An Antidote Against Popery, Treatise · Chapter 7
CHAPTER VII. Of glorification: and whether our good workes doe merite the same.
The state of the Question.
THat good workes are necessarie to the obtayning of eternall lyfe, and that according to them in measure, but not for their condignitie and merite, eternall lyfe is bestowed on the godlie, we constantlie affirme. Therefore herein onlie standeth the question, not of their necessitie, or whether good workes hauehave a rewarde abyding them, (which Scripture affirmeth, PSALME 19.11. PROV. 11.18. and none can denye) but whence they hauehave the same; that is, whether from Iustice, for the condignitie of the worke meriting, (as the Papistes affirme) or from MercieMercy, Cōcil. Trid.according to GOD'S free promise graciouslie obliedging,Sess. 6 c. 16 cā. 32 as Iames 2.5. and as a just GOD in keeping his promise, and mercifullie performing the same. As may bee seene to bee the onlie trueth, by these scriptures following.How grosse herein they are, see Vsh. pag. 496. and Rivet. 2, pag. 500.
1. Authoritie of Scripture.
PSAL. 62.12. Also vntounto thee, O LORD, belongeth merciemercy, for thou rendrest to everie man according to his workes.
Remarke, then, that this retribution floweth from GOD'S merciemercy, and not man's merite, and is rendred according to his workes, and not for his workes. Wherevpon Pope Gregorie moveth this question, saying. If that happinesse of the Sayncts bee MercieMercy, and not acquired by merits, where is that which is written,Greg. in psal poen. 7 And thou wilt render to everie one according to his workes. If then it bee rendred according to workes, how shall it bee esteemed merciemercy? But it is another thing, (sayeth hee, by way of answere) to render according to workes, and another thing to render for the wo…kes themselues: for in that it is sayde, according to their workes, the qualitie of the workes is vnderstood, that whose workes are seene to bee good, their retribution shall bee in glorie. For vntounto that blessed lyfe, wherein men liue with God, and enjoye from God, no labour can bee equalled, and no workes can bee compared.
ROM. 6.23. For the wages of sinne, is death; but the gift of GOD, is eternall lyfe, thorow JESƲS CHRIST our LORD. So EPHES. 2.8.9.
Aug. de gratia & lib. arbit. c. 9VponUpon which wordes, (sayeth Augustine) when hee might hauehave sayde, and rightlie sayd, The wages of righteousnesse, is eternall lyfe; yet hee would rather say, The free gift of GOD, is lyfe eternall: that hereby wee may vnderstand, that it is not for our merites, but according to His owne merciemercy, that GOD bringeth vsus vntounto eternall lyfe. So lykewyse sayeth Chrysostome, Chrysost. in Rom. 6The LORD showing that they got it not as a debt, (sayeth hee) or a due retribution, and remuneration, for their laboures; but that all came of meere grace freelie. And therefore the verie Rhemistes translate the word heere vsed, [GRACE] or that which cōmeth of meere favour onlie.
In lyke-manner sayeth Cardinall Cajetane, Hee sayeth not, The wages of righteousnesse, is lyfe eternall; but the gift of GOD, is lyfe eternall: that wee may vnderstand, that it is not for our merits, but of the free gift of GOD, that in ende wee attayne vntounto lyfe eternall. Therefore hee subjoyneth, (sayeth hee) In Christ Jesus our Lord. Loe heere the merite, loe heere the righteousnesse, the wages whereof, is eternall lyfe. But vntounto vsus it is a gift, for Christ Iesus sake. The verie same sayeth Cardinall Cusanus on this place, as also their master of Sentences, Lombard, saying, that the Apostle spake so, that wee may vnderstand (sayeth hee) that GOD bringeth vsus to eternall lyfe, for His owne mercies sake, and not for our merits. Closse contrarie vntounto which doctrine of the Apostles, and these fornamed expositions is that which Maldonat affirmeth,Maldon. in Ezek. 18.20 saying, that as properlie and truelie wee merite reward, when by grace wee doe well, as we merite punishment when without grace wee doe evill.
