Chapter 8.—Death Passed Upon All by Sin.

But on account of what does the same apostle say, that we are reconciled to God by Christ, except on account of what we had become enemies? And what is this but sin? Whence also the prophet says, “Your sins separate between you and God.”262    Isa. lix. 2. On account of this separation, therefore, the Mediator was sent, that He might take away the sin of the world, by which we were separated as enemies, and that we, being reconciled, might be made from enemies children. About this, certainly, the apostle was speaking; hence it happened that he interposed what he says, “That sin entered by one man.” For these are his former words. He says, “But God commendeth His love towards us in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more, then, being now justified in His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved in His life. And not only so, but glorying also in God through Jesus Christ our Lord, by whom also we have now received reconciliation.” Then he subjoins, “Therefore, as by one man sin entered into this world, and death by sin, and so passed upon all men, for in him all have sinned.”263    Rom. v. 8 ff. Why do the Pelagians evade this matter? If reconciliation through Christ is necessary to all men, on all men has passed sin by which we have become enemies, in order that we should have need of reconciliation. This reconciliation is in the laver of regeneration and in the flesh and blood of Christ, without which not even infants can have life in themselves. For as there was one man for death on account of sin, so there is one man for life on account of righteousness; because “as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive;”264    1 Cor. xv. 22. and “as by the sin of one upon all men to condemnation, so also by the righteousness of one upon all men unto justification of life.”265    Rom. v. 18. Who is there that has turned a deaf ear to these apostolical words with such hardiness of wicked impiety, as, having heard them, to contend that death passed upon us through Adam without sin, unless, indeed, they are opposers of the grace of God and enemies of the cross of Christ?—whose end is destruction if they continue in this obstinacy. But let it suffice to have said thus much for the sake of that serpentine subtlety of theirs, by which they wish to corrupt simple minds, and to turn them away from the simplicity of the faith, as if by the praise of the creature.

8. Propter quid autem idem apostolus dicit, nos per Christum reconciliari Deo, nisi propter quod facti fuimus inimici? Et hoc quid est, nisi peccatum? Unde et propheta dicit, Peccata vestra separant inter vos et Deum (Isai. LIX, 2). Propter hanc ergo separationem Mediator est missus, ut tolleret peccatum mundi, per quod separabamur inimici, et reconciliati ex inimicis efficeremur filii. Hinc utique Apostolus loquebatur: hinc factum est ut interponeret quod ait, 0615 Per unum hominem intrasse peccatum. Haec enim sunt superiora verba ejus. Commendat autem, inquit, suam charitatem Deus in nobis, quoniam cum adhuc peccatores essemus, Christus pro nobis mortuus est; multo magis justificati nunc in sanguine ipsius, salvi erimus ab ira per ipsum. Si enim cum inimici essemus, reconciliati sumus Deo per mortem Filii ejus; multo magis reconciliati, salvi erimus in vita ipsius. Non solum autem, sed et gloriantes in Deo per Jesum Christum Dominum nostrum, per quem et nunc reconciliationem accepimus. Deinde subjungit: Propter hoc sicut per unum hominem peccatum in hunc mundum intravit, et per peccatum mors; et ita in omnes homines pertransiit, in quo omnes peccaverunt (Rom. V, 8-12). Quid tergiversantur Pelagiani? Si omnibus necessaria est reconciliatio per Christum, per omnes transiit peccatum, quo inimici fuimus, ut opus reconciliari haberemus. Haec reconciliatio est in lavacro regenerationis et Christi carne et sanguine, sine quo nec parvuli possunt habere vitam in semetipsis. Sicut enim fuit unus ad mortem propter peccatum, sic est unus ad vitam propter justitiam. Quia sicut in Adam omnes moriuntur, ita et in Christo omnes vivificabuntur (I Cor. XV, 22): et sicut per unius delictum in omnes homines ad condemnationem, ita et per unius justificationem in omnes homines ad justificationem vitae (Rom. V, 18). Quis adversus haec apostolica verba tanta duritia nefandae impietatis obsurduit, ut his auditis mortem sine peccato in nos per Adam transisse contendat, nisi oppugnatores gratiae Dei, inimici crucis Christi? Quorum finis est interitus (Philipp. III, 18 et 19), si in hac obstinatione duraverint. Verum haec dixisse sufficiat, propter eorum illam versutiam serpentinam, qua volunt mentes corrumpere simplices , et avertere a catholicae fidei castitate, veluti laude creaturae.