書信與論戰集（CSEL） 第 49 章 第 1/10 段

BOOK ONE. Although in the midst of great and surging seas of cares and weariness, which detain us because of sinners who forsake the law of God — though we ought to impute these very things also to the deserts of our own sins — nevertheless, dearest Marcellinus, I did not wish, out of zeal for you (by which you are the more pleasing and delightful to us), to remain your debtor any longer; and, that you may hear the truth, I could not.

For thus did either that very love compel me — by which, in the one unchangeable God, we are one, to be changed for the better — or the fear lest I should offend God in you, who gave you such a desire, by serving which I may serve him who gave it; thus, I say, it compelled me, thus it led and drew me to resolve, according to my slender strength, the questions which by your writing you laid upon me, so that this matter for a little while overcame others in my mind, until I should accomplish something whereby it might be established that I had served your good will, and the good will of those who care about these things, obediently even if not sufficiently. Those who say 'Adam was so created that he would have died even without the deserving of sin, not by the punishment of fault but by the necessity of nature.' Assuredly that which was said in the law:

'In the day that you eat, you shall die the death,' they try to refer not to the death of the body, but to the death of the soul, which happens in sin. By which death the Lord signified that the unbelievers were dead, of whom he says: 'Let the dead bury their dead.' What then will they answer, when it is read that God said this also to the first man, after the sin, in rebuke and condemnation: 'You are earth, and into earth you shall go'? For it was not according to the soul, but — which is manifest — according to the body that he was earth, and by the death of that same body he was to go into the earth.

For although according to the body he was earth, and bore a natural body in which he was created, nevertheless, if he had not sinned, he was to be changed into a spiritual body and to pass into that incorruption which is promised to the faithful and the saints, without the penalty of death. And that we have a desire for this thing, we not only feel in ourselves, but also recognize at the apostle's prompting, where he says: 'For in this we groan, longing to be clothed upon with our habitation which is from heaven; if so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we who are in this dwelling groan, being burdened; wherein we do not wish to be unclothed, but to be clothed over, that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.'

Accordingly, if Adam had not sinned, he was not to be stripped of the body, but to be clothed over with immortality and incorruption, so that what is mortal might be swallowed up by life — that is, that he might pass from the natural into the spiritual. Nor indeed was there any need to fear lest, if he lived here longer in a natural body, he might be weighed down by old age and, growing gradually decrepit, arrive at death. For if God provided for the Israelites' garments and shoes that they were not worn out through so many years, what wonder if the same power should be granted to an obedient man, that, having a natural — that is, mortal — body, he might have in it a certain condition whereby without decay he might be full of years, destined at the time God willed to come from mortality to immortality without an intervening death?

For just as this very flesh which we now have is not therefore un-woundable because there is no necessity that it be wounded, so that flesh was not therefore immortal because there was no necessity that it should die. Such a constitution, I think, was granted, still in a natural and mortal body, even to those who were translated from here without death. For neither did Enoch and Elijah wither with old age through so long an age; nor yet do I believe that they have already been changed into that spiritual quality of body which is promised in the resurrection, which first preceded in the Lord;

unless perhaps these men do not even need those foods which by their consumption restore us, but from the time they were translated they so live that they have a satiety like that of those forty days in which Elijah lived without food on a cup of water and a cake of bread; or, if they do have need of these supports, then perhaps they are fed in paradise as Adam was, before he deserved to go out from there on account of sin. For he had, as I reckon, both refreshment against exhaustion from the fruits of the trees, and stability against age from the tree of life. Now besides this, that God said in punishment:

'You are earth, and into earth you shall go,' which I do not know how it could be understood except of the death of the body — there are also other testimonies by which it appears most evidently that the human race deserved, on account of sin, not only the death of the spirit but also of the body. To the Romans the apostle says: 'But if Christ is in you, the body indeed is dead because of sin, but the spirit is life because of righteousness. If therefore the Spirit of him who raised up Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised up Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit dwelling in you.' I think that so clear and plain a statement has need not of an expositor, but only of a reader.

