Grace and Bounty of God as also that we do as properly and truly when we do well TOGETHER WITH THE GRACE OF GOD merit a Reward as we do merit Punishments when we do ill WITHOUT IT For he speaks here after the very same manner of the Just Man's Reward and of the Punishment of the Wicked These are his Words but our Author whose Religion as he tells us accustoms him to sincerity had it may be forgot himself a little here or read it in hast or copied it from some other Author upon whose sincerity he relied which made him leave out these words Together with the Grace of God His next Quotation is from Bellarmine who tells us says he De Justif lib 5. c. 17. That our Good Works do merit Eternal Life condignly not by reason of God's Covenant and Acceptation but also by reason of the Work it self The Title indeed of that Chapter is something towards that sence for the Words are these Opera bona justorum meritoria esse ex condigno non solum ratione pacti sed etiam ratione operis The Works of the Just are condignly meritorious not only by reason of God's Covenant but also by reason of the Works But if we look into the Chapter it self we shall see his Sence and that he only holds a Scholastic Opinion as most probable and one not so inconsistent with the Doctrine of the Church as he would have it nor so erroneous as that it needs an Index Expurgatorius He tells us first There are three ways by which Good Works may be condignly meritorious either by reason of the Covenant alone or by reason of the Work alone or upon account of them both together Then he tells us That several Authors have held some one and some another of these ways but he himself will keep the middle as most probable and shew That the Good Works of the Just are condignly meritorious of Eternal Life not only by reason of the Covenant but also of the Work together with it And in proving this Assertion he explicates his meaning and shews first That the Good Works of the Just taken of themselves alone without that Covenant are not condignly or so rigorously meritorious of Eternal Life that God could not without an Injustice refuse such a Reward And secondly That in Good Works proceeding from Grace there is a certain Proportion and Equality to the Reward of Eternal Life because Eternal Life is John 1.16 as St. John tells us GRACE FOR GRACE that is the Grace of a Reward for the Grace of Merit because Grace is SEMEN GLORIAE the Seed of Glory and because our Merits depend upon the Merits of CHRIST both in this that he has merited for us the Vertue of Meriting and in this that we merit as the Living Members of JESVS CHRIST and by an Influence which we receive from him as from our Head So that he concludes from these and several other Reasons brought by him all of which shew he do's not understand that either our Works can be called Good or we be esteemed Just without the Grace of God I say from these he concludes That it would be to detract from the Glory of CHRIST that our Merits which receive all their Value from him should be so imperfect as not to be condignly meritorious unless it were purely by reason of God's Acceptance Now let any impartial Man be judge whether this Doctrine require so severe a Censure as he would have the Church to give upon it Then he brings in Vasquez In D. Th. 1. c. qu. 114. d. 214. c. 5. alibi whose Doctrine is much what the same as Bellarmine's as to the first of the three Conclusions brought by him The second as appears by the Words is only a pure Scholastic Dispute about a Possibility and therefore I need say nothing to them As for his third after some search I could not find any Conclusion bearing that sence But touching his Remarkable Corollary I must needs tell him he has been so disingenuous as to leave out those Parts which would have shewn his Reader upon what Matter he was treating and how little it made for his purpose or against us But that he may see I love sincere Dealing tho' I be no Protestant I will transcribe his Words At vero cum opera Justi condigne mereantur vitam oeternam tanquam oequalem mercedem proemium non opus est interventa alterius meriti condigni quale est meritum Christi ut eis reddatur vita oeterna quinimo aliquid habet peculiare meritum cujuscunque justi respectu ipsius hominis justi quod non habet meritum Christi nempe reddere ipsum hominem justum dignum vitâ oeternâ ut eam dignè consequatur meritum autem Christi licet dignissimum sit quod obtineat a Deo Gratiam pro nobis tamen non habet hanc efficaciam virtutem ut reddat nos formaliter justos dignos oeternâ vitâ sed per virtutem ab ipso derivatam hunc consequuntur effectum homines in se ipsis Et ita nunquam petimus a Deo per merita Christi ut nostris dignis operibus meritoriis reddatur merces oeternoe vitoe sed ut per Christum detur nobis Gratia qua possumus dignè hanc mercedem promereri