A Treatise of Justification, Book 8 · Chapter 8
CHAP. VIII. Testimonies of Scripture disproving merits, vindicated from Bellarmines cavills.
§. I.
NOw I come to testimonies of Scriptures: and first those which Bellarmine by his sophistry seekethDe justif. l. 5. c. 5. to wring from us. And first wee alleage those testimonies, which ascribe the reward of good workes to Gods merciemercy, and not to our merits. As Exod. 20. 6. Psalm. 62. 12. & 103. 4, 17. Gal. 6. 16. Mat. 5. 7. But more specially Tit. 3. 5. Eph. 2. 8, 9. From whence we argue thus.
That which is freely given of Gods meere merciemercy and grace, is not rendred to our merits, as deserved thereby: and whatsoever is rendred as due to our merits, that is not given of grace.
Eternall life is freely given of Gods meere merciemercy and grace; which is proved by the testimonies alleaged.
Therefore it is not rendred ro our merits, as deserved thereby.
To the proposition Bellarmine seemeth to answere, or rather to the conclusion: that eternall life, though it bee rendred to our merits, yet is given of Gods free merciemercy. But the proposition is generally true. For to him that worketh, and by his work meriteth, the reward is given, not according to grace, but according to debt, Rom. 4. 4 And such is the opposition between merit and grace, that what is of grace, is not of works: and what is of workes is not of grace, Rom. 11. 6. Omne meritum, saith Aquinas, a1a. 2…. q. 114. art. 5.repugnat gratiae. And Bellarmine himselfe bDe gratia & lib. arbitr. lib. 1. cap. 1. initi….Gratia inde n…men accepit, quod gratis detur; opp…nitur autem debito. Likewise Bernard: cIn Cantic. serm. 67.Non est quo gratia intret, ubi iam meritum occupavit. And againe, Deest gratiae quicquid meritis deputas, So that grace and workes, merciemercy and merit cannot stand together. If therefore eternall life be of workes, it is not of grace and if of merit, then not of merciemercy.
§. II. Yea, but Bellarmine will prove, that eternall life is to bee ascribedBellarmines objections, that eternall life is to be ascribed both to merciemercy and merit. both to Gods merciemercy and our merit, by two expositions which he saith Augustine dEpist. 105. ad Sixtum.giveth of the places alleaged: the one, (wherein he joyneth Gregory eJn Psal. 7. poenit. vers. 8.with him.) That eternall life, though it bee the due reward of merits, yet it is called gratia, because the merits themselves, to which it is rendred, are the free gifts of grace. Whereunto I reply, that the assertions both of Augustine and also of Gregory, make strongly against theD… corrept. & gratia c. 13. merit of condignity. For if eternall life be called grace, as he faith, because it is freely given; and the good workes which he unproperly calleth merits, be also the free gifts of God: how is it possible, that eternall life should bee rendred to them as a deserved reward? …f it be freely given, how is it rendred as a debt? If good works be Gods free gifts, they m…ke us debtours to God, not him to us. Augustine in that Epistle cited by Bellarmiue, saith, fEpist. 105. ad Sixtum. p. 298.Debita redditur poena damnato, indebita gratia liberato: ut nec ille se indignum queratur, nec dignum se iste glorietur,—si autem gratia, nullis utique meritis reddita, sed gratuita bonitate donata. And againe Ipsa vita aeterna—gratia nuncupatur, nec ob aliud, nisi quia gratis detur. And yet againe. Quaerimus meritum misericordiae, nec invenimus, quia nullum est; ne gratia evacuetur, si non gratis donatur, sed meritis redditur. Augustine therefore speaketh of good workes as the free gifts of Gods grace: and therefore not merits properly, but onelyonly such workes, as God will freely reward, Bellarmine himselfe being the Interpreter: and of eternall life hee speaketh, as the free and undeserved reward of good workes, quae gratia nuncupatur, non ob aliud, nisi quia gratis datur. Eternall life is called grace, for no other respect, but because it is freely given. The same Augustine gIn Psal. 62.writing on those words of Psalm. 63. 3. Melior est misericordia super vitas, saith; Multae sunc vitae humanae, sed Deus unam vitam promittis, & non illam dat nobis, quasi propter merita nostra, sed prop…er misericordiam suam. Gregory hIn Psal poenit. 7. vers. 8.writing on those words, Psal. 143. 8. Cause me to heare thy merciemercy in the morning: where, by morning he understandeth the future resurrection, wherein Gods mercy shall be shewed towards the faithfull, hee frameth this objection. If that felicity of the Saints bee merciemercy; and is not acquired by merits, what shall become of that which is written; And thou shalt render to every one according to his workes? If it be rendred according to works, how shall it be accounted merciemercy? Whereunto he giveth two answeres, both of them making against merit. The first, Sed aliud est secundum opera reddere, & aliud propter ipsa operareddere. It is one thing to render according to workes; another to render for the workes themselves: for in that which is said according to workes, the quality of the workes is meant, that whose workes shall appeare to be good, his retribution may be glorious: according to workes therefore, is according to the quality of them whether i2 Cor. 5. 10.good or evill. For if good, then he will reward them with blisse, if evill, then will he condemne them. For to that blessed life, saith he, wherein we live with God and of God, no labour can bee matched, no works can be compared, especially seeing the Apo…tle sai…h, the sufferings of this life are not condigne to the future glory which shall be revealed in us. His other answere: howbeit in this respect also it may be called merciemercy, because it is given for such workes, as no man can attaine unto without merciemercy. It is evident therefore (saith hee) that to whom God in merciemercy giveth grace to worke well in this life, to them in greater merciemercy he granteth that in eternall blisse they shall be rewarded with an hundred fold, this is that grace, which for grace the Apostle saith shall bee given to the Saints of God: that unto whom in this life the grace of sanctification is given of God, to them the grace of eternall happinesse is given in the life to come: which also maketh strongly against merits▪ both because eternall life is a free gift, and also because that righteousnesse to which it is given is a free gift: and because greater merciemercy is shewed in giving glory; than in giving gracc.
