[The Whole Body of Christian Religion, by Hieron Zanchius; Translated out of Latin by D. Ralph Winterton]
Girolamo Zanchi (Hieronymus Zanchius), that eminent Italian divine and confessor of the Reformed faith, was born in Alzano Lombardo in 1516, of noble descent, but soon orphaned and raised in the Augustinian order. Early trained in Aristotle and the sacred tongues, he was drawn to the Reformation under the ministry of Peter Martyr Vermigli, whose lectures on Romans especially wrought upon his soul. Zanchi diligently studied the writings of Calvin, Melanchthon, Bucer, and Luther, yet chiefly revered Calvin as the prince of exegetes. When persecution scattered the Italian Reformers, Zanchi fled to Strasbourg, where he became professor of Old Testament, noted for his rigorous, legal method and profound learning. His Calvinistic doctrine of predestination and irenic spirit in the Eucharistic controversies soon drew him into conflict with the Lutheran establishment, resulting in the Strasbourg Consensus. Yet, finding the compromise unsatisfactory and conscience bound, he departed, serving as pastor to Italian exiles in Chiavenna. In 1568, Zanchi was called to Heidelberg to succeed Ursinus as professor of theology. There he produced numerous scholastic works—most notably his Confession of the Christian Religion and De Natura Legis—defending Reformed doctrine with uncommon acumen. When the Palatinate turned Lutheran, he, with other faithful brethren, repaired to Neustadt, continuing his labors till his death in 1590. Zanchi’s scholarship, piety, and steadfastness rendered him a chief ornament of the Reformed churches—a “burning and shining light,” whose legacy endures in his writings and the testimony of those who heard and read him.
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We believe, that Adam the first man, considering that he was created after the image of God, and made just and upright, and endued with free-will in such sort, that if he would he might have not sinned, and so never died: considering this, I say, we believe, that he at the devil's persuasion, God not hindering him, but leaving him to follow his own counsel, of his own accord, with true freedom of will, sinned against God by his disobedience: so that he can neither translate the fault upon God, nor his own nature as he received it from God, nor any other creature, but ought and must attribute it only unto himself, because he would so.
We understand, that Adam's sin was his voluntary transgressing the commandment of God, in eating the forbidden fruit (as Moses sets it down) and (as the Apostle speaketh) his disobedience: which consisted not so much in the outward act, as in his voluntary purpose of mind, in that he would not obey God.
So we confess, that man being destitute of the grace of God, by his own fault lost that life by which he did live holily unto God, having his understanding blinded, his will depraved, and the integrity of his whole nature perished, as concerning things belonging unto God, and a life well-pleasing unto God: that he became the servant of sin, and the slave of Satan, and truly dead unto God: that he incurred death, both that of the body which is common to all men together with all bodily calamities, and also, and that especially, that of the whole man, which is eternal, that is to say, most miserable, most grievous, most unhappy, to live with the devil in everlasting torments, a life beyond all comparison worse than any death: from which he could never have been delivered but by Christ.
Now, forasmuch as all mankind, which by natural generation was to be propagated from Adam, was in the loins of Adam; whereupon the commandment joined also with a commination belonged not to Adam's person only, but to all mankind: therefore we believe with the Apostle, and confess that in Adam sinning all men sinned; so that the disobedience was not so much proper to him as common to all mankind: because his guilt descended upon all his posterity whether born already, or yet to be born; as the Apostle plainly teacheth, and most firmly proveth by opposing the disobedience of Adam, and the obedience of Christ, the one to the other. For if the obedience of Christ be as well ours by imputation, as it was Christ's own by his proper action; because we are born again of his incorruptible seed, and of his Spirit: then likewise it follows, that the disobedience of Adam is imputed unto us, and his guilt becomes ours; because according to our carnal generation, we are born of his seed, who is the father of all men.
And, as upon Adam's actual disobedience, there followed presently in the just judgment of God, the corruption of his whole nature, which is by the Apostle called lust or concupiscence, which is both a punishment for sin foregoing, and a sin itself, and the cause of other sins: so also all men which by natural propagation are descended from him, are infected with the same contagion and corruption of nature. This we believe as we have been taught out of Holy Scripture, and this we confess with the whole Church. For in Adam all men sinned, and the guilt of his disobedience came upon all.
Wherefore we say, that this hereditary stain and corruption of nature, is so in all men a sin, and therefore commonly called Original sin; that yet notwithstanding we in no wise separate it from the guilt and imputation of that first disobedience. As on the contrary we doubt not to affirm that the righteousness of Christians consists, not so much in the regeneration of nature, which is the work of Christ's Spirit, and commonly called by the name of Inherent righteousness, as in the imputation of the perfect obedience and righteousness of Christ, whose members we are.