A Treatise of Justification, Book 8 · Chapter 3
CAP. III. A new supply of reasons produced against merits, and maintayned against Bellarmines cavills.
§. I.
OVr first reason. The true Doctrine of justificationReason 1. the true doctrine taketh away all cause of boasting. and Salvation taketh from us all cause of boasting in our selves, that he a1 Cor. 1. 31.which glorieth may glory in the Lord: and contrariwise, that which doth not take away all cause of boasting in our selves, is not the true Doctrine:
The Doctrine of justification by faith without workes, and of salvation by Gods free grace without our merit taketh from us all cause of our boasting in our selves: but the Doctrine of justification by workes, and of salvation by our owne merits, doth not take away all cause of boasting in our selves. Both proved Rom. 3. 27. & 4. 2. Ephes. 2. 8, 9.
The effect of Bellarmines answere is; that they, who plead their owne merits, as proceeding from grace, do… not glory i… themselves, but in the Lord.
Reply, First, so long as they bee ours, though given of God, as all other good things are, we are apt to glory in them, as appeareth by the Pharisee, who boasteth bLuk. 18. 11.of his merits, though he acknowledgeth, that hee received them from God; and therefore rendreth thankes for them. Secondly, the pleading of merit, is it selfe a proud boasting, Matth. 20. 12. Thirdly, the Papists plead merit as proceeding from their owne free will, which they require as a necessary condition of merit. Fourthly, If the good worke proceed meerely from Gods grace, then can we not by it merit any thing of God. But the Papists teach, that by it they merit of God: and consequently deny it, so farre forth as it meriteth, to proceed f…om the grace of God, and therefore when they plead merit, they glory in themselves, rather than in the Lord.Our second reason, that …heir doctrine derogateth from the merit of Christ.
§. II. Our second reason: That doctrine, which derogateth from the infinite and all-sufficient merit of Christ, is to bee renounced as false and Antichristian.
The Popish doctrine of merits, viz. that we are to be saved by our owne merits, and that the faithfull by their owne workes doe truely and condignely merit eternall life, derogateth from the infinite and all-sufficient merit of Christ. Therefore it is false and Antichristian. The assumption they deny; yea, though indeed they doe derogate from the merit of Christ, yet they denounce cConc. Trident. sess. 6. can. 33.anathema against them that shall say so. But we not only say it, but prove it. For first; If Christ hath already most sufficiently and fully merited heaven for us, then our merits are needlesse: or if our merits bee needfull, as they teach, then are not Christs sufficient for us; which is no better than blasphemie.
Secondly, they who teach, that Christ hath not merited for all that beleeve, and as soone as they truely beleeve, the right of eternall life, doe greatly derogate from the merit of Christ. For the Scriptures doe teach, that Christ hath so merited the right of eternall life to all the faithfull, that by him they have dIoh. 5. 24. & 6. 47. 1 Ioh. 5. 12, 13.alreadie eternall life, being alreadie translated from death to life.
But they who teach, that the faithfull are to merit the right of eternall life by their owne good Workes, doe in effect teach, that CHRIST hath not merited it to the faithfull.
Therefore they who teach that the faithfull are to merit the right of eternall life by their owne good workes, doe greatly derogate from the merit of Christ.
