a worke doth not onely make the thing promised a debt for he that promised is bound to stand to his promises but also causeth that hee who shall fulfill the worke may be said to have merited the thing promised and may by right require it as his reward His reason briefly is this Eternall life is promised upon condition of good workes therefore good workes are meritorious of eternall life I deny the consequence though eternall life bee promised upon condition of good workes yet good workes are not the meritorious cause thereof First The reasons of my deniall are these first because eternall life before we had a being was freely intended to all of us that shall be saved not according to our workes but according to Gods owne purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Iesus before all secular times 2 Tim. 1. 9. Secondly Because Christ hath merited it for all the elect and there is no other meritorious cause of salvation besides him Thirdly Because in Christ it is freely promised to all the faithfull as their inheritance purchased by Christ and therefore not to bee obtayned by their owne merit Fourthly As it was a reward freely promised so it is freely given as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the free gift of God Fifthly Because as it selfe is the free gift of God so the graces and good workes to which it is promised as a reward are the free gifts of God of which the more we have the more are we indebted to God so sarre are wee from meriting any thing at the hands of God by them Sixthly Because all our workes are debita debts or dutyes which we owe unto God and therefore when we have done all wee must say we are unprofitable servants Seventhly Because there can bee no merit of condignity where is not an equall proportion betweene the worke and the reward Eighthly Because our best workes are stained with the flesh Ninthly Because God is our absolute Lord and wee are his bond-servants to whom we owe our selves and whatsoever wee can doe Neither are we able to render unto him so much as is due and much lesse can we merit any thing from him Tenthly Because God to all his creatures giveth all good things but receiveth nothing from any and therefore cannot be made a debtour to any of his creatures Therefore though eternall life bee promised to good workes yet it is not merited by them Yea but saith Bellarmine the promise made with a condition of workes doth make the thing promised due Answ. First where the condition is fully performed there the thing promised is due But wee all faile in the fulfilling And therefore if reward bee given to such as come short of their duety as all doe it must be acknowledged to bee of Gods grace and not of our merit Secondly the thing promised is due not by merit but by promise not in â—…espect of the worke done which is a dutie and that not so perfectly performed but that it needeth pardon but onely in respect of the promise because hee who hath promised hath bound himselfe to keepe his promise But Gods promise was dâ—… gratuitâ—… non de debito I say his promise was freely to give eternall life and so according to his promise he freely bestoweth it Yea but saith he by performing the condition not onely the thing promised becommeth due but he also that hath performed may truely be said to have merited the reward promised But this say I should have beene proved and not taken for granted being denyed by us and disproved by all the tenne arguments even now produced § XXII His sixth argument is taken from those places wherein mention is made of dignity or worthinesse For as before hee had said in his second Chapter to be worthy of reward and to merit it is all one according to that saying of our Saviour Luk. 10. 7. the labourer is worthy of his hire The places are these Wisd. 3. 5. God proved them and found them worthy of himselfe 2 Thes. 1. 5. that you may be counted worthie of Gods kingdome for which allso ye suffer Luk. 20. 35. They that shall be accounted worthy of that world and the resurrection from the dead Apoc. 3. 4. they shall walke with me in whites because they are worthy His reason may thus bee framed whosoever are worthy of eternall life they doe merit or deserve it Those that doe good workes are worthy of eternall life Therefore they doe merit or deserve it I answere by distinction For there is difference betweene these two to be worthy and to be counted worthy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be worthy by a mans owne worth or merit or by acceptation and grace or favour vouchsafed by another to be esteemed worthy to be worthy in our selves or to be accepted as worthy in Christ. If the word be understood in the former sense I deny the assumption if in the latter I deny the proposition For to be worthy or rather to bee accounted worthy of eternall life by mercie and grace not dignitate sua sed dignatione divina not in themselves but in Christ which is the case of all the faithfull and yet to merit and to deserve it by a mans owne worth implyeth a contradiction Against the assumption I say that none of the faithfull though fruitfull of good workes is in himselfe or by his owne worth or merit worthy of eternall life This hath beene the confession of the faithfull in all ages as I partly noted before Iacob confesseth Gen. 32. 10. that hee was lesse than the least of Gods mercies that is unworthy of them though but temporall what would he have said of eternall David professeth himselfe unworthy of those temporall honours which God had vouchsafed unto him 2 Sam. 7. 18. 1 Chron. 29. 14. Iohn the Baptist confesseth that hee was not worthy to carry Christs shoes Mat. 3. 11. or to loose the latchet of them Luk. 3. 16. Iohn 1. 27. The Centurion whose faith is so highly commended professeth himselfe not to bee worthy that Christ should come under his roofe Mat. 8. 8. The afflictions of this life though one man did beare them all are not worthy of the future glory Roman 8. 18. Adde to these the confessions of the Fathers though cited many of them before Ambrose Quid pâ—…ssumus dignum pramiis facere coelestibus Hâ—…erome Nullum opus dignum Dei justitia reperietur Againe Rever a nihil posset 〈◊〉 condignum pati glâ—…ria coelesti etianisi talis esset illa qualis modò est vita 〈◊〉 No man sheweth forth such a conversation as to be worthy of the Kingdome of Heaven No though a man should die ten thousand deaths and should performe all virtuous actions The Author of the worke not finished upon Matthew what doe we in this world worthy that wee may deserve to bee
