very ancient translator1 of the Scriptures into Latin has this clause ; following him, Hilarius, the deacon ; then the scholiast on J erome, etc. Beza acknowledges that it is exceedingly suit- able ; for there is a manifest antithesis between, not according to grace , but according to debt [ver. 4] etc., according to the purpose of the grace of God. The Greek transcribers might easily jump from xccrd to nadd'Kip [omitting xard r. tfpofeaiv, etc.] During the time that intervened between the publication of the Appara- tus and the Gnomon, I have advanced on without inconsistency to the embracing of this clause, to which Beza is not opposed. Baumgarten has put in his negative. I have stated my reasons : he has given his ; let those judge who are able. Paul sets in opposition to each other, works and *p66 tnv, the purpose ; and at the very time too, when he is speaking definitely of certain believers, the subjects of that purpose, as in this passage, of Abraham.
6. Ka/', even) after the law was given by Moses. — Aau/5, David) David is very appositely introduced after Abraham, because both, being among the progenitors of the Messiah, received and pro- pagated the promise. No direct promise regarding the Messiah was given to Moses, because the latter (Christ) is placed in op- position to the former, and was not descended from the stem of Moses. — Xiyu rov juaxup/ff/ubv) lie [ describes ] declares the blessedness of the man , juaxupf^w, I pronounce him blessed. The words are to be thus construed : Xsysi, declares without any reference to works ; that is, David, in recounting the ground of bestowing salvation on man, makes no mention at all of works. The argument de- rived from the silence of Scripture is often quite conclusive. But David, it may be said, immediately adds, and in his spirit there is no guile , which is all the same as an allegation of works. Ans. It is not all the same. This addition has no part in the definition of the subject, but forms a part of the predicate, although not even then would the merit of works be established ; for the thief who confesses his crime, and does not guilefully deny it, does not merit pardon for his offence by that confession of his. But this is the meaning : blessed is the man to whom the
1 Some old copies of the Vulg. have the words. But the Cod. Amiatinus, the oldest MS. of the Vulg., omit them. — Ed.