therefore the inheritance is of faith, that it might be meerly of favour, to the end the promise might be assured to all his posterity, not to that part only who have the law, but to that also who have the faith of Abraham, the father of us all, as it is written,

For as many as have sinned without the law, shall also perish without the law: and as many as have sinned under the law, shall be condemned by the law,

when the Gentiles who have not the law, do by nature what the law prescribes, tho' these have not the law, they are a law to themselves:

Do we then conclude, that the law is the cause of sin? by no means; but I should not have had such a notion of sin, had it not been for the law: for I should not have known concupiscence was a sin, unless the law had said, "thou shalt not covet."

but I perceive in the animal part of me another law warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin, which is in my animal part.

for not the bare hearers of the law, but they who observe the law, are such as shall be justified, before God.

and you, who glory in the law, do you dishonour God by the violation of the law?

Circumcision indeed is an advantage, if you keep the law: but if you violate the law, your being a Jew makes you no better than a heathen.

and shall not a Gentile, tho' he is not actually circumcised, if he fulfil the law, condemn thee, who, tho' literally circumcised, dost yet transgress the law?

Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law: that every one may be silenc'd, and all the world plead guilty before God.

for by the observation of the law no one shall be justified in his sight, since it is the law that takes cognizance of sin.

but the divine justification certified by the law and the prophets, is now clearly proposed independently of the law:

what reason then is there for boasting? it is excluded. what, by the ceremonial law? no: but by the law of faith.

do we then make the law useless by our doctrine of faith? by no means; on the contrary, it is we that observe the law.

because the effect of the law is punishment: for if there had been no law, there could have been no transgression.

sin indeed was in the world all the time before the law: but then sin is not punished when there is no law.

Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to Jews acquainted with the law) that the law hath authority over a man, till it be abrogated?

but now we are delivered by the death of the law, which held us in bondage: that we might serve according to the living spirit, and not in the dead letter of the law.

the divine grace thro' Jesus Christ our Lord. so then, with the mind I my self am devoted to the law of God; tho' my carnal inclinations are enslaved to the law of sin.

but Israel, who followed the law of justice, hath not attained to the law of justice.