quod etiam manifestum signum est non expectare nos novam imputationem meritorum Christi proeter eam qua initio acceptimus gratiam virtutem ad recte operandum condigne promerendum Nam cum dicimus Christum meruisse nobis vitam oeternam non intelligimus illam ita nobis meruisse ut nostris operibus meritis condignis non reddatur nisi posteriori illa applicatione meritorum Christi sed quia Christus merito suo obtinuit nobis justificationem ea omnia quibus ad illam proeparamur proeterea obtainuit jam justificatis auxilia quibus recte operarentur vitam oeternam promererentur But says he seeing the Works of the Just do condignly merit Eternal Life as an equal Recompence and Reward there is no need that any other Condign Merit such as that of CHRIST should interpose to the end that Eternal Life might be rendred to them for the Merit of every Just man has something peculiar in respect of himself who is Just which the Merit of CHRIST has not that is to render him Just and worthy of Eternal Life that he may worthily obtain it whereas the Merit of CHRIST tho' it be most worthy to obtain Grace for us from God yet it has not this Efficacy and Power to render us formally Just and worthy of Eternal Life but Men do in themselves by a Virtue deriv'd from Him obtain this Effect And thus we never beg of God that by the Merits of CHRIST the Reward of Eternal Life may be given to our Worthy and Meritorious Works but that through CHRIST Grace may be given us whereby we
may be enabled worthily to merit this Reward which is also a manifest sign that we do not expect a new Imputation of the Merits of CHRIST besides that by which we at first received Grace and Strength to operate rightly and merit worthily For when we say that CHRIST has merited Eternal Life for us we do not understand it as if he merited it so for us that it would not be rendred to our Good Works and condign Merits unless by that succeeding Application of the Merits of CHRIST but because CHRIST by his Merits has obtain'd Justification for us and all other things by which we are prepared to it and moreover obtained for them who are already justified those Helps by which they might rightly operate and merit Eternal Life From which last Words and the others left out by this Author it appears manifestly that Vasquez was not disputing whether we merited Grace and Glory of our own selves without the Assistance of the Grace of JESVS CHRIST but whether after that JESVS CHRIST had merited for us Justifying Grace and all other Helps necessary to make our Works good acceptable and meritorious there was still another Grace of JESVS CHRIST required over and above these his other Assistances without which we could not obtain Eternal Life Is this that Doctrine then which he says they most justly detest Pag. 23. and are not a little surprized to finde that no Index Expurgatorius no Authentic Censure has ever taken notice of so dangerous a Prevarication Or rather are they not his own Prevarications which he has put upon us as our Doctrines and which are as detestable to us as they are to him nay more if he thinks these Authors held it possible for us to merit of our selves without the Grace of God which prevents accompanies and Crowns all our Actions for he acknowledges that such a Doctrine of Merit as that which he has represented as theirs would at least justifie a Dissent from a Church in those Particulars tho' it would not engage them wholly to forsake a Church that taught such things whereas we doubt not to say That it cannot be a True Church which teaches such Erroneous Doctrines and therefore that we ought not to communicate with such an one ART VII Satisfactions Purgatory and Indulgences HIs next Article is of Satisfactions Art 7. p. 24. In which he confesses that what the Bishop of Meaux has said they could most readily allow of Pag 25. were there but any tolerable Arguments to establish the Doctrine that requires it Pag. 27. He tells us also that they practice that Discipline for many other benefits of it and wish it were universally established even in a strictness equal to what it is fallen from But yet he will impose upon us a belief that by our own endeavours we are able to make a true and proper satisfaction to God for sin How do's he prove it Ibidem Or how do's he shew that the Council of Trent is contrary to the Bishop of Meaux's Exposition He tells us indeed Page 26. that the Council of Trent declares Conc. Trid. Sess 14. c. 8. That the justice of God requires it and that therefore the Confessors should be charged to proportion the Satisfaction to the Crime which he thinks is more than what the Bishop had explicated when he affirm'd That the necessity of this payment do's not arise from any defect in Christs Satisfaction but from a certain Order which God has established for a wholsome Discipline and to keep us from offending and tells us that Bellarmine concludes from these words of the Council that it is we who properly satisfie for our own sins and that Christs Satisfaction serves only to make ours Valid and cites in the Margin Lib. 1. de Purg. c. 14. whereas there are but eleven Chapters in that Book But that you may see how just he is in his Accusation of the Council of Trent I will give you the words of it The Council having declar'd the necessity of Satisfactions both from various Examples of Scripture Gen. 3. 