A replie to Iesuit Fishers answere to certain questions propou[n]ded by his most gratious Matie: King Iames By Francis White D: of Div· deane of Carlile, chaplaine to his Matie. Hereunto is annexed, a conference of the right: R:B: of St Dauids wth the same Iesuit*

ANSWER.

Protestants are not ignorant what Romists require, to make Workes meritorious; but withall, they vnderstand that the se∣uen Graces rehearsed by you in this place, are not sufficient to infuse a 〈◊〉〈◊〉 causalitie or efficiencie intothem. [ D]

* 1.1 And some proportion with the heauenly reward, maketh not vertuous actions to be condignely meritorious: for there is proportion of Order, yea, of instrumentall causalitie, and of meanes to the end, and there is proportion of Equalitie, or 〈◊〉〈◊〉. The first kind of proportion maketh not the cause or meanes meritorious, as appeareth in Faith and contri∣tion, in respect of remission of sinnes; and of Regeneration, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 respect of the heauenly inheritance; and there was some 〈◊〉〈◊〉 betweene the 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉 through the Wilder∣nesse [ E] , and the land of 〈◊〉〈◊〉, yet the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 trauell was not a meritorious cause of their possession of that good Land.

His 〈◊〉〈◊〉 therefore, being of a 〈◊◊〉〈◊◊〉 iudgement, [ A] is well able to ponder these things, and to discerne, that you hauing deliuered as much in substance for your Doctrine of Me∣rit as the matter will beare, yet haue in effect said nothing, but that which is refelled by some of your owne part, and which is insufficient to demonstrate, That the Roman doctrine of Me∣rit is Catholicke.

And to conclude this Paragraph, I desire ingenious Rea∣ders, not to be abused by the equiuocations of Romists, who wilfully peruert the Testimonies of Councells, and Fathers, to establish the erroneous Doctrine of Merit of condignitie: for [ B] enteruiewing the places, you shall perceiue, that the Fathers frequently applying the word Merit, to vertuous Actions, speake of obtention and impetration, and not of meriting in condignitie: yea, as the learned Pontifician Andreas Vega a 1.2 ob∣serueth, they often apply the word Merit, to Actions, in which there is neither Merit of condignitie nor congruitie.

Notes

• * 1.1

  c 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 2. d. 27. q. 2. n. 10. Et 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 1. 2. Disp. 214. c. 1. n. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. Eo quod me∣rita & opera 〈◊◊◊〉〈◊◊◊〉 dicantur semen vitae aeter∣nae ac proinde me∣taphoricè solum dicenda sint 〈◊◊◊〉〈◊◊◊〉 non 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ratione nisi 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Deus 〈◊◊◊〉〈◊◊◊〉 vt 〈◊〉〈◊〉 vitam 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 3. d. 20. q. 1. Nulla 〈◊〉〈◊〉 obligationis, tenetur Deus cuicunq, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Ib. q. 2. Hoc est 〈◊◊◊〉〈◊◊◊〉 sibi debitum & debitorem.
• a 1.2

  Reade Vega d. Iustif. l. 8. c. 6.7.8. And my Defence of my Brother D. Iohn White, pa. 40. & 41.