Speculum theologiæ in Christo, or, A view of some divine truths which are either…

2. The capacity Christ stood in is to be noted. He was set up to be a common head of righteousness and life; and that tells us, that before him there was another, who by his fall was a common head of sin and death. Famous is that place, Rom. 5, If by one mans offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace, and of the gift of righteousness, shall reign in life by one Jesus Christ. As by the offence of one, judgment came upon all men to condemnation; so by the righteousness of one, the free gift came upon all men to justification of life. As by one mans disobedience many were made sinners; so by the obedience of one, shall many be made righteous. We see here two heads, Adam and Christ, both are set before us, the one cannot be well known without the other; the Pagans know neither, Christians must confess both. If they say, Christ is an head communicating righteousness and immortality to us; they must also say, Adam was an head communicating sin and death to us; else the Apostles Parallel is vain and frivolous, in that Christ, who obeyed in a public capacity, is opposed to Adam, who sinned only in a private one. Both these heads must be admitted, or neither; if both, then there is sin from Adam, as well as righteousness from Christ.¹ Thus St. Bernard saith, Alius qui peccatorem constituit, alius qui justificat a peccato, ⟨p. 227⟩alter in semine, alter in sanguine; One Adam makes us sinners, another makes us righteous; the one by his seed, the other by his blood: if neither, then the obedience of Christ is made fruitless and to no purpose. Hence St. Austin saith,² That the Doctrine of Original sin must be defended against the Pelagians, Ne evacuetur crux Christi, lest the Cross of Christ be made of no effect: According to the tenor of that place, one head cannot stand without the other. If Adam derive not sin to us, neither doth Christ derive righteousness; both must be only patterns; neither, communicative heads; which to say, is utterly to overturn the scope of the place.

2. The capacity Christ stood in is to be noted. He was set up to be a common head of righteousness and life; and that tells us, that before him there was another, who by his fall was a common head of sin and death. Famous is that place,