A Treatise of Justification, Book 8 · Chapter 4

A Treatise of Justification · Book 8 · Chapter 4

p. 586CAP. IIII. Testimonies of Fathers disproving merits, and first those which Bellarmine hath sought to answere, and then others.

§. I.

TO the former testimonies and proofes, I will adjoyne the testimonies of Fathers and other writers. And first those, which Bellarmine aaDe justif. lib. 5. cap. 6. Hilary.hath endeavoured to answere, of which Hilarie bbIn Psal. 51.Ps 51is the first. Spes in misericordia Dei in s…culum, & in seculum seculi est. Non enim illa ipsa justitiae opera sufficient ad perfect… beatitudinis meritum, nisi misericordia Dei, etiam in hac justi…ae voluntate, h…manarum demutationum & motuum vitia non reputet: hinc illud Prophetae dictum est, melior est misericordia tua super vitam—In tantum misericordia Dei muneratur, ut miserans justitia voluntatem aeternitatis quoque suae justum quemque tribuat esse participem. His intendement is, that the hope of salvation is to bee placed in Gods mercy, which is better than our righteous life. For the workes of righteousnesse without Gods mercy in forgiving of sinnes will not suffice to obtaine the reward of blessednesse, which the mercy of God, pitying our will of righteousnesse, bestoweth on the just. But Bell…mine maketh him speake what pleaseth him, for to omit, that for sufficient, hee readeth Sufficerent, Hilary, saith hee, doth teach, that with our goodworkes are mingled certaine sinnes, which though they make not a man unjust, as being light …nd veni…ll, yet they need pardon and mercy, because nothing that is defiled can enter into the kingdome of heaven. Bellar…ines meaning is, that at the day of judgement, the faithfull shall need Gods mercy for the pardoning of veniall sinnes, as heretofore ccAd object. 1. cap. 5.…ee hath taught. But there is no such matter in Hilary, neither is it t…ue, as I have shewed ddCap. 2. §.befor…, that at the day of …udgement the faithfull shall need remission of veniall, or any other sinnes: neither doth Hilary say, that the sinnes which are forgiven by the mercy of God are light, and such as the Papists call veniall. Neither is it true, that there bee any sinnes, which doe not make them sinners in whom they are; seeing Bellarmine here confesseth that men are so defiled by them, that they being not remitted, exclude them from heaven: neither doth hee say with good merits are mingled sin…es, neither doth he call those workes which are mingled with sinnes good merits, for that implyeth a contradiction; but hee saith, they doe not suffice to merit or obtaine the reward of blessednesse, and therefore indeed denyeth the workes of righteousnesse to merit eternall life.

p. 587§. II. The second is Basil: Mane… sempitern… requies illos, qui in hac Basil in Psal. 114. alias 11….Ps 114vitalegitimè certaverunt non ob eorum merita factorum, sed de munificentissimi Dei gratia in quem sperârunt, which is a pregnant testimony. But Bellarm▪ taking advantage at the Printers fault in the old Edition of Basil, leaving out the word foreign, which since hath bin supplyed; answereththat Chemnitius did not rightly translate the words of Basil, for in the Greeke neither the words Non ob eorum merita, are found, nor the word Grati…. The words are these, foreign. There is propounded an eve…lasting …est, to them who lawfully strive in this life, not rendred according to the debt or due of works, but according (to the grace) of the most bountifull God, in whom they have trusted: where the word foreign ▪ if it were not expressed, is of necessity to be understood, and the rather, because he seemeth by allusion to invert the words of the Apostle, Rom. 4 4. foreign. For with Bellarmine, in stead of foreign to repeate foreign, as if he had said, according to the duety or debt of the most bountifull God, or great giver, it is absurd, gift and debt being contrary. And also by foreign debt or du…ty, to understand, as hee doth, measure which becommeth the bounty of God, that is much greater than is due to the workes, is no lesse absurd. For neither doth foreign siignifie measure, neither is the word foreign repeated in the latter clause, which signifieth rendred, but foreign that is, exhibited, which Bellarmine leaveth out. Neither doth hee say foreign, as Bellarmine absurdly understandeth him to speake; for there is no debt or duety of God. Neither would it hinder our cause if the word rendred were repeated in the latter clause, for what is promised, is to bee rendred. But in plaine termes, Basil saith, that eternall rest to them that live well is not rendred foreign, according to the merit of their workes, but foreign according to the grace of the munifi…nt God, exhibited.

But his second Evasion is more grosse, that Basil speaketh of the reward as rendred, not according to the merit of workes which men have done by their owne strength, but such as are done by grace.

Repl▪ Basil plainely speaketh of those who fought a good fight in this life and have trusted in God, and saith, that the eternall rest is laid up for them, and that it is rendied not according to the merit of works, but given according to the g…ace of God the great Giver. Neither doth he speake of naturall or g…acelesse men, of whom he never dreamed, that the eternall rest is p…epared for them; but of godly men, such as David was, whose wo…ds, Returne unto thy rest, O my soule, were the occasion of this speech. Besides, if the rew…rd bee rendred as Bellarmine saith, Supra condignum▪ how is it merited …x condign…? Or if it be mer…ted ex condigno; how is it supra condignum?

§. III. The third is Saint Augustines, out of whom h… recitethAugustin… onelyonly three places, as …ited by us, the firl…. aaIn Psal. 70. conc. 2.Ps 70… sunt, … Dei sunt. The sinnes are thine, the merits are Gods. Supplicium tibi debetur, & cum praemium v…nerit, …ua dona cor…abit, non meri…a …. Punishment p. 588is due to thee. And when the reward shall come, hee will crowne his owne gifts, not thy merits.