This assumption may thus bee demonstrated: That which a man hath already, he needeth not to merit. For to merit is to obtaine by desert that right which a man hath not yet. Nullus meret…r, saith eTh. 1. q. 62. art. 4. c.Thomas, quod …am habet, and againe fT…. part. 3. q. 19. art. 3. c.meritum non est nisi ejus quod nond…m habetur. Therefore the faithfull, if they have already right to Gods kingdome, they need not merit it; or if they must merit, then have they not as yet that right by Christ, but must purchase it by their owne deserts, which is greatly to derogate from the merits of Christ. But the faithfull before they produce any good works have right to Gods kingdome. N…m hoc ips…, saith Bellarmine, gDe justif l. 5. c. 14. S. quinta rati….quòd incipi… esse fili… Dei, … jus habere ad hareditatem falicitatis …ternae, Rom. 8. 17. G…l. 4. 7. … …utem esse filii Dei, …ntequam incipi…mus benè operari——Igitur jus habemu… ad aternam bareditatem per gratiam …, … … benè operari. For in that very respect that wee b… ginne to bee the sonnes of God, wee beginne to have right to the inheritance of the eternàll felici…y, Rom. 8. G…l. 4. Now wee beginne to bee the sonnes of God before wee beginne to bring forth good workes. Mer…it igitur Christus (saith hee) Christ therefore merited the inheritance it selfe, whiles he merited the grace of adoption: and againe, hDe justif lib. 5. cap. 17.unto him who is the Sonne of God by grace, the inheritance is due by the right of adoption before all workes. In which place Bellarmine teacheth another point of doctrine, whereby is excluded the merit of good workes. iLib. 5. cap. 17. §. ….Ex eo quod aliquis, saith hee, est filius Dei per gratiam, meretur ex condigno haereditatem vitae aeternae, sine alio pacto, sed merito personae, non merito operis. By this that any man is the sonne of God by grace, hee doth merit condignely the inheritance of everlasting life, without any other covenant (for if sonnes, then heires) but hee doth merit it by the merit of his person, not by the merit of his worke, what needeth then the childe of God bring forth good workes with purpose to merit heaven by them, seeing before hee produceth any good workes, hee hath right unto the kingdome of heaven by the merit of his person, in that hee is the Sonne of God? Why forsoooth, as it is an inheritance, hee meriteth it by the merit of his person; but as it is a mercenary reward or stipend or wages hee must earne it by the merit of his workes, which is absurd, for if it bee a free gift intended in our election without any relation to our desert, a free inheritance purchased for us by Christ, and freely promised to all that beleeve, and free reward of our obedience, which is therefore by Augustine and others called Gratia, because it is freely given, it cannot without absurdity be made the mercenary reward or wages of hired servants.
Thirdly, to attribute that honour to every member of the body, which is peculiar to Christ alone the Head, is to derogate from the honour of Christ our Head.
But to merit eternall life is an honour peculiar to Christ alone our Head. For eternall life in heaven being of infinite worth, as being the eternall fruition of God who is infinite, cannot be condignely merited, but by that which is of infinite value and price. Such are the merits of Christ and of him alone: such neither ours, nor any meere creatures are, or can be. For the infinite merit of eternall life dependeth on the infinitenesse of the person who meriteth it: such an one is Christ, such are none of his members. Therefore to Christ alone it belongeth to merit heaven for his members: and not to his members; who are not to merit, but by faith to apprehend the merit of their Head.
Fourthly, that which taketh from Christ the glory of being the onelyonly meritorious cause of salvation, doth grea…ly detract from the al-sufficiency of Christs merits.
The Popish doctrine concerning the merit of workes taketh from Christ the glory of being the onelyonly meritorious cause of our salvation: Therefore it doth greatly derogate from the al-sufficient merit of Christ.
Fifthly, they who ascribe the condigne merit of heaven to their owne good workes, and to salve the matter doe faine, that Christ hath merited for their good workes, that they may condignely merit heaven: doe indeed robbe Christ of the honour of meriting for us eternall life, and doe arrogate it unto themselves. Thus doe the Papists, who ascribe the condigne merit of heaven to their owne works, and to bleare the eyes of the simple, they faine, that Christ merited for our workes, that they might be meritorious of eternall life: for neither by the Scriptures, nor Fathers, nor any sound reason, doe they so much as goe about to prove this fiction, this novelty. Christ did not save us to make us our owne Saviours; but in his owne person, and as the Apostle speaketh foreign kHeb. 1. 3.by himselfe he performed the worke of our redemption and the merit of our salvation.
Object. 1. But you will say, did Christ merit for us, that we should be idle? I answere, wee are the Workemanship of God created unto good workes, which God hath preordained that we should walke in them; not to merit by them, but to glorifie God by them, to testifie our thankefulnesse, and to make our calling and el…ction sure, and for many other reasons, which I delivered, when I proved the necessity of good workes.