§. III. The second exposition which he assigneth to Augustine is aAugustines second exposition. fiction of his owne braine, viz. that in the crowning of the Saints merciemercy is necessary for the remission of veniall sinnes. Not that th…s merciemercy, saith hee, is the Crowne of life, but because it doth accompany it; the Crowne of life being given to their merits, and the remission granted to their venial offences: which fiction, as it is falsely fathered upon Aug. so it is not agreeable to the doctrine of the Church of Rome, nor consonant to the truth it self. For seeing in the faithful, sin according to the truth, both in respect of the guilt, and also of the corruption is wholly taken away in the end of this life, or according to the Church of Romes doctrine, is purged and taken away by the fire of Purgatory: it is a grea… absurdity to imagine, that the faithful, whose soules before the resurrection enjoy (as they also teach) the beatifical vision, should after the resurrection need remission of venial sins.
§. IV. For our second argument Bellarmine propoundeth in our behalfe two object. out of Esa. 55. 1. and Dan. 9. 18. which he saith might Esay. 55. 1. Come, buy without silver. Not in our righteousnesses, but in thy great mercic…. Dan. 9. 18.be made. The former wherof is availeable against the merit of grace, not only the first, which he confesseth▪ but the second also: and not onelyonly against merit of grace but of glory, for that also is promised without price, the later against affiance reposed in our own merits. For if we are not to trust in them for the obtaining of temporall benefits, wherof Bellar. understands the Prophet to speak, then much lesse eternall, between which and our supposed merits, there is a farre g…eater disproportion.Our third arg. Luk. 17. 7, 8, 9, 10.
§. V. Our third argument is …aken out of Luk. 17. 7, 8. 9. 10. Which of you having a servant plowing, or feeding cattell, will say unto him by and by when he is come from the field. Goe and sitdown to meat? and wil not rather say unto him, make ready wherwith I may sup, and gird thy selfe and serve me till I have eaten and drunken; and afterwards thou shalt eate and drink. Doth he thank that servant, because he did the things that were commanded him? I …row not. So likewise you when you shal h…ve done all these things which are commanded you (which is spoken by supposition, and is all one with this connexive, If you shall doe all things which are commanded you) say, we are unprofitable servants, wee have done that which was our duety to doe. Which place affordeth three unanswerable arguments against the merit of condignity▪ taken from three of those conditions required in merits, which before were mentioned. The first in respect of God, who is our absolute Lord. The second in respect of us, who are his bondservants: the third in respect of our workes, because all that we can doe, though we should, doe all that is commanded, is but our duety.Three arguments from hence collected.
§. VI. For the first, if earthly Masters (who with their servants are fellow▪ servants to one heavenly Master) doe not owe so much as thanks to their servants for doeing that which they command; then much lesseThe first and second. our heavenly Master, who is our absolut… Lord, doth owe the heavenly reward to his servants, when they do… that which hee commandeth; though they should doe all that is commanded, which they are never able to doe:
For the second: I… bondservants who are not their owne but their masters men (for a servant as the Philosopher saith,) is foreign, and altogether his man, another mans man) doe owe themselves and all that they can doe to their master, and cannot deserve so much as thankes at his hands, for doing what hee commandeth: (thoughLuk. 17. 7, 8. they doe all that is commanded, and although, their service be profitable to their master and finally though they receive not from him either the will or power of yeelding obedience to him,) but all that they can desire or expect by their uttermost endevour is to be foreign, w…ll pleasing to their master; when if their service be any way defective, are wel apayed if they escape the whip, as kT…ophyl. in Luk. 17. Necessity is l…id …, on a servant, to fulsill the Commandements of his Lord.—If therefore he doe not performe he is to be accounred worthy of stripes, but if he doe performe, foreign, let this suffice him that hee hath escaped the whippe.Theophylact speaketh: how much les…e wee, who are the Lords mancipia and bondservants, both by the right of creation and by the right of redemption (being in regard thereof servi quia servati) and consequently not our owne men, but his who hath made and redeemed us, and therefore doe owe our selves and all, yea more than all we can doe: doe wee or can we deserve at the hands of God the reward of eternall life, by doing what he commandeth, though we should doe all that is commanded, which we never doe? Especially, seeing and also seeming that wee doe not all that is commanded, and lastly seeing that our service bring…th him no profit, Iob. 22. 2, 3. & 35. 7. for that which we doe, wee receive both the will and power from him. Wherefore all that in reason we can desire or expect in regard of our obedience is that wee may bee well pleasing unto him. Yea, forasmuch as our service is alwayes defective and unperfect, wee ought to thinke our selves mercifullylPhil. 2. 13. dealt with, if wee escape the punishment, which by the Law of God is due unto us. But here it will bee said, if the master shall bee pleased to promise rewards unto the servant for his service well performed: may not the servant expect the promised reward? I answere, that what reward soever sh…ll in this kinde be either promised or given, it is wholly to be ascribed to the Masters bounty and not to the servants merit.The third.
§. VII. For the third: That which is done of meere duty by a servant to his Lord, there belongeth no reward in justice, as deserved by him. But all that we, who are the servants of God, can doe, though we should doe all that is commanded, is done of meere bounden duety to our Lord. Therefore to all that we can doe, though we should doe all that is commanded, there belongeth no reward, as justly deserved by us. But when we have done all that is commanded (I speak by supposition, as our Saviour doth) we must no lesse truely than humbly confesse, that wee are unprofitable servants: that is, as is manifestly gathered out of the parable, such as cannot deserve so much as thankes of our Lord. If therefore our gracious Lord shall be pleased out of his bounty freely to promise, and according to his promise graciously to reward our imperfect obedience, which he might justly punish: it is not our merit, but his great merciemercy that he doth not punish it: more that he doth accept of it as well pleasing unto him in his welbeloved; but most of all, that he doth most graciously and undeservedly reward it. From whence I reason thus:
Whosoever are unprofitable servants they doe not merit no… deserve the reward of eternall life of their Lord.
All the faithfull, though they should doe all that is commanded, are unprofitable servants: Therefore none of the faithfull, though they should doe all that is commanded, doe merit or deserve at the hands of God, (the reward of eternall life. And if they, who doe all that is commanded, cannot merit; then much lesse they whose obedience is defective; as the obedience even of the best is. So saith Hierome mAd Ctestphont▪ contr. Pelag.si inutilis est qui fecit omnia: quid de illo dicendum, qui explerenon potuit?