2. Pro bbDe verbis Apostoli. serm. 15nihilo salvos facies illos: nihil invenies unde salves, & multum invenis vnde damnes, thou wilt save them for nothing, thou findest nothing for which to save, and thou findest much, for which to condemne.

3. Maluit dicere gratia Dei vita …terna, ut intelligeremus, non pro meritis c De gratia & lib. arb. cap. 9.nostr is Deum nos ad aeternam vitam, sed pro sua miseratione perducere, he chose rather to say, that life eternall is the grace of God; that wee might understand, that not for our merits, but for his owne merciemercy hee doth bring us unto eternall life. Which are most plaine and pregnant testimonies. Bellarmine answereth in grosse: wheresoever Augustine condemneth merits, he speaketh of such merits, as be in us, from our selves, that is to say, without the grace of God. And to this purpose he quoteth August. Epist. 105. ad Sixtum in two places, and his Book de gratia & lib. arbitr. c. 6. 7. 8.

Reply, Augustine by merits understandeth good workes: which hee considereth either as going before grace, wrought by the strength of our owne free will, which against the Pelagians he denyeth t… merit either grace or glory; or he speaketh of them as proceeding from grace, which he acknowledgeth to be rewarded with eternall life. But these, though he call them merits, because they are to be rewarded: yet every where he saith, that the reward is given to them not as to our merits deserving it, but as to the free gifts of God. And therfore that the reward it selfe is called gratia both because it is freely given, and because those workes to which it is given, are wholly to bee ascribed to Gods grace: and consequently, that the Lord, when he rewardeth our workes with eternall life, doth not reward them, as our merits, but as his owne gifts Than which what can be spoken more effectually against the merits of condignity? For if our good works be not our owne, as from our selves, how can …hey merit of him whose gifts they are. If they were our owne and from our selves, and were also perfect (as they are not) then perhaps it might be said, that when God rewardeth them, he rewardeth our merits: but not being from our selves, but meerely by his gift, when he rewardeth them hee doth not reward our merits, but crowne his owne gifts. It is plaine therfore, that whereas August. considereth good works two wayes, either as our merits, or as Gods gifts; he both constantly denyeth eternall life to be rendred unto them, as to our merits, and also affirmeth, that it is given to them freely, as to the free gifts of God. And this is proved out of those very places which Bellarmine alleageth, in the first place he saith: ddEpist. 105.Cùm Deu… coronat merita nostra, nihil aliud coronat quam muner a s…a. When God doth crowne our merits (so hee calleth good works) he crowneth nothing else, but his owne gifts, and in another place. ccIn Psal. 10….Ps 10Ergo coronat te, quia dona sua coronat, non merita t…a, and againe in the same epistle he saith, ffEpist. 105.that howsowever eternall life is rendred to our good workes, which hee therefore calleth merits: yet because these good works or merits unto which it is rendred are not from our selves, but from grace: it selfe therefore is called grace, non ob aliud, p. 589nisi quia gratis datur, for no other cause, but because it is freely given: nor for that it is not given to merits or good works, but because they themselves are given, to which it is given. And againe, that eternall life is the reward of true righteousnesse; to which righteousnes, if it were from our selves, and were to bee found in us, the reward should be due as the stipend thereof: but being not from our selves, but from the grace of God: therefore to us eternall life is grace as being the free reward of grace; to which, as it is freely promised, so it is freely given. And the like is to be said of the other places, some wherof I have before alleaged as being pregnant to our purpose. Wherein as in innumerable other places, Augustine doth not speake of the workes of naturall men, but of the workes of the faithfull and regenerate proceeding from grace, to which, not as to merits, but as to the free gifts of God eternall life is freely given. And it is apparent that he speaketh of the faithfull, who are in the state of salvation, even then, when they are to be saved ggDe gratia lib. arb. cap. 9.ut intelligeremus non pro meritis nostris Deum nos ad eternam vitam; sed pro sua miseratione perducere.

And againe hhDe verb. Apostoli serm. 15.cum pr aemium venerit, sua dona coronabit, non merita tua. And againe pro nihilo salvos facies illos, nihil invenis unde salves, & multum invenis unde damnes.

To these three I will out of very many places, which might be alleaged out of Augustine▪ against the condigne merit of our workes, adde a few more.

4. For writing on those words, Psal. 142 iiIn Psal. 142.Ps 142Propter nomen tuum Domine vivificabis me in justitia tua, spoken in the future tence of a faithful and regenerate man, viz. the Authour of that Psalme, in …ua justitia, saith he, non in mea, non quia eg… merui, sed quia tu miser eris: nam si meum ostenderem meritum, nihil abs te mererer nisi supplicium. In thy righteousnesse, not in mine, not because I have merited; but because thou hast merciemercy. For if I should shew my merit, I should deserve of thee nothing but punishment.

5. Againe writing on those words of the 62. Psalme, kkIn Psal. 62.Ps 62Melior est misericordia tua super vi…as, he saith, multa sunt vit… humana: sed Deus unicam vitam …, & no… illam dat nob… q…asi propter merita nostr…, sed propter misericordiam suam.

