Commentary on Romans, Biblical exegesis 1 · Chapter 5 · Section 3 · Subsection 37 – Subsection 39
Quest. 37. In what sense the grace of God is said to hauehave abounded vntounto more, v. 15.
The vulgar Latine giueth occasion of this question, which in the first clause readeth multi, many be dead thorough the offence of one: but in the second he saith, grace in plures abundavit, hath abounded vntounto more; and this reading seemeth Origen to follow: Here then many doe busie themselues to shewe, how grace in Christ hath abounded vntounto more, then sinne in Adam.
1. Origen saith that they are said to be more, because Adam himselfe, from whom the death of sinne was deriued vntounto others, additur numero eorum, &c. is added to the number of them, which hauehave receiued grace in Christ: But this is too curious, neither agreeable to the Apostles meaning; for seeing the comparison is instituted betweene Adam and Christ, though Adam indeede were saued by Christ, yet each of these Adam and Christ with their ofspring must be considered here, as in themselues: neither can the adding of one to this number, make them more which hauehave obtained grace in Christ, then them which are lost in Adam.
2. Some by those many which are dead in Adam, vnderstand onelyonly those which sinned by imitating of Adam, that is commit actuall sinnes, and so they reade the former verse affirmatiuely, Death raigned ouer those which sinned, after the like manner of the transgression of Adam, and then the grace of Christ aboundeth vntounto more, euen vntounto infants, that sinned not in like manner, as Adam did, that is, actually, thus Ambros. gloss. ordinar. Gorrhan: But in this sense infants should be out of the number of those that are dead in Adam: whereas the Apostle saith, in whom all hauehave sinned, yea infants and all sinned in Adam.
3. Pererius hath this quaint obseruation, that there may be found of Adam carnally propagated, and yet not infected with his sinne, as the Blessed Virgin Marie: yet none can be found spiritually regenerate, but by the grace of Christ: But this conceit of his is against the Apostle, who saith that in Adam all sinned: and Origen thus collecteth videsne vt à peccato nullum Paulus excuset? see you not how the Apostle excuseth none from sinne? If all hauehave sinned in Adam, then cannot the Virgin Marie be exempted from originall sinne.
4. Pererius hath an other conceit, that the grace of Christ is said to hauehave abounded vntounto more; because that if God should create a newe kind of men, not of Adam, they should stand in neede of the grace of Christ: and yet they not comming of Adam, could not be infected with his sinne, Perer. disput. 10. But S. Paul speaketh not of a possibilitie of supposall, how grace might abound vntounto more, but of the actuall and reall abounding of grace vntounto many in Christ: and if there were a newe creation of men, they should be created in a perfect estate as Adam was before his fall, and so should not keeping of that state, hauehave neede of a redeemer in that behalfe.
5. But this is a needelesse question, seeing that in the originall in both places the Apostle vseth the word foreign, multi, many, not in the comparatiue, plures, more: therefore this question is impertinent, how the grace of Christ is said to hauehave abounded vntounto more: Neither doth the Apostle giuegive vntounto the grace of Christ the preheminence in respect of the number, but of the more powerfull effect, as is shewed before, quest. 35.
6. Haymo in both places vnderstandeth the elect: they are the many which are dead in Adam temporally, and they are the many, vntounto whom grace hath much more abounded, because in Adam onelyonly they are infected with originall sinne, in Christ both originall and actuall are pardoned: But those whom the Apostle here calleth many, ver. 18. he expresseth to be all: he meaneth then all mankind in generall, which die in Adam.
Quest. 38. How all men are said to be iustified in Christ, v. 18.
1. Huberus, therein ioyning the right hand of fellowship with the old Pelagians, hence would prooue the Vniuersalitie of grace, that all in Christ are absolutely iustified, as in Adam all die: But then it would followe by the force of the Apostles comparison, that all should verily be saued in Christ, as they are by nature sinners in Adam: see the confutation of this error at large among the controuersies.
