A Treatise of Original Sin, Part 1 · Chapter 5
CHAP. V.
A Second Text urged and vindicated.
SECT. I.
ROM. 5. 19.
For as by one mans diſobedience many were made ſinners, &c.
THis later part of the Chapter is the Common-place and proper ſeat of the Doctrine of original ſinne, but the underſtanding of it is very difficult, for there are Textual and Grammatical obſcurities by the Hyperbatons, Anantapodotons, and defective expreſſions, which are uſual in Paul, whoſe matter runneth like a torrent, and cannot be ſo well bounded by words: And as the Grammatical expreſſion makes it doubtfull, ſo alſo the profundity and depth of that admirable matter, which is here delivered, addeth to the difficulty of it: For Auſtin of old ſaid truly, Antiquo peccato nihil ad praedicandum notius, nihil ad intelligendum ſecretius, It's eaſily known that there is ſuch a thing, but what it is, is a great myſtery, and ſecret: Inſomuch that Salmeron, though a Jeſuite, upon the conſideration of the difficulties in this Diſcourſe of the Apoſtle, ſpake gravely, Non tam Theſei filo, quam Spiritu Sancto, & lumine quo conſcripta eſt, &c. We do not need Theſeus his twine of thred, but the holy Ghoſt, and that light by which this Epiſtle was wrote to guide us. Not therefore to ſpeak much of the Coherence, which is ſo much vexed by learned men, in the Diſpute of original imputed ſinne, eſpecially that foreign, of which in time I ſhall take notice.
In the words we have a further and clearer Declaration of that Collation made between Adam and Chriſt: Inſomuch that this doth clear what was formerly more obſcurely ſpoken, deſcribing two Originals, or common Fountains, the one of Sinne and Death, the other of Grace and Life: For whereas in the verſe before he ſaid, Condemnation came upon all by Adam; Leſt God ſhould be thought unjuſt in this, he ſheweth withall, That ſinne is propagated, ſo that there is the Demerit of this condemnation in every one of us.
In this Collation or Compariſon, I am only to take notice of the Protaſis or Propoſition, which is, That by one mans diſobedience many were made ſinners.
So that in the words, we are to conſider the Subject, or rather the cauſe of mankinds ſinfulneſs, and that is deſcribed in the Nature of it, and the Author, The Nature of it is ſaid to be foreign. The Apoſtle called it foreign and foreign, which words do denote the hainouſneſs of it; Rebellion is like the ſin of witchcraft, and Adams ſinne is called diſobedience; yea ſome learned Divines ſhew, That the proper ſpecifical nature of this ſinne was diſobedience, there were alſo many ſins ingredient thereunto, this the Apoſtle doth to aggravate the hainouſneſs of it: Inſomuch that Peltan the Jeſuite doth wickedly accuſe the Proteſtants for aggravating the guilt of it ſo much. Apud illos (ſaith he) omnia ſunt quaſi tragica & infernalia, (De pecc. orig.) They have nothing but tragical expreſſions, and proclaim hell and damnation becauſe of this pollution; For this is the Apoſtles ſcope in this place, to heighten the conſideration of it, that ſo Chriſt may be the more magnified: Even as an Hiſtorian, who would make a parallel between two great Generals, yet intending to preferre one before another, doth in the firſt place amplifie the gallantry, the warlike power, the military ſtratagems of the one, that ſo he may the more advance that other General whom he intends to preferre above him. Thus doth the Apoſtle here, he makes original ſinne to be exceeding ſinfull, that ſo the grace of Chriſt may be exceeding rich, and precious grace. Adams ſinne then, which is imputed, and made ours (as you heard) is diſobedience.
SEC. II.
SEcondly, You have the Author of this diſobedience, and that is ſaid to be by one man. Though Eve was the firſt in tranſgreſſion, yet Adam is named as the chief; and therefore Adam is ſometimes uſed collectively, both for man and woman; as when God ſaid, Let us make man after our Image. Here then we have Paul informing us of that, which all Philoſophy was ignorant of, viz. The imputation of Adams ſinne to us, and our natural pollution flowing from it. Yea, Paul guided by the Spirit of God, finds out that myſtery, which none of us ever could diſcover, by reading the Hiſtory of Mans Fall, related by Moſes; For there indeed we could ſee the cauſe of death, how that came upon all mankind, but that Adams ſin was ours, That we all ſinned in him, that hereupon we were all involved in ſin and miſery; for this we are to bleſs God for Paul, who hath ſo largely diſcovered it.
SECT. III.
IN the next place, We have the Effect of this diſobedience, with the Extent of it. The Extent is to many, that is, to all born naturally of Adam; For many is not here oppoſed to all, but to one, the original, from that one, many, even all are made ſinners. Therefore it's a dangerous Expoſition of Theodoret, as Sixtus Senenſis relateth, which affirmeth, Not all, but ſome only to be infected with Adam's ſinne, exempting Abel, Noah, and others from this pollution; For (1 Cor. 15.) the Apoſtle ſaith, In Adam all die; and in this Chapter at verſ. 12. All have ſinned in Adam; But the Effect, that is more dreadfull, and worthy of all meditation, We are made foreign. This is more then when all were ſaid to ſin in him, for this doth denote the habitual depravation of all the parts of the ſoul, as alſo a readineſs to commit all actual ſins. Therefore the word is ſometimes applied to ſignifie great and hainous ſinners, as Mary Magdalen is ſaid to be (foreign) a ſinner. So then you ſee, that by Adams diſobedience all are made ſinners.