Wesley Corpus

ix. 20, 21.) It is plain, therefore, the Apostle was “under the law” of Christ, though he was not “under the law” of ceremonies. Ant.--But does not St. Paul say to the believers at Rome, “Ye are not under the law, but under grace?” Friend.--He does; and his meaning is, “Ye are not under the Jewish, but the gracious Christian, dispensation:” As also in the next verse, where he says, “We are not under the law, but under grace.” 270 DIALOGUE BETW s, EN Ant.--But what does he mean, when he says to the Galatians, “Before faith came, we were kept under the law?” Friend.--Doubtless he means, we were kept under the Jewish dispensation, till we believed in Christ. (iii. 19.) And so we read in the next chapter, “When the fulness of time was come, God sent forth his Son, made under the law,” (the Jewish dispensation,) “to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons;” (verses 4, 5;) might serve God, without fear, in righteousness and holiness, with a free, loving, child-like spirit. Ant.--You cannot persuade me to this; I know better. The law of works (the moral law, as you call it) is nothing to me. “From any demand of the law, no man is obliged to go one step, to give away one farthing, to eat, or omit one morsel. For what did our Lord do with the law He abolished it.” Friend.--However, ought not we, after we believe in him, to obey all the commandments of Christ? Ant.--Obey law / works / commandments / O what “legal ness is in your spirit !” So, I suppose, “your comforts vanish away when you are not assured that you obey all Christ’s commandments !” On the contrary, “a spiritual man beholdeth justifying grace in believing, without his obedience to commands for external worship and good works.” Friend.--But how does this agree with numberless texts of Scripture? in particular, with those words of our Lord, “Think not that I am come to destroy” (or abolish) “the law: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in nowise pass from the law. Whosoever, therefore, shall break one of these least commandments, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt. v.