§. VIII. The assumption is proved, first, because our SaviourAll the faithfull are unprofitable servants. commandeth his Apostles to confesse, as the truth is, that when they have done all that is commanded, they are unprofitable servants, and therefore they, who neither doe, nor can doe all, are impudent lyars, when they professe themselves to be profitable servants. Secondly, by a comparison of earthly Lords and servants. For if earthly Lords and masters owe not so much as thankes to their servants (who are indeed their fellow servants) for all the service which they can doe; though they doe not give them the will and the power to doe them acceptable service: how much lesse doth God, who being our absolute Lord doth also give us will and power to serve him, owe unto his servants the reward of the kingdome of heaven? And if servants by doing all possible service to their earthly masters, who are but their fellow servants, cannot deserve so much as thankes at their hands: how much lesse can wee, who serve the Lord of Lords, deserve the kingdome of heaven at his hands by our unperfect and defective service of him. Thirdly, from the antithesis or opposition that is betweene debitum and merit…m, duety and merit. For hee that doth but his duety, though he performe his whole duty, cannot merit a reward of his Master, but must confesse himselfe to be an unprofitable servant: how much lesse can they merit an heavenly reward at the hands of God, who performe not their whole duty, but faile in many particulars, both by omission and commission, as the very best of us doe.
§. IX. To avoid the force of this unavoidable argument, Bellarmine Bellarmines evasions, by foure expositions.seeketh many eva…ions, which he would gladly father upon the Fathers of the Church. For he saith there be foure egregious expositions given by the Fathers; none whereof make against the merit of good workes. The first, of Saint Ambrose nIn Luc. l. 8. cap. 17.that of our selves and by nature we are unprofitable servants …apt and unable to fulfill Gods Commandements, The first of Ambrose.which our Saviour would have us humbly to acknowledge; though by grace we become profitable, and therefore as he saith, agnoscenda est gratia, sed non ignoranda natura. Reply, Ambrose doth not speake of our corrupt nature; neither is it his meaning that by nature wee are unprofitable servants, by grace profitable, but that by nature wee are servants, and by grace sonnes. For by nature corrupted wee are not the servants of God, but of sinne and Satan. But he understandeth the meaning of our Saviour to be, that the children of God, who are in the state of grace, should not glory in their workes, as if by them they did merit any thing of God, quia jure Domino debemus obsequium. because by right we owe obedience to God. Neither should we thinke our selves exempted from continued obedience, because we are sonnes: for as we are sons by the grace of adoption) which we are to acknowledge) so by nature and creation (whereof we are not to be ignorant) we are servants. As therefore thou, who art a master, dost not content thy selfe with one worke of thy servant, and then biddest him sit downe and eate, but having done one worke thou exactest of him another, vers. 8. So God doth not require the use of one worke in thee: but whiles we live we must alwaies work. Secondly, our Saviour doth not speake of naturall men, as being unprofitable, because unapt to fulfill Gods Commandements: but directeth his speech to the faithfull, and namely, to his owne Apostles and Disciples, who study and endeavour to keepe all Gods Commandements, (which without grace cannot be done) requiring them to make this humble and true confession, that even when they have done all that is commanded, they are but unprofitable servants, such as are described in the parable, who deserve nothing at the hands of their master: because in doing all that is commanded, they doe but their bounden duty, and that excludeth merit. For debitum non est meritum.
Yea, but Bellarmine proveth out of 2 Tim. 2. 21. that by grace men2 Tim. 2. 21. become profitable to God. For he that purgeth himselfe shall become a vessell profitable unto the Lord. Answ. The Greek is foreign, fit for the master of the house to use for the benefit of the houshold, and fitted for every good worke. But that our piety or obedience bringeth no profit to God, I have shewed before. And this is the very second exposition of this place, which though repugnant to this present assertion, Bellarmine himselfe doth commend in the second place. For so hee saith,The second evasion, the exposition of Bede.
§. X. We are commanded, as Bede expoundeth this Text, to acknowledge that we bring no profit to God: but that what good thing soever wee doe, is profitable to our selves but not to God. Reply, Beda giveth two reasons (though Bellarmine conceale the better) why we doing that, which is commanded, are notwithstanding called unprofitable servants. The former, quia Dominus bonorum nostrorum non indiget, because the Lord hath no need of our good things. Which, though true yet doth neither so well fit the comparison, wherein the servant, though usefull to his master both abroad and at home, could not by all his endevour deserve to himselfe so much as thankes▪ neither agreeable to the reason which our Saviour rendreth, because we have …one what is our duty to doe.
The latter: we are unprofitable servants, because saith he, Non sunt condignae &c. The sufferings of this life are not worthy of the glory that shall be reavealed, (that is, because we cannot deserve the reward of eternall life by our service.) But as it is elswhere said (saith he) who crowneth thee in merciemercy and loving kindenesse: hee doth not say in thy merits and workes: because by whose merciemercy wee are prevented that we may in humility serve God, by his gift we are crowned, that in sublimity we may reigne with him. So Bede.
§. XI. The third exposition he saith is Augustines: viz. That His third evasion, the exposition of Augustine.we may be called unprofitable servants, when we have kept all Gods Commandements, because we doe no more than our duty (which indeed is the reason which Christ himselfe doth render) neither can wee from thence demand De verbis Domi serm. 3.any just reward, unlesse God had made a liberall Covenant with us. For by our condition we are the bond-servants of God; and if he will, he may bind us to performe all manner of workes, as it pleaseth him, without reward. This our condition Christ, for the preservation of humility, would have us to acknowledge. Howbeit by his gracious covenant we may expect reward, 2 Tim. 4. 7, 8. Matth. 20. 13. Which God in his great bounty hath promised to this end, that thereby he might draw us to performance of our duety, as Augustine teacheth.
Replpy, This answere of Bellaamine is worthy to be observed, or rather admired: first, for the impudencie of it, in that he fathereth this exposition upon Augustine, who in the place by him quoted, doth not once mention this Text of Luk. 17. 10. nor hath one word to that purpose for which this exposition is alleaged; excepting the clause of Gods bounty, which, as it proveth this to bee that very testimony of Augustine, which he quoteth, so doth it evidently exclude merit. Secondly, for the force of truth, which forceth him to contradict his owne assertions, both here, and in other places. For first, hee confesseth, that hee which doth no more but his duty, doth not merit: and that wee doe no more but our duty. Whereupon it followeth, that we doe not merit. Secondly, where hee confesseth, that wee can doe no more than our duty, he renounceth all workes of supererrogation. And thirdly, in that he confesseth, that for the same cause wee are unprofitable servants, he taketh away all merit of condignity. Fourthly, he confesseth, that without Gods gracious promise we could expect no reward. Which proveth, that the reward is due onelyonly ratione pacti, and not ratione ipsius operis, which afterward he denyeth. Fifthly, he confesseth, that such is the bounty and goodnesse of God, that to allure us to the performance of our duty, hee doth freely promise a reward. Now what God doth freely promise to give, he giveth freely and without desert. For eternall life, which in his word hee hath promised as a reward, in his eternall counsell hee purposed freely without any respect of our worthynesse to bestow upon us: and what in mercy hee either purposed or promised, Christ by his merit hath purchased for us. So that we attaine to heaven by a threefold right. By Gods free donation electing us in Christ, as his free gift. Secondly, by Christs merit, as our inheritance: Thirdly, by Gods free promise, as his gracious reward, whereby he crowneth not our merits, but his owne gifts and graces in us. God indeed hath promised freely to reward our workes: but that our workes should merit the reward, he hath no where promised, or taught.His fourth evasion, the exposition of Chrysost. in illu delatum est co… Ozi…. 2 Cbron. 26. 16.
