The orthodox faith and vvay to the Church explaned and iustified in answer to a popish treatise, entituled, White died blacke; wherein T.W. p. in his triple accusation of D. White for impostures, vntruths, and absurd illations, is proued a trifler: and the present controuersies betweene vs and the Romanists are more fully deliuered and cleared. By Francis White Bachelour in Diuinitie, and elder brother of Doctor Iohn White.

Paragr. 4. Wherein D. White is accused of corrupting Bellar∣mine, about merit of workes.

T. W.M. White hauing affirmed, that many Catho∣licks condemne all merit of workes, alledgeth certaine words of Bellarmine to that purpose, saying: By reason of the vn∣certaintie of mans owne righteousnesse, and for feare of vainglorie, it is our safest way to repose our whole con∣fidence in the sole mercie and goodnesse of God. But if all Bellarmines contexture had bene produced, and the sub∣iect of his whole disputation considered, it would haue appea∣red, that he maintaines positiuely the merit of workes, and deposeth the contrary to that whereunto he is produced. Which being so, D. White dealeth herein perfect Minister-like, &c.

Answ. D. Whites assertion, whereunto he produceth sundrie testimonies of Papists, is this: Howsoeuer our ad∣uersaries contend for their merits, yet the learnedst and most iudicious among them, disavow them, teaching people at the way-gate to renounce them.

This position hath two branches: First, the most lear∣ned and iudicious Papists disavow the merit of workes, he meaneth according to the tenet thereof, by diuers

pontificians, since the late Trident Councella

Secondly, the most learned and iudicious among them, teach people, at the time of their departure out of this life, to renounce them, in respect of reposing the hope of saluation in them.

My brother produced Bellarmine, to proue this se∣cond branch; and therefore the P. P. to manifest his Po∣pish sinceritie, and to make way to a slander, wilfully o∣mitted and concealed the words [teaching people at their way-gate to renounce them] whereunto the saying of Bel∣larmine was referred: and foisteth in a cogging sentence of his owne, which is, In proofe that the Catholike Doctors condemne all merit of workes, he alledgeth the foresaid Car∣dinall, &c. But this shuffling wil not serue your turne: Do∣lis apud ignorantes locus est, scientibus verò, dolum intendere non est aliud quàm risum mouereb: There is place for guile with the ignorant, but to seeke to put tricks of deceit vpon the vnderstanding, is to moue laughter.

T.W. What impuden••ie is it in M. White to produce Bel∣larmine, as denying the doctrine of merit of workes, when the subiect of this very booke (from whence these words are taken, and also of diuers other bookes in that Tome) is onely to proue that workes do merit?

Answ. It is one thing to disavow merits in regard of placing hope of saluation in them, in our way-gate or time of temptation and triall; and another, to disallow them altogether. D. White chargeth Bellarmine with disavowing merits in the former sort; and the P.P. accu∣seth him of saying, that the said author disalloweth and condemneth merits generally.

But yet further, because you minister so iust occasion of enquiring into Bellarmines opinion concerning merit

of workes, I will be bold to require a solution of you, in these two or three doubts.

First, whether is it not possible for Bellarmine to de∣fend merit of workes in termes, and yet in substance of matter to denie the same? Vasques your Iesuitec obser∣ueth that this hath happened to sundry Catholikes.

Secondly, when Bellarmine affirmeth, This is it we meane in saying, good workes are meritorious; that God is not onely delighted with good workes, but conciliated or in∣duced thereby to benefite them which worke welld. What dif∣ference is there betweene this assertion and ourse? Also saying in another placef, Seeing our workes of themselues, considered onely according to their nature, be temporarie, vile, and in no sort equall to a supernaturall and eternall reward, surely there must of necessitie be added vnto them a dignitie beyond their owne, that the reward of eternall life may be ren∣dred vnto them. Whether is not this assertion the verie same which Vasques affirmeth to agree in substance with ours, and in deed, to ouerthrow the merit of condig∣nitieg?

