Scottish Text Society publications > Old series > New Testament in Scots > Volume 3, 1905

ANE PROLOUGE TO THE ROMANIS. 327
Faith, then, is anne lyffly ande steadfast traist in the
fauour of Code, quhair with we commyt our selfis al haill
vnto Code. Ande that traist is sua suirly grundit, ande
stykkis sa fast in our hartis, that a man wald not doutht
5 of it, thoutht he suld dee ane thousande deadis or tymes
thairfor. Ande sic traist wrocht be the Haly Gaist throw
faith makis anne man glaide, lusty, cheirfull, ande trew
harttit vnto Code ande to all creatures. Be the meaniss
of this faith, willingly and without compulsiounn, he is
10 glaide, and reddy to do gude to euiry man, to do service
to ewiry man, to suffyr al thingis, that God may be lowit
and prayssed, quhilk had gewin him sick grace; sua that
jt is impossibile to separate gude werkis fra faith, ewin
as it is jmpossibile to seperate heife and byrning fra fyr.
15 Thairfore tak hede to thi selff, ande bewar of thi awin
fanthasyes ande ymagynationns, quhilk to juge of faith
and gude werkis will semme wyse, quhen in deide thai ar
stark blynde, and of al thingis maist fwillysche. Pray
Code that he will witschaiffe to wirke faith in thinne hart,
20 or ellis sal thow remaynne ewirmair faithless; faynne thow,
ymagynne thow, enforce thou, werssile with thi selff, and
do quhat thou wil or cann.
Rychtwisnes is ewin sick faith; ande is callit Goddis
rychtwisnes, or rychtwisnes quhilk is of valour befor Code.
25 For it is Godis gyft, ande it alteris anne man, ande chenggis
him in to anne new spirituall nature, ande makis him fre
ande liberall to paye ewery man is dewtye. For throw
faith is anne mann purgit of his synnes, ande obtenis luf
vnto the lawe of Code; quhairby he giffis Code his honour,
30 ande payis him at he awgtht him ; ande to men he dois
seruice willingly, quhairwith sa euir he can, ande payis
euiry man is dewtye. Syck rychtwisnes can nature, fre
will, ande our awin strentht neuir brynge to pass. For
as na man can gif him self faith, sua can he not tak away
35 vnbeleiff; how then cann he tak away ony [sin] of all?
Quhairfor al js falss ypocricy ande syn, quhat sa euir is
donne without faith or in vnbeleife, as it is euident in the
xiiij chapture to the Romanis, thocht it appeire neuir sa
gloriouss and bewtyfull outwart.
2. haill: ‘to gedyr.’ 4. not: ‘not once.’ 5. deadis
or: added by the copyist. 9. of this faith: ‘where of.’
11. lowit: ‘loved.’ 21. werssile: ‘ wrastyll ’ ; N., C 38,
‘wrestle.’ 28. luf: ‘luste.’ 35. ony [sin] of all: T.,
T 34, D., ‘any sinne at all’; GH., T 36, ‘any at all’; M 37,
‘any thing at all’; N., C 38, ‘ony of alle.’
FAITH,
qubat it is.
F. 238 r.
Faith is
rychtwis-
ness.