The Apostle doth in the fifth of the Romans make the like comparison, only there is this difference, as Calvin observeth. In that place the Apostle maketh the comparison chiefly in respect of spiritual effects, death as it brings condemnation, and life as it is accompanied with justification here, and glorification hereafter. This Text is greatly agitated in the controversy between Puccius and Socinus, (Vide Disput. de statu primi hominis ante lapsum.) The former holding truly (though he superaddeth many gross errors) that Adam was not made mortal, and that death came in only by sin: only he goeth absurdly beyond his bounds, when he holdeth the beasts were also made immortal. The later on the contrary he holdeth, That Adam was made mortal, that death in natural, that though by sin we are under a perpetual necessity of death, (which is an ambiguous phrase he useth) yet death it self is natural; He granteth, That immature and violent death cometh by sin; but death as it is a mere dissolution of a person, so it is from his primitive creation and constitution. Therefore be would have this difference between the Text I am upon, and Paul's Discourse in the fifth of the Romans, viz. That there indeed he speaketh of the sin of Adam, by which we come to die; But here he would have the Apostle consider Adam as he is by Creation, and that being mortal from the beginning we also are mortal from him. But who can persuade himself, that these passages concerning the change of the body hereafter to what it is now? It is sown in corruption, it's raised in corruption, it is sown in dishonour, it is raised in glory, it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power, are to be understood of our bodies, as at the first Creation, and not as they are now by Adam's fall? Our bodies are made corruptible and vile bodies by reason of sin. We must then understand the ⟨p. 507⟩Apostle as speaking of Adam sinning, though sin be not here named. So that the fifth of the Romans will excellently illustrate this place; and that maketh the sense to be, That Adam sinning, by his sin death entered upon all mankind, so that death is not natural, neither doth it arise from our first constitution, but it cometh in wholly by sin.
The Apostle doth in the fifth of the Romans make the like comparison, only there is this difference, as Calvin observeth. In that place the Apostle maketh the comparison chiefly in respect of spiritual effects, death as it brings condemnation, and life as it is accompanied with justification here, and glorification hereafter. This Text is greatly agitated in the controversie between Puccius and Socinus, (Vide Disput. de statu primi hominis ante lapsum.) The former holding truly (though he superaddeth many gross errors) that Adam was not made mortal, and that death came in only by sinne: only he goeth absurdly beyond his bounds, when he holdeth the beasts were also made immortal. The later on the contrary he holdeth, That Adam was made mortal, that death in natural, that though by sinne we are under a perpetual necessity of death, (which is an ambiguous phrase he useth) yet death it self is natural; He granteth, That immature and violent death cometh by sinne; but death as it is a meer dissolution of a person, so it is from his primitive creation and constitution. Therefore be would have this difference between the Text I am upon, and Paul's Discourse in the fifth of the Romans, viz. That there indeed he speaketh of the sinne of Adam, by which we come to die; But here he would have the Apostle consider Adam as he is by Creation, and that being mortal from the beginning we also are mortal from him. But who can perswade himself, that these passages concerning the change of the body hereafter to what it is now? It is sown in corruption, it's raised in corruption, it is sowen in dishonour, it is raised in glory, it is sowen in weaknesse, it is raised in power, are to be understood of our bodies, as at the first Creation, and not as they are now by Adam's fall? Our bodies are made corruptible and vile bodies by reason of sinne. We must then understand the ⟨p. 507⟩Apostle as speaking of Adam sinning, though sinne be not here named. So that the fifth of the Romans will excellently illustrate this place; and that maketh the sense to be, That Adam sinning, by his sinne death entered upon all mankind, so that death is not natural, neither doth it arise from our first constitution, but it cometh in wholly by sinne.