§. XII. His fourth exposition is of Chrysostome: that the Lord doth not say, ye are unprofitable servants, but biddeth them say so: which is true. But what will Bellarmine inferre therefrom, that therefore they were not so? God forbid! For then our Saviour should have taught his Disciples to lye. Neither doth God allow of counterfeit humility. But the meaning of our Saviour was, to teach his Disciples in humility to confesse the truth: that because they had but done their duty, if they had done all that is commanded, they should not bee lifted up with a proud conceite, that thereby they had merited: but should no lesse truly, than humbly confesse, that they were unprofitable servants, who by doing no more than their duty, could not merit of God. And this objection is also answered by oDe …riplici custodia.Bernard. Sed hoc inquies propter humilitatem monuit omne dicendum. Planè propter humilitatem: numquid contra veritatem? But you will say, that for humility sake hee admonisheth them thus to say. No doubt for humilitie. But did hee bid them speake against verity? And the same is taught by pIn Coloss. 1. 12. …om. 2.Chrysostome elsewhere. No man, saith hee, doth shew foorth such a conversation, as to be worthy of the kingdome, but it is wholly of his gift, therefore hee saith, when you shall doe all that is commanded, say we are unprofitable servants, we have done what is our duty to doe. And againe in another place, where he sheweth, that what the Sonne of God did for us hee did not of duty: qforeign. homil. 7. in Rom. foreignbut what good we doe, wee doe it of duty. Wherefore himselfe said, when you shall have done all, say ye are unprofitable servants, for wee have done what was our duty to doe. If therefore wee shew foorth love, if we give our goods to the poore we performe our duty, &c.
Object. Yea, but the servants, rMat. 25. 21, 23.which imployed their Talents well, were commended, as profitable servants. Answ. They were commended as good servants and faithfull to their master. And of him, because they profitably imployed their Talents, were graciouslie rewarded. But of their merit nothing is said. If they had not imployed their Talents well, they should have beene punished. And in that they did imploy them well, they did but their duty, and that also by assistance of Gods grace, who both gave them the Talents, and grace to imploy them well, and therefore though they had reward, yet they did not merit it.
§. XIII. Our fourth Testimonie is Rom. 6. 23. For the stipendOur fonrth testi…ony. Rom. 6. 23. of sinne is death, but the free gift of God is eternall life through IESVS CHRIST our LORD: where is an antithe…is or opposition betweene death, meaning eternall death, the reward of sinne, and eternall life the reward of righteousnesse: that death is the stipend of sinne justly merited by it: but eternall life is not a stipend or wages merited by us, but foreign. the free gift of God; which is a most pregnant place: for if the Apostle had supposed eternall life to be a stipend or wages, or merited reward, he would have said, that as death is the stipend of sinne, so eternall life is the stipend of righteousnesse. But the Apostle making an opposition between the reward of sinne and the reward of righteousnesse, saith, that the one is foreign, a military stipend due to those who serve under Satans colours; the other is not a stipend or wages deserved, but foreign the free gift of God. foreign signifieth a military stipend or wages due to souldiers. As when Iohn Baptist biddeth the souldiers to bee content foreign with their stipend, Luke 3. 14. So 1 Cor. 9. 7. For as Augustine saith, sEp. 105. p. 302.Quod est merces operanti hoc militanti stipendium, and worthily, saith hee, is death called a Stipendium, tDe gratia & lib. arb. cap. 9.Quia militiae diabolicae mors aeterna tanquam debitum redditur.
The word foreign, which the vulgar Latine translateth Gratia, signifieth a free gift, not rendred as due to the merit of the receiver, but vouchsafed freely out of the free bounty and undeserved favour of the giver. For as Primasius saith, uIn Rom. 11.Non est gratia, si non gratis datur, si debita merentibus redditur, quod absit! And Augustine, *Contra Pelag. & Coelest. de orig. pec. lib. 2. cap. 24.Non erit Dei gratia ullo modo, nisi gratuita fuerit omni modo: wherefore it is called Gratia, that we may understand it is of grace, and not not of merits. The Verbe foreign whence it is derived, signifieth, freely to bestow, to gratifie, or graciously to give. And therefore is eternall life called foreign, because God foreign doth freely bestow it. The Argument standeth thus. A free gift, which is opposed to stipend or wages, is not merited by us. Eternall life is the free gift of God and is opposed to stipend or wages; therefore it is not merited by us.
§. XIV. Bellarmine answereth, that Augustine hath diligently answeredBellarmin…s answere out of Augustine. this argument, Epist. 105. Enchirid. …ap. 107. But chiefly In libro de gratia & lib. arb. cap. 8. & 9. From whence hee gathereth two Assertions. First, That the Apostle might well have said, eternall life is the stipend of righteousnesse, even as he said, The stipend of sinne is death; which confession of Augustine cutteth the thr…at (hee saith) of our Assertion. S… condly, That the Apostle did not say, Eternall life is the stipend of righteousnesse, as he said, Death is the stipend of sinne, least any man should thinke, that we so have righteousnesse of ourselves, as we have sinne of our selves: therefore eternall life is called grace, not because it is not the reward of merit, but that we have the merits themselves from grace.
To the former, I reply, that when Augustine saith, that eternall life might well be called a stipend, which hee maketh to bee all one with merces, hee meaneth a stipend or reward freely given; as if there were stipendium grat…itum, as well as merces gratuita. And that this was his meaning, I demonstrate out of the same places, which Bellarmine doth quote, and first out of Epist. 105. Debita redditur p…na demnato, indebita gratia liberato, …t nec ille se indignum queratur, n…c dignum se iste glorietur. Si antem gratia, atque null is meritis reddits, sed gratuita b…nitate donata;—ipsa (aterna vita) gratia nuncupatur, n…n ob ali…d nisi quia gratis datur.