6. Si llIn Psal 94.Ps 94vellet pro meritis ager…, non inveniret nisi quos damnaret.

7. Promisit mmIn Psal. 1 c 9.Ps 1enim b…minibus divinitatem, mortalibus immortalitatem, peccatorib…s …, abjectis glorificationem quicquid promisit indignis …, …t non quasi operib…s merces promitteretur, sed gratia à nomine s…o gratis …: quta & hoc ip sum, quòd justè vivit, in quantum …mo potest justè viv…re, non meriti …ani, sed beneficii est divini.

8. nnPsal. 139.Ps 139Me…itis suis ni…il tribunt (just…) non tribuerat …tum nisi misericordia … (O De…s.)

9. No… ooTract. 3. in I…an.pro merito quidem accipies vitam ater…am, sed tantum pro gratia.

10. Debita ppEpist. 105:redditur poena damnato, indebita gratia liberato: ut nec ille se indig… quer atur, nec dignum se iste glorietur.—

p. 590Si autem gratia, utique nullis meritis reddita, sed gratuita bonitate donata.

12. And againe, Gratia evacuatur, si non gratis donatur, sed meritis redditur.

§. IV. In the fourth place he citeth for us Prosper, by the halves, orProsp. de v…t. Gent l. 1. c. 17. alias. 5. not so much: for in the beginning of that Chapter which Bellarmin… citeth, he speaketh of those, who having lived in wickednesse are converted a little before their end; and saith this happeneth ut indubitanter agnoscas gratuita esse Dei munera: & …icut nulla sunt tam detestanda faeinora, quae possunt gratiae arcere donum: ita nulla posse tam praeclara opera existere, quibus hoc quòd gratis tribuitur, per retributi…nis judicium debeatur. Therefore no debt due to us from God, no merit in us: afterwards he saith, that those who were sent into the vineyard at the eleventh houre, did represent those who are called in the end of their life, and that the Lord did make them, who came at the eleventh houre equall with those who wrought all day, non l…bori pretium solvens, sed divitias bonitatis suae in e…s, quos sine operibus elegit, …ffundens; ut etiam hi qui in multo labore sudarunt, nil amplius quàm novissmi acceperun…, intelligant, donum se gratiae, non operum accepisse mercedem: not paying an hi…e to the labour, but powring forth the riches of his bounty on them, whom hee chose without workes: that they also who tooke great paines, and received no more than the last, should understand, that they received a gift of grace, and not the wages of their worke. By the day-peny the equality of eternall life is signified as Prosper teacheth as qqDenario vit… aeternae significatur …qualitas.Bellarmine himselfe confesseth. And therefore it is not rendred as an hire or wages to mens labours, for then the reward should have beene proportionable to the labour, but as a gift of grace, which the Lord bestoweth according to his good pleasure, Matth. 20. 15.

He…e Bellarmines threed-bare answere, that Prosper denieth eternall life to be the wages of such workes or merits as goe before grace, but granteth it to be wages of those which proceed from grace, is not worth the refuting: for the workes to which the day-penney was given, were the workes of the labourers, which they performed after their calling. Unto which notwithstanding it was given not as the price or hire of the labour, but as a gift of grace: for if the reward was not the deserved wages of their workes, but the free gift of their Lord, then their workes were not merits of their reward. But that Prosper did not deny true merits which proceed from grace, Bellarmine saith, it is plaine by the same place, where he saith, Bona merita sequi in homine post adeptam gratiam, non autem praecedere: I answere If hee had said so, his meaning had beene the same with that which he learned of Augustine, that good workes doe not goe before, but follow grace. But indeed there is no such saying of Prosper in that place.

§. V. The fifth is Gregory the great: On those words of Iob: Si Gr…g …. lib. 9. cap. 14.habuer… quippiam justum, non …, sed meum judicem depre…abor, (which it selfe is an excellent testimony, against merits,) commenteth thus, Velut si apertius fatea…ur dicens, & si ad …pus virtutis excr…'vero, ad vitam p. 591non ex meritis, sed ex venia convalesco: as if he should more plainely confesse and say, though I grow up to the worke of virtue, yet to life I am enabled, not by merits, but by pardon. To this, Bellarmine giveth the same answere which he did to A…gustine and Prosper, which is that one and the same bush whereby he se…keth to stoppe all gapps, that he speaketh of such merits as wee have from our selves, which neither are, nor can be any. But to this place this answere cannot be applyed, seeing Gregory speaketh those words in the person of Iob, whose workes proceeded from grace, he being the most gracious man that was then upon the earth.

The same Gregory writing on the seventh Penitentiall rrPsal. 143.Ps 143Psalme, speaketh to this effect. If that felicitie of Saints be merciemercy, and is not acquired by merits, which hee had noted before out of the Psalme, what then shall become of that which is written, and thou rendrest to every man according to his workes? if it be rendred according to works, how shall it be esteemed merciemercy? But it is one thing saith he, to render according to workes, another to render for the workes themselves. For in that it is said according to workes, the quality of works is meant, that whose workes shall appeare to bee good, his reward may be glorious. For to that blessed life wherein we live with God and by God, no labour may be matched, no workes compared: especially, seeing the Apostle saith, The passions of this time are not condigne to the future glory. Where he teacheth these three things. First, that eternall life is not gotten by merits, no not of Saints. Secondly, That it is not given for our workes as the meritorious cause, though according to our workes. Thirdly, that our workes are not worthy of it, and therefore cannot condigne…y merit it.

