Wesley Corpus

“In the 19th verse, the Apostle concludes the whole argument: “As by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.’” (Page 29, et seq.) “Were made sinners,” you aver means only, “were made mortal.” If so, the counterpart, “made righteous,” can only mean, “made immortal.” And that you thought so then, appears from your citing as a parallel text, “In Christ shall all be made alive;” which you had be fore asserted to mean only, “shall be raised from the dead.” 14. “Hence it followeth, First, that the abounding of God’s grace, and the blessing by that grace, doth not respect the consequences of Adam’s sin, hath no reference to his transgression, but to the grace of God, and the obedience of Christ.” (Page 45.) “The abounding of God’s grace,” you inform us, “has reference to the grace of God.” Most sure: But this does not prove that it has no reference to the con sequences of Adam’s sin. If we gain more blessing by Christ than we lost by Adam, it is doubtless abounding grace. But still it has a reference to Adam’s transgression, and the con sequences of it. It is over these that it abounds; therefore it has a manifest respect to them. “It followeth, Secondly, that in the 18th and 19th verses the Apostle considers the effects of Christ's obedience only so far as they answer to, and reverse the consequences of, Adam’s disobedience; the additional benefits flowing there from having been mentioned apart in the 15th, 16th, and 17th verses.” (Page 46.) In those verses the Apostle does un doubtedly show how the blessing by Christ abounded over the curse by Adam. But what then? How does this prove that the 18th and 19th verses do not respect all the benefits mentioned before? Without question they do: They are a general conclusion, not from one, but all the preceding verses. “Again observe, that the ‘justification to life’ is such a justification as comes upon all men.” (Page 47.) It may in some sense; but does it in fact? According to your sense of it, it comes upon none.