VII. JOHN CALVIN ON THE SALVATION OF - The Works of F. N. Lee

"The benefit," concludes Calvin, "belongs to the Gentiles as much as to the Jews.... ' He
should be heir of the World' .... The apostle...[in fact] includes in the word ' World' ...the
restoration which was hoped for from Christ.... It was...necessary that the fallen state of the
whole World should be repaired."
Calvin on the wrath and grace of God in Romans chapter five
Romans 5:12-20 is by far the most important passage (in that book) bearing upon our subject.
It indeed declares that ' all have sinned' ; and that ' death reigned from Adam' ; and that ' by the
offence of one, [judgment came] upon all men to condemnation' ; and that ' many were made
sinners.' The question is, however, whether all this necessarily implies the eternal damnation
of all (or of any) who die in infancy?
The latter proposition is not stated in the passage. What is stated, however, is that even
though ' by one man' s offence, death reigned by one -much more they which receive
abundance of grace and of the [God-given] gift of righteousness, shall reign in life.' For ' by
the righteousness of One, [the free gift came] 331 upon all men unto justification.' Indeed,
' wheresin did abound - grace did much more abound.' For grace now abounds 'much
more' than sin ever did!
Comments Calvin: 332 "The purpose of Christ' s coming, was to redeem us from the calamity
into which Adam had fallen.... A clearer realization of what we possess in Christ, can come
only when we have been shown what we have lost in Adam....
"Sin has spread to all who suffer the punishment of sin.... All of Adam' s posterity are subject
to the dominion of death. It is because we have all sinned. To sin -- as the word is used here
-- is to be corrupt and vitiated.
"The natural depravity which we bring from our mother' s womb, although it does not produce
its fruits immediately, is still sin before God - and deserves His punishment. This is what is
called original sin.... We have, therefore, all sinned. Because we are all imbued with natural
corruption, and for this reason are wicked and perverse....
"' Deathreigned from Adam until Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the likeness
of Adam' s transgression' .... This passage is generally understood of little children - who,
without being guilty of any actual transgression, die through original sin. I prefer, however, to
interpret it generally - as referring to all those who sinned without the Law" - alias without
knowledge of the written Torah.
"The apostle therefore wanted to imply that this difference between Adam and his posterity,
could not exempt them from condemnation. Infants are also in the meantime included in
the universal catalogue.... The grace acquired by Christ belongs to a greater number
[both agreater number and a greaternumber ]than the condemnation contracted by
the first man.... The fall of Adam had the effect of producing the ruin of man. The grace of
God is much more efficacious in benefitting many.... Christ is much more powerful to save,
than Adam was to destroy....
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