§. VI. The sixt and last is Bernard, out of whom he citeth, as objectedBernard. by us, foure Testimonies. The first, de annunciat. serm. 1. where is an excellent passage against merits, out of which Bellarmine citeth for us one onelyonly sentence. But I will recite the whole place. Now as touching life eternall, we know, that the passions of this time are not condigne to the future glory, though ssNec si unus omnes sustin…at.one man should sustaine them all. Neither are the merits of men such, that eternall life should bee due to them by right, or that God should doe some injury, if hee did not give it. For to omit, that all our merits are Gods gifts, and so for them man is more a debtour to God, than God to man: what are all merits to so great glory? Finally, who is better than the Prophet—who held it necessary to say unto God, Enter not into judgement with thy servant O Lord: and a little after: when hee had commended speciall faith (whi…h the Papists cannot abide) he …aith, ipse peccata condonat, ipse donat merita, & pramia nihilominus ispe redonat, hee forgiveth our sinnes, he giveth us merits or good workes, and he neverthelesse giveth us the rewards.

In which words are contayned six good arguments against merit of condignity.

The first, If the passions of this life (even martyrdome it selfe) are p. 592not condigne or worthy to the future glory though one did beare them all, then much lesse, are our actions or good workes: But the passions of this time, though one man should sustayne them all, are not condigne or worthy to the future glory: therefore much lesse are our good workes worthy of that glory.

Secondly, Condigne merits are such that eternall life is due unto them by right, insomuch as God should seeme to doe wrong if he did not bestow it, as the Papists most presumptuously teach: But our good workes are not such, as Bernard here plainely testifieth, therefore our good workes are not condigne merits of eternall life.

Thirdly, Those things which bee the gifts of God, doe not merit of God, yea they are so farre from meriting at the hands of God, that they make men, who have them, debtours to God, and not God to them. But our good workes, which some call merits, are all of them the gifts of God.

Fourthly, Betweene merits of condignity and the reward there is an equall proportion: But what are all our good workes, which they call merits, to so great glory?

Fifthly, They who have condigne merits, may boldly appeare before the judgement of God, and challenge their due reward: but the holiest man that liveth ought to say with David, enter not into judgement with thy servant O Lord, for no man living shall be justified in thy sight, if thou enter into judgement with him.

Sixthly, If God doth give unto us both our good works or merits and also the reward, then our good workes doe not condignely merit everlasting life: but the antecedent is true, therefore the consequent.

Of these six Bellarmine citeth onelyonly the second, and that onelyonly he answereth, viz. that Bernard teacheth, that eternall life is not due to merits by right absolutely, because they presuppose both the grace and the promise of God; but grace and promise being presupposed, eternall life is due by right, which he would prove out of 2 Tim. 4. 7. and Heb. 6. Reply, Bernard speaketh with presupposall, both of Gods grace and promise; and teacheth that good workes, though proceeding from grace, though having the promise of reward; yet to them eternall life is not due by right, neither doe they merit it condignely, as is proved by the six reasons, whereof Bellarmine answeareth never a one. For in th… first reason he speaketh of the sufferings, according to the Apostles meaning, of the sonnes and heires of God, which they suffer for or with Christ; having this promise that if they suffer with Christ they shall be glorified with him: yet these, though one man should sustaine them all, are not condigne to the future glory.

As for the second which he would seeme to answere, instead of explaining it, he plainely contradicteth it, saying that our merits are such as eternall life is due to them by right.

In the third argument Bernard doth not onelyonly presuppose, that the good works or merits, where of he speaketh, doe proceed from grace; p. 593but from thence proveth, that because they are Gods gifts, they cannot merit of God; but the more a man hath of them, the more he is indebted to God.

In the fourth he sheweth, that betweene all our workes, though never so much proceeding from grace, and the future glory which is promised to them, there is no proportion.

In the fifth he speaketh of them that are most godly, who have both grace and promise of glory, that they are so farre from condigne merit, that if God should enter into judgement with them, none of them could be justified in his sight.

In the sixth he setteth downe the degrees of grace freely bestowed upon us: that hee doth condonare peccata, donare merita, & redonare praemia. Of his grace hee forgiveth our sinnes, of his grace he giveth us good workes, which hee calleth merits: of his grace redoubled upon us he graciously giveth the reward, which hee hath freely promised, as for his proofes out of 2 Tim. 4. & Heb. 6. I shall answere in their due ttInfr. adargum. 4.place. Unto this Testimony Bellarmine might have added another out of the same Sermon. It is necessary first of all to beleeve that thou canst not have remission of sinnes but by the indulgence of God: then, that thou canst have no good worke, unlesse he also give it: lastly, that by no good workes thou canst merit, that is, obtaine eternall life, unlesse it also be freely given thee: nisi gratis detur & illa.

§. VII. The other three places are these. First, Totum hominis In Psalm. 91. serm. 15. In cantic. serm. 61. In attercat▪ cum Diabolo.Ps 91meritum est, si totam spem suam ponat in eo, qui totum hominem salvum facit. Secondly, Proinde meritum meum, miseratio Domini. Thirdly, Fateor, non sum dignus ego I confesse I am not worthy, neither can I by mine owne merits obtaine the Kingdome of heaven. But my Lord possessing it by a double right, the inheritance of his Father, and the merit of his passion, contenting him selfe with the one, hee giveth mee the other.

