full the mystery of this iniquity: with whom (for the better information of the English reader) we join our Rhemists, who deliver this as their Catholic doctrine: "That" all good works done by God's grace after the first justification, be truly and properly meritorious, and fully worthy of everlasting life: and that thereupon heaven is the due and just stipend, crown, or recompence, which God by his justice oweth to the persons so working by his grace.. For he rendereth or repayeth heaven," say they, "as a just judge, and not only as a merciful giver: and the crown which he payeth is not only of mercy, or favour, or grace, but also of justice." And again: "That man's works done by Christ's grace, do condignly or worthily deserve eternal joy:" so as "works" can be none other but the value, desert, price, worth, and merit of the same." Whereupon they put us in mind, that the word reward, "which in our English tongue may signify a voluntary or bountiful gift, doth not here so well express the nature of the Latin word, Merces, or the Greek Miσlòs, which are rather the very stipend that the hired workman or journeyman, covenanteth to have of him whose work he doth; and is a thing equally ard justly answering to the time and weight of his travels and works, rather than a free gift." This is that doctrine of merits, which from our very hearts we detest and abhor, as utterly repugnant to the truth of God, and the common sense of all true hearted Christians. The lesson which our Saviour taught his disciples, is far different from this: "When" ye have done all those things which are commanded you, say: We are unprofitable servants; we have done that which was our duty to do." And " if he be unprofitable," saith St. Hierome, "who hath done all, what is to be said of him, Rhem. annotat. in 2 Tim. chap. 4. ver. 8. * lidem in Luc. chap. 20. ver. 35. Iidem in 1 Cor. chap. 3. ver. 8. z Ibid. a Luke, chap. 17. ver. 10. bSi inutilis est, qui fecit omnia: quid de illo dicendum est, qui explere non potuit? Hieron. ad Ctesiphont, contr. Pelag. who could not fulfil them?" So likewise the Romans themselves might remember, that they were taught by St. Paul at the beginning: that there is no proportion of condignity to be found betwixt not the actions only but the passions also of the saints, and the reward that is reserved for us in the world to come. "Fore I reckon, that the sufferings of this present time, are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us:" saith he. And Bernard thereupon: "Concerning the life eternal we know, that the sufferings of this time are not worthy to be compared with the future glory; no, not if one man did sustain them all. For the merits of men are not such, that for them eternal life should be due of right; or God should do any injury, if he did not give it. For, to let pass that all merits are God's gift, and in that respect a man is for them made a debtor to God, more than God to man: what are all merits in comparison of so great a glory?" and St. Ambrose long before him: "All those things which we suffer, are too little and unworthy, for the pains whereof there should be rendered unto us so great reward of good things to come, as shall be revealed unto us, when being reformed according to the image of God we shall merit (or obtain) to see his glory face to face." Where for the better understanding of the meaning of the fathers in this point, we may further observe, that merits in their writings do ordinarily signify nothing but works (as in the alleged place of Bernard :) and to merit', e Rom. chap. 8. ver. 18. d De æterna vita scimus, quia non sunt condigna passiones hujus temporis ad futuram gloriam; nec, si unus omnes sustineat. Neque enim talia sunt hominum merita, ut propter ea vita æterna deberetur ex jure; aut Deus injuriam aliquam faceret, nisi eam donaret. Nam, ut taceam quod merita omnia dona Dei sunt, et ita homo magis propter ipsa Deo debitor est, quam Deus homini : quid sunt merita omnia ad tantam gloriam? Bern. serm. 1. in Annunt. B. Mariæ. e Omnia quæ patimur, minora sunt et indigna quorum pro laboribus tanta rependatur futurorum merces bonorum, quæ revelabitur in nobis, cum ad Dei imaginem reformati gloriam ejus facie ad faciem aspicere meruerimus. Ambros. epist. 