Chapter 3.—Scriptural Confirmation of the Catholic Doctrine.

This is what we say; this is that about which they object to us that we say “that the law was so given as to be a cause of greater sin.” They do not hear the apostle saying, “For the law worketh wrath; for where no law is, there is no transgression;”159    Rom. iv. 15.    Matt. xix. 4. and, “The law was added for the sake of transgression until the seed should come to whom the promise was made;”160    Gal. iii. 19.    Isa. i. 19. and, “If there had been a law given which could have given life, righteousness should altogether have been by the law; but the Scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.”161    Gal. iii. 21, 23.    Eph. v. 26. Hence it is that the Old Testament, from the Mount Sinai, where the law was given, gendereth to bondage, which is Agar. “Now we,” says he, “are not children of the bondmaid but of the freewoman.”162    Gal. iv. 24, 31.    Ps. cxliii. 10. Therefore they are not children of the freewoman who have accepted the law of the letter, whereby they can be shown to be not only sinners, but moreover transgressors; but they who have received the Spirit of grace, whereby the law itself, holy and just and good, may be fulfilled. This is what we say: let them attend and not contend; let them seek enlightenment and not bring false accusations.

3. Ecce quod dicimus: ecce unde nobis objiciunt, quod «sic legem» dicamus «datam, ut gravioris sit causa peccati:» non audientes Apostolum dicentem, Lex enim iram operatur; ubi enim non est lex, nec praevaricatio (Rom. IV, 15); et, Lex praevaricationis gratia posita est , donec veniret semen cui promissum est; et, Si data esset lex quae posset vivificare, omnino ex lege esset justitia: sed conclusit Scriptura omnia sub peccato, ut promissio ex fide Jesu Christi daretur credentibus (Galat. III, 19, 21, 22). Hinc est quod vetus Testamentum ex monte Sina, ubi lex data est, in servitutem generat , quod est Agar. Nos autem, inquit, non sumus ancillae filii, sed liberae (Id. IV, 24, 31). Non sunt itaque liberae filii, qui legem acceperunt litterae, qua possent non solum peccatores, verum etiam praevaricatores insuper demonstrari; sed qui spiritum gratiae, quo lex ipsa sancta et justa et bona possit impleri. Ecce quod dicimus: intendant, et non contendant; illuminentur, et non calumnientur.