Chapter 23 [XXI.]—Adam Delivered by the Mercy of Christ.

But observe how, by specious arguments, he continues to oppose the truth of Holy Scripture. The Lord Jesus, who is called Jesus because He saves His people from their sins,58    Matt. i. 21. in accordance with this His merciful character, says: “They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick; I am come not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”59    Matt. ix. 12. Accordingly, His apostle also says: “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.”60    1 Tim. i. 15. This man, however, contrary to the “faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation,” declares that “this sickness ought not to have been contracted by sins, lest the punishment of sin should amount to this, that more sins should be committed.” Now even for infants the help of the Great Physician is sought. This writer asks: “Why seek Him? They are whole for whom you seek the Physician. Not even was the first man condemned to die for any such reason, for he did not sin afterwards.” As if he had ever heard anything of his subsequent perfection in righteousness, except so far as the Church commends to our faith that even Adam was delivered by the mercy of the Lord Christ. “As to his posterity also,” says he, “not only are they not more infirm than he, but they actually fulfilled more commandments than he ever did, since he neglected to fulfil one,”—this posterity which he sees so born (as Adam certainly was not made), not only incapable of commandment, which they do not at all understand, but hardly capable of sucking the breast, when they are hungry! Yet even these would He have to be saved in the bosom of Mother Church by His grace who saves His people from their sins; but these men gainsay such grace, and, as if they had a deeper insight into the creature than ever He possesses who made the creature, they pronounce [these infants] sound with an assertion which is anything but sound itself.

CAPUT XXI.

23. Adam Christi misericordia liberatus. Attendite autem quomodo adhuc se urgeat verisimilibus rationibus contra Scripturae sanctae veritatem. Dominus Jesus dicit, qui propterea Jesus vocatur, quia ipse salvum facit populum suum a peccatis eorum: dicit ergo Dominus Jesus, Non est opus sanis medicus, sed aegrotantibus. Non veni vocare justos, sed peccatores (Matth. IX, 12, 13). Unde dicit et Apostolus, Fidelis sermo et omni acceptione dignus, quia Jesus Christus venit in hunc mundum peccatores salvos facere (I Tim. I, 15). Et iste contra fidelem sermonem et omni acceptione dignum, dicit «non debuisse hanc aegritudinem contrahi peccatis, ne ad hoc esset ista poena peccati, ut committerentur 0258 plura peccata.» Quaeritur etiam parvulis tantus medicus opitulator: et iste dicit, «Quid quaeritis? Sani sunt propter quos medicum quaeritis. Nec ipse primus homo ideo morte damnatus est: nam postea non peccavit.» Quasi aliquid postea de perfectione justitiae ejus audierit, nisi quod commendat Ecclesia et ipsum Domini Christi misericordia liberatum. «Ejus quoque posteros» iste dicit, «non solum illo non esse infirmiores, sed etiam plura implevisse praecepta, cum ille unum implere neglexerit:» quos posteros videt ita nasci, quomodo certe ille factus non est, non solum praecepti incapaces, quod omnino non sentiunt, sed vix capaces papillae cum esuriunt; eos tamen in matris Ecclesiae gremio cum salvos gratia sua facere velit, qui salvum facit populum suum a peccatis eorum, contradicunt homines, et quasi creaturam, quae per illum condita est, melius illo inspicere noverint, voce non sana sanos esse pronuntiant.