'The body,' he says, 'is dead' — not because of earthly frailty, since it was made from the dust of the earth, but 'because of sin.' What more do we seek? And most watchfully he did not say 'mortal' but 'dead.' For before it should be changed into that incorruption which is promised in the resurrection of the saints, it could be mortal, though not going to die, just as this body of ours can be, so to speak, 'liable to sickness,' though not going to be sick. For whose flesh is it that cannot fall sick, even if by some chance it should perish before it falls sick? So too that body was already mortal. Which mortality the change into eternal incorruption would have consumed, if righteousness, that is, obedience, had remained in the man;

but that very mortal thing did not become dead except because of sin. Yet because that future change in the resurrection will have not only no death — which came about because of sin — but not even the mortality which the natural body had before sin, he did not say 'he who raised up Christ Jesus from the dead will give life also to your dead bodies,' though he had said above 'the dead body,' but he says: 'he will give life also to your mortal bodies,' so that indeed they may now not only not be dead, but not even mortal, when the natural rises into the spiritual and this mortal puts on immortality and the mortal is swallowed up by life. It would be a wonder if anything were sought more limpid than this manifestation.

Unless perhaps we must listen to what is objected against this clarity, namely that we should here understand 'dead body' in the manner in which it was said: 'Mortify your members which are upon the earth.' But in this way the body is mortified because of righteousness, not because of sin; for in order that we may work righteousness, we mortify our members which are upon the earth. Or if they think that 'because of sin' was added so that we should understand not that sin has been committed, but that sin may not be committed — as though he said: 'the body indeed is dead because of not committing sin' — what then does he mean by having added, when he had joined 'but the spirit is life,' the words 'because of righteousness'?

For it would have sufficed thus to join 'the life of the spirit,' so that here too there might be understood 'because of not committing sin,' so that we should understand both things on account of one thing: both that the body is dead and that the spirit is life because of not committing sin. For indeed, even if he had wished only to say 'because of righteousness' — that is, 'because of doing righteousness' — both could be referred to this: both that the body is dead and that the spirit is life because of doing righteousness. But now he said both that the body is dead because of sin and that the spirit is life because of righteousness, attributing different deserts to different things: to the death of the body the desert of sin, but to the life of the spirit the desert of righteousness.

Wherefore if, as cannot be doubted, 'the spirit is life because of righteousness' — that is, by the desert of righteousness — surely as for 'the body dead because of sin,' what else ought we or can we understand than by the desert of sin, if we do not attempt at our pleasure to pervert and distort the most manifest sense of Scripture? To this also is added the light of the words that follow. For when, determining the grace of the present time, he had said that the body indeed is dead because of sin, since in it, not yet renewed through the resurrection, the desert of sin remains — that is, the necessity of death — but that the spirit is life

because of righteousness — since, although we are still weighed down by the body of this death, yet according to the inner man, the renewal having been begun, we breathe again into the righteousness of faith — nevertheless, lest human ignorance should hope for nothing concerning the resurrection of the body, that very thing which he had called dead in the present age because of the desert of sin, he says will be made alive in the future because of the desert of righteousness; and this not merely so that from being dead it becomes alive, but even so that from being mortal it becomes immortal. And so, although I fear lest by expounding a manifest matter I should rather obscure it, nevertheless attend to the light of the apostolic statement. 'But if Christ,' he says, 'is in you, the body indeed is dead because of sin, but the spirit is life because of righteousness.'

This was said lest men should for that reason think they had either no benefit or only a small benefit from the grace of Christ, because they must necessarily die in the body. For they ought indeed to consider that the body still bears the desert of sin, being bound by the condition of death, but that the spirit has now begun to live because of the righteousness of faith — the spirit which itself had been extinguished in man by a certain death of unbelief. 'Do not therefore,' he says, 'think that too little a gift has been conferred upon you through the fact that Christ is in you, in that, though the body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit now lives because of righteousness; nor for that reason despair even of the life of the body itself.