ROM. 8.18. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present tyme, are not worthie (or condigne as the Rhemistes translate) to bee compared with the glorie which shall bee revealed in vsus.
VponUpon which wordes (sayeth Haymo) if anie man could fulfill all the Precepts of the Olde and New Testament, and suffer all sort of torments (which hee rehearseth) manie ages of tyme, hee would no wyse be worthie of that glorie to come, which the elect shall receaue: For to that blessed lyfe (sayeth Gregorie) which wee liue with GOD,Greg. in psal poenit 7. and hauehave from GOD, no labour can bee equall, nor no workes compared: chieflie seeing the Apostle sayeth, that the sufferings of this present time are not worthie of that glorie to come, to bee revealed in vsus. For the suffering is but small (sayeth Theodoret) but the gayne which is hoped for is great: And therefore hee called these thinges that are looked for, not a Reward, but Glorie, and which is no wayes merited de condigno (sayeth the Cardinall Cajetane)
Wherevpon also sayeth Bernard, cōcerning lyfe eternall, We know, that the sufferings of this tyme, are not worthie to be compared with the future glorie;Bern. Serm. 1. in anune B. Mariae. no, not, if one did sustayne them all: for the merits of men are not such, that for them eternall lyfe should bee due of right; or GOD should doe anie injurie, if hee did not giuegive it.
2. TIM. 1.16.18. The LORD giuegive merciemercy vntounto the house of Onesiphorus, for he refreshed me, & was not ashamed of my chaine. The LORD grant vntounto him that hee may finde merciemercy of the Lord in that day: that is, in the day of Death, and Iudgement, (sayeth Carthusian.)
Where-vponupon (sayeth Theophylact,) Take heede, that heere hee sayeth not, The LORD giuegive vntounto him anie other thing, but merciemercy. And againe, if Onesiphorus, (sayeth hee) who for the Name of CHRIST did cast himselfe in so many perils, was saved by MercieMercy; how much gather should wee expect so to bee saved? Therefore also sayeth the Prophet,Hos. 10.12 Sow to your selues in righteousnesse, and reape in merciemercy. So lykewyse, Blessed are the mercifull, Math 5.7.(sayeth our Saviour) for they shall receaue merciemercy. And in lyke-manner (sayeth the Apostle) Not by the workes of righteousnesse, Tit. 3 5 So 2. Tim. 1 9. Rom. 11.16.which wee hauehave done, but according to His merciemercy Hee hath saved vsus. If then our salvation bee from merciemercy, it followeth, therefore, that it is not from merits.
ROM. 8.17. And if wee be children, then wee are heyres. Children by Adoption. ROM. 8.15. And heyres of that kingdome which hee hath promised to them that louelove Him. IAM. 2.5.
VponUpon which wordes (sayeth the Iesuit Salmeron,) Remarke, that this speach is of Children by Adoption, because amongst men this inference faylleth not; for, for this ende are such adopted, that they may succeede to his goods who adopteth them, (sayeth hee.) And in lyke-manner (sayeth the Iesuit Iustinian, (Verie fitly doeth hee vse the word of heirship, alluding, to wit, to the right of adoption. For, (sayeth Cajetane) for this ende anie one is adopted to bee a sonne, that consequentlie he may bee heyre. If therefore our adoption is from no merits, and that our inheriting is from adoption, therefore it will follow by good consequence, that our inheriting is from no merite.
EPHES. 2.10. For wee are His workmanship, created in CHRIST JESƲS, vntounto good workes, which GOD hath before ordayned, that wee should walke in them.
Remarke, then, as walking in a way to a place, maketh vsus not to hauehave right to that place; so walking in the way of good workes to heaven, maketh vsus not to hauehave right to heaven, as the meritorious cause of obtayning the same, but onlie CHRIST'S purchase, and his gracious promise.Bern. de gra & lib arbit, ad finem. Therefore said Bernard of them, that they were the way to the Kingdome, but not the cause of our reygning in that Kingdome. So that it is a brutish thing, when we are at the ende of our journey, to count our steps to that Kingdome, so manie merites deserving the same; or that GOD thereby oweth to vsus, to whom we more than owe our owne selues.