those who have not Charity have not faith who as the same Apostle saith professe themselves to know God but in deeds deny him which also is against himselfe for how saith Chrysostome can such a man be said to beleeve that denieth God Therefore saith he the wicked deny the faith not in heart or mouth but indeed and of them saith he writeth Saint Gregory whose testimony he alleageth directly against himselfe Eos non veraciter credere non habere veram fidem quinon bene operantur that they doe not truely beleeve nor have a true faith who doe not worke well And therefore those that worke ill as those doe who are without Charity and namely those who provide not for their domesticks shew that they have no true faith But this he salveth with another testimony of the same Gregory that many enter into the Church because they have faith and yet want the wedding garment because they have not Charity Where by faith we are to understand the profession of faith which many make who have not Charity But by the wedding garment we are according to the Scriptures to understand rather Christ and his righteousnesse as I have shewed heretofore put on by a true and lively faith for he that was without the wedding garment wanted faith as well as charity The Authour of the unfinished Worke in Chrysostome faith Nuptiale vestimentum est fides vera quae est per Iesum Christum justitiam ejus the wedding garment is the true faith which is by Iesus Christ and his righteousnesse But will you heare one of their owne Writers upon Matth. 22. what is saith he that wedding garment to wit that whereof Paul speaketh when he saith put on the Lord Iesus Christ. This garment is inwardly put on by faith when thou puttest on Christs righteousnesse to cover thy sinnes c. § VII The second out of Ioh. 6. 64. Iudas though he professed the faith is yet said not to have beleeved because he wanted Charity and therefore they who want Charity want faith Bellarmine answereth that he is said not to beleeve because at that time he had lost his faith I reply Iudas though he professed the faith yet he never had true faith and therefore never lost it For from the beginning Iesus knew who they were that beleeved not and who should betray him for this cause saith he in the next verse I said unto you that no man can come to me that is beleeve in me vers 35. and 64. unlesse it be given unto him of my Father which hee insinuateth had not been given to Iudas whom from the beginning he knew to be no beleever § VIII Hee that saith hee knoweth God namely by faith and keepeth not his commandements is a lyar Bellarmine answereth that he speaketh of the knowledge of familiarity and friendship of which the Lord speaketh to the wicked Matth. 7. 25. I know you not whereunto I reply that if he speake of such knowledge it is the knowledge of faith and cannot be had but by faith and so the argument standeth in force Howbeit unfitly doth he alleage the Lords not knowing of the wicked to prove the meaning of our knowing of him If he speake not of the knowledge of faith the argument is the stronger for if he be a lyar that only saith that he knoweth God and keepeth not his commandements then much more is hee a lyar that saith hee knoweth God by faith and keepeth not his commandements Beda indeed expoundeth this knowledge of God of the love of God which is a fruit and consequent of our faith hocest Deum nosse quod amare but others of faith as Gregory speaking of this place notitia quippâ—… Dei ad fideâ—… pertinet Oecumenius maketh this verse to bee of the same signification with the sixth verse of the first Chapter If we say that we have fellowship with him and walke in darkenesse we are lyars and that which Saint Iohn there calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Communion here hee calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 commixtion or conjunction Thus therefore hee saith Saint Iohn having said before that those which beleeve in the Lord have communion or fellowship with him here hee setteth downe evidences of our communion with him In this wee know that wee know him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for that which hee had said before that wee have conjunction or communion with him if wee keepe his Commandements And this saith hee hee more fully sheweth by the contrary but hee that saith I know him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or I have communion with him and keepeth not his Commandements he is a lyar This then is â—…is meaning he that saith I know God that is I have Communion with him by faith and doth not keepe his Commandements hee is a lyar But whether wee understand the words of communion by faith or of faith according to the usuall pâ—…rase of the Scriptures puting knowledge for faith as I noted before or of knowledge it selfe the argument is unanswerable For if wee cannot truely bee said to know Christ that is to beleeve in him unlesse wee keepe his Commandements then it is evident that true faith cannot be severed from Charity For this is love if we keep his Commandements 1 Ioh. 5. 3. againe if hee that saith hee knoweth God and keepeth not his Commandemenes bee a lyar much more he that saith hee beleeveth in God and keepeth not his Commandements is a lyar as I said before To this adde Tit. 1. â—…6 which Bellarmine cited against himselfe those that professe themselves to know God but in workes deny him they are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unbeleevers Ioh. 3. 36. or as the vulgar Latine incredibiles or as Thomas Aquinas non apti ad credendum § IX Fourthly 1 Ioh. 5. 1. Every one that bâ—…leeveth that Iesus is the Christ is borne of God and therefore undoubtedly hath charity Bellarmine answereth that he speaketh de fide formata as Saint Augustine expoundeth and so doe wee for whosoever truely beleeveth hath fidem formatam For the Apostle no doubt speaketh of a true lively saith and such there is none but that which the Papists call formatam which worketh by love And therefore the argument holdeth that whosoever hath a true lively iustifying faith is borne of God or regenerated by the Spirit of sanctification and therefore is undoubtedly endued with charity § Fifthly Iam. 2. That faith which iâ—… without workes is dead A true lively justifying faith is not dead Therefore â—… true livâ—…ly â—…ustifying faith is not without works Bellarmine saith he hath explaned this in his third argument that faith is said to be dead not as a mâ—… is said to bee dead who after death is not but as a body is said to bee dead which after death is but liveth not For saith he Life is not of the
whereby we are entitled or have right to his kingdome being saved in hope the other as the consequent and fruit of the former whereby we being entitled to Gods kingdome are prepared and fitted for it without which though none who are adulti are saved Heb. 12. 