A treatise of original sin ... proving that it is

But we are now speaking of men, who are punished by death, that yet never were occasioned to sin by Adam, in the Adversaries sense. For the people of Israel were present with Moses, and by their froward carriages did provoke him to that sinful passion; but Adam hath been dead some thousands of years since. Who can say, It is Adam ⟨p. 522⟩that stirreth me up, it is Adam that will not let me alone, but compelleth me to sin? Yea, how can Heathens and Pagans be said to sin occasionally by Adam, when they (happily) never heard that there was such a man in the world? Besides, Infants they are subject to death, What actual sin doth Adam produce the occasion of to them? If then Adam were now alive, and Infants could be tempted to actual sins, as Moses was by the Israelites, then there had been more probability of his instance.

But we are now speaking of men, who are punished by death, that yet never were occasioned to sinne by Adam, in the Adversaries sense. For the people of Israel were present with Moses, and by their froward carriages did provoke him to that sinfull passion; but Adam hath been dead some thousands of years since. Who can say, It is Adam ⟨p. 522⟩that stirreth me up, it is Adam that will not let me alone, but compelleth me to sinne? Yea, how can Heathens and Pagans be said to sinne occasionally by Adam, when they (happily) never heard that there was such a man in the world? Besides, Infants they are subject to death, What actual sinne doth Adam produce the occasion of to them? If then Adam were now alive, and Infants could be tempted to actual sinnes, as Meses was by the Israelites, then there had been more probability of his instance.

But it may be his second example will be more commensurated to our purpose, and that is from 1 King. 14 16. where it's said, God would give Israel up, because of the sins of Jeroboam, who did sin, and made Israel to sin. Thus saith he, alluding to the words of the Apostle, By one man (Jeroboam) sin went out into all (Israel) and the curse, captivity or death by sin; and so death went upon all men (of Israel) inasmuch as all men (of Israel) have sinned. But this is wholly to give up the cause to Pelagians, whose gloss yet of imitation he utterly rejecteth, though much more that which affirmeth, we are made properly and formally sinners by him. (Answer to a Letter, pag. 54.) For how did Jeroboam make all Israel sin? was not by his example, and in the fame sin of Idolatry, as he did? Now do we follow Adam in eating of the for bidden fruit, and so offend God in the same sin as he did? So that this was wholly by imitation; and therefore one generation did transmit this sin to anotherly example, till at last there was no more mention of it. But did Adam thus offend, and then Cain and others follow him in the like sin? He cannot then wash his hands from the Pelagian Doctrine of original sin from Adam, only by imitation, if he adhere to this instance. Again Jeroboam is said to make Israel sin for some time only, while his memory and example had some influence, and it was the sin of the Israelites only, for many separated themselves from him, and went into the kingdom of Judah, that so they might not be polluted with that worship, as appeareth,