Commentary on Romans, Biblical exegesis 1 · Chapter 5 · Section 3 · Subsection 22 – Subsection 27
Quest. 22. Whether the death of the bodie be naturall, or inflicted by reason of sinne.
1. Seneca hath this saying, mors hominis non poena est, sed natura, death is the nature of man, not a punishment: and of the same opinion seemeth Iosephus to be, who writeth, lib. 1. antiquit. that Adam, if he had not sinned, futurum fuisse longissima vita tardissima que senectute, should hauehave had a long life, and a slow old age, &c. he thinketh then, that he should hauehave died, though it had beene long first. The Pelagians also were in the same error, that Adam was by reason of his nature subiect to death, not because of sinne, as Agustine reporteth their opinion, lib. 1. de peccat. merit. c. 9. and wicked Socinus agreeth with them, that death is naturally incident to men, as to briut beasts: and that Adams posteritie is subiect to death, propter propagationem generis, non imputationem peccati, because of the propagation of their kind, and nature, not for the imputation of sinne.
2. But this opinion is diuersly confuted by the Scriptures. 1. Man was at the first created according to Gods image: then as God is immortal, so man if he had not sinned, should also hauehave beene immortall. 2. the Apostle saith, Rom. 6.23. the wages of sinne is death, he speaketh of death in generall: euerie kind of death both spirituall and corporall, is the reward of sinne. 3. the propagation of sinne doth indeede bring with it also propagation of death: as the Apostle here saith, sinne entred by Adam, and death by sinne: if sinne then had not entred, neither should death hauehave entred.
3. But thus it is obiected on the contrarie, that death to mankind is naturall, and not brought in by sinne.
1. Obiect. The bodie of man is compounded of dissonant and contrarie qualities, and therefore naturally is apt to be dissolued: and if there be a naturall aptnesse and power to die, there should also hauehave followed a naturall act of dying.
Answ. 1. Pererius answeareth, that indeede, if man be considered, secundum nudam natura conditionem, according to the bare and naked condition of his nature, he was by nature mortall, as other creatures: but beeing considered as he receiued a supernaturall grace from God, death was not naturall, but a punishment of sinne, Perer. numer. 34. But this answear is insufficient and vntrue: for there should not hauehave beene so much as any possibilitie of death in the world, if sinne had not entred: he then answeareth onelyonly concerning the act of dying, which should be suspended by a supernaturall gift, he taketh not away the possibilitie of dying: and this supernaturall gift was no other then the dignitie and excellencie of mans nature made by creation immortall, if he had not sinned. 2. wherefore our more full answear is, that mans bodie, though consisting of diuerse elements, yet was made of such an harmonaicall constitution and temper, as no dissolution should hauehave followed, if he had not sinned: such as shall be the state and condition of our bodies in the resurrection.
2. Obiect. If death be the punishment of sinne, God should be the author of death, because he is the author of punishment.
Answ. 1. Pererius saith, that God is not directly the cause of death, but either consequenter, by way of consequent, because he made man of a dissoluble matter, whereupon death ensueth: or occasionaliter, by way of occasion, because he tooke away from man that supernaturall gift whereby he should hauehave beene preserued from mortallitie: but God efficiciter, is not the efficient cause of death, which is a meere priuation. But this answear also is insufficient: for neither should death hauehave followed by reason of any such dissoluble matter, if Adam had not sinned: neither needed there any such supernaturall gift, beside the priuiledge and dignitie of mans creation. 2. wherefore we answer further, that as God created light, darkenes he created not, but disposed of it: so he made not death, but as it is a punishment: God, as a disposer rather, and a iust iudge, then an author, inflicteth it.
3. Obiect. Christ died, and yet had no sinne, therefore death is a naturall thing, not imposed as a punishment for sinne.
Answ. 1. Origen here answeareth, that as Christ knewe no sinne, yet per assumptionem … uis dicitur factus esse peccatum, &c. yet by the taking of our flesh he is said to be made sinne for vsus, so also he died for vsus, &c. the death then which he vndertooke was not a punishment vponupon him, in respect of his owne sinne, which he had not: but of ours, which was imputed vntounto him. 2. Origen saith further, mortem, quam nulli debuit, sponte, non necessitate suscepit, the death which he ought to none, he did willingly vndertake, not of necessitie, as Christ himselfe saith, I hauehave power to lay down my life, and power to take it againe. 3. adde herevnto, that mors in eo imperium non habuit, &c. death had no power or command ouer lum, Mart. for he rose againe from death triumphantly, which sheweth that he yeelded not vntounto death of necessitie, for then he could not hauehave shaken off so soone the bands of death againe.
Quest. 23. Of the meaning of the Apostle in these words, in whom all hauehave sinned, and of the best reading thereof, ver. 12.
