Commentary on Romans, Biblical exegesis 1 · Chapter 5 · Section 3 · Subsection 30
30. Quest. Of the meaning of these words, which sinne not after the similitude of the transgression of Adam.
This verse hath diuers readings. 1. some doe referre the last words, after the similitude of the transgression of Adam, vntounto the first part of the sentence, death raigned. 2. some doe ioyne it with the next words before, which sinned: and of either of these there are seuerall opinions.
1. They which distinguish the sentence, and ioyne the first and last words together, some, as Chrysostome, giuegive this sense: that as death raigned vponupon Adam, so likewise it raigned ouer his posteritie: but others doe make this the cause of death and mortalitie, because they are borne like vntounto Adam, that is, destitute of originall iustice. Lyranus, Tolet. annot. 19. Tolet further would confirme this interpretation by diuers reasons. 1. the preposition is … which with a dative case sheweth the cause, whereas an other word foreign, is vsed to signifie in, as Philip. 2.7. He was found in shape as a man: and, Rom. 8.3. In the similitats of sinneful flesh. 2. the word foreign, similitude, sheweth the similitude and likenes of nature. 3. and this is most agreeable to the Apostles purpose, to shew the cause why death raigned ouer all, because they are borne sinners like vntounto Adam.
Contra. 1. The Greeke word foreign is sometime taken for foreign, in, as before in the 12. vers. foreign, in whome: and Tolet himselfe in that place sheweth, that it is so vsed in other places of Scripture: annot. 15. 2. The word of similitude is better referred to the qualitie of Adams sinne, then to the conformitie in nature. 3. Neither needed the Apostle here shew the cause why death raigned ouer all: but he bringeth in this as a proofe of that, which he saide vers. 12. that all sinned in Adam; because all are subiect to death: euen they which commit not actuall sinnes; as infants: it was therefore impertinent to repeat that, which he intendeth to prooue. 4. Now further, this distinction of the verse is ouerthrowne by these two reasons. 1. if the Apostle had saide, ouer those which … and should hauehave put to no other addition, he had contraried himselfe, hauing set it downe vers. 12. that in Adam, all sinned, and death therefore went ouer all: how the… could he say, that death raigned ouer those; that sinned not? 2. there is not in infants the similitude of Adams transgression: for his sinne was actuall so is not theirs: if he had said onelyonly, after the similitude of Adam, and not added transgression, there had beene more probabilitie in it, thus to diuide the sentence: but in that he addeth, after the similitude of the transgression, it is more fitly ioyned to the former words, which sinned not.
2. Now of those which ioyne the last clause with the former words, some read them affirmatiuely, thus, death raigned, &c. ouer them, which sinned after the similitude, &c. and Origen receiuing this reading, expoundeth it of those, which committed mortall and great sinnes, as Adam did: and so distinguisheth betweene the entring of death, which went ouer the righteous, and the raigning of death onelyonly ouer those, which gaue themselues wholly ouer vntounto sinne. Ambrose vnderstandeth this clause of Idolaters, for they sinne like vntounto Adam, who was not free from idolatrie, in forsaking the Creator. Some vnderstand it of children, that they are saide to sinne after the similitude of Adam, quia ex peccatore nascuntur peccatores, because they are borne sinners of a sinners Gorrhan. But all these goe against the receiued reading, which hath a negative, ouer them which sinned not, as also the Syrian interpreter readeth.
3. Of those which read with a negative, ouer them, which sinned not: Hier. l. cont. Pelag. expoundeth it of the particular sinne of Adam, in eating of the forbidden fruit: that death raigned euen ouer those, which had not committed that sinne: so also Theodor. and Chrysost. though he otherwise diuide the sentence, as is shewed before: But none beside Adam did commit that sinne: whereas the Apostle in saying, euen ouer them also, which sinned not, insinuateth, that there were some, ouer whome death raigned, that sinned after the similitude of Adams transgression, and some which did not.
4. Athan. ser. 4. cont. Arr. saith, that they sinned like to Adam, which committed mortall and great sinnes: they sinned not like to Adam, that sinned not mortally; and yet died, as Ieremie, and Iohn Baptist, that were sanctified in their mothers wombe: But in this sense the Apostle onelyonly should shew, that death raigned onelyonly ouer those, which had committed actuall sinnes; and so he should not prooue that which he said before, that in Adam all sinned, not onelyonly those which commit actuall, but are guiltie onelyonly of originall sinne.
5. Oecumenius doth interpret this place, of those, which were before the Law, which did not transgresse in legem datam, against any law giuen vntounto them, as Adam did, but onelyonly against the law of nature: and so he seemeth to vnderstand it onelyonly of those which committed actuall sinnes: but then the Apostles reason should not be generall enough, if he concluded not all, as well Infants, as others to be sinners in Adam.
6. Most of our new writers vnderstand this, not to sinne after the similitude of the transgression of Adam, to be, sine lege peccare, to sinne without a law, as all they did which were from Adam to Moses, as well infants as men of yeares: so Mart. Bulling. Melanct. Calv. But this had beene then a needlesse addition, seeing all without exception from Adam to Moses sinned in that manner without a law: but the Apostle in saying, euen ouer them also, sheweth, that there were some beside those, which sinned after the transgression of Adam.
7. Wherefore I preferre Augustines exposition, who taketh those to sinne after the similitude of Adams transgression, that committed actuall sinnes, and those not to sinne after that similitude, which had no actuall but onelyonly originall sinnes: so also Ansel. Lyran. Gorrh. glosse inter. Haymo, and of our new writers, Beza, Par…. Ofianà. Pisc. with other: so also Per.