Object. 2. It is not fit that Christs merits should bee applyed to men without workes.
Answ. The merits of Christ are applyed to us, that is, wee are justified by them without workes, as the Apostle teacheth; howbeit in them that are justified good workes doe follow, but not as causes of justification, or as merits of salvation.
Object. 3. But it is necessary we should be like unto Christ.
Answ. Wee must bee like to him in the graces of sanctification, which we receive from his fulnesse, even grace for grace, Rom. 8. 29. 1 Io…n 3. 3. 1 Pet. 1. 16. But wee cannot bee like unto him in office of Mediation, or in the power of meriting, which is proper to the Head.The exceptions of the Papists against this argument.
§. III. This argument, that the doctrine of merits is derogatory to the al-sufficient merits of our onelyonly Saviour, is worthy to bee insisted upon, and defended against all exceptions and cavils of the Papists; which indeed are many, but may be reduced to these three heads: for either they serve to shew, that their doctrine doth not derogate from Christs merits: or that their doctrine setteth forth the glory of Christs merit, no lesse than ours: or that wee by denying their doctrine doe extenuate (such is their impudency) the merit of Christ.
To the first purpose, lDe justif lib. 5. cap. 5. respondeo ad oct…vum argumentum. Bellarmines first evasion.Bellarmine hath foure evasions. The first, that The merits of just men are not opposite to the merits of Christ, but spring from them. And what commendation soever our merits have, that wholly redoundeth to the praise of Christs merit. For hee is the Vine, wee are the branches. And as a branch ca…not bring forth fruit, unlesse it abide in the vine; even so we without Christ can doe nothing. And as never any man was so unwise as to say, that the fruitefulnesse of the branches detracteth from the glory of the Vine: so no man, that is not a very foole would say, that it is a derogation from the glory of Christ, if his servants by his Grace, by his Spirit, by faith and charity inspired from him, bring forth good workes, which are so truely just, that unto them is due from the just Iudge a crowne of Iustice.
Repl. To which answere I assent in some particulars. First, that it is indeed a great honour to Christ, if his members doe bring forth much fruit, Iohn 15. 8. As contrarywise, it is a great dishonour to him, when any of his members defile themselves with any crime, 1 Cor. 6. 15. Secondly, that having union with Christ, as his members, wee have also communion with him, both in his merits to our justification and salvation; and also in the vertue of his death to mortifie sinne in us, and of his resurrection to raise us unto newnesse of life. By influence of which virtue from Christ our Head the holy Spirit enableth us to bring forth the fruites of good workes. But that these good works, though wrought by the Spirit, though proceeding from faith and charity, though acceptable to God in Christ, though graciously rewarded by him, are so perfect and of such value, that they should bee either satisfactory to Gods justice, or meritorious of eternall life, that we utterly deny; these being prerogatives peculiar to our Head, who onelyonly hath both satisfied the justice of God, and also merited heaven for us: and that to this end, that neither satisfaction should be required of us for our sinnes (for which wee cannot satisfie, but by eternall punishment) nor merit of eternall life expected from us, which cannot bee merited but by a price of infinite value. For if there be need of either, then either Christ hath not fully satisfied, or not sufficiently merited for us. And as it is a certaine trueth, that Christ did not to this end satisfie for us, that wee should satisfie, which to us is impossible, but that we should be freed from the necessity of satisfying Gods justice, as being already satisfied: so it is no lesse true, that Christ did not to that end merit heaven for us, that we should merit it, which to us is impossible; but that wee should bee freed from the necessity of meriting it, which Christ hath al-sufficiently merited, and should rely wholly and onelyonly on the satisfaction and merit of Christ.
If they say, that Christ hath merited for us those graces and works by which wee are to merit heaven: I demand, whether Christ himselfe did merit heaven for us or not? If so, then need not our merits. If not, then doe they not onelyonly part stakes with Christ, but assume the greater merit, which is of glory, to themselves and leave the lesse, which is of grace, to Christ; and that not entire neither. For the obtaininig of righteousnesse, as they doe not wholly ascribe to their owne free will, so neither to Gods grace; but partly to God offering grace, and partly to their owne free will, which willingly accepteth of grace, when it might refuse it. And this willingnesse (whatsoever they pretend to the contrary) is in mine opinion the very root from whence their conceipted merit doth spring.