1. Erasmus will hauehave the words foreign, to be interpreted, eo quod, or quandoquidem, in so much, or because, so also Calvin, Martyr, Osiander, and our English translations, and Erasmus reason is, because the Scripture vseth an other phrase in that sense, as 1. Cor. 15.22. as in Adam all die, the words are not foreign, but foreign: But this reason may be easily taken away: for sometime in Scripture the preposition foreign, is taken for foreign, as Heb. 9.17. foreign the testament is confirmed in the dead, Beza: and Heb. 9.10. foreign, in meates: And this interpretation of Erasmus, is the rather to be misliked, because he would not hauehave this vnderstood of originall sinne, but of eueryevery ones proper and particular sinnes, as Theodoret before him, and so we should want a speciall place for the proofe of originall sinne.
2. Wherefore the better reading is, in whom, that is, in Adam all hauehave sinned, so reade Origen, Chrysostome, Phatius in Oecumenius, Theophylact, whom Beza, Pareus followe: and there are three things, which may serue for the antecedent to this relatiue, in whom, either sinne, or death, or that one man, namely Adam before spoken of, but not the first, because sinne in the Greeke tongue foreign, is of the feminine gender: and so cannot answer vntounto the Greeke relatiue, which is of the masculine gender: nor the second: for it were an improper speech to say in the which (death) all hauehave sinned: for as Augustine saith, in peccato moriuntur homines, August. lib. 4. cont. 2. epist. Pelag. c. 4.non in morte peccant, men die in sinne, they are not said to sinne in death, and so Augustine resolueth, that in primo homine omnes peccasse intelliguntur, all are vnderstood to hauehave sinned in the first man Adam, &c. and to this purpose Augustine in the same place alleadgeth Hilarius.
Quest. 24. Whether the Apostle meane originall, or actuall sinnes, saying, in whom all hauehave sinned.
1. Erasmus in his annotations vponupon this place, contending that it should be rather read, for as much as all men hauehave sinned, then, in whom all men hauehave sinned, thinketh that this place is not vnderstood of originall, but of actuall sinnes: who although he professe, that he is an enemie to the heresie of the Pelagians, which denie originall sinne: yet contendeth both by the authoritie of the Fathers, as Hierome and Origen, and by the scope of the place, that the Apostle must be vnderstood to speake of actuall sinnes: But all this may easily be answered. 1. those commentaries which passe vnderunder the name of Hierome, are verily thought not to be his,lib. 3. de remission. peccat. c. 123. but Augustine coniectureth, that they might be written by Pelagius: that supposed author excepteth Abraham, Isaac, Iacob, that they were free from this death, namely the spiriturall death of the soule, whereas euen they also without the merciemercy of God, were subiect by nature vntounto euerlasting death. 2. But Origen manifestly interpreteth the Apostle to speake of originall sinne: for he saith, as Leui was in Abrahams Ioynes when he payed tithes to Melchizedeck, sic omnes homines erant iu lumbis Adae, &c. so all men that are born were in the Ioynes of Adam, and when he was expelled out of Paradise, they were expelled with him, &c. 3. touching the scope of the place that which followeth, v. 13. vntounto the time of the lawe was sinne in the world, comprehendeth also originall sinne (which Erasmus would hauehave vnderstood onelyonly of actuall, that this place might be taken so likewise) as shall be further shewed, when we come to that place.
2. But Theodoret goeth yet further then Erasmus, for he doth not onelyonly exclude originall sinne here, applying the Apostles words onelyonly to actuall sinne: but he thinketh further, that Adams sinne was not the cause of the entrance of sinne vponupon his posteritie, but the occasion onelyonly: for they hauing sinned became mortall: and beeing mortall, they begat mortall children, and so were subiect to perturbations, and consequently vntounto sinne, and so he concludeth, vim peccati non esse naturalem, &c. that the force of sinne is not naturall: for then they which sinne should be free from punishment, (for that which is naturall cannot be helped) sed naturam ad peccatum procliuem esse factam: but yet nature was made prone and apt to sinne: to this purpose Theodoret: But the Apostle euidently sheweth, that not onelyonly death is entred into the world, but sinne also: for how could infants in the iustice of God be subiect vntounto death, if they were not also guiltie of sinne.
3. But the Pelagians goe yet a steppe further, and denie that there is any originall sinne at all, and that Adams sinne is not transfused to his posteritie by any naturall propagation, but onelyonly a corrupt imitation: which heresie shall be confuted among the controversies.
Quest. 25. Of the coherence of these words, vntounto the time of the lawe was sinne in the world.
1. Some make this connexion, that the Apostle directly prooueth his former assertion, v. 12. that in Adam all sinned, and therefore are subiect to death: and this is prooued by the contrarie: because before there was any lawe giuen, men were not punished for their actuall sinnes, which were then in the world: for there is no imputation of sinne vntounto punishment, where is no lawe: seeing then death was not inflicted for actuall sinnes, it followeth, that it was for originall sinne, Tolet. But this is not the coherence, for he taketh sinne onelyonly for actuall sinne, whereas the Apostle spoke before of originall sinne.
2. Some will hauehave all this verse to containe an obiection, and to be vttered by S. Paul in the person of the adversarie and obiecter: Where no lawe is, there is no sinne imputed, but before Moses there was no lawe giuen, therefore no such sinne was imputed: But all the words of this verse cannot containe the obiection, because the first clause, vntounto the time of the law was sinne in the world, are contrarie to the obiection: for it is affirmed that sinne was in the world, which the obiectio excepteth against: beside Beza well obserueth that where the Apostle speaketh in the person of an other, he inserteth some note or signification thereof.
