The answere vnto the nine points of controuersy, proposed by our late soueraygne (of famous memory) vnto M. Fisher of the Society of Iesus And the reioynder vnto the reply of D. Francis VVhite minister. With the picture of the sayd minister, or censure of his writings prefixed.

The Doctrine of Merit declared. §. 1.

THIS doctrine is much misliked by Protestants, as (p) proud, and ar∣rogant, yet not so much misliked as mis∣understood, their dislike growing from misconstruction thereof. For Catholiques hold that no worke is meritorious with God of it owne nature, but to make the same meritorious many graces are requi∣red & those most diuine & excellent, parti∣cularly these seauen.

The first grace is diuine Preordination, be∣cause God out of his owne goodnes ordey∣ned man and his actions vnto a supernatu∣rall last end, aboue that he might attayne

vnto by meere nature, without which or∣dination no worke would haue reference or correspondency with heauenly glory.

The second is, the grace of Redemption by Christ Iesus, without whome we and our workes are defiled, we being by nature the children of wrath, & should be so still, had not he by his passion and death appeased God, giuing vs the inestimable treasure of his merits, so that, In illo benedixit nos Deus omni benedictione spirituali in caelestibus, in quo habemus redemptionem per sanguinem eius, se∣cundum diuitias gratiae suae, quae superabundauit in nobis. [Ephes. 1.3.]

The third is, grace of Adoption in Bap∣tisme, wherby soules are supernaturally be∣autifyed by participation of the diuine Nature. Whence a tryple dignity redounds vnto workes, one by the grace of adoption from God the Father, who in respect of this Adoption regardes good workes, as the workes of his Children. [Rom. 8.14.] An∣other is from God the holy Ghost dwel∣ling in vs, by whome good workes are ho∣noured as by the principall authour of thē. So that he rather then we doth the works, who therefore is sayd to pray for vs with vnspeakable grones. The last dignity is frō God the Sonne Christ Iesus whose mem∣bers we are made by grace, so that the works we do, be reputed not so much ours as his, as the worke of the particular mem∣ber is attributed principally vnto the head.

The fourth is, grace Preuenient, wher∣by God stirreth vp in vs thoughts and af∣fections to good & pious workes, & grace adiuuant to help vs in the performance of these desires, making our Freewill produce workes that are supernaturall in their very substance, & aboue the capacity of man.

The fifth is, the grace of of mercifull In∣dulgence, in not vsing with vs the rigour of his iustice. For God might wholly require the good works we doe as his own, by ma∣ny tytles; as by the tytle of iustice being workes of his seruants, by tytle of Religi∣on being workes of his Creatures, by tytle of gratitude as being workes of persons in∣finitely obliged vnto him. By which tytles, if God did exact vpon workes with vtter∣most rigour, no goodnes would be left in them to be offered for the meriting of hea∣uen. But his infinite benignity remitting this rigour, moued thereunto through the merits of Christ, is content that we make vse of our good workes for the gayning of glory, & doth not exact them wholly and totally, as otherwise due.

The sixt is, the grace of liberal promise, by which he obligeth himselfe to reward the good workes of his Children according to the desert of their goodnesse. Did not God bind himselfe by his word in this manner, no worke of Saints, though neuer so per∣fect and excellent, were able to bind him to reward it, as all Deuines teach, though

some disputatiō be, whether, Gods liberall premission supposed, the goodnes of the work concurre partially with his promise to oblige him, which is a disputation of no great moment.

Finally, that Merit attayne reward, is required the grace of Perseuerance, without which no man is crowned. And though good workes strengthened with so many supernaturall excellencyes be good stayes of conficence in themselues considered, yet because we are not sure of our perseuerāce, no nor altogeather certayne that we haue good works adorned with the former per∣fections, the Catholike Saints of God vse not to cōfide in their merits past, specially being guilty of diuers dayly negligences, but fly to Gods mercyes, as the Church teacheth vs in the Lyturgy of the Masse, dayly praying, In sanctorum nos consortium non aestimator meriti, sed veniae quaesumus lar∣gitor, admitte. (A)

Did Protestants know that we require all these diuine fauours to make any worke meritorious; did they also consider how singular and excellent these fauours are, they would not perchance wonder, that workes graced with so many excellencies should haue some proportiō with the hea∣uenly Reward. And so dealing with your Maiesty, who is well able to ponder these things, I shall without proofe passe by this doctrine, as not particularly belonging to the proposed difficulty.