§. IV. His second evasion, That merit of men are required, not beca…se Bellarmines second evasion.of the insufficiency, but because of the great efficacy of Christs merits; which merited with God, not onelyonly that wee sh…ld obtaine salvation, but that wee should obtaine it by our owne proper merits: or which is all one, that they merited not onelyonly eternall salvation for us, but also the virtue or power of meriting.
Repl. This answere is nothing but a mee…e begging of the question; taking for granted, that which wee utte…y deny, and none of them shall ever bee able to prove, that Christ merited for us, that wee our selves should merit eternall life.
For first, the power of meriting heaven at the hands of God is Christs peculiar: neither can …ny meere man, no not in the state of innocency, nor any Angell, not any meere creature merit any reward at the hands of God: because when they have done all, they have done but their duety. Much lesse can wee, who never doe all, and that which wee doe is stained with the flesh, and is mingled with manifold transgressions, if not of commission, from which none are free, yet at least of omission.
Secondly, that Christ died for our sinnes to free us from hell; and that hee in his owne person performed all obedience both mRom. 5. 9, 16.passive and active, that thereby we might be justified and saved, wee read in the Scriptures. But that he dyed for our good workes to make them meritorious, or that he merited for us the power of meriting heaven, which power is proper to himselfe alone, and presupposeth infinitenesse of merit and worth, we reade not. The similitude which Bellarmine useth of the Sunne, whereby God doth illuminate the world, and of other secondary causes, which God doth use as meanes whereby to worke (which argue not Gods inability but his omnipotencie in giving such power to his creatures) to prove, that God his saving us by our owne merits, doth not argue the insufficiency of Christs merit, but the sufficiency in giving such power to our merits, is as meere a begging of the question as the former: taking for granted, that as God doth enlighten the world by the Sunne, &c. (which all men know by experience) so hee doth save us by our owne merits: when as the Scriptures in plaine termes deny us to bee saved by our workes, but wholly and onelyonly by the merits of Christ. Besides, the similitude is altogether unlike. For God doth not illuminate the inferiour world by himselfe, but by the Sunne, nor performe those other actions by himselfe immediately, for which he hath ordained secondary causes, as his instruments, working ordinarily by meanes. But Christ by himselfe nAct. 20. 2…. Gal. 1. 4. 2. 20. Ephes 5. 2. 1 Tim. 2. 6. Tit. 2. 14. Heb. 1. 3. 7. 27. 9. 14. 10. 14. 1 Pet. 2. 24. Apoc. 1. 5, 6.hath merited for us, giving the virtue and power of meriting to nothing out of himselfe.
§. V. His third Evas…on, That they doe not part the glory betweene Christ and themselves, beca…se they acknowledge their merits to be the gifts of God: and that there is no good thing in themselves, which is theirs, and not The third evasion that they doe not part stake: with Christ.Gods, from whose grace the force of merit dependeth. Which answere altogether taketh from our workes the power of meriting with God. For how can we merit of God by that which is his? But indeed this evasion, which here is used to serve the present turne, is not suitable with the Popish doctrine, which teacheth men to part stakes with God, as I have said. First, in respect of grace, the efficacy whereof they divide betweene God and their owne free will. Secondly, in respect of their justification, for the first they ascribe after a sort to grace, the second which is increase of justice, to their owne merit. Thirdly, in respect of goo… workes, which as they bee wholly Gods, so be they wholly their owne, as Bellarmine here saith.