For if the Spirit of him who raised up Christ from the dead dwells in you, he who raised up Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit dwelling in you.' Why then is the smoke of contention still cast over so great a light? The apostle cries out: 'The body indeed is dead in you because of sin, but your mortal bodies also will be made alive because of righteousness, on account of which now the spirit is already life; and all this will be brought to completion through the grace of Christ — that is, through his Spirit dwelling in you.' And still there is protest! He says also in what manner it comes about that life, by mortifying death, converts it into itself. 'Therefore, brethren,' he says, 'we are debtors, not to the flesh, that we should live according to the flesh.

For if you live according to the flesh, you shall die; but if by the Spirit you mortify the deeds of the flesh, you shall live.' What else is this than: 'If you live according to death, the whole will die; but if, by living according to life, you mortify death, the whole will live'? Likewise, as to what he says: 'By a man came death, and by a man the resurrection of the dead,' what else can it be understood of than the death of the body, since, in order to say this, he was speaking about the resurrection of the body and was urging it with the most insistent and keen intention? What then is it that he here says to the Corinthians: 'By a man came death, and by a man the resurrection of the dead; for as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive,' unless what he also says to the Romans:

'Through one man sin entered into the world, and through sin death'? This death they want to be understood not of the body but of the soul; as if something different were said to the Corinthians, 'By a man came death,' where they are by no means allowed to take it of the death of the soul, since the matter concerned the resurrection of the body, which is contrary to the death of the body. Therefore too only death is there commemorated as done through a man, not also sin, because the matter did not concern righteousness, which is contrary to sin, but the resurrection of the body, which is contrary to the death of the body. But this apostolic testimony, in which he says:

'Through one man sin entered into the world, and through sin death' — that they indeed attempt to distort into some new opinion, you have intimated by your letters, but what that thing is which they suppose in these words you passed over in silence. But as far as I have learned from others, they hold this: 'that this death also, which is there commemorated, is not of the body — which they refuse to admit Adam deserved by sinning — but of the soul, which happens in the sin itself; and that sin itself passed to other men from the first man not by propagation but by imitation.' For from this they refuse to believe that even in infants original sin is loosed through baptism, which they contend is altogether none in the newly born.

But if the apostle had wished to commemorate that sin which entered into this world not by propagation but by imitation, he would call its author not Adam but the devil, of whom it is written: 'From the beginning the devil sins,' and of whom it is also read in the book of Wisdom: 'But through the envy of the devil death entered into the world of lands.' For since that death so came from the devil into men — not because they were propagated by him, but because they imitated him — he immediately added: 'But they imitate him who are of his part.' Accordingly the apostle, when he commemorated that sin and death which had passed by propagation from one into all, set as its author him from whom the propagation of the human race took its beginning.

They indeed imitate Adam, as many as by disobedience transgress God's commandment; but one thing is that which is an example to those sinning by their own will, another is that which is an origin to those born with sin. For the saints also imitate Christ in following after righteousness; whence the same apostle says: 'Be imitators of me, as I also am of Christ.' But besides this imitation, his grace works our illumination and justification even inwardly, by that work of which the same herald of his says: 'Neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.' For by this grace he inserts into his body baptized infants also, who certainly are not yet able to imitate anyone.

Therefore just as he in whom all are made alive, besides that he offered himself as an example of righteousness to those imitating him, also gives to the faithful the most hidden grace of his Spirit, which he secretly infuses even into infants, so also he in whom all die, besides that he is an example of imitation to those who by their own will transgress the Lord's commandment, has also, by the hidden corruption of his carnal concupiscence, corrupted in himself all who were to come from his stock. From this and from nowhere else the apostle says: 'Through one man sin entered into the world, and through sin death; and so it passed unto all men, in whom all sinned.' If I were to say this, they would resist and cry out that I do not speak rightly, do not think rightly.