2 King 12. Numb 12 20. in which it appears manifestly that God sometimes remits the guilt of Sin and yet retains a Punishment as also from the Justice of God which seems to exact a severer punishment for Sins committed against a greater Grace and Knowledge than for Sins committed through Ignorance before Baptism And having also declared the use and benefits of Penitential Works to form in us a true Sense of the Enormity of Sin to be as a Curb to keep us from sinning and as a Medicine to heal the remnants of Sin and conquer evil habits and to render us conformable to our Head CHRIST JESUS with whom if we suffer (a) Rom. 8.17 Conc. Trid. Sess 14. c. 8. we shall raign also adds these words Neque vero ita nostra est satisfactio hoec quam pro peccatis nostris exsolvimus ut non sit per CHRISTUM JESUM nam qui ex nobis tanquam ex nobis nihil possumus eo cooperante qui nos confortat omnia possumus Ita non habet homo unde glorietur sed omnis gloriatio nostra in Christo est in quo vivimus in quo meremur in quo satisfacimus facientes fructus dignos Poenitentioe qui ex illo vim habent ab illo offerunt Patri per illum acceptantur a Patre Debent ergo Sacerdotes Domini quantum Spiritus prudentia suggerit pro qualitate criminum Poenitentium facultate salutares convenientes satisfactiones injungere ne si forte peccatis conniveant indulgentius cum Poenitentibus agant loevissima quoedam opera pro gravissimis delictis injungendo alienorum peccatorum participes efficiantur But this Satisfaction which we make for our Sins is not so ours that it is not JESUS CHRIST 's for we who (b) 2 Cor. 3.5 Phil. 4.13 of our selves as of our selves can do nothing can do all things with him who strengthens us So that Man hath nothing wherein to glory (c) 1 Cor. 1.31 2 Cor. 10.17 Gal. 6.3 But all our glory is in Christ in whom (d) Acts 17.28 we live in whom we merit and in whom we satisfie bringing forth (e) Matth. 3.8.4.17 Luc. 3.8.10 17. Fruits worthy of Repentance which have their Power from him By him are offered to his Father From all which the Council concludes thus Therefore the Priests of our Lord ought as Prudence and the Spirit of God shall dictate to enjoyn salutary and convenient Satisfactions according to the Quality of the Crimes and the Abilities of the Penitents least if they should chance to connive at Sins and be too indulgent to Penitents by enjoyning light Penances for great Offences they should be made partakers of the Sins of others Is not this the very Sense of the Bishop of Meaux And what proof can he bring from hence that we think we can
paid to them is referred to the Originals which they represent So that by means of those Images which we kiss and before which we uncover our Heads and Kneel we adore CHRIST and venerate those Saints whose resemblance they bear which Doctrine has been taught by the Decrees of Councils against all Oppugners of Images Conc. Nicen. 2. Actio 3 4 6. especially by the second Synod of Nice But above all let the Bishop◠diligently teach That by the Historical Representations of the Mysteries of our Redemption painted or expressed in other forms the People are taught the Articles of our Faith and confirmed in them by a frequent Commemoration and Recollection as also That great Fruit is reaped from the use of all Holy Images not only because the People are admonished by them of the Benefits and Gifts which are bestowed upon them by JESVS CHRIST but also because the Miracles and salutary Examples which God has been pleased to shew us by his Saints are visibly represented to the Faithful that they may give God thanks for them and may conform their Lives and Manners to the Examples of the Saints and may be excited to adore and love God and practise Piety But if any one do teach or think contrary to these Decrees let him be Anathema But if any Abuses should chance to creep in amongst these holy and wholesom Observances the Sacred Synod earnestly desires they maybe entirely abolished so that no Images shall be permitted which may give the ruder People occasion of believing false Doctrines or dangerous Errors But if it shall sometimes happen to be expedient for the Instruction of the unlearned People to express or figure out some Histories or Relations of the Holy Scripture let the People be taught the Divinity is not therefore