§. VI. His fourth Evasion, That though wee be saved by our owne merits; yet wee are no lesse beholden unto Christ, than if wee were saved without them, but rather more. Because wee are not onelyonly saved by his grace, but are also by it saved after a most noble and …onourable maner, that is to say, by our owne merits, which he hath merited for us, that we by them might merit eternall life. As if hee should say, Christ hath saved us, that is, hath merited grace and good workes for us, that wee by them may become our owne Saviours. This soundeth well for mans praise, who would faine have a share in his owne salvation. But it becommeth u… to say, oPsal. 115. 1.Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but to thy name give the praise. For what glory we arrogate to our selves, we derogate from God, who will not give his glory to another. If God is to have all the glory, then are wee to have none. If wee take any part to ourpEsay 42. 8. selves, we doe not ascribe it wholly to God. It is very true, that we are beholden and bound to Christ, not onelyonly for salvation it selfe, but also for those graces and good workes unto which eternall life is rendred, as a free reward. But the more gifts and graces wee receive from Christ; the more we owe unto him, the lesse we can merit of him. If we call his graces our merits; and his gift and free reward our deserved hire, as the Papists doe, then doe we challenge unto our selves the praise, both of the one, and of the other. But if Christ in his owne person and by himselfe hath merited for us both eternall life it selfe, and those things also unto which it is promised, as a free reward: With what face can wee ascribe it to our owne merits? Or if we doe ascribe it to our owne merits, though but in part, how doe we not part stakes with God.
§. VII. And whereas hee saith, it is a most honourable way to beBellarm. that we are saved by our owne merits, because that is a more honourable way. saved by our owne merits: I aske, whether more honourable to God, or to us? If to us; the Scripture teacheth us to strippe our selves of all honour in the matter of our salvation, and to ascribe all honour and glory to God. It were indeed more honourable for man to need no Saviour, than being utterly lost in himselfe to be saved by another. It were more honourable for man to be free from all sinne, and to bee indued with most perfect righteousnesse, and if it were possible to merit his owne salvation; than being by sinne fallen into the state of damnation, to need a Saviour. But now man having by his apostasie from God, lost that honourable estate wherein hee was created, and fallen into a state of misery: his glory, wherein hee is now to rejoyce, is, that God (who gave no Redeemer to the Angels that fell) gave his onelyonly begotten Sonne to redeeme him: his merit, as Gods mercy: his honour, that of a child of Satan, and of a firebrand of hell, hee is by Christ made the Sonne of God, and heire of eternall life. And for Gods glory, it is not to bee doubted, but that it was most honourable to God for the illustration of the glory both of his mercy and also of his justice, that man being fallen should bee saved by the merits of Christ: that being redeemed and justified, he should still bee subject both to inward infirmities and corruptions, and also to outward temptations, that in our weakenesse his strength might appeare, that we should not trust to our owne merits, or boast in our owne worthinesse, but should rely wholly on the mercies of God and merits of Christ; ascribing the whole glory of our salvation thereunto, and not to our owne merits, who can deserve …othing but punishment at the hands of God, if hee should enter into judgement with us. And these were Bellarmines Evasions.
§. VIII. Others say, that their doctrine of merits nothing derogatethThe evasions of other Papists. First, that it is no lesse honour to Christ, to give us where with to pay our debts, than himselfe to pay them for us. from the merits of Christ, there being no great difference (as they conceive) betwe…ne our doctrine who teach that Christ our Saviour did himselfe and in his owne person both pay our debt and purchase heaven for us; and theirs, who hold, that Christ indeed paid our debt, but to purchase heaven hee himselfe did not lay downe the price, but did as it were put money into our purses, whereby wee might purchase and merit the same for our selves. But as the paiment of our debt requireth a ransome of infinite value: so the purchase of heaven is not to be procured at a lesse price. Christ therefore gave himselfe to beq… Tim. 2. 6. foreign, a full price of Redemption for us, not only by rHeb. 1. 3.himselfe purging our sinnes and paying our debt by satisfying the penalty of the Law: but also by giving a s…fficient price, which is his merit, to purchase the heavenly inheritance for us. The benefit of this his merit, Christ applyeth and communicateth to all that truly beleeve in him: but the power of meriting is not communicable to the members who are meere creatures, but is peculiar to our head, who is both perfect man and perfect God also. And therefore no obedience whether active or passive of any, but of his person onelyonly is meritorious.