For thus I reason out of Bellarmine and Vasques: E∣uery merit of iustice and condignitie, requires an equali∣tie betweene the worke and the reward.h But Bellarmine affirmeth, that good workes of themselues without Gods promise, are temporall, vile, and not equall to the reward. And Vasques saith, that Gods promise being extrinsecal, increaseth not the dignitie of the worke, neither addeth any further equalitie with the reward then it had before, but onely obligeth God in fidelitie to keep his promisei.

Neither doth it salue this matter that Bellarmine saith, there is a certain equalitie and proportionk betweene the worke and reward: for himselfel elsewhere, and other of his fellowesm acknowledge, that euery proportion cau∣seth not equalitie. And a figuratiue equalitie (such in∣deed as Bellarmines is) can produce no more but an im∣proper kind of merit. To wit, like as when a father promi∣seth a reward to his child, vpon condition of doing that dutie whereunto he is alreadie boundn, and the child in much imperfection, yet with a willing mind perfor∣meth so much of this his dutie as he is able, he deserueth no reward in iustice, neither performeth any thing in iu∣stice equall to the reward promised; but obtaineth the re∣ward by the liberalitie and fidelitie of his father.

Thirdly, it seemeth that Bellarmine limpeth and hal∣teth betweene his owne partie and vs, when he affirmeth, that it is most safe to repose all our confidence in the sole boun∣tie and mercie of Godo. For otherwise, why doth his fel∣low Vasques lash and censure his doctrine, but for that he perceiueth some inclination and concord thereof with vsp?

Notes

• Way to the Ch. Digress. 35. n. 15. pa. 235.
• a

  Reade the end of this Chap. Obseru. 2. con∣cerning merit.
• b

  Ruffin. hist. Eccles. l. 1 c. 11.
• c

  Vasq. 1. 2. p. 2. d. 214. c. 1. n. 1. contingere po∣test vt si veram caulam & ratio∣nem meriti non assignemus, ver∣bis solum ab haereticis dissi∣dentes, reipsa cum ijs conue niamus: quod sanè ali quibus Catholicis in hac controuer∣sia accidisse, in∣feriùs patebit, &c.
• d

  Bellar. de iu∣sti•• l. 5. c 2.
• e

  Reade the end of this Chap. Obseru. 1. of merit.
• f

  Bellar. de iu¦stif. l. 5. c. 14. Cū opera nostra bona, si per se considerentur, sint temporalia, & vilia, & nullo modo aequalia precio superna∣turali, &c.
• g

  Vasq. 1. 2. d. 214. c. 1. & de∣inceps, c. 5.
• h

  Bellar. de iustif. l 5. c. 14. &c. 17. Ita vt in opere bono, &c. sit quaedam proportio & aequalitas ad praemium vitae aeternae, &c. Vasq. 1. 2. d. 214. c 5. n. 29.
• i

  Vasq. ib. c. 5. n. 24. 26. &c. &c. 6. Immota omnino actione nostra secundum omnes circumstantias, &c. non potest effici magis bona ex solo verbo Dei promittentis, &c. qui promitteret equū pro obsequio exigui valoris, &c.
• k

  Bellar. de iu∣stif. l. 1. c. 21.
• l

  Ibid. l. 5. c. 19. in fine.
• m

  Vasq. ib. d. 215. c 4. n. 27. Sixt. Senens. biblioth. l. ••. ann 199. Du∣••and. 2 dist. 27. q 2. Quod dici∣tur de gratia, quod aequatur gloriae, in virtu∣te, quia est eius seminarium, patet quod me∣taphoricè dici∣tur, &c.
• n

  Iansen con∣cord. Euang. c. 39. Si quis pro∣ponat patrem, munere aliquo promisso, silium ad feruens lite∣rarum studium prouocantē. &c. Vega opusc. q. 5 & q. 6. Erit tantùm dispositio quaedam ad habendum illud munus. pa. 809.
• o

  Bellar. de iustif. l. 5. c. 7. Tutissimum est fiduciam totam in sola Dei misericordia & benignitate reponere, &c. Vega opusc. quaest. 4. Stapl. de iustif. l. 10 c 14.
• p

  Vasq. 1. 2. p. 2. d. 21. 3. c. 7. n. 37. &c.