14. yet none are saved by it or for it it being the way to the kingdome but not the cause of it nor the title that we have unto it and therefore necessary as I have said necessitate presentiae as causa sine qua non but not necessitate efficientiae as any true or proper cause thereof § V. These things thus premised it will be easy to answere Bellarmines arguments taken from the difference betweene the Law and the Gospell to prove the necessity of good workes And they are two the former disproving the supposed false difference the other proving the pretended true As touching the former having first propounded an idle distinction of the divers acceptions of the word Gospell that it signifieth either the doctrine which Christ and his Apostles taught or the grace of the new Testament which is the quickning Spirit or the efficacie of the holy Ghost working in the hearts of the elect or the Law written in the heart which I therefore call idle because as soone as he hath propounded it he confesseth that the word Gospell in the Scripture doth never signifie any other but the Doctrine hee proveth that in the Gospell is contained the Doctrine of good workes and divers Laweâ—… divers comminations and divers promises made upon condition of good workes All which we doe confesse to be true as the word Gospell is taken in the larger sense But as those promises and Doctrine of grace contained in the Bookes of the old Testament did not belong to the Law properly which is the covenant of works but to the Gospell which is the covenant of grace so in the books of the new Testament divers precepts comminations and promises are contained which belong not properly to the Gospell which is the covenant of grace and Law of Faith but to the Law of works For even as the Preachers of the Gospell at this day doe in their preaching intermingle many things appertaining to the Law either for the preparing of their auditours who are not yet justified by the terrour of the Law or for directing those that doe beleeve to lead their life according to the rule of the Law Even so our Saviour Christ and his Apostles in their doctrine intermixed legall precepts legall promises and threatnings as the necessity of their auditours required But upon all this being granted what will he inferre he saith in the title of this Chapter though in the Chapter it selfe he doth not expresse it that from hence is proved the necessity of good works which we deny not So pertinent a disputer is this great Master of controversies § VI. And forasmuch as the promise of eternall life as of a reward made to our obedience is the principall ground whereon the Papists build their Antichristian doctrine of the efficiencie and merit of good workes I will endeavour to cleare this point We are therefore to understand that eternall life is vouchsafed to the faithfull in three respects First as the free gift of God without respect of any worthinesse in us Secondly as our inheritance purchased by Christ. Thirdly as a free reward promised and given to our obedience In the first respect our salvation and all the degrees thereof is wholy to be ascribed to the gracious favor of God in Christ. In the second to the mercy of God and merit of Christ. In the third to the mercies of God redoubled and multiplied upon us and not to any desert of ours For as touching the first God before the foundation of the world was laid of his free grace Elected us in Christ graciously accepting of us in his beloved without respect of any goodnesse in us whom when he foresaw fallen into the state of perdition ex massa perdita humani generis did chuse us in Christ in him and by him to be justified and saved And as out of his undeserved love he did chuse us so by the same grace whom he hath elected he hath called whom hee hath called he hath justified whom hee hath justified hee hath sanctified and whom hee hath called justified and sanctified he hath glorified according to the purpose of his grace given unto us in Christ before the world began As therfore all the degrees of salvation are wholly to be ascribed to the grace that is the gracious favour of God in Christ for by his grace we were elected called justified regenerated and sanctified so also by his grace wee are saved and not of works For although eternall death be the wages deserved by sin yet eternall life is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the free gift of God through Iesus Christ our Lord no way deserved by us Rom. 6. 23. This his purpose of grace God revealed by his gracious promise to our first parents and aâ—…ter to Abraham and others viz. that in the promised seed all the Nations of the Earth should be blessed § VII Now that this his purpose of grace might be put in execution and this his gracious promise concerning â—…he promised â—…eed might be performed to the illustration of the glory both of his mercie and also of his justice God in the fulnesse of time out of his infinite goodnesse and love to mankind sent his owne and his only begotten Sonne into the world that hee taking our nature upon him might not onely in the state of humiliation by his sufferings redeeme us from hell and by his meritorious obedience purchase heaven for us but also that in the state of exaltation he having conquered all the enemies of our salvation in and before his resurrection might by his ascension take possession for us of that kingdome which he had by his merits procured for us and by his sitting at the right hand of his Father might make us to sit together with him in heavenly places and by his comming from thence againe might put us both in body and soule in possession oâ—… that heavenly inheritance which he had purchased for us And to the end that the benefit of our blessed redeemer and Saviour might be applyed and communicated unto us the â—…ord according to the purpose of his grace givâ—…n unto us in Christ before all secular times doth in his good time call those whom hee hath elected by miniâ—…tery of the Gospell maâ—…e effectuall by the gracious operation of his hâ—…ly Spirit working the grace of faith in us whereby wee receiving Christ with all his merits are actually made partakers of redemption and are actually reconciled unto God justified and adopted and by our justification entituled to the Kingdome of heaven and by our adoption made heires thereof and coheires with Christ insomuch that being justified by faith wee
quia debetur quia dignè retribuitur quia meritâ—… redditur Deinde ne justitiâ—… de humanose extolleret 〈◊〉 sicut humanum meritum malum non dubitatur esse peccatum non à contraâ—… retulit dicens â—…ipendium justitiae vita â—…terna haec ne praeter Mediatorem aliqua alia via quaereretur adjecit in Christo Iesu Domino nostro tanquam diceret Auditâ—… quod stipâ—…ndium peccaâ—…i sit mors quid te disponis extollere O humana non justitia sed nomine justitiae planè superbiâ—… quid te disponis extollere ac contrariam morti vitam aeternam tanquam dâ—…bitum stipendium flagitare Quaprâ—…pter O homo si accepturus es vitam aeternam justitiae quidem stipendium est sed tibi gratia est cui gratia ipsa justitia Tibi enim tanquam dâ—…bita reddereâ—…ur si ex tetibi esset justitiâ—… cui debetâ—…r Nunc igitur de plenitudine ejus accepimus non sâ—…lum gratiam qua nunc justè in laboribus usque in finem vivimus sed etiam gratiam pro hac gratia ut in requie postea sine fine vivamus Intelligendum est igitur etiam ipsa hominis bâ—…na merita esse Dei munera quibus cum vita aeternae redditur Quid â—…isi gratia pro gratia redditur Vita bona nostra nihil aliud est quam Dei gratia sine dubiâ—… vita eteÅ•na quae bonae vitae reà ditur Dei gratia est Et ipsa enim gratis datur quia gratis data est illa câ—…i datur Sed illa cui datur tantummodâ—… gratia est haec autem quae illi datur quâ—…niam praemium ejus est grâ—…tia est prâ—…gratia tanquam merces pro justiâ—…ia That which Augustine speaketh of the grace of justification is true of all grace Quomodâ—… est gratia si ex debito redditur How is it grace if it be rendred of duety § XI The Papists when thâ—…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 