Notes

• (p)

  Concerning Merit.
• THE Minister pa. 511. Can any thing be more arrogant & foolish then for miserable beggars & sinners to mintayne, that God should be vniust if he rendred not heauen to mans good workes? And yet this proud Doctrine is deliuered by the Rhemists, Annotat. Heb. 6.4. Answere. In your hoat-spur-zeale you wound the Blessed Apostle with the tytle of arrogant Foole. It is he who doth suppose as certaine, & who taught the Rhemysts to say, that God should be vn∣iust did he not reward the good workes of his Children: for to assure the Hebrews their cha∣tyes should not be vn∣rewarded of God, he sayth Hebr. 6.10. God is not vniust to forget your workes, and loue which you shewed in his name in mini∣string vnto the Saints. As if he had said, God should be vniust, did he forget your workes & not re∣ward them: But God cannot be vniust. Ther∣fore be sure he will not forget your works. E∣uen as whē the Scrip∣ture, to assure men of Gods word, sayth Num. 23.19. God is not as man that he should lye, the same doth tacitely ar∣gue in this sort: If God should not keepe his word, he should be a liar as men are. God cā∣not be a lyar as mē are. Therefore you may be sure he will not forget to keep his word. You should be more consi∣derate and not thus ru∣dely runne tilting with bul-rush-inuectimes a∣gaynst the holy Ghost himselfe, in your splene agaynst the Pope. For this sentēce, God shold be vniust did he forget to reward good wor∣kes, is the Scriptures, though about the qua∣lity of the Iustice that is in God, whether the same be proper or improper, a question is made by Deuines: ney∣ther did the Rhemists say, God should be properly vniust, but only vsed the very words of S. Paul.

  The Minister pag. 512. If the Iesuit should maintayne that Good workes meret iustification or perseuerance, not by their Nature, but by Grace, this distinction would not free his Tenet from errour: so likwise it is erroneous to mayntayne that Good workes merit by grace. Answere. If Good works should merit iustification, they must do it by the force of the goodnes inherent in their nature, and not as eleuated by the grace of adoption, seing before iustification they be not Gods Children. But to say that men merit with God by the sole naturall goodnes of their workes, not eleuated by the grace of adoption, is erro∣neous. The workes of Gods Children cannot merit the grace of per∣seuerance, because they be not eleuated vnto that end by the grace of di∣uine preordination, and Gods liberall promise. Besides the workes of the iust be condignely rewarded with the Crowne of Glory and so nothing of their value can be spared to merit any thinge Condignely, but only glory. If the workes of Gods Children were not otherwise Condignely rewarded, they might merit the grace of perseuerance, should God promi∣se the same vnto Good workes done in a certayne number and quality; so your instance bewrayes your ignorance.

  The Minister pag. 512. S. Paul sayth, Rom. 8.18. I thinke the Pas∣sions of this tyme be not Condigne to the glory to come, that shall be re∣uealed in vs. The Passions here expressed were Martyrdomes iustifyed by grace, Phi∣lip. 1.29. spirituall Sacrifices of a sweet smelling odour, 2. Tim. 46. and Condig∣nity, or worthines equall in desert or value is denyed vnto them. Answere. The Apo∣stle sayth that the Passions of time be not Condigne of their owne Tempo∣rall and fleeting nature vnto infinit eternall glory. Therfore to the end they may be cōdigne, they must be eleuated by the grace of diuine adop∣tion. For thus goeth the whole discourse, The spirit himselfe giueth testimony to our spirit, that we are the Children of God. If his Children then his heyres, the heyres of God, fellow-heyres with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him that we may be glorifyed with him. For I thinke the Passions of this time not to be condigne vnto the future glory. By this it is cleere S. Paul meaneth that the Passions of tyme be not proportionable in their nature which is temporall & fleeting, vn∣to the eternity of glory; & therfore they must be aduanced & made deare and pretious to God by the grace of adoption, which is a grace proportio∣nable vnto glory; for if we be the Children of God, we be the heyres of his glory.

  And if the Ministers Argument were good, it would otherthow the merit of inward inherent congruity which he doth acknowledge. For Saynt Paul might truly haue sayd, Passions of tyme, or which are of tran∣sitory and fleeting nature, are not congruous in respect of the eternity of glory, yea the Passions of Christ being temporall, and short were not by their owne nature condigne, or Congruous vnto eternall glory, nor could haue been condigne, had they not been eleuated by the dignity of Gods naturall sonne, from whome they proceeded.

  Minister pag. 517. The Iesuit hath set fire on his owne house: for if we owe our works vnto to God (as he sayth we doe) by the titles of iustice, Religion & gra∣titude, what peeping hole, I pray you, is left for merit, to creepe in at? Answere. Our workes by the titles of iustice, Religion and gratitude are due vnto God, so farre as he doth please to exact them by his law, and no further: but he is pleased not wholly and totally to exact them by the aforesayd titles, but to leaue them vnto men, to vse them for the gayning of the crowne of glory, as we are taught by his word. Hence mans merit is not in rigour of iustice, but grounded vpon Gods mercifull indulgence, in not exacting vpon workes with vttermost rigour. This mercifull indulgence is a wide gate, by the which Merit makes entrance into Gods Children, shewed you by the Iesuit; yet so blind you are as you see it not, but goe peeping about to find an hole for Merit to creep in at.
• (A)

  The Ministers Argu∣ments, or rather Inue∣stiues agaynst this do∣ctrine of Merit, with a short Answer thereunto.