The safegarde from ship-wracke, or Heauens hauen compiled by I.P. priest.

FATHERS.

S. Iustine, anno 150. saith:a men whoe by their wor∣kes haue shewed themselues worthy the will and councell of God, wee account them to liue with him by their merites, and so to raigne, that they shalbe free from all death and trouble.

S. Irenaeus, anno 160. saith:b let vs not account that crowne pretious, or of worth which easily and of it owne accord plats it self vpon our heads, but that which wee attayne by payne; and againe; and by how much the more paynfull it comes vnto vs, so much the more inriched and estimable it is.

S Basil, anno 380. saith:c man is saued by the wor∣kes of iustice. Againe:d all wee that walke an Euan∣gelicall life, are Marchants, seeking for the possession of heauen by the workes of the commaunde∣ments. Againe:e shew thy workes and craue thy reward.

S. Cyprian, anno 240 saithf Man hath need of iu∣stice whereby to merit God, wee must obey his pre∣cepts and admonitions that our merites may receaue theire reward. Againe:g if the day of naturall ren∣dring our soul, or vnnaturall, by persecution, find vs prompt, ready, and runing this painfull path of good workes, our Lord will neuer be wanting to re∣ward our merites for, vpon the workes which obtey∣ne it in peace, he bestoweth apure crowne of whit∣nes, but for martyrdome in persecution, he doubles, a purple crowne.

S Chrysostome, anno 380 saith:h If God be iust, and will restore to these, and to those according to their merites, and that heere, neither of them doth re∣ceaue, either he the punishment of his wickednes,

or this reward of his virtue, it is manifest ther doth remayne another place, where they shall receaue theire reward.

S. Gregory Nazianz. anno 380. saith:i Beleeue the re∣surrection, the iudgment, and a rewarde to be recea∣ued at the iust ballance of God.

S. Gregory Nyss. anno 380. saith:k Finally I see eue∣ry man rewarded according to his merites: to tho∣se which haue bine good and courteous, perpetuall rest is giuen in the kingdome of heauen; but to inhumane, and wicked men, a punishment of fier and that foreuer.

S. Hylary, anno 350. saith:l Let vs seeke the king∣dome of God, for the wages of our life, and this is the reward of such as liue well and religiously, that out of this matter of a corruptible body, they are transferred into a new and heauenly substance, and that this earthly corruption is changed for a hea∣uenly incorruption,m which happy eternitie is to be performed.

S. Ambrose, anno 380 saith.n It is not euident that either the reward of our merites, or punishments, remayne after death.

S. Hierome, anno 380. saith.o Denarius doth free all out of prison by baptisme as it were by the pardon of a true Prince: Now it must be our la∣bour to prouide vs diuerse rewardes, according to the diuersitie of virtues.

S. Calestinus Pope, anno 4••3. saith:p so great is the goodnes of God towardes all men that he will haue those thinges to be our merites which are his giftes, and for these which he doth giue vs, he will giue e∣ternall rewardes.

S. Paulinus, anno 400. saith.q The iust iudge will acknowledge to thee the rewardes of thy vir∣tues.

S Prosper, anno 450. saith:r man being iustified, that is, of an impious made pious, without any former or precedent good merite, doth receaue a gift, by which means he doth get his merite.

S Augustine, anno 400. saith:s are there no merites

of the iust there are certeynly, because there are iust, but that there might be iust there were noc merites. Et infra: as for the merite of sinne, death is propo∣sed as the stipend, so, for the merite of iustice, life euerlasting is for a stipend. Againe:t life euerlasting is a full reward, at the promise wherof wee reioyce; neither can the reward goe before merites, or be first giuen to a man before that he be worthy. For what is more vniust then this, and more iust then God? wee ought not therfore to craue a reward before that wee be worthy or decerue to be receaued. Agai∣ne:u God himself hath made himself our debtor, not by receauing, but by promising. It is not said vnto him, [••••••ore what thou hast receaued, but what thou hast promised.]

Andx God is become a debtor vnto vs, not by re∣ceauing any thing but, which pleased him, by pro∣m sing Et infra: therefore after that manner wee may craue of our Lord. [restore what thou hast promi∣sed, because wee haue done what thou commaun∣den,] and thou hast done this, whoe hast holpen vs lab u••ing.

M ••ulgentius, anno 480 saith.y For he through his owne goodnes did vouchsaue to make himself our debtor.

Notes

• a

  in Apolog. 2. ant•• me∣dium
• b

  Aduersus haereses cap. 72.
• c

  lib. de S. Spiritu
• d

  S. ca. 24. orat. ••••ple princip.
• e

  Prouerb o∣rat ad Diui∣••es
• f

  l b. de sim∣plie Pra••ator vel de vnita∣te Ecclesiae.
• g

  Serm▪ de Elecmos. ex∣tremo.
• h

  hom. 4. de Lazaro. Cir∣canied.
• i

  Orat. in S. Baptism•• ex∣trema
• k

  orat 1. do de amandis Pauperibus
• l

  Can. 5. in mattaum
• m

  Connon 〈◊〉〈◊〉
• n

  lib. 1. de of∣ficus c. 15.
• o

  lib. 2 adu∣louinlanum prope finem
• p

  in epistola ad Gallo••.
• q

  in Epistola ad vitricium
• r

  In respon ad cap. 6. Gallorum
• s

  epist. 105. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Sixtu〈◊〉〈◊〉
• t

  lib. de mo∣tibus cap. 25.
• u

  psal. 73.
• x

  Serm. 16. de ••••bis A∣postoli.
• y

  in Prologo Libro••••••d monimum.