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 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 hâ—…c autem quâ—…d nos monitioni illius consentimus qui tamen dissentire pâ—…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 â—…odo gratuita So much concerning Augustines exposition now let us search the judgements of some others of the Fathers § XVII Tertullian interpreteth this Text thus Stipendiâ—… delinquentiae mâ—…rs Donativum autem Dei vita aeterna in Christâ—… Iesu Domino nostro Origen Benè autem Metaphâ—…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 Sedulius Hierome Stipendia peccati mors qui peccato militat remunerationem accipit mortem Gratia autem Dei vita aeterna non dixit similiter stipendia justitiae Nâ—…n enim nostro labore quaesita est sed Dei munere condonata 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 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the wages of your good deeds but the free gift of God shewing that they were not delivered of themselves nor received 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a due debt nor retribution or remuneration of their labours but that all things came to them by grace Theodoret worthily he called death 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 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 Phoâ—…ius 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 He said not the wages of your good workes but the free gift of God 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 Haymo What is it that speaking of the reward of sinne â—…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 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 Contarenus it is here to bee noted saith 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 is of the free gift of God § XIII Our fifth Testimony is Rom. 8. 18. which our Rhemists 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 Ambrose and Augustine in many places read indignâ—… 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
our selves to bee sinners and our righteousnesse consisteth not in our owne merit but in the mercy of God 4. God resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble but where is grace it is not the retribution of workes but the largesse of the giver that the saying of the Apostle may be fulfilled it is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy 5. Writing on those words Esai 64. 8. thou art our Father hee saith Si nostra consideremus merita desperandum est si tuam autem clementiam c. If wee consider our merits wee must despaire but if thy clemency who doest scourge every sonne whom thou receivest we dare powre forth our prayers 6. When the day of judgement or of death shall come all hands will bee dissolved because no worke shall bee found worthy Gods justice and in his sight shall no man living be jâ—…stified namely if he enter into judgement with him whereupon the Prophet saith in the Psâ—…lme If thou Lord observe iniquities who shall abide To these two that thred-bare answere is given that they speake of humane workes not assisted by grace when it is plaine that the former words are spoken in the person of Gods children whose good workes are alwayes assisted by grace the latter of all men even of the best whose workes though proceeding from grace are stained with the flesh and therefore not worthy of Gods justice § XIII The same answere is given to the testimonies of Macaâ—…ius and Marcus the Eremits which cannot bee so eluded Macarius speaking of the dignity of Christians for whom God hath prepared a kingdome writeth thus As touching the gift therefore which they shall inherit a man might well say that if any one should â—…ven from the creation of Adam to the consummation of the world fight against Satan and should suffer afflictions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hee should doe no great matter in respect of the glory which he shall inherit Marcus among his twenty two sentences concerning those who thinke to bee justified by workes which in the first â—…entence hee calleth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath divers against merits whereof I will cite a few Our Lord saith he when he would shew that the keeping of the whole Law is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 debita to bee performed as a debt and that the adoption of sonnes is given by his blood hee saith when you shall have done all things that are commanded you say wee are unprofitable servants we have done what was our duety to doe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Therefore the kingdome of heaven is not wages or a mercenary reward of workes but the Grace or free Gift of the Lord prepared for his faithfull servants The servant doth no require liberty 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as a deâ—…erved reward but receiveth it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as given by grace Some not doing the Commandements thinke they beleeve well Others doing them looke to receive the kingdome 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as due wages 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 both sorts misse the heavenly Canaan From Lords no reward is due to servants 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 neither doe they obtaine liberty unlesse they serve well If Christ dyed for us according to the Scriptures and wee live not to our selves but to him that dyed for us and rose againe surely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 wee are bound as debtours to serve him uâ—…till death how then shall we esteeme the adoption or inheritance of sonnes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 due unto us § XIV Out of Chrysostome many pregnant testimonies are alleaged first In Coloss. homil 2. Why doth hee call it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lot or inheritance by lot 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. he sheweth that no man by his owne good workes doth obtaine the kingdome for no man sheweth forth such a conversation that hee should bee worthy of the kindgdome but this is altoâ—…ether of the gift of God wherefore he saith when you shall have done all say we are unprofitable servants for what things wee ought to doe wee have done The same hath Theâ—…philact To this you may adde that which I cited before out of his Treatise De compunctione ad Stâ—…lochium and that which hee writeth in Psal. 4. 5. and in his sermon De primâ—… homine praelato â—…mni creaturâ—… In which it is said though we should die ten thousand deaths and should shew forth all virtue though we should performe ten thousand good workes yet we cannot performe any thing worthy of those honours bestowed upon us worthy of that heavenly kingdome or correspondent unto it but it is of his mâ—…rcie of his love of his grace that we are saved than which nothing can bee spoken more plaine against the merit of â—…ondignity To all which a senselesse answere is given that heaven is the free gift of God and yet is purchased by our merits which implyeth a contradiction within it selfe and is expressely repugnant to the Scriptures Rom 4. 