The substance of Christian religion, or, A plain and easy draught of the Christian…The substance of Christian religion, or, A plain and easie draught of the Christian…

Nor did this happen only by way of imitation▪ as the Pelagians teach; but also by way of propagation or natural descent. This is proved by this Argument. If this had only come to pass by imitation, then the Apostle might as properly have ⟨p. 20⟩said, that Adam with all his Posterity sinned in the Angels, who first fell from God; as to have said, that all men sinned in Adam; because they as much follow the example of the Angels, as of Adam. For it is expressly said, vers. 14. That death (and so also sin) reigned over them, that sinned not after the similitude of Adam: that is, by the imitation of Adam; therefore vers. 19. men are said to be made sinners by Adams disobedience it self.

Nor did this happen onely by way of imitation▪ as the Pelagians teach; but also by way of propagation or natural descent. This is proved by this Argument. If this had onely come to pass by imitation, then the Apostle might as properly have ⟨p. 20⟩said, that Adam with all his Posterity sinned in the Angels, who first fell from God; as to have said, that all men sinned in Adam; because they as much follow the example of the Angels, as of Adam. For it is expressely said, vers. 14. That death (and so also sin) reigned over them, that sinned not after the similitude of Adam: that is, by the imitation of Adam; therefore vers. 19. men are said to be made sinners by Adams disobedience it self.

The manner of this propagation is taken up and understood, 1. To stand in imputation, because that first transgression was held as the transgression of the whole nature of mankind: For as in the receiving of the benefits and endowments that belonged to all mankind, Adam bore the place and person of all men; so also it was but right and reason, that he should maintain their place, either in their conservation by obedience, or loss by disobedience, until they were capable of standing to, or falling from their primitive condition in their own persons. Herein he was as it were the Surety of all mankind, so that what he did in this business, was to be held valid by all, as done in their names. 2. The second degree of this Propagation stands in the derivation, or traduction of that corruption, which by our first transgression seized upon the person of Adam himself. This corruption is usually called the languishing of nature, the seed or tinder of sin, the law of our members, the law of the flesh, lust and sin that dwells in us; but most usually original sin, because it cleaves unto us even from our first original, and is some way natural unto us, to wit, as in our nature corrupted; also it is the original of all other sins: for all actual sins