The great mercy of God is declared toward man in Christ Jesus, whose righteousness is made ours through faith. For when man by reason of his own corruption could not fulfill the Law, yea, committed most abominably, both against the Law of God and nature, the infinite bounty of God, mindful of h is promise made to his servant Abraham, the father of all believers, ordained that man’s salvation should only stand in the perfect obedience of his Son Jesus Christ: so that not only the circumcised Jews, but also the uncircumcised Gentiles should be saved by faith in him: even as Abraham before he was circumcised, was counted just only through faith, and yet afterward received circumcision, as a seal or badge of the same righteousness by faith. And to the intent, that none should think that the covenant which God made to him, and his posterity, was not performed: either because the Jewsreceived not Christ (which was the blessed seed) or else believed not that he was the true redeemer, because he did not only, or at least more notably preserve the Jews, the examples of Ismael and Esau declare, that all are not Abraham’s posterity, which come of Abraham according to the flesh: but also the very strangers and Gentiles grafted in by faith, are made heirs of the promise. The cause whereof is the only will of God: forasmuch as of his free mercy he electeth some to be saved, and of his just judgement rejecteth others to be damned, as appeared by the testimonies of the Scriptures. Yet to the intent that the Jews should not be to much beaten down, nor the Gentiles to much puffed up, the example of Elias proveth, that God hath yet his elect even of the natural posterity of Abraham, though it appeareth not so to man’s eye: and for that preferment that the Gentiles have, it procedeth of the liberal mercy of God, which he at length will stretch toward the Jews again, and so gather the whole Israel (which is his Church) of them both. This ground work of faith and doctrine laid, instructions of Christian manners follow: teaching every man to walk in roundness of conscience in his vocation, with all patience and humbleness, reverencing, and obeying the magistrate, exercising charity, putting off the old man, and putting on Christ, bearing with the weak, and loving one another according to Christ’s example. Finally St. Paul after his commendations to the brethren exhorts them to unity, and to flee false preachers and flatters, and so concludeth with a prayer.