§. IX. The more impudent is the recrimination of our EnglishFishers recrimination th…t we derogat… from the merits of Christ. Iesuits, who are not ashamed to affirme, that wee, who use justly to censure them for derogating from the merits of Christ, that we, I say, extenuate the merit of Christ, in denying that hee m…rited for our good workes that they should condignely merit eternall life, and that therein wee erre fundamentally. The impudency whereof is much the greater, because they are not able to alleage any Text of Scripture, or testimony of any of the ancient Fathers, testifying that Christ did merit for us the power of meriting. For it was not the purpose of our Saviour to communicate that power to his members, which is a peculiar prerogative of the Head: neither was it his meaning to save us to that end, that we should be our owne Saviours. Neither is it credible, that hee would give us money, as it were, to enable us in our owne persons either to pay our debt, or to purchase our i…heritance, seeing himselfe in his owne person hath paid the full price of our redemption, and by his owne personall merits hath fully and al sufficiently purchased …he heavenly inheritance for us. For to what end should he give us wherewith to merit, when he himselfe hath more than sufficiently merited for us, so that no o…her merit needeth. But if other merits are required besides, how his is merit acknowledged al-sufficient? Againe if it had beene Christs purpose to give us wherewith to merit, then would he have infused most perfect righteousnesse into us, which should not have beene stained with any sinfulnesse, neither should need remission or indulgence But we are so farre from having this power to merit heaven, that the best of us had need to pray with David, sPsal 143. 2. Psal. 130. 3, 4.as being not more just than he, Enter not into judgement with thy servants O Lord, &c. for if thou shouldest marke what is amisse, who should stand? and with the Apostles, as being not more holy than they, forgive us our trespasses, &c. our chiefe righteousnesse in this life, consisting as Augustine tDe Civit. D. l. 19. c. 27.truely saith in remission of sinnes, rather than in perfection of virtues. Now, whiles we are sinners in our selves, as all are, wee cannot merit any thing but punishment at the hands of God: and whiles wee deserve hell how can we possibly merit heaven?
§. X. These were the arguments which Bellarmine tooke upon himOur third reason. to answere, but could not satisfie. Now wee are to adde some others. Our third reason therefore is this: If we cannot merit so much as temporall blessings at the hands of God, then much lesse eternall; But wee cannot merit so much as temporall blessings at Gods hands; and therfore much lesse eternall.
1. The assumption I prove thus, first by the confession of Iacob, Gen. 32. 10. that he was lesse than the least of Gods mercies. Of David, concerning mankinde in generall, Psal. 8. 4. and concerning himselfe in particular, 2 Sam. 7. 18. Secondly, if by all our labours and endevours wee are not able to merit of God so m…ch as a piece of bread, but must beg it at Gods hands, then can wee not merit eternall life of him. But the former is true, for therefore our Saviour hath taught us to make this daily praier, that God would give us day by day our daily bread. To this purpose Saint Hierome uIn Rom. 8. 18saith well, that a man could not suffer any thing worthy the heavenly glory, though it were such as this present life is. But Chrys…stome *De c…mpunct. ad ….goeth further, if we should dye ten thousand times, &c. as he was before. Anastasius, *Anastas. sin aita quaest. 135.for what good things soever we doe, we are not answerable to God foreign, for the aire alone which we breathe yIn Psal. 23. 5.Basill: Those, which are esteemed retributions, are granted to men onelyonly for the Lords bounty sake: for all the righteousnesse of mortall men doe not match the gifts already vouchfafed, much lesse those which are to come, which exceed our thought. But most agreeable to our doctrine is that assertion of Greg…rius zIn 1. …ent. dist. …. q. … art 2.Ariminensis, quòd …dum ae…erna vita, &c. that no act of man though proceeding from never so great charity doth condignely merit with God not onelyonly eternall life, but not so much as any other reward whether eternall or temporall.
§. XI. Our fourth reason: That which we attaine unto by right ofThe fourth reason, bec…ise wee attaine to eternall life as our inheritance by right of adoption. adoption, as our inheritance purchased by Christ, and prepared for us from the beginning of the world without any respect to our merits, that we doe not obtaine by our merits.