2. Some vnderstand this of the sufficiencie of iustification by Christ, that it is sufficient for all, if they had grace to receiue it, Lyran. But the Apostle speaketh not of a possibilitie of iustification, but of an actuall collation of this benefit, as Adams sinne really and actually is transfused to his posteritie.
3. Tolet vnderstandeth generally all men, whosoeuer, and by the iustification of life, he would hauehave signified, the resurrection, which shall be of all men in generall, both good and bad, as all men are subiect to death in Adam both good and bad: But the Apostle before v. 17. called that raigning in life, which here he nameth the iustification of life, but the wicked that rise againe shall not raigne in life, therefore they are not partakers of the iustification of life.
4. Haymo better vnderstandeth here the vniuersalitie of the elect, omnes electos & praedestinatos ad vitam, all that are elect and predestinate vntounto life: that as Adam infected all his posteritie carnally descending of him, so Christ iustifieth all, which beleeue in him: to the same purpose Augustine vnderstandeth, omnes viuificandos, all that are to be quickened and made aliue, because none are iustified but in Christ, lib. 6. cont. Iulian. c. 12. so the interlinearie glosse vnderstandeth omnes sui, all that are Christs: all are iustified qui sunt Christi, which are Christs, Pareus.
Quest. 39. Why the Apostle saith, v. 19. By one mans disobedience many were made sinners, and not all.
1. Origen by sinnes here vnderstandeth those, which continue in a custome of sinne, a righteous man may sinne, but he therefore cannot be called a sinner: and so not all borne of Adam, but many are said to be sinners, to the same purpose Tolet annot. 25. But the Apostle speaketh here of Adams disobedience, whereby many were sinners: which is deriued by propagation, and learned by imitation: therefore he speaketh generally of all that sinned in Adam, and not onelyonly of some speciall sinners.
2. Theodoret thinketh the Apostle nameth many, because all did not continue in Adams sinne: but some permanserunt in decretis naturae, &c. did remaine in the decree of nature, and followed vertue, as Abel, Henoch, Noe, &c. But euen those also were borne in sinne, as the Apostle said before, v. 12. that all sinned in Adam, and they were sinners by nature, though regenerate by Christ.
3. Tolet thinketh the Apostle hath reference to the time before spoken of from Adam, vntounto Moses, and therefore, he saith, many, not all, as he on the other side specially meaneth the times of the Gospell, when likewise many, and not all beleeued in Christ, annot. 22. so also Faius: But then this comparison should be imperfect: for as Adams sinne hath infected all his posteritie since the beginning of the world to the ende thereof: so Christ is the Sauiour of the world both from Adam to Moses, and since.
4. Augustine taketh the Apostle to meane all, but yet he saith many, to shewe the multitude of those that are saued in Christ: for there are aliqua omnia, quae non sunt multa, some things all, that are not many, as the fowre Gospels are all; but not many: and there be aliqua multa, some things many, that are not all; as many beleeuers in Christ, not all, for all hauehave not faith, 2. Thess. 3. &c. It is true, that the Apostle by many, vnderstandeth all, as he said in the former verse: and sometime the scripture, calleth them many, which are all: as in one place the Lord saith to Abraham, I hauehave made thee a father of many nations, Gen. 17. in an other, in thy seede all the nations of the earth shall be blessed: but yet the reason is not giuen, why the Apostle saith many, not all.
5. Some thinke, he so saith, many, because Christ is excluded, that came of Adam: Piscator. But Christ, though he descended of Adam, yet not by ordinarie generation, therefore in this generall speach he needed not to be excepted: as he was not included, when the Apostle saith, in whom (that is, in Adam) all hauehave sinned.
6. The reason then is this, multos apponit vni, he opposeth many to one: that Adam beeing one, infected many beside himselfe with his sinne: as Adams sinne rested not in his person, but entred vponupon many, so Christs obedience and righteousnesse staied not in his person, but was likewise communicated to many: Beza, Pareus.