Secondly, Enchirid. cap. 107. Ipsam vitam aeternam quae certa merces est operum bonorum, gratiam Dei appellat Apostolus: stipendium enim inquit, p…ccatimors, gratia autem Dei vita aeterna in Christo Iesu Domin… n… stro▪ stipendium pro opere militiae debitum redditur, non donatur. Id…ò dixit, stipendium peccatimors, ut mortem peccato non immeritò illatam, sed debitam demonstraret. Gratia verò nisi gratis sit, gratia non est.
Thirdly, Praefat. in Psal. 31. Merces nostra gratia vocatur: figrati… est, gratis datur, quid est gratis datur? Gratis c…nstat—Si reddatur tibi quod debetur, puniendus es, quid ergò fit? Non tibi Deus r…ddit debitam poenam, sed donat indebitam gratiam.
Fourthly, Degratia & lib. arbitr. cap. 9. Cum Apostolus prius dixisset, stipendium peccatim…rs: merit… (inquit) stipendium quia militiae diabolicae mors aeterna tanquam debitum redditur. Vbi cum posset dicere, & rectè dicere, stipendium autem justitiae vita aeterna: maluit dicere, Gratia autem Dei vita aetern…: ut hinc intelligamus non meritis nostris Deum nos ad aeternam vitam, sed pro sua miseratione perducere. Whereby it appeareth, that although hee saith, that eternall life may bee called a stipend: yet hee meaneth not a stipend or wages deserved, or merited by us, but a reward freely given us of God.
§. XV. And as the former Assertion maketh not against us, so theThe second Assertion. later maketh wholly for us against both the Pelagians and the Papists. The Pelagians held, that their good workes were done not by the helpe of grace, but by the strength of their owne free will, and so in that respect a reward was due unto them; whereas they who bring forth good workes ex don… gratiae, had neither commendation nor merit. Against them Augustine in many places disputeth, proving that eternall life, which is the reward of our good workes, is called by the Apostle Gratia, not onelyonly because it selfe is freely given, but also because the good workes, whereof it is the reward, are to be ascribed to Gods grace. And that therefore the Lord when he rewardeth the godly life of the faithfull with eternall life, hee giveth them gratiam progratia, and that when he rewardeth our merits, thereby meaning our good workes, hee doth crowne not our merits, but his owne graces. Thus hee writeth, Epist. 105. xpag. 301.Omne meritum nostrum non in nobis facit nisi gratia: & cum Deus c…ronat merit… n…stra, nihil aliud … quàm muner… su…, Sic…t enim ab initio fidei misericordiam consecuti sumus, non quia fideles eramus, sed ut esse…us: sic in fin… quod erit in vita aeterna, c…ronabit nos sicut scriptum est, yPsal. 103. 4.in miseratione & misericordia.—Vndè & ipsa vita aeterna, qu… utique in fine sine fine habebitur, & ideò merit is praecedentibus redditur: tamen qui… eadem merita quibus redditur, non à nobis parata sunt per n…stram sufficientiam, sed in nobis facta per grati…m, etiam ipsa gr…tia nuncupatur, Non ob aliud ni…i quia gratis datur; nec ideò qui… meritis non datur, sed quia data sunt zpag. 302.& ipsa merita quibus datur.
Stipendium peccati mors, rectè stipendium quia debetur, quia dignè retribuitur, quia merit… redditur. Deinde, ne justiti… de humanose extolleret …; sicut humanum meritum malum non dubitatur esse peccatum, non à contra… retulit dicens, …ipendium justitiae vita …terna, & haec ne praeter Mediatorem aliqua alia via quaereretur, adjecit in Christo Iesu Domino nostro tanquam diceret, Audit…, quod stip…ndium pecca…i sit mors, quid te disponis extollere? O humana non justitia, sed nomine justitiae planè superbi…, quid te disponis extollere, ac contrariam morti vitam aeternam, tanquam d…bitum stipendium flagitare?
Quapr…pter O homo si accepturus es vitam aeternam, justitiae quidem stipendium est, sed tibi gratia est, cui gratia & ipsa justitia. Tibi enim tanquam d…bita reddere…ur, si ex tetibi esset justiti…, cui debet…r. Nunc igitur de plenitudine ejus accepimus, non s…lum gratiam, qua nunc justè in laboribus usque in finem vivimus, sed etiam gratiam pro hac gratia, ut in requie postea sine fine vivamus.
aEnc…id. cap. 107.Intelligendum est igitur etiam ipsa hominis b…na merita esse Dei munera; quibus cum vita aeternae redditur, Quid …isi gratia pro gratia redditur?
bDegratia & li…. arb. cap. 8.Vita bona nostra nihil aliud est, quam Dei gratia sine dubi… & vita eteŕna, quae bonae vitae reàditur, Dei gratia est. Et ipsa enim gratis datur, quia gratis data est illa c…i datur. Sed illa cui datur tantummod… gratia est: haec autem quae illi datur qu…niam praemium ejus est, gr…tia est pr…gratia, tanquam merces pro justi…ia.
That which Augustine speaketh of the grace of justification, is true of all grace. cDe gratia Christi, cap. 23.Quomod… est gratia, si ex debito redditur? How is it grace if it be rendred of duety?
§. XI. The Papists, when th…y are pressed with the authority of Saint Augustine, would seeme to differ much from the Pelagians; but it is more in shew, than in trueth. For they doe hold the merit of congruity, and that grace is given to men according to their owne preparations dConc. Trid. Sess. 6. cap. 7. & Can. 9.and dispositions, and that the efficacy of grace, when it is offered, is so to bee ascribed to our owne free will, as that it is in our owne power, either to accept or reject it. For this eDe hares. lib. 7. tit. Gratia.Alphonsus a Castro setteh downe as a Catholike Assertion, that when God hath stirred up our will to that which is good, it is in the power of mans will either to assent to Gods monition, or to dissent. Ex h…c autem qu…d nos monitioni illius consentimus, qui tamen dissentire p…teramus, debetur nobis merces & precium, & inde meritum nostrum. And so our Rhemists, that those whom God pardoneth worke by their owne free will, and thereby deserve their owne salvation. If therefore the grace of righteousnesse, or the grace of glory, be deserved by us, both which the Papists teach; the former, by merit of congruity, the latter by merit of condignity; then, contrary to Augustines Assertion, neither the one nor the other is to bee called grace. For that hee denieth to bee truely called grace, which is not omni …odo gratuita. So much concerning Augustines exposition; now let us search the judgements of some others of the Fathers.
