A golden chaine: or The description of theologie containing the order of the causes of saluation and damnation, according to Gods word. A view whereof is to be seene in the table annexed. Hereunto is adioyned the order which M. Theodore Beza vsed in comforting afflicted consciences.

The XVI. errour.

Workes done in grace doe (ex condigno) condignely merit eternall life.

The Confutation.

I. Eternall life is the free gift of God. Rom. 6.23. The wages of sinne is death, but the gift of God is eternall life through Christ Iesus. Therefore it is not obtai∣ned by the merit of workes. II. The merit of condignitie, is an action belon∣ging to such an nature as is both God and man, not to a bare creature. For the Angels themselues cannot merit any thing at Gods hands: yea and Adam al∣so, if he had stood in his first innocencie, could haue deserued nothing of god, because it is the bounden dutie of the creature to performe obedience vnto his Creator. The merit therefore of condignitie, doth only agree vnto Christ God and man, in whome each nature doth, to the effecting of this merit, per∣forme that which belongeth to it. For the humanitie it doth minister matter vnto the meritorious worke, by suffering and performing obedience: but the Deitie of Christ, whereunto the humanitie is hypostatically vnited doth con∣ferre full and sufficient worthinesse vnto the worke. Hence is it that the Fa∣ther doth speake thus of his sonne, Mat. 3.17. This is my beloued Sonne, in whom I am well pleased (〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.) III. In the second commandement God doth pro∣mise eternall life to the keepers of his commandements, yet he saith not that they shall obtaine it by desart, but that he will shew mercy to thousands of them that loue him, and keepe his commandements. IV. That a worke may be merito∣rious, first there must be an equall proportion betwixt it, and legall iustice, or eternal life: secondly, merite doth presuppose this also, that in God there must bee a due debt towards man, for God then ought on dutie, not by fauour, to accept of the person of man. But all our workes, yea our most holy workes, they cannot come neere vnto legall righteousnesse. For, seeing all the regene∣rate are partly carnall, and partly spirituall, all their workes in like sort are im∣perfectly good. For looke what the causes are, and such must the effects needs be. So then, good workes doe presuppose a due debt in man, none in God. V. The auncient Fathers doe not acknowledge this merite of condignitie as cur∣rant. August. in his manuel, chap. 22. My merite is Gods mercie. Bernard. ser. 63. vpon the Cant. It is sufficient to knowe this, that merits are not sufficient. And ser. 61. Cant. Mans iustice is Gods goodnesse. And epist. 190. That the satisfaction of one may be imputed to all, as the sinnes of all were borne by one. And as for anci∣ent doctours, merit was nothing els to them but a good worke acceptable to God. Aug. epist. 105. to Sixtus. If it be grace, then is it not bestowed by reason of any merit, but vpon free mercie. What merits of his owne can he that is set at libertie bragge of, who if he had his merits should haue beene condemned? So the word me∣rite doth signifie to doe wel, to be acceptable, to please, as the old interpreter hath, for 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifying to please God, vsed this Latine word promereri, To merit.

Obiect. I. Works haue attributed vnto them reward. Answer. Reward is not so much attributed to the work, as to the worker, and to him not for himselfe, but for Christs merits apprehended by faith. Therefore not our merit, or per∣sonall merit, but Christs merit, and our reward are correlatiues.

Obiect. II. 2. Thess. 1.6. It is a righteous thing with God to recompence tribula∣tions, &c. Ans. It is righteous, not because God ought so to doe of duty, but be∣cause he promised: now for God to stand to his word. it is a part of iustice.

Obiect. III. Christ hath merited, that workes might merit. Ans. I. This ta∣keth quite away the intercession of Christ. II. It is against the nature of a le∣gall worke, to merit (ex condigno) condignly: because both the lawe of nature and creation doe bind man to performe legall workes vnto God. And fur∣ther, all workes are very imperfect, and mixed with sinne. III. This doctrine concerning works, doth obscure and darken the merit of Christ: because that the obtaining of eternall life is withdrawne from his death and obedience, & attributed vnto workes. For they say thus, that Christ by his passion did merit indeede for the sinner iustification: but a sinner once iustified, doth for him∣selfe by his owne merits euen condignly merit eternall life.

Obiect. IV. The works of the regenerate, are the workes of the holy Ghost, therfore perfect and pure. Ans. I. The workes of God are all perfect, but yet in their time, and by degrees: therefore sanctification which is a worke of god, must in this life remaine incomplete, & is made perfect in the world to come. II. The works of God are pure, as they are the workes of God alone, not of God and impure man: but nowe good workes they doe come immediatly from the naturall faculties of the soule, namely, from the vnderstanding, and the wil, (in which, they being as yet, but partly regenerated, some corrupt qua∣lities of sinne doe yet remaine) and are not immediatly and simply, or wholly deriued from Gods spirit. And hence it is that they are all stained with sinne.