For in these words they would understand no meaning of any man who might say them, except that very meaning which they refuse to understand in the apostle. But because they are the words of one to whose authority and teaching they submit, they charge us with slowness of understanding, while they attempt to distort into I know not what else the things that were plainly said. 'Through one man,' he says, 'sin entered into the world, and through sin death': this belongs to propagation, not to imitation; for he would say 'through the devil.' But — which no one doubts — he means this first man, who was called Adam. 'And so,' he says, 'it passed unto all men.' Then what follows:

'in whom all sinned' — how circumspectly, how properly, how without ambiguity was it said! For if you understand the sin which through one man entered into the world, in which sin all sinned, surely it is manifest that there are, on the one hand, sins proper to each, in which only those sin whose sins they are, and, on the other hand, this one sin, in which all sinned, when all were that one man. But if it is understood not as the sin but as the one man himself, in which one man all sinned, what could be more manifest even than this manifestation?

Indeed we read that those who believe in Christ are justified in Christ, because of the hidden communication and inspiration of spiritual grace, by which whoever cleaves to the Lord is one spirit, although his saints also imitate him. Let something of the sort be read to me concerning those who have imitated his saints — whether anyone has been said to be justified in Paul or in Peter or in any one of those whose authority stands preeminent among the people of God; except that we are said to be blessed in Abraham, as it was said to him: 'In you shall all nations be blessed,' on account of Christ, who was called his seed according to the flesh. Which is said more manifestly when it is thus put: 'In your seed shall all nations be blessed.'

But that anyone is said in the divine oracles to have sinned or to sin in the devil, when all the wicked and impious imitate him, I do not know whether anyone will find. Yet when the apostle has said this concerning the first man — 'in whom all sinned' — it is still disputed about the propagation of sin, and I know not what cloud of imitation is set against it. Attend also to what follows. For when he had said 'in whom all sinned,' he went on to add: 'for until the law sin was in the world' — that is, because not even the law could take away sin, which entered in besides in order that sin might the more abound, whether the natural law, in which everyone already using reason begins to add his own sins to original sin, or that very law which was given in writing to the people through Moses.

'For if a law had been given which could give life, righteousness would altogether be from the law. But the Scripture concluded all things under sin, that the promise by the faith of Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.' 'But sin was not imputed, when there was no law.' What is 'was not imputed' except 'was ignored and was not thought to be sin'? For it was not held by the Lord God himself as though it did not exist, since it is written: 'Whoever have sinned without the law shall perish without the law.' 'But,' he says, 'death reigned from Adam until Moses' — that is, from the first man even to that very law which was divinely promulgated, because not even it could take away the reign of death.

For he means the reign of death to be understood, when the guilt of sin so dominates in men that it does not allow them to come to eternal life, which is the true life, but drags them even to the second death, which is penally eternal. This reign of death grace alone destroys in any man — the grace of the Savior, which wrought also in the ancient saints, whoever, before Christ came in the flesh, belonged nevertheless to his assisting grace, not to the letter of the law, which could only command, not assist. For this was hidden in the Old Testament, by a most just dispensation of the times, which is now revealed in the New.

Therefore in all men death reigned from Adam until Moses — in all who were not aided by the grace of Christ, so that in them the reign of death might be destroyed — therefore also in those who did not sin after the likeness of the transgression of Adam, that is, who had not yet sinned by their own and proper will as he did, but drew original sin from him, 'who is the figure of him that was to come'; because in him was established the figure of condemnation for future posterity, who should be created by his propagation, so that from one all should be born unto condemnation, from which nothing frees except the grace of the Savior. I know indeed that very many Latin manuscripts have it thus:

'Death reigned from Adam until Moses over those who sinned after the likeness of the transgression of Adam.' Those who read it thus also refer this itself to the same understanding, so that they take those to have sinned after the likeness of the transgression of Adam who sinned in him, in such a way that they were created like him — as men from a man, so sinners from a sinner, from one destined to die those destined to die, and from one condemned those condemned. But the Greek manuscripts, from which the translation into the Latin tongue was made, either all or almost all have that which was first set down by me. 'But not,' he says, 'as the offense, so also is the free gift; for if by the offense of one many died, much more the grace of God and the gift in the grace of one man, Jesus Christ, has abounded unto many':

not 'more men,' that is, more numerous men — for no more are justified than are condemned — but 'much more abounded.' Adam indeed by his one offense begot guilty ones; but Christ by his grace loosed and freely forgave even those offenses which men added by their own will to the original offense in which they were born — which he says more evidently in what follows. But consider more carefully what he says: 'by the offense of one, many died.' For why 'by the offense of that one,' and not rather 'by their own proper offenses,' if imitation, not propagation, is to be understood in this place? But attend to what follows: 'And not as through one sinning, so also is the gift;'