To these three together Bellarmine frameth two mis-shapen answeres. First, that Bernards meaning was, that our merits are not of our selves, but from Gods mercy, and that hee would prove out of his 68. Sermon on the Canticles: Merita habere cures, habita data noveris. And therefore, say I, his meaning was, that our good workes doe not merit: For being his free gifts, they make us indebted to God, as he teacheth, and not him to us. But indeed Bernard doth not speake of our workes or merits, either as from us, or as in us, but of the mercy of God in pardoning our sinnes for the merit of his Sonne. And therefore whiles God aboundeth with mercies in Christ, he saith hee cannot want merits. For mans justice is Gods indulgence, and therefore blessed is the man, to whom the Lord imputeth not sinne: O solus uuIn Cantic. serm. 23.verè beatus, cuinon imputavit Dominus peecatum—omnes enim peccaverunt—sufficit mihi ad omnem justitiam solum habere propitium cui soli peccavi. Omne quod mihi ipse non imputare decreverit, sic est quasi non fuerit. N…npeccare, Dei justitia est, hominis justitia, indulgentia Dei.

p. 594His second answere is conjecturall, that perhaps Bernard out of humility (and perhaps not) was ignorant of his merits, and out of the uncertainty of his owne grace did not trust in his merits, but in the merciemercy of God alone.

Reply, He knew that he had no merits, but Gods mercies in Christ, because he was not ignorant that he had many sins, which notwithstanding, he was confident in the mercies of God and merits of Christ. Neither was he so uncertaine of such inherent righteousnesse in himselfe, as whereby he might hope to be justified and saved, as hee was certaine of the contrary.

As for his allegation out of the 68. serm▪ in Cantic. It is evident, th… Bernard by merits understandeth nothing but good workes, and not merits properly so called, as appeareth by that before alleaged ex serm. 1. de annunciat: and out of the same. 68. serm in cantic. Non est quod jam quaeras quibus meritis speremus bona, presertim cum andias apud Prophetam, Non propter vos, sed propter me ego faciam dicit Dominus, which is no lesse than to deny merits, and in one of the places by Bellarmine **In Cantic. serm. 61.cited Meum proinde meritum miseratio Domini. Non planè sum meriti inops, quandiu ille miserationum non fuerit: quòd si misericordiae Dei multae, mult…s nihilominus… ego in meritis sum. But that famous Testimony of his, I may not omit, though I have mentioned it before, in the end of his booke, Degratia & l. arbitr. where he distinguishing the gifts of God into merita, and praemia, and therefore speaking of merits as proceeding from grace; hee saith, those things which wee call our merits, that is to say good workes, spei quaedam sunt seminaria, charitatis incentiva, occulta praedestinationis indicia, suturae faelicitatis pr…sagia, vi… regni, non caus… regnandi, they are certaine seminaries of hope, motives of Charity, tokens of secret predistination, presages of future felicity, the way of the kingdome, not the cause of reigning: and therefore no meritorious cause of salvation.

§. VIII. And these were all the Testimonies, which Bellarmine Other testimonies not touched by Bellarmine.taketh notice of, as alleaged by us out of the Fathers. But I have not so done with them. For as in the question of justification by faith alone I produced a multitude of Testimonies, to prove… the consent of the ancient Church with us: So in this place, that good workes are not truely meritorious of eternall life, I doe prove not onelyonly by all those Testimonies (for if we be not justified by them, wee are not saved for them) but also by a new supply of Testimonies, which by divers learned men have been collected, but chiefly by our most learned xxAnswer to th… Iesuits challenge, pag. 500. &c.Primate, whereof I will recite so many, as his yyMalone, pag. 692 &c.adversary hath meddled with, that I may briefly, and as it were in transcursu, vindicate them from his cavils. Of these the first is

**In Rom. lib. 4. c. 4.Origen: I can hardly perswade my selfe, that there can be any worke which may of duty or debt require the remuneration of God:1. Seeing even that, that we are able to doe, to thinke, or to speake, wee doe it by his gift and bounty: What debt then shall there be of his, whose grace hath gone before? from whence I reason thus: To no p. 595gifts of his, God is a debtour, or oweth reward, as due:

All our good workes are his gifts, therefore to none of our good workes is God a debtour, or oweth reward, as due. Wherof the reason being, because they are the gifts of God, proceeding from his grace, which precedeth our good workes, hee is proved to bee ridiculum caput, who answereth, that Origen speaketh of such workes, as are done by the sole power of mans free will without grace.

§. IX. Hilarie, writing upon the parable of the Workemen, Matth. 20. having said, that the Gentiles, who upon the preaching2. Hilar. i… Matth. can. 20. of the Gospell were to bee saved by the justification of faith, were meant by those, who being called at the eleventh houre, were the first that in the evening received the gift of the wages appointed for the labour of the whole day: he addeth these words. Merces quidem ex dono nulla est, quia debetur ex opere, sed gratuitam Deus omnibus ex fidei justificatione donavit. Wages indeed by gift there is none, because by the worke it is due: but to all by the justification of faith God hath given the same free. Whence I argue: No wages is of free gift. Why? because it is due to the worke.

Eternall life is of free gift, which God giveth to all that beleeve by the justification of faith. Therefore eternall life is not wages.