4. 11. 6. And the reason which is given to prove it doth overthrow it because the good works which they call merits are the free gifts of God and therfore cannot merit of God as I have shewed before § XV. To that which is alleaged out of the life of Saint Anthâ—…ny and out of Augustine in Psal. 36. Conc. 2. in both which places is notably expressed the infinite disproportion betweene that we can doe or suffer which the Papists call merits and the heavenly reward which evidently overthroweth the Popish doctrine of meriâ—…s as I have heretofore proved it is answered that notwithstanding all this disproportion eternall life is given and justly given as the reward thereof But the question is not whether God doth justly give the reward which he hath freely promised but whether we doe merit and deserve it This answere therefore is frivolous Out of Augustine I have before produced manifold and manifest testimonies but yet because the Papists alleage out of him two Assertions which to them seeme contrary to that wee hold to wit that God is our debtour in respect of eternall life and that in justice he doth render it unto us I will brâ—…efly cleare them For first Augustine every where professeth that God is not a debtour unto us in respect of out desert but in regard of his gracious promise which proveth not our merit but the contrary For what he freely promised without respect of our worthinesse or desert that hee also promised to give freely And therefore eternall life when it is given according to his promise it is given freely and without our desert God is a debtour onely in respect of his promise a debtour unto himselfe as I have said before in respect of his trueth and fidelity it being impossible that he should lie or deny himselfe but not a debtour to us in respect of our
reward of their labours who are Gods workemen vers 9. labouring for him and not for themselves is the blessing of increase which God giveth thereunto Even as the harvest is the reward of the earing not to be asscribed to the merit of earing but to the blessing of God And so it is here plainely said though the Planter and the Waterer shall have their owne rewards yet their reward is not to bee asscribed to the merit of their labour but to the blessing of God I have planted saith Paul and Apollâ—… hath watered but God gave the increase So then neither he that planteth is any thing nor he that watereth but God that giveth the increase Or if the place should generally be understood oâ—… all workes both good and bad the meaning would be that the reward would be answerable either good or bad That of the Psalmist Psal. 62. 12. To thee Lord mercie for thou rendrest to every man according to his worke is not generally to be understood of the workes of all men both good and bad for the bad works of the wicked hee doth not reward in mercie but judgement without mercie shall bee executed upon them but of the good workes of the godly onely which though they bee good and acceptable to God in Christ yet he rewardeth them not according to merit but according to his mercie The place Apâ—…c 22. 12. may be an exposition of the rest For whereas in the rest it is said that God will judge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to their dâ—…eds here Christ saith he will render to every one 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as his worke shall be viz. good or bad But here the Papists would seeme to bring a reason à pari that as the wicked are damned prâ—…pter peccata for their evill workes so the godly are saved propter opera bona for their good workes And as â—…vill workes merit hell so good workes pari ratione merit heaven Answ. it is impar ratio there is no equality in the comparison For first the Scripture plainely teacheth that by and for their evill works men are condemned and as plainely denieth that by or for good workes men are saved Ephes. 2. 8 9. Tit. 3. 5. Secondly any one sinne meriteth death because it is a breach of the Law yea of the whole law Iam. 2. 10. but not any one good worke can merit heaven because it is not the fulfilling of the whole law for there must be a concurrence of all duties In so much that if a man should performe all the Commandements and faile in one the breach of that one maketh him guilty of all Thirdly evill workes are purely and perfectly evill and therefore absolutely deserve death but the good workes are not purely and perfectly good as I have heretofore prooved therefore death is the due stipend of sinne but eternall life is the free gift of God Fourthly sinne is absolutely meritorious of damnation but so is not our obedience of Salvation For though we could performe all the commandements by a totall perpetuall and perfect obedience yet wee must acknowledge our selves unprofitable servants and much lesse could we merit thereby because we have done but our duety and where is no more but duety there can bee no merit Debitum non est meritum § XIIII His third argument is taken from those places which do so testifie eternall life to be rendred to good workes that they place the very reason why eternall life is given in good workes The places bee these Matth. 25. 34 35. Come ye blessed of my Father possesse the kingdome prepared fâ—…r you from the beginning of the world For I was hungry and you gave mee meat c. and in the same chapter vers 21. because thou hast beene faithfull in few things c. Apoc. 7. 14. These are they who came out of great tribulation c. therefore they are before the Throne of God In which places the particles enim quia ideo for because therfore are all causall His reason standeth thus To what things the causall particles are applied they are causes of that to which they have relation as namely of Salvation To workes of charity the causall particles are applied Therefore workes of charity are causes of Salvation To the proposition I answere that causall particles doe not alwaies nor for the most part signifie causes so properly called For that is a grosse erâ—…our of the Papists as I noted before The word cause sometimes is used properly to signifie that argument which hath relation onely to its effect by virtue whereof the effect hath its being either as from the efficient or as of the matter or as by the forme or as for the end Sometimes it is used generally to signifie any argument or reason whatsoever which is not the cause of the thing or of the being of that whereof it is said to bee a cause but of the consequence or conclusion and thus the rendring of any reason is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a rendring of the cause though perhaps it bee from the effect or any other argument And forasmuch as persons are discerned and knowne by their effects for as our Saviour saith By their fruits you shall know them therefore it is usuall in the Scriptures from the effect to argue and declare the cause As thus God is mercifull for hee rewardeth the godly according to their workes God is just for hee rewardeth the wicked according to their sinnes This man is elect because he truely beleeveth and repenteth this man truely beleeveth because hee is fruitfull of good workes This is a good tree for it bringeth forth good fruite To the woman that was a sinner much was forgiven for shee loved much In those and infinite more examples the cause or reason which is rendred is from the effect Therefore the proposition is false § XV. Now let us consider the places of Scriptnre which hee alleageth and first Matth. 