CHAP. II.

ON THE DOCTRINE OF MERIT.

MERIT is next: wherein the Council of Trent P is no less peremptory: "If any man shall say, that the good works of a man justified do not truly merit eternal life, let him be Anathema."

It is easy for error to shroud itself under the ambiguity of words. The word Merit hath been of large use with the Ancients, who would have abhorred the present sense. With them, it sounded no other than obtaining, or impetration9: not, as now, earning in the way of condign wages; as if there were an equality of due proportion betwixt our works and heaven, without all respects of pact, promise, favour; according to the bold comment of Sotus, Tollet, Pererius, Costerus, Weston, and the rest of that strain.

SECT. 1.

The Newness of the Doctrine of Merit.

FAR, far was the gracious humility of the Ancient Saints from this so high a presumption.

Let St. Basil' speak for his fellows. Eternal rest remains for those, who, in this life, have lawfully striven: où κaт' opelλnua, &c. not for the merits of their deeds, but of the grace of that most munificent God, in which they have trusted."

Why did I name one, when they all, with full consent, as Cassander witnesseth, profess to repose themselves wholly upon the mere mercy of God, and merit of Christ with an humble renunciation of all worthiness in their own works?

Yea, that unpartial author derives this doctrine, even through the lower ages of the Schoolmen and later writers; Thomas of Aquine, Durand, Adrian de Trajecto (afterwards Pope), Clictoveus; and delivers it for the voice of the then present Church'.

P Conc. Trid. sess. 6. c. 16. can. 32. Si quis &c. augmentum gratiæ, vitam æternam, et ipsius vitæ æternæ consecutionem, Anathema sit, &c.

Ofælix culpa, quæ talem meruit habere salvatorem! Ecclesia canit in benedictione Cerei. Salm. in 1 Tim. i. Apostoli à suis civibus occidi meruerunt. Aug. in Ps. xxxv. Major est mea iniquitas, quàm ut veniam merear. Gen. iii. Vulg. Tral. vid. Mort. Appel. Manet sempiterna requies &c. Basil in Ps. cxiv. où кar' opɛíλnμа тwv čруwv, &c. Veteres omnes, summo consensu, tradunt, &c. Cassand. Consult. de Bonis Quæst. Neque ab hác &c. Scholastici Scriptores, et recentiores Ecclesiastici &c.

And, before him, Thomas Waldensis, the great champion of Pope Martin against the miscalled heretics of his own name, professes " him the sounder Divine and truer Catholic, which simply denies any such merit; and ascribes all to the mere grace of God, and the will of the Giver.

What should I need to darken the air with a cloud of witnesses; their Gregory Ariminensis, their Brugensis, Marsilius, Pighius, Eckius, Ferus, Stella, Faber Stapulensis?

Let their famous preacher, Royard, shut up all*. Quid igitur is, qui Merita prætendit, &c.: "Whosoever he be, that pretends his Merits, what doth he else, but deserve hell by his works?"

Let Bellarmin's tutissimum est, &c. ground itself upon St. Bernard's experimental resolution: Periculosa hibitatio est, &c.: "Perilous is their dwelling-place, who trust in their own Merits;" perilous, because ruinous.

All these, and many more, teach this; not as their own doctrine, but as their Church's. Either they and the Church, whose voice they are, are heretics, with us; or we orthodox, with them; and they and we, with the Ancients.

The novelty of this Roman Doctrine is accompanied with error, against Scripture, against Reason.

SECT. 2.

The Doctrine of Merit against Scripture.

THAT God doth graciously accept and munificently recompense our good works, even with an incomprehensible glory, we doubt not, we deny not; but this, either out of the riches of his mercy or the justice of his promise: but, that we can earn this at his hands, out of the intrinsical worthiness of our acts, is a challenge too high for flesh and blood; yea, for the angels of heaven.

shall

How direct is our Saviour's instance, of the servant come out of the field, and commanded by his master to attendance! Doth he thank that servant, because he did the things, that were commanded him? I trow not. So likewise when ye ye, have done all things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants; Luke xvii. 9, 10. Unprofitable," perhaps you will say, "in respect of meriting thanks; not unprofitable, in respect of meriting wages: for, to him, that worketh, is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt;

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Tho. Wald. tom. 6. sacr. Tit. i. c. 7. Thom. Wald. præclarus Wicklifistarum impugnator. Andr. Vega. l. vii. de Causis Justif. c. 24.

Royard. tom. 5. Dominic. 11. post Pentecost.

Rom. iv. 4." True: therefore herein our case differeth from servants, that we may not look for God's reward as of debt, but as of grace: By grace are ye saved, through faith; Eph. ii. 8. Neither is it our earning, but God's gift: both it cannot be: for, if by grace, then it is no more of works, even of the most renewed: otherwise grace is no more grace. But, if it be of works, then it is no more grace: otherwise work should be no more work; Rom. xi. 6. Now, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, at our best, but, according to his mercy, he saveth us; Tit. iii. 5. Were our salvation of works, then should eternal life be our wages: but now, The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ, our Lord; Rom. vi. 23.

SECT. 3.

The Doctrine of Merit, against Reason.

IN very Reason where all is of mere duty there can be no merit: for how can we deserve reward by doing that, which if we did not we should offend? It is enough for him that is obliged to his task, that his work is well taken. Now, all that we can possibly do, and more, is most justly due unto God, by the bond of our Creation, of our Redemption; by the charge of his royal Law, and that sweet Law of his Gospel: nay, alas! we are far from being able to compass so much as our duty: In many things, we sin all.

