Page:The works of the Rev. John Wesley, M.A., late fellow of Lincoln-College, Oxford (IA worksofrevjohnwe3wesl).pdf/85

 says he, ''make void the law through faith? God forbid! Yea, we establish the law.''

3. The strange imagination of some, that St. Paul, when he says, ''A man is justified without the works of the law, means only the ceremonial'' law, is abundantly confuted by these very words. For did St. Paul establish the ceremonial law? It is evident, he did not. He did make void that law through faith, and openly avowed his doing so. It was the moral law only of which he might truly say, We do not make void but establish this through faith.

4. But all men are not herein of his mind. Many there are who will not agree to this. Many in all ages of the church, even among those who bore the name of Christians, have contended, That the faith once delivered to the saints, was designed to make void the whole law. They would no more spare the moral than the ceremonial law, but were for hewing, as it were, both in pieces before the Lord: vehemently maintaining, "If you establish any law, Christ shall profit you nothing: Christ is become of no effect to you: ye are fallen from grace."

5. But is the zeal of these men according to knowledge? Have they observed the connection between the law and faith? And that considering that close connection between them, to destroy one is indeed to destroy both? That to abolish the moral law is in truth, to abolish faith and the law together? As leaving no proper