25. 35. for when I was hungry c. This reason which is alleaged is not from the cause as if good workes were the meritorious cause of our inheriting the kingdome of heaven but from the effect to prove the cause which is expressed Verse 34. as I have shewed before For for what cause are men to be saved First because they are blessed of the Father that is justified and therefore entituled to this kingdome Secondly because they are elected and therefore this kingdome was prepared for them from the beginning Thirdly because they arâ—… the heires of God for whom our Saviour purchased this inheritance noted in the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 iâ—…rit But how shall it appeare who they are that are blessed and justified for whom this kingdome is prepared for whom this inheritance is purchased By the fruits of justification election redemption and namely by the workes of mercy and chariâ—…y towards the poore members of Christ according to which as the evidence our Saviour
sanctification of the Spirit we might bee fitted for his kingdome and receive the inheritance among those that are sanctified And this holinesse is so necessary a property and cognizance of them that shall bee saved as that without it no man shall see God wherefore â—…hough it bee not the cause as I have shewed heretofore yet it is the way to the Kingdome and consequently causa sine quâ—… non And therefore that wee may bee stirred up to seeke after holinesse which is so necessary the Lord in aboundant mercie hath promised eternall life thereunto as the reward whereby hee doth superaboundantly recompence all our service and obedience and most graciously crowne his owne gifts and graces in us Yea but saith toâ—…saack â—…saack yet his pleasure was that hee should obtaine them by the merit of prayer Reply that a man should merit by prayer is as absurd as to imagine that a poore man who hath nothing doth by his begging merit almes It is true that when God promiseth good things unto us as the end wee are to use those meanes which God hâ—…th preordained whereof prayer is a principall and to walke in that way which leadeth to that end but those meanes are no merits nor that way no cause of obtaining that which God as hee hath graciously promised so hee freely bestoweth § XVIII The fourth argument is from those testimonies where the reward is said to bee rendred to good workes out of justice as 2 Thess. 1. 4. we glory in you in the Churches of God for your patience and faâ—…th in all your persecutions and tribulations which you sustaine for an example of the just judgement of God and after vers 6. If yet it bee just with God to repay tribulation to them that vexe you and to you that are vexed rest with us 2 Tim. 4. 7 8. I have fought a good sight I have consummate my course I have kept the faith Concerning the rest there is laid up for me a crowne of justice which our Lord will render to me at that day a just judge Heb. 6. 10. God is not unjust that hee should forget your worke Iam. 1. 12. Blessed is the man that suffereth tentation for when he hath beene proved he shall receive the Crowne of life Apoc. 2. 10. Bee thou faithfull untill death and I will give thee the Crowne of life Hereto also saith hee belong those places Pro. 19. 17. foeneratur Domino he lendeth as it were upon usury to the Lord who hath piâ—…y on the poore 1 Cor. 9 24. Know you not thâ—… they which runne in the race all runne indeed but one receiveth the price so runne that you may obtaine 2. Tim. 1. 12. I am sure that he is able to keepe my depositum unto that day For he should doe wrong who should either not repay that which was lent or not pay the prize to him that overcommeth or not restore the depositum that is the thing which is committed to his trust For all these include justice His argument is thus to be framed That reward which God in justice rendreth to good works is merited by them Eternall life is a reward which God in justice rendreth to good works Therefore eternall life is merited by them The proposition he taketh for â—…ranted the assumption hee proveth by all those testimonies which he hath alleaged § XIX But first I answere to his proposition by distinguishing the word justice which is taken either universally comprehending all morall virtues and so it is all one with Gods goodnesse both as hee is good in himselfe and as hee is good to his creatures comprising the bounty and therein the love the grace and mercie of God as well as that which more properly is called his justice So that what good things is rendred accorâ—…ing to this justice is not therfore merited More particularly justice is either in word or deed God is just in his word both in respect of his precepts which are just as a just Law-giver and also in respect of his promises in performance whereof hee is faithfull and just For it is a just thing for any to stand to his promises yea as the Oratour saith fâ—…ndamentum est justitiâ—… fides Hence in the Scriptures faithfull and just are sometimes joyned as synonyma 1 Ioh. 1. 9 If wee confesse our sinnes he is faithfull and just to forgive us our sinnes And in this sense God is said to be just when hee doth render unto us that which he hath promised So in the places alleaged 2 Tim. 4. 7 8. Heb. 6. 10. Iam. 1. 12. Hee is just also in his workes Psal. 48. 10. 145. 17. For God doth whatsoever he willeth and whatsoever he willeth that is just This justice by Philosophers is distinguished into distributive and commutative both observing equality the former geometricall the later arithmeticall But this distinction doth not agree to the justice of God in respect of the later branch which consisteth in commutation that is in mutuall giving and receiving For God giveth all things to all Act. 17. 25. but receiveth not any thing from any Rom. 11. 35 as I have said before and therefore cannot be a debtour to any but to himselfe in regard oâ—… his promise Thus then the justice of God which is in fact may more fully be distinguished that it is either disponens or remunerans disposing either as a just but most free and absolute Lord of all or as he is the just God the Creatour Governour and Preserver of all things Remunerating as he is the just judge As a most free and absolute Lord hee disposeth things according to his absolute will and pleasure Who possessing all things by full and absolute right may according to his pleasure dispose of them doing with his owne what he pleaseth Rom. 9. 18 21. Matth. 20. 15. As hee is the just God that is the Creatour Preserver and Governour of all hee disposeth of all things according to his goodnesse Mat. 5. 45. 48. giving all good things to all not universa singulis but such as are agreeable and fitting to all according to their severall kind nature and quality And from this justice the order of the whole Vniverse dependeth This goodnesse os God sometimes in the Scripture is called his justice Psal. 116. 5. and so translated by the 72. Gen. 19. 19. 32. 10. Exod. 34. 7. Esai 63. 7. and this justice is by the said 72. rendred mercie Deut. 6. 25. 24. 13. Psal. 24. 5. 33. 5. 103. 6. Esai 1. 27. Dan. 4. 24. 9. 16. And as he is God of all and just to all in giving to all those good things which belong to them so is he after a more peculiar manner the God of the faithfull Gen. 17. 7. even the God of their righteousnesse Psa. 4. 1. as their justifier and Saviour by the righteousnesse of God and our Saviour Iesus Christ by imputation