VntoUnto eternall life we doe attaine by right of adoption, as our inheritance purchased by Christ, and prepared for us from the beginning of the world, and that without any respect of our merits.
Therefore we doe not attaine to eternall life by our merits.
The assumption is manifest: for therefore in many places of Scripture the Kingdome of heaven is called our inheritance, Act. 20. 32. & 26. 18. Gal. 3. 18. Ephes. 1. 14. 18. 5. 5. Col. 3. 24. and that an eternall and incorruptible inheritance, Heb. 9. 15. 1 Pet. 1. 4. And of this kingdome the faithfull are heires, Iam. …. 5. For therefore are we adopted the sons of God that we may be heires, heires of God and fellow heires of Christ, Rom. 8. 17. Gal. 4. 7. and to the same end are we justified by his grace, that we might according to hope bee made heires of eternall life, Tit. 3. 7. Bellarmine himselfe hath taught, as we have aDe justif. l. 5. c. 17. § sed quanquam.heard, that we are entituled to the Kingdome of heaven jure adoptionis. And in that bDe justif. l. 5. c 14. §. quinta ratio.we begin to be the sons of God, wee begin …o have right to the inheritance of the eternall …elicity, now we begin to be the sonnes of God, before wee begin to bring forth good workes. And hereby appeareth the truth of the proposition: for we have our right of adoption not by merit, but by the free grace of God, who hath predestinated cEph. 1. 5. 6.us unto the adoption of children by Iesus Christ to himselfe, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. And this inheritance was prepared for us from the beginning of the world, Mat. 25, 34.
If it be objected, that as it is called an inheritance, so also a reward, and reward presupposeth merit, for so the Councill of Trent dSess. 6. cap. 16.teacheth, that eternall life is to be propounded to the godly, both as grace, that is, a free gift promised by Christ, and as a reward duely to be rendred to their merits according to Gods promise. I answere, that eternall life is no such reward as presupposeth merit, for it is a free reward, freely promised, freely given. Neither can those things stand together, which the Councill of Trent hath conjoyned, that eternall life should both bee gratia a free gift, graciously promised and freely bestowed, and also a due wages to be rendred to desert, neither if it be the reward of inheritance, as it is called Col. 3. 24. which is freely bestowed on the sonnes of God, it cannot be a mercenary wages which is due to hired servants.
§. XII. Our fifth reason: If good workes do… merit eternall life,His fifth reason because good workes ar… not causes …f eternall life. then are they causes of it, for merits be the causes of that which is merited.
But good workes are not the cause of eternall life, therefore they doe not merit it. The assumption I prove, first, from that received testimony of eDegratia & lib. arb.Bernard, that good workes are via regni, non causa regnandi. Quid autem hac conclusione firmius? saith fEpist. 19. 1109.Cassander, who also saith, that Thomas Bradwardin and divers other Schoolemen deny good workes to bee the cause of the eternall reward, and that some who call them causes, doe meane Causam sine qua non, which properly is no cause.
Secondly, true causes of salvation may bee trusted in for the obtaining of salvation.
Our good workes are not to be trusted in for the obtaining of salvation.
Therefore they are not true causes thereof.
The proposition is Bellarmines: gDe justif. lib. 5. cap. 7. propos. 2. §. posse a.Licet confidere in omni vera causa.
The assumption also in effect is his. For if it be most safe, as he truly saith, hIbid. propos. 3.by reason of the uncertainty of our owne righteousnesse (which none of them can be certaine of without speciall revelation) and danger of vaine glory, not to trust in our owne merits, but to repose …ur whole affiance in the only mercy and bountyof God: then are they fooles who repose affiance in their owne workes. And no doubt but they are fooles who trust in their owne heart, as Salomon saith, Prov. 28. 26. For as Adrian saith, iAdrian de Trajecto in 4. Sent.who after was Pope, Our merits are like astaffe of reed which not onelyonly breaketh, when it is leaned upon, but also pierceth the hand of him that leaneth on it. To trust in a mans owne righteousness… is the property of a proud Iustitiary and hypocrite, Ezec. 33. 13. Luke 18. 9. and of one that is accursed, kIer. 17. 5.because hee removeth his heart …rom God and putteth his trust in man, that is to say, h…mselfe: for as lIn vigilia natalis Domini, serm. 5.Bernard well faith for a man to trust in himselfe, Non fidei▪ sed per … dem est: nec confidentiae sed diffidentiae magis in semetipso habere fiduciam. But the true and upright Christian, renouncing all confidence in his owne righteousnesse, as being a beggar in spirit, Matth. 5. 3. resteth wholly on the mercies of God and merits of Christ, Psal. 130. 3, 4. & 143. 2. Dan. 9. 18. 1 Cor. 4. 4. Phil. 3. 8, 9. according to the advice of our Saviour, Luk. 17. 10.