3. Calvin suspendeth all this sentence by a parenthesis, which Beza misliketh: because it hath a very good coherence with the former verse.
4. Some thinke that the Apostle here maketh not an obiection, but rather preuenteth it, and maketh answear vntounto a supposed obiection: for it might hauehave beene thus excepted aagainst the former words, in whom all hauehave sinned, that there was no lawe giuen vntill Moses, and where no lawe is, there is no imputation of sinne: to this obiection the Apostle answeareth by way of cōcession vntounto part, that though sinne be not imputed without a law, yet sinne was in the world before the lawe, as it appeareth by the effects thereof, namely death, which reigned ouer all, as it followeth, v. 14. to this purpose, Martyr, Piscator, Lyran.
5. But this rather is the right coherence and connexion of these words with the former: whereas the Apostle had inferred, that all in Adam were sinners, and so subiect to death: instance might be giuen of those which liued vntill the time of the law, that vntounto them sinne was not imputed, because they had no lawe giuen them: Then the Apostle answeareth this obiection, proouing that death came into the world because of originall sinne: and first he taketh it for graunted, that there was then sinne in the world before the Lawe, v. 13. as also death: then he reasoneth thus, if death were in the world, and not inflicted for actuall sinnes, then was it imputed for originall: but it was not inflicted for actuall sinnes: which he proueth by two reasons, first by that which was obiected, there was no lawe giuen for actuall sinnes, and therefore they were not imputed: secondly, by the instance of children which committed no actuall sinnes, and yet died: therefore death entred into the world because of originall sinne. Pare.
Quest. 26. How sinne is said to hauehave beene vntounto the time of the lawe.
1. Some doe vnderstand this sentence inclusiuely, including also the time of the lawe: and expound vntounto the lawe, vntounto the ende and terme of the lawe: for sinne was both before and vnderunder the lawe, which could not take away sinne vntill Christ came: thus Augustine, lib. 1. de peccat. remission. c. 10. and Thodoret, likewise Haymo, who vnderstandeth by the lawe, finem legis, & initium gratiae, the ende of the lawe, and beginning of grace: and maketh it like vntounto this speach: the Hunnes raigned vsus que ad Attylam regem, vntounto king Attylas, that is, vntounto his death: But the words following are against this exposition: sinne is not imputed where is no lawe, for if the time vnderunder the lawe be here comprehended, how could it be said, that then sinne was not imputed, whereas by the lawe it is most of all imputed.
2. Origen hath this singular exposition by himselfe, he vnderstandeth here not the written but the naturall lawe: and he supplieth the word mortuum, dead: sinne is dead vntounto the time of the lawe, that is, till children come to yeares of discretion to vnderstand the lawe of nature, and light of reason, sinne is not imputed vntounto them: As it is forbidden that a child should smite his parents, but in a boy of 4. or 5. yeare old it is counted no sinne so to doe, and to this purpose he also interpreteth the word, world: the Apostle saith not among men, but in the world: because in the world there are vnreasonable creatures, which are not capable of sinne; and so he thinketh that S. Paul vnderstandeth children, which are not yet capable of reason: to this effect Origen: But first it is euident that the Apostle by the lawe, vnderstandeth the written lawe of Moses, as it followeth, v. 14. and againe it is too great bouldnesse to insert the word, dead: for thus we may make any sense of the Scripture.
3. Wherefore the Apostles meaning is, that from Adam vntill the lawe was giuen (for of the time after the lawe there could be no question) there was sinne in the world: for though they had not the written lawe, yet they had the lawe of nature, in transgressing the which they sinned, Lyran. Beza, Mart.
Quest. 27. What sinne the Apostle meaneth: which was in the world vntounto the time of the lawe.
1. Some doe vnderstand it onelyonly of actuall sinne: which was in the world in that the lawe of nature was transgressed, though yet there were no written lawe giuen, Tolet: but it is euident, in that the Apostle maketh direct mention of infants, v. 14. which sinned not as Adam did, that is, actually, that he meaneth originall sinne also.
2. Pererius onelyonly referreth it to originall sinne, which though it were knowne vntounto the Patriarkes, yet it was not by the lawe of nature acknowledged for sinne, so also Anselme: Tolet replyeth, that it cannot be so taken: for neither vnderunder the law is originall sinne imputed vntounto punishment: But this reason is not sufficient: for both before and after the lawe death raigned ouer all, as brought in by originall sinne.
3. But it is more agreeable to the Apostles minde to vnderstand sinne here generally, both originall and actuall, yet with speciall relation to originall sinne: because the Apostles intendment is to shewe, that all are sinners in Adam, and so subiect vntounto death: and this appeareth to be the Apostles meaning, v. 14. where he speaketh of the raigning of death ouer all, as well those which committed actuall sinne, as those which did not: Thus Haymo interpreteth: sinne was in the world, & originale, & actuale, both originall and actuall; Augustine likewise and Theodoret in the exposition of this place comprehend both: so also Beza, Pareus.