Master of the vineyard though he gave the day-penny to them that wrought but one houre which was as much as he gave them that wrought twelve houres yet was not unjust therin For in that which is free and meerely of grace there is no injustice nor acception of persons Indeed where the wages or hire is to bee rendred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as deserved and earned by the workemens labours it is to bee distributed according to distributive justice But where the reward is free and of grace the rewarder may doe with his owne what pleaseth him GOD especially to whom in all things whatsoever hee doth his will is the rule of justice § XXIV To these hereticall premisses Bellarmine addeth a sutable corollary wherein there is more malice than might Therefore saith hee Augustine saith well If there bee no merits how shall God judge this world wherefore the heresie of our adversaries which taketh away merits doth also take away the article of faith concerning the future judgemâ—…nt Answ. Augustine by merits understandeth workes which are to bee rewarded both the good workes of the godly proceeding from grace sanctifying and helping the Will which he though unproperly calleth their merits and also the evill workes of the wicked proceeding from their free will not freeed by grace which also hee calleth and that properly their merits For whereas there were two sorts of men living in the Monastery of Adrumetium whereof Valentinus was to whom hee writeth who ran into contrary extremes the one so holding free-will that they denied grace the other so holding grace that they denied free-will and which was worse said that at the day of judgement God is not to render to every man according to his works Augustine writeth against both Si non est Dei gratia quomodo salvat mundum et si non est liberum arbitrium quomodo judicat mundum If Gods grace bee not how doth he save the world and if there bee no free-will how doth hee judge the world and afterwards in the place which Bellarmine citeth having denyed against the Pelagians that grace is given according to merits hee addeth these words Non quiâ—… nullum est meritum vel bonum piorum vel malum impiorum aliâ—…quin quomodo judicabit Deus mundum not because there is no merit either good of the godly or bad of the wicked otherwise how shall God judge the world That is if there bee no workes to bee rewarded neither good with blisse nor bad with punishment how shall God judge the world But wee acknowledge that God will render to every man according to his workes rewarding the good workes of the godly which are unproperly called merits both themselves and their reward being the free gifts of God with eternall life and the evill workes of the wicked which properly are called their merits with everlasting death So farre are wee through Gods grace from denying that article of the future judgement whereof the Pope and the Papists seâ—…me to make but a mockery hee granting and they accepting or defending his grant of indulgences and pardons for many thousands of yeeres whereby is presupposed that the day of judgement may perhaps bee so long differred For at the day of judgement when all shall bee adjudged to eternall either life or death purgatory shall bee at an end as themselves teach and together with Purgatory the use of pardons endeth CAP. VI. The Testimonies of the Fathers alleaged by Bellarmine answered § I. NOw I come to his allegation of the Fathers But before I examine the particular testimonies I am to admonish the Reader that hee have an eye to the point in question For that the Latine Fathers doe often use the termes of merit or meriting we doe acknowledge but without any advantage to the Papist For the Papist useth the words in the proper sense for deserving and desert But merits with the Fathers signifie no more but good workes or at the most good works which God will reward that is either simply good workes or with relation to reward And the Verbe tâ—… merit besides the generall sense of obtaining or finding favour which is very frequent they use it more particularly for doing workes of grace which God will graciously reward In which senses the use of the words though unproper were not to bee misliked in the Fathers were it not that the after-writers have taken occasion thereby to use the words properly for deservnig and desert and that in justice for the workes sake as well in good workes as in bad I meane that good workes doe as truely and as properly deserve eternall life as evill workes deserve everlasting death which was not the meaning of the Fathers who meant not that a man doth deserve those good things at the hands of God which by them hee is said to have merited If therefore his allegation bee of merits and meriting used by the Fathers in the former that is the unproper senses as indeed they are hee shall proove nothing but that the Fathers doe not dissent from us And if they serve not to prove either that the works of grace in themselves doe merit that is deserve eternall life as the meritorious causes thereof or that Christ hath by his merits made them meritorious then doe they not at all make foâ—… the Papists against us But I am confident that they are not able to produce any one pregnant testimony of the ancient Fathers affirming either that our good workes doe truely and properly that is condignely merit eternall life or that Christ hath merited for our workes that they might bee meritorious of everlasting life § II. Hee beginneth with the Greeke Fathers of whom hee citeth eight The first is Ignatius Sinite me ut bestiarum esca sim per quam possim Deum promereri Here Bellarmine for a poore shift is faine to make use of a corrupt Latine Translation as it were a puddle leaving the fountaine and the purer streames The originall is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 suffer me that I may become the food of wild beasts by whom I may obtaine God And so their owne Vairlemius translateth Sinâ—…e me ferarum escam fieri per quas licebit Deum adipisci But the same Latine Translatour doating as it seemeth upon his Helena of merit more than once or twice in that Epistle useth the word merear that I may merit where the Greeke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that I may finde enjoy obtaine and in the first sentence of the Epistle twice Deprecans Deum obtinui ut videre merear dignos vultus vestros sicut plurimum optabam promereri The Greeke is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which Vairlemius rendreth thus Deprecatus Deum obtinui ut viderem divinas vestras facies quas plurimum expetebam And in the third sentence for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Si modo graâ—…iam consequar the Latine Translatour whom Bellarmine followeth readeth Si quidem
