Wesley Corpus

(5.) Was not every wilful, impenitent trans gressor, during this whole time, subject to death everlasting? Neither can I allow that unnatural interpretation of, “Them who had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgres sion;” “Had not sinned against law, making death the pe nalty of their sin, as Adam did.” (Page 42.) Do not the words obviously mean, “Had not sinned by any actual sin, as Adam did?” Nay, “the Sodomites and Antediluvians are no objection to this.” That is strange indeed! But how so? “Because extraordinary interpositions come under no rule, but the will of God.” What is that to the purpose? Their sins were actually punished with death, “during that space wherein,” you say, “mankind were not subject to death for their trans gression.” They were subject to death for their transgressions, as God demonstrated by those extraordinary interpositions. You add, “That law, ‘Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed, makes death the penalty of mur der.” (Page 43.) It does; and thereby overthrows your whole assertion. “No; for, (1.) It was not enacted till the year of the world 1657.” Well, and if it had been enacted only the year before Moses was born, it would still have destroyed your argument. But, (2) “It is given as a rule for Magistrates in executing justice, and not as a declaration of the penalty of sin to be inflicted by God himself.” What then? What does it matter, whether the penalty annexed by God were inflicted by God or man? However, I suppose this punishment on the Antediluvians, and on Sodom and Gomorrah, was “inflicted by God himself.” But, (3) “None of these were made mortal by those sins.” Certainly, infallibly true! And yet the case of any of these abundantly proves, that the law was in force from Adam to Moses, even according to your own definition of it: “A rule of duty with the penalty of death annexed, as due to the transgressor from God.” 13. You affirm, (6.) “The consequences of Adam’s sin answer those of Christ's obedience; but not exactly: ‘Not as the offence, so is the free gift.