§. XVII. fDe Resurrect. carnis. cap. 47.Tertullian interpreteth this Text thus: Stipendi… delinquentiae The exposition of other Fathers.m…rs, Donativum autem Dei vita aeterna in Christ… Iesu Domino nostro.
gIn locum.Origen, Benè autem Metaph…ram, i. Figuram militiae ex initio propositam servat, ut militantibus sub peccati rege—Stipendia debita mortem dicat exolvi. Deum verò non erat dignum militibus suis stipendia tanquam aliquod debitum dare, sed donum & gratiam, quae est vita aeterna in Christo Iesu Domino nostro. The same hath hIn locum.Sedulius.
iIn Rom. 6.Hierome, Stipendia peccati mors (qui peccato militat, remunerationem accipit mortem—Gratia autem Dei vita aeterna) non dixit similiter stipendia justitiae—N…n enim nostro labore quaesita est, sed Dei munere condonata.
kIn Rom. 6. homil. 12.Chrysostome, the Apostle having spoken of the wages of sinne, concerning the good he doth not observe the same order, for hee did not say foreign the wages of your good deeds, but the free gift of God: shewing that they were not delivered of themselves, nor received foreign a due debt, nor retribution or remuneration of their labours, but that all things came to them by grace.
lIn Rom. 6.Theodoret, worthily he called death foreign a military stipend, but here (saith hee, upon those words, Gratia autem Dei) he doth not say, wages, but grace: for eternall life is the gift of God. For although a man should performe very great and absolute righteousnesse: yet temporall labours are not equivalent to eternall blessings.
mApud Oecum. in Rom 6.Pho…ius, foreign. He said not, the wages of your good workes, but the free gift of God.
nIn locum.Theophylact, Sinne to its servants, for a reward of their service, rendreth death: but that which is to come from God, hee calleth grace, and not reward: as if hee should say, for you receive not the wages of your labours, but by grace all these things happen to you in Christ, who worketh these things.
oIn locum.Haymo, What is it, that speaking of the reward of sinne, …e calleth it stipend, but of the remuneration of the Elect, he calleth it the grace of God. For they that goe to warfare receive their owne wages; but whatsoever the Elect have, they receive it wholly from the grace of God, whether they have faith or charity, or any good worke: and moreover for this grace of faith and good workes, gratis accipiunt, they freely receive eternall life, &c. And the same hath Rhemigius.
And to these you may adde two famous Cardinals, the one pIn locum.Cajetan, hee doth not say, that the stipend of righteousnesse is eternall life, but the gift of God is eternall life, that we may understand, that not by our merits, but by the free gift of God we attaine to eternall life for the end. The other qIn locum.Contarenus, it is here to bee noted, saithThe fifth tes…imony. hee, that the Apostle signifieth that death is due to sinne in justice, (for so much the name Stipend doth import) but that eternall life isRom. 8. 18. of the free gift of God.
§. XIII. Our fifth Testimony is Rom. 8. 18. which our RhemistsDe interpell. l. 1. cap. 1. in Psal. 118. s…rm. 20. according to the vulgar Latine read thus. For I thinke, that the passions of this time are not condigne to the glory to come that shall be revealed in us: which words so translated, non condignae, or as rDe Iacob. lib. 1. cap. 6.Ambrose and sEpist. 22. De bono mortis l 83. qu…st. 67. De Civit. D…i lib. 5. cap. 18.Augustine in many places read indign…, are a direct contradiction to the merit of condignity. Neither ought they to cavill at our former translations, which reade they are not worthy. For what is their non condignae, or Ambrose and Augustines indignae, but not worthy, or unworthy. And what is it not to be worthy, or to be unworthy, but not to deserve? Yea, Bellarmine himselfe both in his second and third chapters tDe justif. l. 5. c. 2. §. alia l…ca. cap. 3. arg. 6.endevoureth to prove merit from all those places, where the word worthy is used; for dignum esse praemio, saith he, & mereri pr aemium idem sunt, bee worthy of reward and to deserve it are all one. Therefore according to this translation, which with the Papists is the onelyonly authenticall text of Scripture, the Apostle teacheth, that the sufferings of this life deserve not the life of glory. Neither is it materiall, whether we read worthy of it, or worthy to it, that is equall in worth to it or worthy to be compared to it. For if they be not worthy to it, they are not worthy of it, neither can they merit or deserve it. The words in the originall are foreign not worthy to the glory, or not worthy to be compared to it. Thus Prov. 3. 15. where the Greeke readeth foreign no precious thing is worthy of wisdome, the Latine hath non valent comparari, they may not be compared with it; according to the hebrew. So Eccl. 26. 20. alias 14. foreign lat▪ omnis autem ponderatio non est digna continentis animae. No weight is worthy of her chast mind, that is, nothing of worth is equall, ot to bee compared in worth to it. The meaning then of the words is this. I resolve saith the Apostle (the Greeke is foreign, which signifieth, that when a man hath cast his accounts, and well weighed the matter, he conclude…h, resolveth, determineth, as Rom. 3. 28. & 6. 11.) foreign of this present time (that is, the sufferings, which the godly sustaine foreign are not worthy of, (so the word foreign throughout the New Testament doth fignifie) or not worthy to bee compared, or comparable, or equall in worth to the glory which shall bee revealed in us or upon us.
§. XIX. In the former sense these words are a direct and absoluteThe former sense contradicteth merit of condignity. deniall of the merit of condignity. For if the passions of this life are not worthy of eternall life, then much lesse the actions of this life. For by the sufferings of this time Martyrdome is chiefely meant. Now the Papists teach, that the merit of a Martyr is greater than of a Confessor: that by it as Infants by Baptisme, those which suffer though not before baptized are purged from their sinne, and are immediately translated into heaven. And yet of them Saint Augustine saith uDe Civit. D. l. 5 cap. 18.nullo modo superbiant sancti Martyres tanquam dignum aliquod pr… illius patriae p…rticipatione fecerint, ubi aeterna est & vera faelicitas. Let not the holy Martyrs by any meanes bee lifted up with pride, as though they have done something for the participatio… of that countrey where is eternall and true felicity.
