The Law of God, we confesse and acknawledge most just, most equall,
most holy, and most perfite; commanding those thingis, whiche being
wrocht in perfectioun, war able to geve lyfe, and [able] to bring man
to eternall felicitie: But our nature is so corrupt, so weak, and
imperfite, that we ar never able to fulfill the workis of the Law in
perfectioun; yea, "Yf we say we have no syn, (evin after we ar
regenerat,) we deceive our selfis, and the veritie of God is not into
us." And thairfoir it behoved us to apprehend Christ Jesus, with his
justice and satisfactioun, who is the end and accomplishment of the
Law, to all that beleve, by whome we ar sett at this libertie, that
the curse and maledictioun of God,[239] fall not upoun us, albeit that
we fulfill not the same in all pointis. For God the Father beholding
us in the body of his Sone Christ Jesus, accepteth oure imperfyte
obedience as it ware perfite, and coverith our workis, whiche ar
defyled with many spottis, with the justice of his Sone. We do not
meane that we ar so set at libertie, that we awe no obedience to the
Law, (for that befoir we have plainelie confessed); but this we
affirme, that no man in earth, (Christ Jesus onlie excepted,) hath
gevin, geveth, or shall geve in work, that obedience to the Law which
the Law requyreth. But when we have done all thingis, we must fall
doun and unfeanedlie confess, "That we ar unprofitable servandis." And
thairfoir whosoever boast thame selves of the merittis of thair awin
workis, or putt thair trust in the workis of supererogatioun, they
boast thame selfis of that whiche is not, and putt thair trust in
damnable idolatrie.
[239] In the MSS. of Knox, "maledictioun of the Law."