35. op. tom. 2. pag. 926. Verum quidem est, neque id me fugit, usurpari nonnunquam nomen meriti, ubi nulla est ratio meriti, neque ex congruo, neque de condigno. Andr. Vega, defens, concil. Trident. de Justificat. lib. 8. cap. 8. Si aliquis vocabulo prome simply to procure or to attain, without any relation at all to the dignity either of the person or the work; as both in the last words of Ambrose is plainly to be seen; and in that passage of Bernard concerning children promoted to the prelacy, that they were "more" glad they had escaped the rod, than that they had merited," that is, obtained, "the preferment." And therefore as Tacitus writes of Agricola, that by his "virtuesh he merited," that is to say, incurred, "the anger of Caius Cæsar:" so St. Augustine saith, that he and his fellows for their good doings at the hands of the Donatists, "instead of thanks merited," that is, incurred, "the flames of hatred." On the other side the same father affirmeth, that St. Paul "for his persecutions and blasphemies merited," that is, found the grace, "to be named a vessel of election;" having reference to that in 1 Tim. chap. 1. ver. 13. “Who was before a blasphemer and a persecuter, and injurious, but I obtained mercy;" where instead of nλełny, which the vulgar Latin translateth "Misericordiam consecutus sum;" St. Cyprian' readeth, "Misericordiam merui, I merited mercy." Whereunto we may add that saying which is found also among the works of St. Augustine: "That no sinner should despair of himself, seeing Paul hath merited pardon;" and that of Gregory: "Paul" when rendi usus est; aliter non intellexit, quam consecutionem de facto. Stapleton Promptuar. Catholic. fer. 5. post Dominic. passion. Vocabulum merendi apud veteres Ecclesiasticos scriptores fere idem valet quod consequi, seu aptum idoneumque fieri ad consequendum. Georg. Cassand. Schol. in Hymnos Ecclesiastic. Oper. pag. 179. Vid. Cochlæum in Discuss. Confess. et Apolog. artic. 20. 8 Lætiores interim quod virgas evaserint, quam quod meruerint principatum. Bernard. epist. 42. h Illis virtutibus iram Caii Cæsaris meritus. Tacit. in vit. Jul. Agricolæ. i Pro actione gratiarum flammas meruimus odiorum. Aug. contr. liter. Petilian. lib. 3. cap. 6. * Pro persecutionibus et blasphemiis vas electionis meruit nominari. Id. de Prædestinat. et gratia. Cyprian. epist. 73. op. pag. 133. Augustin. de Baptism. contr. Donatist. lib. 4. cap. 5. m Ut omnis peccator propterea de se non desperet, quia Paulus meruit indulgentiam. August. serm. 170. op. tom. 5. pag. 819. " Quid quod Paulus, cum Redemptoris nomen in terra conaretur extinguere, ejus verba de cœlo meruit audire? Gregor. Moral. in Job, lib. 9. cap. 17. he went about to extinguish the name of our Redeemer. upon earth, merited to hear his words from heaven;" as also that other strain of his concerning the sin of Adam, which is sung in the Church of Rome at the blessing of the taper: "O° happy sin, that merited," that is, found the favour," to have such and so great a Redeemer." Howsoever therefore the ancient doctors may seem unto those that are not well acquainted with their language, to speak of merits as the Romanists do, yet have they nothing common with them but the bare word; in the thing itself they differ as much from them every way, as our Church doth. "I can hardly be persuaded," saith Origen, "that there can be any work, which may require the reward of God by way of debt: seeing this very thing