Commentary on Romans, Biblical exegesis 1 · Chapter 5 · Section 3 · Subsection 31 – Subsection 34
31. Qu. How Adam is said to be the figure of him that was to come. v. 14.
1. Origen, by him which is to come, vnderstandeth the next world, that as by Adam we all in this life become mortall, so in the next world vita reguabit per Christum, life shall raigne thorough Christ.
2. Some vnderstand this according to that place, 1. Cor. 10.11. all those things happened vntounto them in t…pes: so whatsoeuer was before or vnderunder the law, were figures of those things, which should be accomplished in the times of the Messiah: Faius, and Origen also to the same purpose. But it is euident, that the Apostle compareth the person of Adam and Christ together, and touching those things, which were wrought and accomplished in this life, not deferred till the next.
3. Augustine sometime referreth, that, which is to come, not vntounto Christ, but vntounto Adams posteritie, that such as he was after he had sinned, such was his posteritie, lib. 1. de peccat. mort. c. 11. so also Haymo bringeth this in for one exposition, sicut Adam peccator extitit, as Adam was a sinner, so all his posteritie are borne sinners: but the word beeing put in the singular number, and with one article, foreign, of him, or one to come, sheweth, that it must be vnderstood of some speciall one, not of all Adams posteritie.
4. The commentarie vnderunder S. Hieromes name, but falsly, here bewraieth it selfe to hauehave beene written by some Pelagian, whose heresie was, that Adams sinne is deriued to his posteritie by imitation, not by propagation: these are the words, Adam hauing first transgressed the commandement of God, exemplum est legem praevaricari volentibus, is an example to those, which will transgresse the law of God, as Christ is an example, to those which will imitate him, in fulfilling his fathers wil: But wherein Adam is a type of Christ, the Apostle sheweth in the rest of this chap. following, where no mention is made of any such exemplarie imitation.
5. Some referre this to such things as happened to Adams person, as Eve was formed out of Adams side beeing asleepe: so out of Christs side hanging on the crosse issued water and blood, the Sacraments of regeneration, by the which the Church is sanctified and saued: Gorrhan, Lyranus, Pererius: And as Adam was made ex terra virgine, of the earth a virgin, so Christ was borne of Marie the Virgin. Haymo. But Bellarmine presseth this further, that as Adam was made out of the earth beeing yet not accursed,Bellar. lib. 4. de amiss. grat. c. 15. so Christ of Marie, qua omnis maledictionis ac per hoc omnis peccati expers fuit, which was free from all malediction, and so from all sinne, &c. But beside that none of the rest, which vrge this similitude, doe straine it thus farre: but onelyonly thus, that as Adam was made out of the earth, divina virtutes, by the diuine vertue, Lyran. sine humano opere, without mans helpe, Gorrhan: so Christ was borne of a Virgin: this strained and forced collection should be contrarie to the Apostle: for if Marie were without sinne, how is it true, which the Apostle said before, in whome all euer hauehave sinned.
6. Herein then Adam was a type of Christ, not in respect of such things, as were personall to either of them; but of that, which by them redounded to many: and this similitude and correspondencie, is ex contrarijs, by the contrarie, as Origen well obserueth: and that in these three respects: what they are in themselues considered, what to their posteritie, and wherein. 1. They were both authors and beginners, Adam was the beginning of mankind, quoad esse naturae, in respect of the naturall generation: Christ is the beginning quoad esse gratiae, in respect of the spirituall regeneration by grace, Lyran. 2. as Adams sinne did not hurt himselfe onelyonly, but his posteritie, so the grace of Christ is communicated to all his spirituall generation. 3. as death and sinne came in by Adam, so life and righteousnes by Iesus Christ: as the Apostle followeth this comparison in the rest of this chapter, and … large, 1. Cor. 2.15.
Here follow certaine questions touching this comparison made by the Apostle betweene Adam and Christ.
31. Quest. Of the names and tearmes, which the Apostle vseth in this comparison.
1. In the transgression and fall of Adam, the Apostle vseth diuers words and tearmes, which either expresse the cause of Adams fall, the ruine and fall it selfe, and the fruits: for i… these three are Adam and Christ compared together. 1. the cause is set forth in generall tearmes, as it is called foreign, sinne, v. 12. or foreign, transgression, v. 14. or more speciall, as it is called foreign disobedience, v. 19. 2. the fall of man is called foreign. Lapsus the fall or ruine of man, v. 15. 3. the effect are either, the guiltines of sinne, called foreign, v. 16, or the punishment, which is either foreign, death, v. 12. or foreign, condemnation, euerlasting death, v. 16.
