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what has been said to have little in it; but if one pays close attention, this too will be easily resolved. What then is the question? The saying that through the disobedience of the one many were made sinners. For that he sinned and became mortal, and that those from him are likewise, is not at all unlikely; but that from his disobedience another became a sinner, what consistency would that have? For such a one will thus be found not even to owe a penalty, if indeed he did not become a sinner from his own self. 3. What then is 'sinners' here? To me it seems to mean liable to punishment and condemned to death. That, then, with Adam having died we all became mortal, he showed clearly and through many things; but the question is, for what reason this happened. But he no longer adds this; for it does not contribute to his present purpose; for the fight is with the Jew who doubts and scoffs at righteousness through one. For this reason, having also shown the punishment from one brought forth upon all, he no longer added for what reason this happened; for he is not superfluous, but holds only to what is necessary. For the rule of the contests 60.478 compelled not him so much as the Jew to say this hereafter; wherefore he leaves it unresolved. But if any of you should seek to learn, we will say this, that not only have we not been harmed at all by this death and condemnation, if we are sober, but we have even gained by becoming mortal; first, not to sin in an immortal body; second, so as to have countless subjects for philosophy. For both to be moderate and to be temperate and to be composed and to be freed from all evil, death, both present and expected, persuades us. And after these things, or rather even before these things, it has introduced other greater goods. For from here are the crowns of the martyrs, and the prizes of the apostles; thus was Abel justified, thus Abraham, slaying his son, thus John who was killed for Christ's sake, thus the three young men, thus Daniel. For if we are willing, not only death, but not even the devil himself will be able to harm us. And besides these things it is also possible to say this, that immortality also awaits us, and having been admonished for a short time, we will with security enjoy the good things to come, as in a kind of school in the present life, being educated through sickness and affliction and temptations and poverty and the other things that seem to be terrible, so as to become fit for the reception of the good things to come. But the law entered, that the trespass might abound. For since he has shown that the world was condemned from Adam, but saved from Christ, and delivered from the condemnation, he opportunely investigates again hereafter concerning the law, undermining the opinion concerning