figured to them as if it could be seen with our corporal Eyes or expressed by Colours or Figures c. This is our Doctrine all other Additions or particular Doctrines we are not to answer for and this is what the Bishop of Condom has expresly taught ART V. Of Justification IN his Article of Justification he tells us Art 5. p. 19. That the Doctrine of Justification is one of those Points that deserves their careful Consideration as being not only one of the chiefest of those Points wherein they suppose the Church of Rome to have prevaricated the Faith but one of the first that gave occasion to that Reformation that was made from it If therefore the Doctrine of the Church Catholic when rightly explicated be clear from those gross Apprehensions they had of it and be in it self innocent and pure I hope he will grant the first Reformers to have been strangely out in their Measures and that all those who have followed their Footsteps in that Schism are obliged to return to their Mother-Church He speaks of wonderful Extravagances in Pardons Indulgences c. in former times and that generally the People put more confidence in the Inventions of Men than in the Merits of JESVS CHRIST but allows us to be better instructed since or at least more cautious for which he says we may thank the Reformation But I believe he will find that all those strange Extravagances were only the Fictions of their own Brains and Calumnies raised on purpose to make us odious and that if he look into our Councils and Doctors of those Ages he will find our Doctrines to have always been the same and our Practices conformable I need not take notice how much he consents to the Exposition of the Bishop of Condom nor of the nice Distinction which he gives us betwixt Justification and Sanctification which he tells us is the Doctrine of their Church but I believe will be hard put to to prove it neither need I tell you how much he imposes upon us as if we made our inward Righteousness a part of Justification and so by consequence said that our Justification it self is wrought also by our Good Works for since he tells us That were these things clearly stated and distinguished the difference betwixt us considered only in the Idea would not be very great and that they might safely allow whatsoever M. de Meaux has advanced upon this Point provided it be but well and rightly explained we need not make any further demur but go on with him to see how the following Doctrines will stand upon this Foundation ART VI. Of Merits HEre he tells us Art 6. Pag. 22. That if what the Bishop of Condom has explicated be all the Church of Rome ascribes to Good Works that is That our Justification proceeds absolutely from Gods Bounty and Mercy and but accidentally only in as much as God has tied himself by his Word and Promise to reward them from our own performances they need no long Exhortations to receive a Doctrine which they have always defended But he presently dashes these our hopes of Union by flying to the particular niceties of the Schools and thinks it sufficient to shelter the Justice of their dissent in those Particulars from our Accusations because some of those niceties have not been censured by the Church I need not here say any thing more to him than what I have said before that it is sufficient the Church has declar'd her Doctrine in the Council of Trent and that the Bishop of Meaux has explicated it accordingly The niceties of the Schools when truly represented as they make no Division in the Church so ought they not to make any amongst Christians But however if this Author had been so ingenuous as to have given us the Words or the true Sence of those Authors he cites the World would have seen no such great difference as he pretends there is betwixt them and the Church of Rome He tells us first That Maldonate the Jesuit upon Ezek. 18.20 says That we do as truly and properly merit Rewards when we do well as we do merit Punishments when we do ill But had he read Maldonate he would have found his Words when taken as they lie to carry with them a very different sence from what he seems to conclude they bear For being to explicate this part of the twentieth Verse Justitia justi super eum erit impietas impii erit super eum The justice of the just shall be upon him and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him he tells us Ex hoc loco perspicuum est in nobis aliquam esse nostram ut vocant inhoerentem propriamque justitiam quamvis ex Dei Gratia largitate profectam nos tam proprie ac verè cum Gratia Dei bene agentes proemia mereri quam sine illa male agentes supplicia meremur De proemio enim justi supplicio impii eodem prorsus modo loquitur i. e. From this Passage it is very clear both that there is in us an Inherent as they call it and Proper Justice of our own altho' proceeding from the