2. In the iustification purchased by Christ, are likewise expressed the causes, the worke it selfe, and the effects which follow. 1. the causes: the efficient, foreign, the grace of God, v. 15. called also foreign, the abundance or redounding of grace, v. 17. the formall cause, is foreign, the obedience of Christ, v. 19. 2. the worke of our iustification is called foreign the gift, v. 15. foreign, the gift by grace, v. 15. and the gift of righteousnes, v. 17. 3. then the fruit and effect thereof, is foreign, the iustification of life, or vntounto life, v. 18.
3. But yet if we will more exactly distinguish these words, this difference may be made betweene them: these three words which the Apostle vseth, foreign, v. 15, 16. the first signifying grace, the other two beeing translated the gift, doe thus differ: the first sheweth the grace and fauour, from the which the benefit proceedeth, the second is the co… lation of the benefit, the third betokeneth the benefit it self, which is conferred: as if a Prince should giuegive a great treasure to redeeme one out of captiuitie: this fauour of the Prince is foreign, the grace; the free giuing of it is foreign, the donation; the others enioying of it, and receiuing of this libertie, is foreign, the benefit or gift. Beza.
4. So these other 3. words, foreign, iustifying, iustification, iustice, doe thus differ: the first signifieth the merit of Christs iustice, whereby we are iustified: the second the action it selfe of iustification, whereby Christs iustice is communicated to vsus: the third the iustice it selfe, which is imputed and communicated vntounto vsus, Tolet. annotat. 24.
Quest. 33. Of the comparison betweene Adam and Christ in generall.
1. Origen well obserueth, that this comparison, is per genus similis, per speciem contraria, it is alike in the generall resemblance, but contrarie in the particular: in two things there is a generall agreement and resemblance: 1. that there is one that giueth beginning, and is the author vntounto the rest. 2. in plures aliquid diffundtur, on both sides, as the beginning is from one, so there is somewhat conueyed vntounto many.
2. The specificall difference, consisteth in the contrarietie, and disparitie, and the excellencie: the disparitie is, that one was the author of sinne vntounto condemnation, the other of righteousnesse vntounto life: the excellencie is, in that the gift is not so as the offence, but much more powerfull and abundant: of both these, the disparitie and excellencie, more followeth to be added in the two next questions: So then here are three things to be considered in this comparison, as Photius obserueth, cited by Oecumenius, similitudo, contrarietas, excellentia, the similitude or likenes, the contratietie and disparitie, and the excellencie.
3. Now whereas the Apostle from this verse vntounto the 19. v. seemeth to vse diuerse iterations of the same thing, we shall finde by a dilligent viewe and examination of the Apostles sentences, that he doth not repeate the same things, as Pellicane thinketh, eadem repetit propter infirmas conscientias, &c. he repeateth the same things because of weake consciences, which often thinke, that sinne is more powerfull then grace, &c. But Oecumenius saith better, nequaquam iterum at que iterum eadem repetit Apostolus, &c. the Apostle doth not againe and againe repeat the same things, as one would thinke, but diligentissime copulat, he doth most dilligently couple and ioyne the principall heads together.
Quest. 34. Of the disparitie and vnlikenesse betweene Adam and Christ in this comparison.
The difference and disparitie betweene them is in these sixe seuerall points.
1. In the persons compared: Adam is considered as a meere man, v. 12. but Christ was both God and man, he is called Iesus Christ our Lord, v. 21.
2. They differ in that which is conferred: Adam propagateth to his posteritie sinne, and death, v. 12. Christ communicateth to his, righteousnesse and life, v. 15.16.
3. The meanes are farre different: Adams disobedience brought in sinne: Christs obedience procureth life, v. 18.19.
4. The persons vponupon whom these things are conferred, differ: for from Adam death and sinne are deriued vponupon all in generall, v. 12.18. but righteousnesse is communicated onelyonly to those, which receiue the abundance of grace by faith, v. 17.
5. The manner how these things are conueyed, are diuerse: Adams sinne is transmitted by naturall propagation: but life and righteousnesse by Christ are communicated by grace, v. 15. the gift is by grace.
6. The sequele and endes are contrary: the offence is vntounto condemnation, v. 16. but iustification by Christ is vntounto life eternall. v. 18.