Mat. Yea, but Hilarie elsewhere saith, that the kingdome of GodIn Mat. can. 5. 9. is the wages of such as live well. Answ. It is merces indeed non debita sed gratuita; not wages, but a free reward. For so in this very place he calleth it first, donum mercedis the gift of reward, secondly, gratuitum, free, thirdly, in the words next following gratuitam mercedem, a free reward; and lastly hee saith, that the gift of grace doth give the reward of the Law well and blamelessely kept, to them that beleeve by faith, being of the last made the first, that is, saved. For the first which were made last, who murmured at this free reward, were of the many that were called, zzMatth. 20. 16.Matt 20:16but not of the few which are chosen. Absurd therefore is his answere, who saith, that Hillarie saith no more, but that faith and justification by faith is the free gift of God, but that there is not a word to signifie that heaven is not the wages of good workes which notwithstanding is the thing to bee concluded from hence. So that according to this wife exposition, by the wages, which according to the parable is in the evening given to the labourers, is faith, or justification by faith, meant, and not eternall life which is the end of our faith and the reward of all our labours; which according to the judgement of all Writers, even Bellarmine himselfe is signified by the day-penny given to them who of the last were made first: For the day-penny was both the mercenary wages contracted for by those who were first; and the free reward, which the bounty of the Master of the vineyard bestowed freely on the last, who were made first, that is, saved.

§. X. Ambrose, after hee had said, Hîc quidem luctamur, sed p. 5963. Ambr…s. ex…ort. ad virgines.alibi coronamur, Here we wrestle but elsewhere we are crowned: lest he should seeme to arrogate unto himselfe, as if by his wrestling hee deserved the crowne, addeth by way of prevention: I spake not of my selfe alone, but of all men in generall. Nam unde mihi tantum meriti, cui indulgentia pro corona est? for whence should I have so great merit, to whom indulgence is for a crowne? Hence I reason thus: to whom Gods indulgence or merciemercy in pardoning their sinnes is their crowne, they cannot plead their merits: But to Ambrose and to all good men aaPsal. 130. 4. 32. 1.Ps 130:4Ps 130:32Ps 130:1indulgence is their crowne: therefore they cannot plead their merits. Wherefore this was not more humbly, than truely spoken of Ambrose. And elsewhere bbIn Psal. 118. serm. 20.Ps 118: which of us can subsist without merciemercy? quid possumus dignum praemiis facere coelestibus, what can wee doe worthy the heavenly rewards?—by what merit of man is it granted: that this corruptible flesh should put on incorruption?—the sufferings of this time are unworthy to the glory that is to come. Therefore the forme of heavenly decrees doth proceed with men, not according to our merits, but according to Gods merciemercy. To this a frivolous answere is given, that Ambrose speaketh of merits, as contradistinguished from Gods merciemercy: when Ambrose speaketh of himselfe and of all the faithfull who are endued with grace, who notwithstanding are not able to doe or suffer any thing worthy of the future glory.

§. XI. Basil on those wordes, Psalm. 33. 18. the eye of the4. Basil in Psal. 32.Ps 32 Lord is upon them that hope in his mercy, hee saith, that he doth hope in his merciemercy, who not trusting in his owne good deeds, nor looking to bee justified by workes, hath the hope of salvation onelyonly in the mercies of God.

To this an impudent answere is given, that they are said to hope in Gods merciemercy, who hope that their good workes, proceeding from the grace of God, are by his merciemercy made meritorious of eternall life. For which they have have no ground either in Scriptures or Fathers, praeter impudentiam asseverandi. And surely, if this had beene Basils meaning, he should have set downe the description of a proud justitiarie, rather than of an humble Christian, such as he intended to describe. For speaking of those words, who hope in his merciemercy, he saith, foreign &c. the Psalmist setteth forth the humility of them that serve the Lord: how doe they hope on his mercies? for hee that doth not trust to his owne good deeds, nor expecteth to bee justified by workes, but hath his onelyonly hope of salvation in the mercies of God: but he that trusteth, that by the grace of God, his workes, are made meritorious, hee doth with the Pharisee trust in his workes, as proceeding from grace. For the Pharisee, though he acknowledged his righteousnesse to come from God, and therefore thanketh him for it, yet he is noted to have trusted cc… …8. 9.in himselfe. The merciemercy of God, in which the faithfull hope, is his merciemercy in forgiving their sinnes, not in making their good workes meritorious: as appeareth by the words immediately following: for saith Basil, when he shall p. 597call that saying to minde, Behold the Lord and his reward to render to every man according to his worke, and shall consider his owne evill deeds, he is indeed afraid of punishment, and through feare subjecteth ddforeignhimselfe to those things which are threatned: but that hee may not be swallowed up of sorrow foreign, he conceiveth good hope looking to the mercies of God and his love to mankinde, foreign, and the hope which he conceiveth is this, that his soule shall be delivered from death. But though they cannot answer this place, yet they will clavum clavo petere, and requite us with another out of Basil, which shall be answer…d in his due place.

In the meane time I adde two other Testimonies out of Basil, for writing on those words of the Psalme, And redeeme us for thy mercies sake. See, saith he, eeIn Psal 43. V. ult.Ps 43how hee concludeth his speech. After a thousand virtues, whence doth hee pray to be saved? By Gods merciemercy and bounty.

3. And againe, in Psal. 23. 5. where David having descrybed the just and upright man who shall bee saved, saith, this man shall receive the blessing from God, and mercy from God his Saviour. Here saith Basil he sheweth the fruit of good deedes, and very fitly did he conjoyne blessing and mercy. For the rewards, which men doe thinke of, are granted to men onelyonly for Gods bounty sake. For all the righteousnesses of men, doe not equall so much as the gifts already granted, much lesse those which are to come, which doe exceed the thought of man.

§. XII. ffAdv. Pelag. lib. 2.Hierome, Pro nihilo salvos facies eos; haud dublum, quin 5. Hierome.…, qui …on pr…prio merit…, sed Dei salvantur clementia, for nothing thou shalt save them, no doubt he meaneth the just, who are not saved by their owne merit, but by the mercy of God.