If it be objected, that the godly in many places of Scripture doe alleage their owne innocency and integrity as seeming to put some affiance therein▪ 2 King. 20. 3. Nehem. 5. 19. Psal. 18. 21, 24. 2 Tim. 4. 7, 8. I answere, first, it is one thing to place affiance in our good works as causes of our salvation, as mBellarm. de justif. lib. 5. c. 7. Bona merita sunt vera salutis causa licet autem confidere in … nivera causa.merit-mongers use to doe: another, from our good workes as tokens and signes of our election, vocation, justification, and as presages of our glorification, to gather comfort, ass…rance and hope to our selves of our justification and salvation, which the faithfull use to doe, and to that end are they commanded to practise good workes, that they make their calling and election sure, 2 P…t. 1. 10. This distinction is acknowledged by nLib. 5. cap. 7. § Sciendum.Bellarmine, Sciendum est, saith hee, aliud esse fid…ciam nasci ex …, ali…d fiduciam esse ponendam in meritis. It is one thing out of our good workes to gather assurance and affiance in God, which the faithfull doe, as they are exhorted in the Scriptures, 2 Pet. 1. 10. Iob 11. 15. Rom. 5. 4. Probation worketh hope, 1 Ioh. 3. 21. If our heart condemne us not, then have wee confidence towards God: and it is another thing to place affiance in our merits, which none but proud Iustitiaries and Pharisaicall Hypocrites use to doe. Secondly, we must distinguish betwixt the innocency and justice of a mans cause, and the innocency and justice of his person. For the same men in the Scripture who for the justification of their persons desire the Lord oPsal 143. 2. & 130. 3. 4.not to enter into judgement with them; for the justification of their cause have not feared pPsal. 7. 3, 4, 8. Three other reasons.to appeale to Gods judgement.
§. XIII. Our sixth reason: those who cannot fully discharge their duety, much lesse can they merit. For they that merit must doe more than their duety. For they that doe but their duety (though they doe all that is commanded) must acknowledge qLuk. 17. 10.themselves to be unprofitable servants. But if they faile in their duety and come short of that which is commanded, then can they merit nothing but punishment at the hands of God. But no mortall man is able fully to satisfie his duety. Our duety is to abstaine from all sinne, yea to be … from all sinne, and to doe the things commanded, to doe all, and to continue in doing all, and that in that manner and measure which the Law requireth. But those things no mortall man is able to doe, as hath beene proved heretofore. So farre is every mortall man from meriting any thing, but punishment, at the hands of God.
Our seventh reason. If good workes doe merit salvation, then wee are saved by them: but we are not saved by good workes, Ephes. 2. 8, 9. Tit. 3. 5. therefore they doe not merit salvation.
Eightly, the last reason. The heavenly Canaan is a land of promise as the earthly Canaan was: which the Lord gave to the Israelites not because of their merits, Deut. 9. 5. Nor for the merit of their forefathers, Iosh. 24. 2. but because he loved them and that for no other cause, but because hee loved them, Deut. 7. 7, 8. In which love as hee freely promised it, so in the same unde…erved love he did freely bestow it. And yet hee was just in giving it, because hee had promised it, Nehem. 9. 8. The same wee are to conceive of the heavenly Canaan, whereof the other was a Type, that it is a land of promise and no… of merit, freely promised and freely bestowed on the heires of promise.