Bellarmine *De justif. lib. 5. cap. 2. &. 3.who telleth us, that wheresoever in the new Testament there is mention of worthinesse, there merit is meant, is faine to …lee from the signification of unworthinesse, to the second sense importing disproportion and inequality; signifying, (though hee doth not very well expr…sse himselfe, when hee saith, that the Apostle speaketh of the substance of the workes not of the absolute proportion) that howsoever they bee unequall, yet they are not unworthy of eternall life. So that this inequality he understandeth not in respect of worth, but in respect of length and greatnesse. Whereto I reply; first, if foreign every where in the New Testament signifieth worthy, and worthinesse implyeth merit as Bellarmine teacheth, then foreign fignifieth non condigna, as their own authentique translation readeth, that is they are not worthy, which is all one, as, as if it were said, they deserve not nor merit the future glory. Oec…menius xOecumen in Rom. 8.upon the place saith, foreign the Apostle sheweth that we are not able, either to suffer or to conferre any thing worthy the remnueration that is there.
Ambrose, yEpist. 22.The Apostle, that hee might exhort us unto suffering, addeth this reason, because all things which we suffer are lesse and unworthy, for the paines whereof there should be rendred so great a reward of future good things.
Eusebius Emissenus: zHomit. ad Mo…ach. 3.Ergo totis licet & animae & corporis laboribus, desudemus, totis licet obedientiae viribus exerceamur, nihil …amen condignum merito pro coelestibus compensare & afferre valebimus. Non valent vi…ae pr… sentis obsequia …terna vitae gaudiis comparari. Lassescant licet membra vigiliis, pallescant licet ora jej…niis non erunt tamen condignae passiones hujus temporis ad futura… gloriam, &c.
Athanasius, In vita Sancti Antonii cited by Bellarmine, aDe justif. l. 5. c. 14.ne… … orbi renunciantes dignum aliquod habitaculis possumus compensare c…lestibus.
Augustine, bIn Psal. 93.Quanto labore dign… est requies, quae non habet finem? Si verum vis comparare & verum judicare, aterna requies …terno labore rect… emitur. See the testimony of Gregory cIn Psal. 7. poe…it. vers. ….cited §. 2. of this chapter. Secondly, if they bee unequall, if there be a great, or rather infinite disproportion betweene our short and light asflictions, and the eternall superexcellent weight of glory, then cannot our sufferings merit eternall life. For betweene the merit and the reward there must bee some proportion of equality. Wherefore this text, as in the former sense it directly contradicteth the merit of condignity; so in the latter it doth disprove it by necessary consequence. For condigne merits are equall to the … ward: the sufferings of this life are not equall to the future glory, therefore they doe not merit eternall life.Popish exceptions.
§. XX. Neither will it helpe our Rhemists, nor …ellarmine himselfe, to salve their errour with blasphemy. The note of the Rhemists upon the word condigne is this. Our adversaries gro…nd hereon, that the workes or sufferings of this life be not meritorious or worthy of life ever lasting: where the Apostle saith no such thing: no more than he saith, that Christs passions be not meritorious of his glory—hee expresseth onelyonly, that the very afflictions of their owne nature which …e suffer with or for him, …e but sh…rt, momenta…y, and of no account in comparison of the recompe…ce which we shall have in …eaven. No more indeed were Christs pai…es of their … nature compared to his glory any whit comparable: yet they w…re …eritorious, … worthy of heaven and so be ours. Where they seeme to put no difference between… the Head and his members. If Christ did merit his glory by his short fufferings, then doe we: if wee doe not, then not he. But their wisedomes should have considered the obedience of Christ was the obedience of God, that is, of him who was and is God; that the sufferings which hee did sustaine were the sufferings of God, the bloud which he shed for us was the bloud of God, Act. 20. 28. and therefore of infinite and all sufficient value and merit, both to satisfie for our sinnes, and to merit for us eternall life. Whereas our obedience and our sufferings, are the sufferings and obedience of sinnefull men. And therefore if they will not still bee Antichristians, they must acknowledge, that to satisf…e sor the punishment of hel, and to merit heaven are priviledges and prerogatives peculiar to Christ our head, whose sufferings and obedience, by reason of the dignity of his person, are of infinit valew and worth, not to satisfie or merit for himselfe (sor that needed not, seeing the man Christ by reason of the hypostaticall union was in the dayes of his flesh, as the Papists themselves teach, both Viator and Comprehensor, enjoying from the first instant of his conception the beatificall vision) but for the world, and for more worlds, if there were more. But here Bellarmine doth instance first, that as the passion of Christ was much shorter than the paines of hell, yet because of the dignity of the person which suffered, was most worthy to be esteemed a ful satisfaction: so, though the passions of this time be short, and that glory be eternall, notwithstanding betweene these sufferings, and that glory, there is a proportion, by reason of the dignity of charity whence they proceed. And this seemeth to have beene the meaning of Bellarmines distinction, that the Apostle denyeth the sufferings of this life to be equall to the future glory, in respect of the substance of the worke, and considered in …hemselves as they are humane, as they are short and light, they are no way equall to the future glory: yet as they are, as it were, divine, proceeding from the divine grace of charity, they have an equall, and as hee calleth it, an absolute proportion. Thus they make an idoll of charity: as if it being not onelyonly finite, but also unperfect, and but begunne, were of sufficient worth and dignity to merit an infinite reward. And yet the Apostle speaking of the sufferings of the faithfull who as it was said in the verses going before are the sonnes and heires of God, endued with the Spirit, yea, of Martyrs who are endued with a great measure of charity, denyeth them to be condigne to the glory which shall be revealed.
His second instance is by comparison taken from the delights of sin, which are incomparably lesse, than the torments of hell: yet because of the contempt of God, they are worthy to bee punished with those torments. Reply. Whatsoever the delights of sinne be, the guilt of sinne is infinite, and cannot be taken away but by an infinite satisfaction.
The third instance is of an unlike s…militude, of seed compared to the Tree (as though the tree were merited by the seed) betweene which though very unequall there is a proportion. Reply. Betweene all things that are finite there may be a proportion, though not an equall proportion, which must be between the merit and the reward: betweene that which is finite, and that which is infinite, there is no proportion at all.