2. Againe, ggAdv. Pelag. lib. 1.Animadverte, quod beatam se dicat (Maria Mater Domini) non … merito atque virtute, sed Dei in se habitantis clementia. Observe, that the blessed Virgin calleth her selfe blessed, not by her owne merit or virtue, but by the clemency of God dwelling in her.

3. And againe, hhJbid.Tunc justi sumus, then we are just when wee confesse our selves to bee sinners: and our righteousnesse consisteth not in our owne merit, but in the mercy of God.

4. iiAd Demetriadem.God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble, but where is grace, it is not the retribution of workes, but the largesse of the giver; that the saying of the Apostle may be fulfilled, it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.

5. Writing on those words, kkLib. 17. in Esaiam, c. 64. 8.Esai. 64. 8. thou art our Father, hee saith, Si nostra consideremus merita desperandum est, si tuam autem clementiam, &c. If wee consider our merits, wee must despaire, but if thy clemency, who doest scourge every sonne whom thou receivest, we dare powre forth our prayers.

6. llIn …sai. lib. 6. cap. 13. 7.When the day of judgement or of death shall come, all hands p. 598will bee dissolved—because no worke shall bee found worthy Gods justice, and in his sight shall no man living be j…stified, (namely, if he enter into judgement with him) whereupon the Prophet saith in the Ps…lme, If thou Lord observe iniquities, who shall abide?

To these two that thred-bare answere is given, that they speake of humane workes not assisted by grace: when it is plaine, that the former words are spoken in the person of Gods children, whose good workes are alwayes assisted by grace: the latter of all men, even of the best, whose workes, though proceeding from grace, are stained with the flesh, and therefore not worthy of Gods justice.

§. XIII. The same answere is given to the testimonies of7. Macarius and Marcus. Maca…ius and Marcus the Eremits; which cannot bee so eluded.mmHom. 15. pag. 206. Macarius speaking of the dignity of Christians, for whom God hath prepared a kingdome, writeth thus, As touching the gift therefore which they shall inherit, a man might well say, that if any one should …ven from the creation of Adam to the consummation of the world, fight against Satan, and should suffer afflictions foreign, hee should doe no great matter in respect of the glory which he shall inherit.

Marcus among his twenty twonnforeign. sentences concerning those who thinke to bee justified by workes, which in the first …entence hee calleth, foreign hath divers against merits, whereof I will cite a few.

Our Lord, saith he,ooSent. 2. when he would shew, that the keeping of the whole Law is foreign debita, to bee performed as a debt, and that the adoption of sonnes is given by his blood; hee saith, when you shall have done all things that are commanded you, say, wee are unprofitable servants, we have done what was our duety to doe: foreign Therefore the kingdome of heaven is not wages or a mercenary reward of workes, but the Grace or free Gift of the Lord prepared for his faithfull servants.

TheppSent. 3. servant doth no require liberty foreign, as a de…erved reward—but receiveth it foreign as given by grace.

qqSent. 17.Some not doing the Commandements thinke they beleeve well. Others doing them, looke to receive the kingdome foreign, as due wages, foreign. both sorts misse the heavenly Canaan.

rrSent. 18.From Lords no reward is due to servants foreign, neither doe they obtaine liberty, unlesse they serve well.

ssSent. 19.If Christ dyed for us according to the Scriptures, and wee live not to our selves, but to him that dyed for us and rose againe; surely foreign wee are bound as debtours to serve him u…till death: how then shall we esteeme the adoption or inheritance of sonnes foreign due unto us?8. Chrysostome.

§. XIV. Out of Chrysostome many pregnant testimonies are alleaged, first,ttIn Col▪ …. …. In Coloss. homil. 2. Why doth hee call it foreign, lot or p. 599inheritance by lot? foreign, &c. he sheweth that no man by his owne good workes, doth obtaine the kingdome—for no man sheweth forth such a conversation, that hee should bee worthy of the kindgdome, but this is alto…ether of the gift of God, wherefore he saith, when you shall have done all, say, we are unprofitable servants, for what things wee ought to doe wee have done. The same hath The…philact.

To this you may adde that which I cited before out of his Treatise De compunctione ad St…lochium, and that which hee writeth in Psal. 4. & 5. and in his sermon De prim… homine praelato …mni creatur…. In which it is said, though we should die ten thousand deaths and should shew forth all virtue, though we should performe ten thousand good workes yet we cannot performe any thing worthy of those honours bestowed upon us, worthy of that heavenly kingdome, or correspondent unto it, but it is of his m…rcie, of his love, of his grace, that we are saved, than which nothing can bee spoken more plaine against the merit of …ondignity.

To all which a senselesse answere is given, that heaven is the free gift of God, and yet is purchased by our merits, which implyeth a contradiction within it selfe, and is expressely repugnant to the Scriptures, Rom▪ 4. 4. & 11. 6. And the reason which is given to prove it, doth overthrow it; because the good works which they call merits, are the free gifts of God, and therfore cannot merit of God, as I have shewed before.

§. XV. To that which is alleaged out of the life of Saint9. uuAthanas. in vita Antonii. August. in Psal. 36. conc. 2.Ps 36Anth…ny, and out of Augustine, in Psal. 36. Conc. 2. in both which places is notably expressed the infinite disproportion betweene that we can doe or suffer (which the Papists call merits) and the heavenly reward, which evidently overthroweth the Popish doctrine of meri…s, as I have heretofore proved; it is answered, that notwithstanding all this disproportion, eternall life is given, and justly given as the reward thereof. But the question is not whether God doth justly give the reward which he hath freely promised, but whether we doe merit and deserve it. This answere therefore is frivolous.

