Chapter 7.—The New Testament is More Ancient Than the Old; But It Was Subsequently Revealed.

Here, certainly, if we ask whether this testament, which, he says, being confirmed by God was not weakened by the law, which was made four hundred and thirty years after, is to be understood as the new or the old one, who can hesitate to answer “the new, but hidden in the prophetic shadows until the time should come wherein it should be revealed in Christ”? For if we should say the old, what will that be which genders from Mount Sinai to bondage? For there was made the law four hundred and thirty years after, by which law he asserts that this testament of the promise of Abraham could not be weakened; and he will have this which was made by Abraham to pertain rather to us, whom he will have to be children of the freewoman, not of the bondwoman, heirs by the promise, not by the law, when he says, “For if the inheritance be by the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.”185    Gal. iii. 18. So that, because the law was made four hundred and thirty years after, it might enter that the offence might abound;186    Rom. v. 20. since by sin the pride of man presuming on his own righteousness is convinced of transgression, and where sin abounded grace much more abounded187    Rom. v. 20. by the faith of the now humble man failing in the law and taking refuge in God’s mercy. Therefore, when he had said, “For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no longer of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise,”188    Gal. iii. 18. as if it might be said to him, “Why then was the law made afterwards? “he added and said, “What then is the law?”189    Gal. iii. 19. To which interrogation he immediately replied, “It was added because of transgression, until the seed should come to which the promise was made.”190    Gal. iii. 19. This he says again, thus: “For if they who are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise is made of none effect: because the law worketh wrath: for where there is no law, there is no transgression.”191    Rom. iv. 14. What he says in the former testimony: “For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise,” this he says in the latter: “For if they who are of the law be heirs, faith is made void; and the promise is made of none effect;” sufficiently showing that to our faith (which certainly is of the new testament) belongs what God gave to Abraham by promise. And what he says in the former testimony, “What then is the law?” and answered, “It was added for the sake of transgression,” this he instantly added in the latter testimony, “For the law worketh wrath: for where there is no law, there is no transgression.”

7. Hic certe si quaeramus, utrum hoc Testamentum, quod dicit confirmatum a Deo non infirmari a lege quae post quadringentos et triginta annos facta est, utrum novum, an vetus intelligendum sit: quis respondere dubitet, Novum, sed in propheticis latebris occultatum, donec veniret tempus quo revelaretur in Christo? Nam si dixerimus, Vetus; quid erit illud a monte Sina in servitutem generans? Ibi enim facta est lex post quadringintos et triginta annos: qua lege hoc Testamentum promissionis Abrahae infirmari non posse confirmat; et hoc quod factum est ab Abraham, vult potius ad nos pertinere, quos vult esse filios liberae, non ancillae; haeredes ex promissione, non lege; cum dicit, Si enim ex lege haereditas, jam non ex promissione: Abrahae autem per promissionem donavit Deus . Ut quod facta lex est post quadringentos et triginta annos, ad hoc subintraverit, ut abundaret delictum; cum per peccatum praevaricationis convincitur hominis superbia de sua justitia praesumentis: et ubi abundavit delictum, superabundavit gratia (Rom. V, 20); per fidem jam humilis hominis in lege deficientis et ad Dei misericordiam fugientis. Ideo cum dixisset, Si enim ex lege haereditas, jam non ex promissione; Abrahae autem per promissionem donavit Deus: tanquam ei diceretur, Utquid ergo lex postea facta est? subjunxit atque ait, Quid ergo lex? Cui mox interrogationi reddidit, Praevaricationis gratia proposita est , donec veniret semen cui promissum est (Galat. III, 15-19). Hoc identidem ita dicit: Si enim qui ex lege, haeredes sunt; exinanita est fides, et evacuata est promissio. Lex enim iram operatur: ubi enim non est lex, nec praevaricatio (Rom. IV, 14, 15). Quod ait in illo testimonio, Si enim ex lege haereditas, jam non ex promissione; Abrahae autem per promissionem donavit Deus; hoc in isto ait, Si enim qui per legem, haeredes sunt; exinanita est fides, et evacuata promissio: 0593 satis ostendens ad fidem nostram pertinere (quae novi utique est Testamenti) quod per promissionem donavit Deus Abrahae. Et quod ait in illo testimonio, Quid ergo lex? atque respondit, Praevaricationis gratia proposita est: hoc in isto subdidit similiter, Lex enim iram operatur: ubi enim non est lex, nec praevaricatio.