Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1859-11-23
sno OPlIlE o. lHe age.
Adams Mortality.

-ssUs~------
For the Spirit Of the Age.
Adams Mortality.
Was Adam, before his transgression.
mortal being? is asiquestion, which, if 9
no great moment, is an interesting one, an,
one that is, at present. engaging the atten
ton OF some. Not being July satisfe,
myself, and being desirous Of seeing th,
negative discussed, proceed to give sucl
arguments in the affirmative as am !,
possession of
lst. Adams fall did not bring death up
on the ~eoIe animal kingdom, but oni,
upon the human race.
For the proof of this, let Ms apneal r.
geology, to reason and to the Bible. Ge
illogical research shows that the oldest fos
sli remains are -yegetable-the next, in or
der, are her6'Oorous anirnals-thirdly. car
nlverous animals, and lastly is man. Each
OF these fossils is found in strata of different
ages-that containing the plant is yery old
perhaps hundred thousand years. while
that containing man, is very new, indeed.
rarely more than alluvial soil.
thus it is seen that the herbivorous ami
mai was not created until there was food
Ior nm, that the carniverous did not exist
TILL there was food for him also, and that
both classes lived and many died long an
terror to the creation. of Adam; because.
If they had not died, how conld their re-.
mains be found in rocks that have existed
more than ten thousand years? Hence.
death was antecedent to man.
vi the remains of animals having the
same physical. construction, and everg way.
IKE carnlverous animals Of the present
-"S"U., nA taana A~,-,fI "0p1e' 'n"' 'ne
was antecedent to man!
Reason teaches that since animacul e
pervade every thing now, and especially
fruit, and since God has created no new
thing since He crested from his labor"
these animals we're in the fruit from the
beginning, and especially so, since they are
blessing instead of plague. If they
were in fruit and vegetation at first, Adam
who lived on the fruit of the garden, and
the beasts that lived on the vegetation,
must have killed them. Add to this, the
fact, that some animals lived on insects on
ly, and the conclusion is irresistible, tha
death was antecedent to the fall.
The Bible teaches the same truth II
the day that thou eatest thereof thou shall
surely die" was meaningless to Adam, j
he had never seen death or knew nothing
of its nature. God never speaks to hi
creatures in unintelligible language; an
particularly is he plain in his commands
threats, &C., therefore, we are left to on
of two conclusions from this; either tha
God entered into long physiological al
gument to show Adam the force of th
penalty attached to the violation of h
command or that lie had by beholding th
agonies of the brute, writhing in the las
throes of expiring nature, obtained an ide
of death. The former Goo never doe
hence, the latter must be true. If Adal
knew what death was, then he understoo
what punishment was attached to the vi
i ation of the command. If he did not, Il
4 whole was perfectly enigmatical to him.
From these three sources we are real
to conclude-which all, who have exami
ed the subject, we're ready to admit fro
the first-that brute animals were subject
death and did die before the fall, and th
Paul did not mean there was death of
, kind, and no a0here in the world, when
said death by sin" entered into the wor
but that it only passed upon man. More
!. brutes be considered in the expressio
! GAS in Adam all die, even so in Chr
6 shall all be made alive" otherwise bra
/ were redeemed in the atonement-hen
i, must have an immortal soul, therefore,
commit murder whenever we kill the mer
q insect
; Thus far, in endeadvoring to prove
: the satisfaction of those who have not
;. amined the question, that brutes were
ID afflicted by the fall, | have waived !,
ID question.
ne Cd. What kind of death did Adam
tail upon the human racc.s The forego
arguments may all be very true and yet
az al affect the question. Because God said,
n the day that thou eatest thereof thou 81
surely die" Not that brestes, but Id
les should die But what was this death 2
ed lst. That Eve supposed tito be phys
'u, dissolution, is evidenced by her eatin,
w soon after the serpent in whom she saw
aid change; and the man, believing the s.
ate the more readily from seeing no ch.
ngs in his spouse. After partaking, they
cry not drop dead, but on the contrary
her to very old age. But God said" II
'm, DAY that thou eatest thou shall surely
ueO 9o Therefore, it was not physical dissolu
,;ro What, then, was it? So soon as they
and eaten "their eyes were opened" to v
nate To see each other stretched, lifeless o.
him, ground? Surely not. Bnt to see that
anne were naked. They did feel a.change
her, over them, then. But it was char
:, their spiritual. and not physical natu
'a ans They died to holiness and purity. I
and and it was spiritual death, the pangs Of
been were family shacowed in the death