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.

Obseru. 2. Concerning merit of works: wherein is shewed, that many learned Papists haue impugned the do∣ctrine of merit.

1. Many learned Papists in former dayes haue con∣demned the present doctrine of merit, maintained by Pa∣pists. Dionysius Cistertiensis saith,a Good workes of pre∣cept, because they be commanded, are not meritorious of life e∣ternall. Ferus saith,b Reward is due to workes, of grace, but not of debt: and the sufferings of this life are not worthy of the future glorie: and whosoeuer desireth to enioy the fauour of God, must not mention merit. And Pighius affirmeth, thatc there is no reall difference betweene him and vs

in this question.

2. Many Schoolemen and Papists reiect the merit of condignitie, holding that good works do merite onely in congruitied. But the merit of congruitie is indeed no me¦rit, but onely in namee: to wit, when a reward or benefite is bestowed, neither for the dignitie of the worke, or worthi∣nes of the doer, or for any equalitie betweene the worke and re∣ward, but onely vpon the liberalitie of the donar. And this opinion is the same with ours.

3. Although many Papists in word maintaine the me∣rit of condignitie, yet (according to Iesuite Vasques) they do in deed destroy the same merit: and these also in substance agree with vsf.

Holcot saith, thatg one assisted by grace, may condignely merit life eternall, is vnderstood two wayes: one, so, as that there is as much worth in the substance of the merit, as may deserue life eternall. The other, that it is worth so much, onely by the position of some law; as when a small peece of copper, by the ordinance of the Prince, is made worth a loafe of bread. Good workes are not condignely worthy of life eternall, by the substance of the worke, but by grace onely (according to the latter kind of worthinesse.)

Brulifer:h An action wrought by charitie, is onely worthy

of life eternall, by the passiue acceptation of God, and not by the nature of the worke it selfe.

Alphonsus Castro:i Workes of grace, of themselues are vnworthy of glorie, and we by them could haue had no right to eternall glorie.

Andreas Vega:k We place no greater right in the workes of iust men, in respect of blessednesse, when we say they be con∣dignely meritorious of the same, but that it pleaseth God of his liberalitie to conferre beatitude vpon vs and our deeds.

With these agree Cardinall Hosiusl; and the learned Chumel seemes to teach the same, where he saith, Merit is the means of blessednesse, by the way of impetrationm. And merit of impetration, is no more but merit of congrui∣tien.

Notes

• a

  Dionys. Cister. 3. sent. q. 3. ar. 3. c. 6. cited by Vasq.
• b

  Ferus com. Math. l. 3 c. 20. Ge••s. tom 4 tr. de sig. Signum malum est, of∣ferre Deo opera sua, quasi dignū aliquid habeant ex persona ope∣rantis, & non potius sint foeditates, quasi pannus menstruatae, aut sicut panniculî leprosorum qui per continuam saniem defluentem sordidantur.
• c

  Cont. Ratisb. l. 2.
• d

  Greg. Arim. 1. d. 7. q. 1. ••. 1. Dura. d. 1. d. 17. & 2. d. 27 Mar∣si••••us. Th••. Wal∣den. Burge••s••s. Eckius. See Ve∣ga opusc. q. 5.
• e

  Bellar. de iu∣st••. l. ••. c. 22. B. Medin. 1. 2. q. 114. art. 10. Cai••tan. 1. 2. q. 114. art. 10. Becan. de iustif. Cath. c. 3. Gabr. 2. d. 27. q. vnic. art. 1. not. 3. Adrian. in. 4. de sacram. euchar. Sunt merita no∣stra, velut bacu∣lus arundineus, &c. & quasi pan¦nus menst••uatae, sunt omnes iu∣stitiae nost••ae, &c. Gr. Arim. 1. d. 17. q. 1. Volens per hoc, Aug. innue∣re, quod cū vita aeterna datur iu∣stis, non tā redditur quā donatur. Cling. loc. com. l. 1. c. 22. Docemus opera esse meritoria iust••tiae, ex gratia, id est, immerita misericordia, scilicet fauore ••olum Dei non merito & dignitate ope∣rum.
• f

  Vasqu. 1. 2. p. r. d. 14. c. 1. Contingere potest vt si veram rationem meriti non assigne∣mus, verbis solum ab haereticis dissidentes, reipsa cum ijs conueniamus, quod aliq••ibus Catholi∣cis in hac controuersia accidisse pat••bit. Scotus. G. Arim. Gabriel. Occham. Alphonsus Castro. Guil. Paris. Bruliser. Antididag. Colon. Concil. Colon. Concil. Senonen••. Holcot. Vega, Hosius, Victoria, Canus, Ioh. Bunderius &c.
• g

  Holcot. in Sap. 3. lect. 35. Cling. loc. com. lib. 1. cap. 19. Condignum meritum non est ex parte operum, sed gratiae Dei quae promisit meritum hoc ope∣ribus: ita vt condignitas illa meriti respicit gratiam, non opus operatum, &c.
• h

  B••uli ••••••••ent. d. 17. cited by Hosius confess. c. 73. Aegid. Conick. Iesuit. de sacram. to. 2. disp. 10. dub. 2. n. 1••. Quod nostra opera tam immensum praemium merentur, magis prouenire ex munificentia Dei, quam dignitate operum.
• i

  Alph. Castro. c. haer. verb. me∣ritum.
• k

  Vega opusc. q. 5.
• l

  Hos. con. Brent l. 5. Nullum à Sanctis exire porest opus, quod si in se cē∣seatur. confusi∣onem iustam non mereatur: docemus igitur mercedem reg¦ni coelestis da∣tam ni operi∣bus nostris, verum non propter eorum, quatenus á nobis proficiscuntur dignitatem, sed propter Christum, cuius manuum opera sunt.
• m

  Chumel. q. var. p. 3. pa. 339.
• n

  Bella. de lib. concor. mend. 8. Meritum impetrationis, quod scholastici Meritum de congruo nominare solent.