itself, that we can do, or think, or speak any thing, we do it by his gift and largess." So betwixt the punishments for evil and the rewards for good doings, Didymus maketh this difference that of the one, man himself is the cause; the other, "man begetteth not, but God graciously bestoweth," according to that fore cited place of the apostle'. “Wages indeed," saith St. Hilary, "there is none of gift, because it is due by work: but God hath given the same free to all men, by the justification of faith." "Whence should I have so great merit, seeing mercy is my crown?" saith O felix culpa, quæ talem ac tantum meruit habere Redemptorem. Vide Iodoc. Clicthovei lib. de duab, propositionib. Cerei Paschalis. P Vix mihi suadeo quod possit ullum opus esse, quod ex debito remunerationem Dei deposcat: cum etiam hoc ipsum, quod agere aliquid possumus, vel cogitare, vel proloqui, ipsius dono et largitione faciamus. Origen. lib. 4. in epist. ad Rom. cap. 4. 4 Τοῦτο λέγει, ὅτι πατὴρ ἔσται πολλῶν γεννημάτων κακῶν, αἴτιος γενόμενος κολάσεων· τὰς δὲ ἀμοιβὰς τὰς θείας οὐκ ἄνθρωπος γεννᾷ, ἀλλὰ θεὸς χαρίζεται. Οὐ γὰρ ἄξια τὰ παθήματα τοῦ νῦν καιροῦ προς τὴν μéλλovoav dóžav áπokaλvo0ñvai eiç nμãs. Didym. in Job, cap. 15. ver. 35. in Catena MS. D. Augustini Lindselli. Rom. chap. 8. ver. 18. Merces quidem ex dono nulla est, quia Deus omnibus ex fidei justificatione donavit. Unde mihi tantum meriti, cui indulgentia hortat. ad Virgines. debetur ex opere : sed gratuitam St. Ambrose. And again: "Which" of us can subsist without the mercy of God? What can we do worthy of the heavenly rewards? Which of us doth so rise up in this body, that he doth elevate his mind, in such sort as he may continually adhere unto Christ? By what merit of man is it granted, that this corruptible flesh should put on incorruption, and this mortal should put on immortality? By what labours, or by what enduring of injuries can we abate our sins? The sufferings of this time are unworthy for the glory that is to come. Therefore the form of heavenly decrees doth proceed with men, not according to our merits, but according to God's mercy." St. Basil expounding those words of the Psalmist: "Behold the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy," saith that " he doth hope in his mercy, who not trusting in his own good deeds, nor looking to be justified by works, hath the hope of his salvation only in the mercies of God;" and in his explication of those other words: "Return" unto thy rest O my soul; for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee." "Everlasting rest," saith he, "is laid up for them that strive lawfully in this life, not to be rendered according to the debt of works, but exhibited by the grace of the u Quis nostrum sine divina potest miseratione subsistere? Quid possumus dignum præmiis facere cœlestibus? Quis nostrum ita assurgit in hoc corpore, ut animum suum elevet, quo jugiter adhæreat Christo? Quo tandem hominum merito defertur, ut hæc corruptibilis caro induat corruptionem, et mortale hoc induat immortalitatem? Quibus laboribus, quibus injuriis possumus nostra levare peccata? Indignæ sunt passiones hujus temporis ad superventuram glo. riam. Non ergo secundum merita nostra, sed secundum misericordiam Dei, cœlestium decretorum in homines forma procedit. Id. in Psal. 118. octonar. 20. Vide eund. de bono mortis, cap. 11. w Psal. 33. ver. 18. * Ο μὴ πεποιθὼς ἐπὶ τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ ἀνδραγαθήμασι, μηδὲ προσδοκῶν ἐξ ἔργων δικαιωθήσεσθαι, μόνην ἔχει τὴν ἐλπίδα τῆς σωτηρίας ἐπὶ τοὺς οἰκTipμοvs тоv Bεov. Basil. in Psal. 32. y Psal. 116. ver. 7. * Πρόκειται γάρ ἀνάπαυσις αἰωνία τοῖς νομίμως τὸν ἐνταῦθα διαθλήσασι βίον, οὐ κατ ̓ ὀφείλημα τῶν ἔργων ἀποδεδομένη, ἀλλὰ κατὰ χάριν τοῦ μεγαλοδώρου Θεοῦ τοῖς εἰς αὐτὸν ἠλπικόσι παρεχομένη. Id. in Psal. 114. et apud Anton. Meliss. part. 2. serm. 93. |