Sin is used in the sense of, 1st, the wrong moral condition or character of the will or heart ; 2d, an act transgressing moral law ; 3d, guilt, or legal responsibility for that which has trans- gressed law. In the first and second senses, sin can be imputed only to the sinful agent himself. In the third sense, of legal re- sponsibility, the guilt of the sinful act of one man may be im- puted to another, when that other is justly responsible for his conduct in the case. God never regards Adam's sinful disposi- tion or character as ours, nor his act of eating the forbidden fruit as our act, as a matter of fact. But the legal responsibility of his act God does righteously impute to us, since Adam being our legal representative, we are legally responsible for his action in that character.
There is included, therefore, in the Scriptural doctrine of the imputation of Adam's sin — 1st. The recognition of our legal one- ness with Adam, on the ground of that sovereign though right- eous element of the covenant of works which makes us legally responsible for his public action.
2d. The charging or imputation of the guilt of his public sin upon us.
3d. The most righteous treatment of us according to the de- merits of that sin. '
17. What is the nature of the union of Adam and his pos- terity, lohich is the ground, of the imputation of his sin to them ?
This union with them is two-fold : 1st. Natural, as the root of the whole human family. 2d. Federal, as, by that divine con- stitution called the covenant of works, he represented and acted in behalf of all his descendants. It is the second, or federal union which is the legal ground of the imputation of his sin to them.
On the other hand, the ground in reason and right for the constitution of that federal union appears, 1st. In the sovereign right of God to order the probation of his creatures as he pleases, which right he evidently in this instance exercised most merci- fully, in appointing the probation of the human family under the most favorable circumstances. 2d. Adam's natural relation to his children made him the prop>er person to represent them. 3d. The headship of the first Adam is part of that unsearchable plan which culminates in the headship of the second Adam.
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18. What evidence on this subject may be derived from the history of the fall ?
In the third chapter of Genesis Adam is presented as a public person, the human race, as a whole, being involved in the trans- action. This appears — 1st. Because Adam's name is generic as well as personal. It signifies (1.) red earth, (2.) man.
2d. All his posterity are equally involved in the judicial sen- tence wThich was immediately pronounced, e. g., the pain of child- bearing, the curse of the ground, the sentence to live by painful labor, and physical death.
3d. All his posterity have equal interest with him in the promise of the woman's seed, which was then graciously made.
19. How may the truth of this doctrine be established from Rom. v.. 12-21, and 1 Cor. xv., 21, 22 ?
In Rom. v., 12-21, the apostle is engaged in illustrating the method of justification through Christ by the parallel fact of the condemnation of men on account of the sin of Adam. The latter fact he proves thus : " The infliction of a penalty proves the transgression of a law, since sin is not imputed where there is no law (v. 13.) All mankind are subject to death or penal evils, therefore all men are regarded as transgressors of a law, v. 13. This is not the law of Moses, because multitudes died before that law was given, v. 14. Nor is it the law of nature written upon the heart, since multitudes (infants) die who never violated even that law, v. 14. Therefore, as neither of these laws embrace all the subjects of the penalty, we must conclude that men were sub- ject to death on account of Adam ; i. e., it was for the offense of one that many die (vs. 12, 15), and Adam is a type of Christ/' — Hodge's Com. on Rom.
1 Cor. xv., 21, 22, asserts the same truth. All die in Adam, not only efficiently but meritoriously, because our relation to Adam, as legally one with him, is analogous to the relation of the elect to Christ.
20. What other scriptural proof of this doctrine may be ad- duced ?
This doctrine is expressly asserted only in the passages above 16
242 sin.
cited. The principle involved, however, is affirmed in many places ; e. g., second commandment, Ex. xx., 5. Case of Achan, Josh. vii. ; of Saul's sons, 2 Sam., xxi. ; and of Jerohoam, 1 Kings xiv., 9-16, etc., etc.
21. How may the imputation of Adam's sin he argued from the fact that we are born in sin ?
The being born alienated from God, from which the corrup- tion of our nature results, is itself not a sin, but a dreadful pun- ishment. But punishment argues guilt, universal punishment universal guilt, and the punishment of all men can be referred to no other cause than to the universal guilt of all in Adam.