LVKE 17.10, So lykewyse yee, when yee shall hauehave done all those thinges which are commanded you, say, Wee are vnprofitable servants: wee hauehave done that which was our duetie to doe.
Which speach (as Vasques showeth) is both a speach of humilitie and veritie,Se… also these place… Iob. 35.7. Psal. …6.2 Hier. ad Cto siph. contra Pelag Chrysost. in Rom. Hom. 7. See also Vsh. p. 503. and as Maldona… also, and Alfonsus à Castro, on this place declare. Whence it is, that Ierome inferreth, If hee bee vnprofitable who hath done all, what is to bee sayde of him, who could not fulfill all? Hence, therefore, wee reason thus. Whosoever meriteth at GOD'S hands, hee is a profitable servant: but none, even who doeth all that is commanded him, is a profitable servant: therefore none can merite at GOD'S hands. The Major is vndenyable; the Minor is Christs owne wordes; which hee backeth with a reason, because all are debt-bound. Where-vponupon sayeth Chrysostome, in doing all whatsoever wee can doe, wee but pay our debt when wee hauehave done the same. And therefore rightlie also sayeth Maldonat, M…ld in Luk… 17.What wee owe, is not so laudable when wee performe the same, as it is vituperable if we performe not the same. And which wee see in the punishment of that servant with many strypes, who knew the will of his master, and did it not. Therefore from these wordes doeth Marcus H…remita draw this conclusion; The Kingdome of Heaven, then, (sayth hee) is not the hyre of workes, but the free grace of the LORD, prepared for his faythfull servants: De iis qui putant se operibus justificari. So LVKE 12, 32. where are three Arguments: 1. A Kingdome given: 2. This a gift of GODS good pleasure, not addebted: and 3. Given vntounto vsus, as an inheritance from a father. Therefore sayeth the Text, It is your Fathers pleasure to giuegive to you a Kingdome.
2. Witnessing of Antiquitie.
ETernall rest,Basil. in 114. Psal. (sayeth Basill) abydeth them who in this lyfe hauehave lawfullie striven: not for the merits of their workes, but out of the free favour of that most bountifull GOD,Aug. in Psal. 70. cōc. …. wherein they hauehave trusted. Lykewyse (sayeth Augustine) thy sinnes are thine, but merite is GOD'S; punishment is due to thee; and when reward commeth, Hee shall crowne His gifts,Bern. Serm. 1. in anunc Mariae. not thy merites. Last of all, (sayeth Bernard) Thou canst not merite eternall lyfe, by no workes of thine, but Hee freelie lykewyse bestoweth that on thee: — nor should God doe anie wrong, if He gaue not the same vntounto thee. Closse contrarie vntounto the Rhemistes their wordes on HEB. 6.10.
3. Confession of partie.
WIth full consent doe the whole Fathers deliver (sayth Cassander) that the hope of pardon,Cassand. cōsult art. 6. and of lyfe eternall, is ONLIE to bee placed in the merciemercy of GOD, and merite of CHRIST onelie: neyther are our workes what-so-ever they bee, of that worth,Ferus in Ioh. 3. f. 69 Alfōs. à Castro. contra heres. verbo meritum. (sayeth Ferus, and with him à Castro) that they deserue duelie and condignlie anie such reward. Therefore Bellarmine was forced to conclude all his dispute for merites, thus; that for the vncertayntie of our owne righteousnesse, (sayeth hee) and the danger of vayne glorie, it is most safe to put our whole confidence in the onlie merciemercy and bountie of God. And hee is to bee accounted the sounder Divyne, the more faythfull Catholicke, and most agreeable to holie Scripture, Bellarm. lib. 5. de justificat. cap. 7 §. Sit tertia. Apud Vegam, Opuscul. de Meritis, qu. 4. p. 782.(sayeth their Waldensis) who simplie denyeth all merite, and with the Apostle & holy Scriptures acknowledgeth, that simplie no man meriteth the Kingdome of Heaven, but that hee getteth it onlie of Gods miere favour and good will of the Giver.