Commentary upon the Epistle to the Romans

Now concerning the words impossible to the law, out of question is taken for a defect or impotency: as though it were said, there was a remedy found of God, whereby the impossibility of the law was taken away. As for the particle en O, which Erasmus hath turned, that part wherein, because I think it to be causal, I choose rather to translate it, because. And albeit perhaps you shall not find such a phrase of speech with good authors of the Greek tongue: yet because the Apostles do every where use Hebrew phrases, this interpretation ought not to seem hard. Certainly the sound Readers will grant, that the cause of defect was expressed here, as we shall declare again a little after. Now whiles Erasmus putteth down of himself the principal verb, in my judgement the text doth run very well o-otherwise. The Conjunction Kai and, hath deceived Erasmus, that he should insert or thrust in the verb Praestitit: that is, he hath performed. But I think it was put for amplification sake, except any perhaps like the conjecture of the Greek glosser better, who joineth this member, and of sin, to that goeth before: namely, God sent his Son in the similitude of sinful flesh, & for sin. Howbeit, I have followed that, which I have thought to be the natural sense of Paul. Now I come unto the thing it self. Paul affirmeth plainly, that our sins were therefore done away by the death of Christ, because it was ⟨image 108⟩impossible for the law to make us righteous. Whereupon it followeth, there is more commanded in the law, then we are able to perform: because if we were able to perform the law, it were in vain to seek for remedy else where. Wherefore it is absurd that mans strength should be measured by the precepts of the law: as though God in requiring that is just, had regarded what, and how great our strength were. Because it was weak. least any should think the law were charged unreverently with weakness, or should restrain this unto ceremonies,¹ Paul hath precisely expressed, that that defect is not through the fault of the law, but through the corruption of our flesh. For we must confess if any did absolutely satisfy the law of God, he were righteous before God. So then he denieth not the law to be able to justify us, in respect of doctrine, as which containeth the perfect rule of righteousness:

Now concerning the wordes impossible to the lawe, out of questiō is takē for a defect or impotencie: as though it were said, there was a remedie founde of God, whereby the impossibilitie of the lawe was taken away. As for the particle en O, which Erasmus hath turned, that part wherein, because I thinke it to be causall, I choose rather to translate it, because. And albeit perhaps you shall not finde such a phrase of speech with good authours of the Greeke tongue: yet because the Apostles do euery where vse Hebrewe phrases, this interpretation ought not to seeme hard. Certainly the sound Readers will graunt, that the cause of defect was expressed here, as we shal declare again a little after. Now whiles Erasmus putteth down of himself ye principall verbe, in my iudgement the text doth runne verye well o-otherwise. The Coniunction Kai and, hath deceiued Erasmus, that he should insert or thrust in the verbe Praestitit: that is, hee hath perfourmed. But I think it was put for amplification sake, except any perhaps like the coniecture of the Greeke gloser better, who ioyneth this member, and of sinne, to that goeth before: namely, God sent his sonne in the similitude of sinfull flesh, & for sinne. Howebeit, I haue followed that, which I haue thought to bee the naturall sense of Paule. Nowe I come vnto the thing it selfe. Paule affirmeth plainely, that our sinnes were therefore done away by the death of Christ, because it was