196 ORIGINAL SIN 



engenders sin on our part, when the law affords occa- 

 sion for disobedience. In short, the phenomenon of 

 inherited Habihty to sin is described in the terms of its 

 causation and of its effects.^ The sense in which St. 

 Paul could say that all sinned in Adam's transgression 

 must be, in effect, that all are involved in the effects of 

 Adam's sin in such wise that they also sin when given 

 opportunity. That he is using the word sin in a deriva- 

 tive sense is also shown by the language which he pro- 

 ceeds to employ: "For until the law, sin was in the 

 world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 

 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, 

 even over them that had not sinned after the hkeness 

 of Adam's transgression," etc.^ It is clear that if sin 

 is described to be in the world in relation to those who 

 have not literally sinned like Adam, this sin is not 

 actual sin, but the death, physical and spiritual, which 

 reigned because of sin and which subsequently engen- 

 dered sin. Moreover, St. Paul's denial that sin is 

 imputed when there is no law — no occasion for actual 

 sin — shows that he did not mean to teach that God 

 holds those to be "guilty" who as yet have "not sinned 

 after the likeness of Adam's transgression." 



Such teaching, however, is to be found in St, Augus- 

 tine's writings, and is perhaps involved in a very few 

 passages of earlier patristic literature; but it is not 

 primitive, and has never gained catholic consent. It 

 comes from technicalizing metaphorical language, and 

 thus making it to suggest a meaning which St. Paul's 



J 3ee p. 136, above. ^ Rom. v. 13, 14. 