Out of Augustine I have before produced manifold and manifest testimonies: but yet because the Papists alleage out of him two Assertions, which to them seeme contrary to that wee hold; to wit, that God is our debtour in respect of eternall life, and that in justice he doth render it unto us; I will br…efly cleare them. For first Augustine **In Psal. 32: conc. 1. I… Psal. 83. De verbis Apostoli, s…rm. 16. In Psal. 109.Ps 32Ps 83Ps 109every where professeth, that God is not a debtour unto us in respect of out desert, but in regard of his gracious promise, which proveth not our merit, but the contrary. For what he freely promised without respect of our worthinesse or desert, that hee also promised to give freely. And therefore eternall life, when it is given according to his promise, it is given freely and without our desert. God is a debtour onelyonly in respect of his promise, a debtour unto himselfe, as I have said before, in respect of his trueth and fidelity; it being p. 600impossible, that he should lie or deny himselfe, but not a debtour to us in respect of our desert or dignity. …or whatsoever hee hath promised us,xxQuicquid promisi, indignis promisit, ut …on quasi operibus merce▪ promitteretu… ▪ se gratia a nomiue suo gratis dare…ur. he hath promised it to them that are unworthy, as was alleag…d befor… out of Augustine in Psal. 109. that it should not bee promised as a wages or a mercenary reward, but being Grace might according to the name be graciously given.

Againe, it is just with God, that hee should render to the faithfull eternall life, not because they deserve it, but because he hath promised it: for what he hath promised he is faithfull and just to performe. But hee hath promised without respect of our desert to give it freely, therefore it is just, that he should freely give it to us, and without our desert.

XI. §. XVI. yyTheodoret in Sophoniam, c. 3. in fine.Theodoret, The salvation of men dependeth on11. Gods merciemercy alone: for wee doe not attaine unto it, as wages: but it is the gift of Gods goodnesse, wherefore the Lord saith, Propter me salvabo, I will save for mine owne sake, &c.

To this the answere is shamelesse: that this place maketh not for our purpose. And why? For by salvation is not meant eternall life, but of our first vocation, wherof there is no shew. As though Theodoret did contend that we doe not attaine to our first vocation (by which we are as it were called into the vineyard) as wages. And againe, he speaketh of the Church, that is, of them that are already called, and no doubt, but that by the same grace, by which wee are elected, called, justified, wee are also saved: but that was free and undeserved, and therefore so is this.

Againe, zzI… Rom. 8. 18.Rom 8:18The crownes surpasse the fights, the rewards are not to bee compared with the labo…rs. For the labour is small but great gaine is hoped for, and therefore hee called those things which are expected, not wages, but glory, Rom. 8. 18. and in Rom. 6. 23. Hîc non dicit mercedem, sed gratiam, heere hee doth not say wages but grace.

It is answered, that although the reward doe much surpasse the paines, yet it is a just reward. No doubt. But why just? Not because it is equall as it ought to bee, if it bee rendred to merit of condignity; but because it is promised, and accordingly given of God the righteeous Iudge.

Prospers testimony aaDe vocat. beat. lib. 1. c. 17.which Bellarmine (to whom his Disciple12. Prosper. doth referre us) sought to obscure, was before cleared to bee most pregnant against the merit of good workes: unto which wee may adde that on Psal. 102. upon these words, who crowneth with mercy; that we may understand, saith he, that by the same mercy the crownes of good workes which hee calleth merits are given, by which were given the merits of the crownes, that is, freely and without merit or desert.

§. XVII. And this was the doctrine of the primitive Church for the first five hundred yeares, and was continued in the next five hundred, and in the third also, as is plentifully proved by multitude of p. 601testimonies, in the said learned worke of our most learned Primate, unto which, because his adversary giveth no answer, I will referre the Chri stian reader, citing onelyonly a few of the latter times, as it were, for a taste. Venerable Bede, bbBede in Psa. 23Ps 23Et hoc, non ex meritis, sed sola gratia. And thus that the godly man shall bee well rewarded, is not by merits, but by grace onelyonly.

ccIn Dominic. septuages.Haymo: vita aeterna nulli per debitum redditur, sed per gratuitam misericordiam datur Eternal life is rendred to none by debt or duty, but is given by free merciemercy.

ddIn Ioan. 1.John 1Rupertus, the greatnesse or eternity of heavenly glory is a matter not of merit but of grace.

eePhotius apud Oecumen. in Rom. 6. 23.Rom 6:23Photius In Rom. 6. 23. hee did not say that eternall life is foreign. foreign, foreign the wages of good workes, but a free gift.

ffOecumen. in Col. 1. 12.Col 1:12Oecumen. in Coloss. 1. 12. foreign &c. well did he call it foreign, as being a certaine inheritance and gift, for the sufferings of this present time are not worthy, &c. Rom. 8. 18. On which place also hee saith, ggOecumen. in Rom. 8. 18.Rom 8:18the Apostle sheweth, that wee neither can suffer, nor conferre any thing worthy the remuneration that shall bee there.

I conclude with hhDe Mensurat. Crucis B.Anselmus, Si homo mille annis serviret Deo etiam ferventissimè, non mereretur ex condigno dimidiam diem esse in regno coelorum. If a man should serve God a thousand yeares and that most fervently he should not condignely merit to bee halfe a day in the Kingdome of heaven.