25. So then, as we are not to deny that this is the gift of God, we are thus to understand that there be some gifts of God possessed by the sons of that Jerusalem which is above,74    Gal. iv. 26 and free, and mother of us all, (for these are in some sort the hereditary possessions in which we are “heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ:”) but some other which may be received even by the sons of concubines to whom carnal Jews and schismatics or heretics are compared. For though it be written, “Cast out the bondmaid and her son, for the son of the bondmaid shall not be heir with my son Isaac:”75    Gal. iv. 30; and Gen. xxi. 10 and though God said to Abraham, “In Isaac shall thy seed be called:” which the Apostle hath so interpreted as to say, “That is, not they which be sons of the flesh, these be the sons of God; but the sons of the promise are counted for the seed;”76    Gen. xxi. 12; and Rom. ix. 7, 8 that we might understand the seed of Abraham in regard of Christ to pertain by reason of Christ to the sons of God, who are Christ’s body and members, that is to say, the Church of God, one, true, very-begotten, catholic, holding the godly faith; not the faith which works through elation or fear, but “which worketh by love;”77    Gal. v. 6 nevertheless, even the sons of the concubines, when Abraham sent them away from his son Isaac, he did not omit to bestow upon them some gifts, that they might not be left in every way empty, but not that they should be held as heirs. For so we read: “And Abraham gave all his estate unto Isaac; and to the sons of his concubines gave Abraham gifts, and sent them away from his son Isaac.”78    Gen. xxv. 5, 6 If then we be sons of Jerusalem the free, let us understand that other be the gifts of them which are put out of the inheritance, other the gifts of them which be heirs. For these be the heirs, to whom is said, “Ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but ye have received the spirit of adoption of sons, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.”79    Rom. viii. 15

25. Proinde sicut negandum non est hoc esse donum Dei, ita intelligendum est alia esse Dei dona filiorum illius Jerusalem, quae sursum libera est mater nostra.

CAPUT XXVIII.

Dona filiorum haeredum et dona filiorum exhaeredatorum diversa. (Haec sunt enim quodam modo haereditaria, in quibus sumus haeredes Dei, cohaeredes autem Christi); alia vero quae possunt accipere etiam filii concubinarum, quibus Judaei carnales et schismatici vel haeretici comparantur. Quamvis enim scriptum sit, Ejice ancillam et filium ejus; neque enim haeres erit filius ancillae cum filio meo Isaac (Gal. IV, 26, 30, et Gen. XXI, 10): et Abrahae dixerit Deus, In Isaac vocabitur tibi semen (Gen. XXI, 12, et Rom. IX, 7 et 8): quod sic est Apostolus interpretatus, ut diceret, Id est, non qui filii carnis, hi filii Dei; sed filii promissionis deputantur in semine ut intelligeremus semen Abrahae secundum Isaac propter Christum ad Dei filios pertinere, qui sunt corpus Christi et membra, id est, Ecclesia Dei una, vera, germana, catholica, tenens piam fidem; non eam quae per elationem vel timorem, sed eam quae per dilectionem operatur (Galat. V, 6): tamen etiam filios concubinarum quando a filio suo Isaac dimisit Abraham, nonnulla eis largitus est munera, ne relinquerentur omni modo inanes, non ut tenerentur haeredes. Sic enim legimus: Dedit autem Abraham omnem censum suum Isaac filio suo; et filiis concubinarum suarum dedit Abraham munera, et dimisit eos ab Isaac filio suo (Gen. XXV, 5, 6). Si ergo filii sumus liberae Jerusalem, alia dona exhaeredatorum, alia intelligamus haeredum. Hi enim haeredes sunt, quibus dicitur: Non enim accepistis spiritum servitutis iterum in timorem; 0625 sed accepistis spiritum adoptionis filiorum, in quo clamamus, Abba, Pater (Rom. VIII, 14-17).