'for the judgment indeed was by one unto condemnation, but the grace is of many offenses unto justification.' Now let them say where in these words that imitation has place. 'By one,' he says, 'unto condemnation': by what one, except an offense? For this he explains when he adds: 'but the grace is of many offenses unto justification.' Why then is the judgment by one offense unto condemnation, but the grace of many offenses unto justification? Is it not the case that, if there is no original offense, then not only the grace unto justification, but also the judgment unto condemnation, leads men from many offenses? For neither does grace forgive many offenses, without judgment also condemning many offenses.

But if for this reason they are led from one offense unto condemnation, because all the offenses which are condemned were committed out of imitation of that one man, then it is the same reasoning why they should be understood to be led from one offense also unto justification, because all the offenses which are forgiven to the justified were committed out of imitation of that one man. But this evidently the apostle did not understand when he said: 'the judgment indeed was by one offense unto condemnation, but the grace was of many offenses unto justification'! Nay rather, let us understand the apostle, and see that the judgment was said to be by one offense unto condemnation for this reason, that it would suffice for condemnation even if there were nothing in men except original sin.

For although the condemnation of those who have joined their own offenses also to the original offense is heavier, and for each so much heavier as each has sinned more grievously, nevertheless even that alone which is drawn from origin not only separates from the kingdom of God — which even they themselves confess that infants who have died without receiving the grace of Christ cannot enter — but also makes men aliens from salvation and eternal life, which can be no other than the kingdom of God, into which the fellowship of Christ alone introduces. And through this, from Adam, in whom we all sinned, we have derived not all our sins, but only original sin;

but from Christ, in whom we all are justified, we obtain the remission not of that original sin only, but also of the other sins which we ourselves have added. Therefore 'not as through one sinning, so also is the gift.' For the judgment indeed from one offense, if it is not remitted — that is, original sin — can already lead unto condemnation; but grace, from many offenses remitted — that is, not only from that original one, but also from all the rest — leads unto justification. 'For if by the offense of one, death reigned through one, much more shall they who receive the abundance of grace and of righteousness reign in life through one, Jesus Christ.'

Why did death reign through one because of the offense of one, unless because they were held by the bond of death in that one, in whom all sinned, even if they added no offenses of their own? Otherwise death did not reign through one because of the offense of one, but because of the many offenses of the many, through each one who sinned. For if the rest died because of the offense of another man for the reason that, following him as he went before in offending, they imitated him, then he too, and much more, died because of the offense of another — the devil, who by offending had so preceded him that he even persuaded the offense to him.

But Adam persuaded nothing to those who imitate him; and many who are called his imitators either have not heard that he existed and committed such a thing, or do not believe it at all. How much more rightly, then, as I have already said, would the Apostle have set up the devil as chief, from whom alone he might say that sin and death passed upon all, if in this passage he had wished to teach not propagation but imitation. For Adam is far more reasonably called the imitator of the devil, whom he had as the persuader to sin, if indeed anyone can also imitate that one who persuaded him to no such thing, or whom he does not know at all. But what does it mean:

those who receive the abundance of grace and of righteousness — except that grace of remission is given not only for that one sin in which all sinned, but also for those sins which they themselves added, and to those men so great a righteousness is bestowed, that, whereas Adam consented to the one persuading him to sin, these do not yield even to the one compelling them? And what does this mean: 'much more shall they reign in life,' since the reign of death drags far more into eternal punishments, unless we understand that the very same persons are spoken of in both, namely those who pass from Adam to Christ, that is, from death to life, because in eternal life they shall reign without end, more than death reigned over them temporally and with an end?