addeth if we would not be ashamed at the shewing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of our negotiation as those who had received the Talents nor heare tâ—…ou wicked and slothfull servant but having laid up our wares which before hee called heavenly riches to endeavour to passe through this life safely and securely And this further appeareth by the whole discourse For having said before the words alleaged that to our navigation in this life the gift of governing as it were of our shippe is necessary for we are all Merchants c. for saith hee in the next words after those which I alleaged last many who from their youth have gathered geat store namely of that heavenly wealth in the middle of their life for the want of the skill of governing and not able to withstand the tempests of temptations have made shipwracke which saith he is a miserable spectacle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. That hee who hath prospered in the negotiation of the Commandements should become like a Merchant of great wealth who glorying in the multitude of his wares his ship also failing wiâ—…h a prosperous winde and having passed the dreadfull seas at length suffering shipwracke at the very haven is at once deprived of all The sixth is Chrysostome If God be just hee will render both to the godly and to the wicked according to theirmerits But if he will render both to the one and the other according to their merits and in this life neither dâ—…e receive neither the one the punishment of wickednesse nor the other the reward of vertue it is manifest that there remaineth another time in which they shall have either of them a convenienâ—… reward Here also the force of Bellarmines argument is in the translation For the words which twice hee translateth pro meritâ—…s are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to their worthinesse which is of a larger extent than merit Now men are said to be worthy either of eternall punishment and that in and of themselves by their sinnes or of eternall life but not of or in themselves but in Christ and by grace God accepting of them in Christs worthinesse his merits being imputed to them without any merit of their owne And thus God will repay the wicked for their demerits and reward the godly according to their worthinesse which standeth not in dignitate sua but in dignatione divina as I have said before Howbeit his meaning in this place by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is all one as I suppose with 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is according to the quality of their works that is to say rendring damnation to the wicked and salvation to the godly For so in the words going before hee saith that the godly shall receive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the rewards of their vertue and the wicked 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and in the allegation it selfe hee explaneth what hee meaneth by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to wit that the wicked shall receive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the punishment of their wickednesse and the godly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the rewards of their vertue The seventh is Gregory Nazianzen Crede resurrectionem judicium mercedem adjustum Dei lancem exigendam The words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Besides these articles of the Christian faith receive the resurrection judgement remuneration by Gods just balance What is that balance but the righteous Will of God which is the rule and standard of all justice which will render to every one according to their workes that is to say to the wicked everlasting death and to the godly eternall life But merit of condignity was no point of his faith The eighth is Gregory Nissen Denique pro suis quemque meritis ornatum cerno Gregory in that place deciphereth the judgment to come And having described the Iudge and them that are to bee judged I heare saith he the speech as of the Iudge and their answers then followeth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which are the words which Bellarmine citeth and import no more but this that hee distributed to every one fitting rewards which hee doth particularize in the words following to them that have led a godly life the fruition of the Kingdome but to the inhumane and wicked the punishment of fire and that everlasting And these were his Greeke Fathers whose learned judgements hee hath not alleaged but for the most part the popish conceits of their partiall translatours § III. Of the Latines he citeth eleven Fathers To whose test imonies if it bee remembred that they use not the word meriting for justly deserving but either for obtaining and finding favour to obtaine or for doing that which God will accept and reward or the word merits in the better sense properly for such workes as doe truely and condignely merit or deserve but onely for good workes either simply or with relation to a free reward that is for such good works as God will freely reward it will not be hard to answere Neither will the Papists as I suppose bee ever able to alleage any one pregnant testimony where the word is used in the Popish â—…ense for that which truely properly and condignely deserveth a reward to bee rendred in justice for the workes sake Neither doe we deny merits in the sense of the Fathers but confesse that the good workes of the faithfull are such as God accepteth â—…o reward them And so Vega defineth merit the name of merit saith hee is restrained to those works which God accepteth to some reward And so Augustine useth the word as Bellarmine confesseth to signifie any good act for which wee receive any other thing But let us briefly examinâ—… the particulars And first the testimony of Tertullian which as hee alleageth it is to mee a riddle Orâ—…o meriâ—…orum dispositorum nomine disponetur merita autem cum corpori quoque adsâ—…ribantur ordo quoque corporâ—…m disponatur necesse est ut possit esse meritorum which I cannot assoile though I should read with Pamelius Ordo enim non alâ—…ud quam meritorum dispositor unlesse wee understand the word merits not actively for good workes meriting or obtaining but passively for the rewards obtained For actively merits cannot be attributed to the body which cannot produce any act of freewill and therefore cannot according to the doctrine of the Papists merit But the rewards are attributed as well to the body as to the soule and from thence hee proveth the resurrection of the body out of 1 Cor. 15. 23. The second is Cyprtan out of whom hee citeth two testimonies The former justâ—…tia opus est ut promereri quis possit Deum that a man may obtaine Gods favour there is need of justice wee must obey his precepts and monitions ut accipiant meâ—…ita nostra mercedem that our good workes may receive the reward which God hath promised The other testimony is the last sentence of his Booke de