¶ Where is then thy rejoicing? It is excluded. By what law? by the law of workes? Nay: but by the law of faith.
¶ We suppose therefore that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. Is he the God of the jewes only? Is he not also the God of the gentiles? He is no doubt, God also of the gentiles. For it is God only which justifieth circumcision, which is of faith: and uncircumcision throwe faith. Do we then destroy the law throwe faith? God forbid. We rather maintain the law.
© Faith of God
William Tyndale 1526