§. XXI. But letting passe all other proofes, Bellarmine will needesBellarmines objection out of 2 Cor. 5. 17. make the Apostle contradict himselfe; as if elsewhere he did teach, that the sufferings of this present time are worthy or meritorious of eternall glory. Because he saith, 2 Cor. 4. 17. For that our tribulation, which presently is momentany and light, worketh above measure exceedingly an eternall weight of glory in us. Worketh, saith he, non physicè sed moraliter, id est, non efficienter sed meritoriè, not naturally, but morally, that is, not efficiently, but meritoriously, et per hoc dignas esse passiones hujus temporis, quibus gloria illajusto judicio tribuatur, and consequently, that the sufferings of this time are worthy, that in just judgement that glory should be given unto them: which is the direct contradiction of this place. But this allegation I fully answered dLib. 7. cap. 5. §. 7.before, it being his fifth testimony, whereby he would prove good workes to be necessary to salvation by the necessity of efficiencie. Here it shall be sufficient to shew, that merit cannot hence be proved. Yea but, saith hee, afflictions are said to worke this weight of glory: which must not bee understood physically, that is efficiently; but morally that is meritoriously: whereto I reply, that a meritorious cause is an efficient cause: and that which worketh meritoriously worketh efficiently, though not contrariwise. And therfore although from hence sufficiency were proved, yet merit is not. For I pray, what is here said to worke? Tribulation? But though tribulation worke, as it and all things else doe worke together for the good of Gods children, Rom. 8. 28. yet doth tribulation merit? Then is it a meritorious thing to be afflicted, and punished. For affliction is malum poenae the evill of punishment merited by sinne. Doth affliction then worke salvation? Surely no more then the afflicter, who is the instrument of our affliction, and seeketh our destruction. Doth not the afflicter merit? no more doth the affliction there may be some efficiency, both in the afflicter and in the affliction, but meanes there can be none in either. The efficiency may be shewed thus. Affliction foreign eRom. 5. 4. Iam. 1. 3.worketh patience, not meritoriously, but by another kind of efficiencie, and that not of it selfe, and in it owne nature, which being evill moveth ratherfIob 1. 11. 2. 5. to impatience: but by accident, and occasionally, the holy Ghost using it as a meanes to exercise our faith and to worke patience in us, and therefore in this, and such like places, g2 Cor. 4. 17. Rom. 5. 3. Iam. 1. 3. Rom. 4. 15.the word foreign signifie…h no more than occasioneth. Patience worketh foreign probation, viz. declarativè: for bearing afflictions patiently a man is knowne to be foreign Iam. 1. 12. that is a sound and approved Christian: foreign or probation worketh efficiently or produceth hope; and in spe in hope, though not in re, we are saved. This working therefore is not by way of merit.
But what manner of thing is that, which is here said to worke? and what manner of thing is that, which is here said to bee wrought? that which worketh is foreign ▪ the momentany lightnesse of our affliction, the thing wrought is foreign which is more emphaticall and hyperbolicall to signifie the infinitenes of that glory, than I am able to expresse. There being then no proportion betwixt the momentany lightnes of affliction, and the more than hyperbolicall exceedingly exceeding weight of glory eternall, how can th…re be merit? To that which hath beene said concerning this place, Rom. 8. 18. three other considerations may be added; the two former out of Hierome, hIn ….id est, that a man could not suffer any thing worthy the eternall glory, though it were such as this present life is. The other is that all he can suffer is not more, but a great deale lesse, than by his sinne he hath deserved. And how then can he by the sufferings of this life, wherby he is not able to …atisfie for his sinne, deserve eternall life? The third out of Bernard, iIn annunciat. serm. 1.we doe know, saith he, that the sufferings of this time, are not worthy to the future glory, nec si unas omnis sustineat, No, that they are not, though one man should sustayne them all, which though it be a very great, yet is a very true amplification, that if one man should beare all the afflictions of all men in this world, yet his afflictions of this time would not be worthy of the glory that shall be revealed. Such amplifications are used no lesse truely by Chrysostome and Anselm. Chrysostome kDe compunct. adstolochium. lib. 157.saith, foreign, &c. If we should dye ten thousand deaths, and if wee should shew forth al virtue, yet could wee not recompence the least part of those honours that God hath already bestowed upon us. And if wee cannot by all such meanes be answearable to God for his favours …ouchsafed in this world, by what meanes might we hope to merit eternall life in the world to come? If a man should serve God most devoutly iDe mensurat. crucis §. B. Nascitura thousand yeares, yet he should not condignely merit to bee in the kingdome of heaven halfe a day, saith Anselme.
§. XXII. In the sixth place Bellarmine alleageth three testimoniesThree Testimonies alleaged by Bellarmine for us. as objected by us, viz. Phil. 3. 7, 8, 9. Ephes. 2. 8, 9. Tit. 3. 5, 7. The first we doe not use to produce against merit of salvation, but against justification by inherent righteousnesse, and was the sixth Testimony of ours, which Bellarmine endevoured to answere, as hee doth here. See Lib. 7. Cap. 3. §. 15. The second was the fourth Testimony, which he tooke upon him to answer. See my reply Lib. 7. Cap. 3. §. 13. The third was the fifth Testimonie, of which see Lib. 7. Cap. 3. §. 14. But though we doe not alleage the first against merit of workes; yet byThe first, Phil. 3. 8, 9. by consequent it doth disprove it. For if workes doe not concurre to justification as the matter therof, then can they not be the merit of salvation, as hath beene said. Secondly, if in the question of justification, which concerneth our title to Salvation, they are to be accounted as things of no worth, yea as losse, then are they not meritorious of eternall life. And whereas Bellarmine challengeth us to alleage any one Father, that understandeth Paul to speake of workes done after grace: I alleaged before Saint Chrysostome upon the place, who understandeth the Apostle as speaking of all, foreign, he said all, both old and new, both past and present, and that I confirmed by reason. And when he saith, that Augustine calleth the righteousnesse of the faithfull Eminentissimam, it is apparant, that he speaketh not of that, which wee have by our obedience performed to the Law, but of that most eminent righteousnesse, which wee have by faith. The other two places exclude workes from being any causes, as well of Salvation as of justification. And it is plaine, that the Apostle speaketh of salvation, and of all the degrees thereof, that it is wholly to bee ascribed to the grace of God, and not our worthinesse.Eph. 2. …, 9. Tit. 3. 5. His words in the former, By grace you are saved through faith, no… of workes. The latter: not by workes of righteousnesse which we have done, but according to his merciemercy he saved us. Whence ariseth this argument. If by our merits we are saved, then by workes: but not by our workes, therefore not by merits. Or thus, If not by workes we are saved, because we are saved by grace, then much lesse are we saved by our owne merits.