It is enough, that in our glory, we cannot sin: though their Faber Stapulensis would not yield so much; and taxeth Thomas for saying so, with the same presumption that Origen held the very good angels might offend. Then, is our grace consummate2: till then, our best abilities are full of imperfection. Therefore, the conceit of merit is not more arrogant, than absurd.

We cannot merit of him, whom we gratify not: we cannot gratify a man, with his own: all our good is God's already; his gift, his propriety: What have we, that we have not received? 1 Cor. iv. 7. Not our talent only, but the improvement also, is his mere bounty. There can be, therefore, no place for merit.

In all just Merit, there must needs be a due proportion, betwixt the act and the recompence. It is of favour, if the gift exceed the worth of the service.

Now what proportion can be, betwixt a finite, weak, imper

Alex. Pesaut. in 1, 2. qu. 4. Artic. 4. disp. 4.

2 Gloria est gratia consummata. P. Ferius Specim. Schol. Orth. c. 13.

fect obedience (such is ours at the best,) and an infinite, full, and most perfect glory? The bold Schools dare say, That the natural and entitative value of the works of Christ himself was finite, though the moral value was infinite. What then shall be said of our works, which are, like ourselves, mere imperfection? We are not so proud that we should scorn, with Ruard. Tapperus, to expect heaven as a poor man doth an alms: rather, according to St. Austin's charge, (Non sit caput turgidum, &c.: "Let not the head be proud, that it may receive a crown,") we do, with all humility and self dejection, look up to the bountiful hands of that God, who crowneth us in mercy and compassion.

This doctrine, then, of Merit, being both new and erroneous, hath justly merited our reproof and detestation: and we are unjustly censured, for our censure thereof.

CHAP. III.

ON THE DOCTRINE OF TRANSUBSTANTIATION.

THE point of TRANSUBSTANTIATION is justly ranked amongst our highest differences. Upon this quarrel, in the very last age, how many souls were sent up to heaven, in the midst of their flames! as if the sacrament of the altar had been sufficient ground of these bloody sacrifices.

The definition of the Tridentine Council is herein, beyond the wont, clear and express': "If any man shall say, that, in the sacrament of the Sacred Eucharist, there remains still the substance of bread and wine, together with the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ; and shall deny that marvellous and singular conversion of the whole substance of bread into the Body, and the whole substance of wine into blood, the (species) semblances or shews only of bread and wine remaining; which said conversion the Catholic Church doth most fitly call Transubstantiation; let him be accursed." Thus they.

* Pesaut. in 3. Tho. q. 1. art. 2. Valor physicus et entitativus operum Christi &c. Absit ut justi vitam æternam expectent, sicut pauper eleemosynam. Ruard. Tap ex Artic. Colon.

Aug. de Verb. Apost. ser. 2.

Fons Idolomaniarum Transubstan. Melanct. ad Amicum, 1544. Boxhorn. Isag. ad Concord. 1. iii.

e Fox, Acts and Mon. passim.

f Si quis dixerit in Sacrosanctæ &c. Consil. Trid. de Transub. c. 4. Can. 2.

SECT. 1.

The Newness of the Doctrine of Transubstantiation. Now let us enquire how Old this piece of faith is.

In Synaxi serò &c.: "It was late, ere the Church defined Transubstantiation," saith Erasmus: "For, of so long it was," saith he, "held sufficient to believe, that the true Body of Christ was there; whether under the consecrated bread, or howsoever."

And how late was this? Scotus shall tell us: Ante Concilium Lateranense, &c.: "Before the Council of Lateran, Transubstantiation was no point of Faith:" as Cardinal Bellarmin himself confesses his opinion", with a minimè probandum. And this Council was in the year of our Lord, one thousand two hundred and fifteen.

Let who list, believe that this subtle doctor had never heard i of the Roman Council under Gregory the Seventh, which was in the year one thousand seventy-nine; or that other, under Nicholas the Second, which was in the year one thousand and threescore; or, that he had not read those Fathers, which the Cardinal had good hap to meet with.

Certainly, his acuteness easily found out other senses of those conversions, which Antiquity mentions; and, therefore, dares confidently say, wherein Gabriel Biel seconds him, Non admodum antiquam &c.: That "this doctrine of Transubstantiation is not very ancient."

Surely, if we yield the utmost time, wherein Bellarmin can plead the determination of this point, we shall arise but to saltem ab annis quingentis, &c.: "Five hundred years ago:" so long," saith he', "at least, was this opinion of Transubstantiation, upon pain of a curse, established in the Church." The Church but what Church? The Roman, I wis; not the Greek. That word of Peter Martyr is true, That the Greeks ever abhorred from this opinion of Transubstantiation.

Insomuch as, at the shutting up the Florentine Council", which was but in the year 1539, when there was a kind of agreement betwixt the Greeks and Latins about the Procession of the Holy Ghost, the Pope earnestly moved the Grecians, that,

In Synaxi serò Transubstantiationem definivit Ecclesia. Diu satis erat credere, sive sub pane consecrato, sive quocunque modo, adesse verum Corpus Christi. Eras. Annot. in 1 Cor. vii.

h Bellar. de Euchar. 1. iii. c. 23. i Ibid. Bell. k Confitente etiam Suarez. Sallem ab annis quingentis dogma Transub. sub anathemate stabilitum. Bell. de Euch. 1. iii. c. 21.

m Concil. Florent. sess. ult.