it. For not only did it not profit, he says, nor did it help at all, but the disease was also increased when it entered. But the 'that' here is not of cause again, but of result. For it was not given for this reason, that it might abound, but it was given so as to diminish and take away the trespass; but the opposite resulted, not from the nature of the law, but from the indolence of those who received it. But why did he not say, 'The law was given,' but 'But the law entered'? Showing its use to be temporary, and not primary nor pre-eminent; which he also says in the epistle to the Galatians, declaring this same thing in another way; 'For before faith came,' he says, 'we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.' So that it was not guarding the flock for itself, but for another. For since the Jews were somewhat coarse and dissolute, and grown supine toward the gifts themselves, for this reason the law was given, that it might convict them more greatly, and teach them clearly in what state they were, and having increased the accusation, might bind them more tightly. But do not be afraid; for this did not happen so that the punishment might become greater, but so that the grace might appear greater. Wherefore he added, 'But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.' He did not say, 'did abound,' but also, 'did much more abound.' For not only did it deliver from punishment,
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μικρὸν ἔχειν τὸ εἰρημένον· ἂν δέ τις ἀκριβῶς προσέχῃ, καὶ τοῦτο εὐκόλως λυθήσεται. Τί ποτ' οὖν ἐστι τὸ ζήτημα; Τὸ λέγειν διὰ τῆς παρακοῆς τοῦ ἑνὸς ἁμαρτωλοὺς γενέσθαι πολλούς. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἁμαρτόντος ἐκείνου καὶ γενομένου θνητοῦ, καὶ τοὺς ἐξ αὐτοῦ τοιούτους εἶναι, οὐδὲν ἀπεικός· τὸ δὲ ἐκ τῆς παρακοῆς ἐκείνου ἕτερον ἁμαρτωλὸν γενέσθαι, ποίαν ἂν ἀκολουθίαν σχοίη; Εὑρεθήσεται γὰρ οὕτω μηδὲ δίκην ὀφείλων ὁ τοιοῦτος, εἴ γε μὴ οἴκοθεν γέγονεν ἁμαρτωλός. γʹ. Τί οὖν ἐστιν ἐνταῦθα τὸ, Ἁμαρτωλοί; Ἐμοὶ δοκεῖ τὸ ὑπεύθυνοι κολάσει καὶ καταδεδικασμένοι θανάτῳ. Ὅτι μὲν οὖν τοῦ Ἀδὰμ ἀποθανόντος πάντες ἐγενόμεθα θνητοὶ, σαφῶς καὶ διὰ πολλῶν ἔδειξε· τὸ δὲ ζητούμενον, τίνος ἕνεκεν τοῦτο γέγονεν. Ἀλλ' οὐκέτι τοῦτο προστίθησιν· οὐδὲ γὰρ αὐτῷ πρὸς τὸ παρὸν συντελεῖ· πρὸς γὰρ Ἰουδαῖον ἡ μάχη τὸν ἀμφιβάλλοντα καὶ καταγελῶντα τῆς διὰ τοῦ ἑνὸς δικαιοσύνης. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο δείξας καὶ τὴν κόλασιν ἐξ ἑνὸς ἐξενεχθεῖσαν εἰς ἅπαντας, τίνος ἕνεκεν τοῦτο γέγονε, οὐκέτι προσέθηκεν· οὐ γάρ ἐστι περιττὸς, ἀλλὰ τῶν ἀναγκαίων ἔχεται μόνον. Τοῦτο γὰρ οὐκ αὐτὸν μᾶλλον ἢ τὸν Ἰουδαῖον ἠνάγκαζε λοιπὸν ὁ τὸν 60.478 ἀγώνων νόμος εἰπεῖν· διόπερ ἀφίησιν ἄλυτον. Εἰ δὲ ὑμῶν τις ζητοίη μαθεῖν, ἐροῦμεν τοῦτο, ὅτι οὐ μόνον οὐδὲν παρεβλάβημεν ἀπὸ τοῦ θανάτου τούτου καὶ τῆς καταδίκης, ἐὰν νήφωμεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐκερδάναμεν θνητοὶ γενόμενοι· πρῶτον, τὸ μὴ ἐν ἀθανάτῳ σώματι ἁμαρτάνειν· δεύτερον, ὥστε μυρίας ἔχειν φιλοσοφίας ὑποθέσεις. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ μετριάζειν καὶ σωφρονεῖν καὶ κατεστάλθαι καὶ πάσης ἀπηλλάχθαι κακίας, καὶ παρὼν καὶ προσδοκώμενος ὁ θάνατος ἀναπείθει. Μετὰ δὲ τούτων, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ πρὸ τούτων καὶ ἕτερα πλείονα εἰσήγαγεν ἀγαθά. Ἐντεῦθεν γὰρ οἱ τῶν μαρτύρων στέφανοι, καὶ τὰ τῶν ἀποστόλων βραβεῖα· οὕτως ὁ Ἄβελ ἐδικαιώθη, οὕτως ὁ Ἀβραὰμ τὸν υἱὸν κατασφάξας, οὕτως ὁ Ἰωάννης διὰ τὸν Χριστὸν ἀναιρεθεὶς, οὕτως οἱ παῖδες οἱ τρεῖς, οὕτως ὁ ∆ανιήλ. Ἂν γὰρ θέλωμεν, οὐ μόνον ὁ θάνατος, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ αὐτὸς ὁ διάβολος ἡμᾶς βλάψαι δυνήσεται. Χωρὶς δὲ τούτων κἀκεῖνο ἔστιν εἰπεῖν, ὅτι καὶ ἀθανασία ἡμᾶς ἐκδέξεται, καὶ πρὸς ὀλίγον νουθετηθέντες χρόνον, μετὰ ἀδείας ἀπολαυσόμεθα τῶν μελλόντων ἀγαθῶν, ὥσπερ ἐν διδασκαλείῳ τινὶ τῷ παρόντι βίῳ διὰ νόσου καὶ θλίψεως καὶ πειρασμῶν καὶ πενίας καὶ τῶν ἄλλων τῶν δοκούντων εἶναι δεινῶν παιδευόμενοι εἰς τὸ γενέσθαι ἐπιτήδειοι εἰς τὴν τῶν μελλόντων ἀγαθῶν ὑποδοχήν. Νόμος δὲ παρεισῆλθεν, ἵνα πλεονάσῃ τὸ παράπτωμα. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἔδειξεν ἀπὸ μὲν τοῦ Ἀδὰμ καταδικασθεῖσαν τὴν οἰκουμένην, ἀπὸ δὲ τοῦ Χριστοῦ σωθεῖσαν, καὶ τῆς καταδίκης ἀπαλλαγεῖσαν, εὐκαίρως καὶ περὶ τοῦ νόμου ζητεῖ λοιπὸν πάλιν, τὴν περὶ αὐτοῦ δόξαν ὑποτεμνόμενος. Οὐ γὰρ μόνον οὐδὲν ὤνησε, φησὶν, οὐδὲ μόνον οὐδὲν ἐβοήθησεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ηὐξήθη τὸ νόσημα παρεισελθόντος αὐτοῦ. Τὸ δὲ, Ἵνα, ἐνταῦθα οὐκ αἰτιολογίας πάλιν, ἀλλ' ἐκβάσεώς ἐστιν. Οὐ γὰρ διὰ τοῦτο ἐδόθη, ἵνα πλεονάσῃ, ἀλλ' ἐδόθη μὲν ὥστε μειῶσαι καὶ ἀνελεῖν τὸ παράπτωμα· ἐξέβη δὲ τοὐναντίον, οὐ παρὰ τὴν τοῦ νόμου φύσιν, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τὴν τῶν δεξαμένων ῥᾳθυμίαν. ∆ιὰ τί δὲ οὐκ εἶπε, Νόμος ἐδόθη, ἀλλὰ, Νόμος δὲ παρεισῆλθε; Πρόσκαιρον αὐτοῦ δεικνὺς τὴν χρείαν οὖσαν, καὶ οὐ κυρίαν οὐδὲ προηγουμένην· ὃ καὶ ἐν τῇ πρὸς Γαλάτας φησὶν, ἑτέρως τὸ αὐτὸ τοῦτο δηλῶν· Πρὸ τοῦ γὰρ ἐλθεῖν τὴν πίστιν ὑπὸ νόμον, φησὶν, ἐφρουρούμεθα συγκεκλεισμένοι εἰς τὴν μέλλουσαν πίστιν ἀποκαλυφθῆναι. Ὥστε οὐχ ἑαυτῷ, ἀλλ' ἑτέρῳ τὴν ποίμνην ἐφύλαττεν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ βάναυσοί τινες ἦσαν Ἰουδαῖοι καὶ ἐκλελυμένοι, καὶ πρὸς αὐτὰς τὰς δωρεὰς ἀναπεπτωκότες, τούτου χάριν ὁ νόμος ἐδόθη, ἵνα αὐτοὺς ἐλέγξῃ μειζόνως, καὶ διδάξῃ σαφῶς ἐν οἷς εἰσι, καὶ τὴν κατηγορίαν αὐξήσας ἐπισφίγξῃ μᾶλλον αὐτούς. Ἀλλὰ μὴ φοβηθῇς· οὐ γὰρ ἐπὶ τῷ μείζω γενέσθαι τὴν κόλασιν τοῦτο ἐγένετο, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τῷ μείζονα φανῆναι τὴν χάριν. ∆ιὸ ἐπήγαγεν, Οὗ δὲ ἐπλεόνασεν ἡ ἁμαρτία, ὑπερεπερίσσευσεν ἡ χάρις. Οὐκ εἶπεν, Ἐπερίσσευσεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ, Ὑπερεπερίσσευσεν. Οὐ γὰρ κολάσεως ἀπήλλαξε μόνον,