I need scarcely to point out the immense controversial importance of the circumstance, that the very Romanists themselves, as cited by the learned Archbishop, and as duly given above, fairly acknowledge, that the old ecclesiastical writers use the word Merit, simply in the sense of procuring or gaining, and not in the modern sense of meritoriousness whether of congruity or of condignity.

NUMBER IV.

ADDITIONAL TESTIMONIES OF ANTIENT AND MEDIEVAL ECCLESIASTICAL WRITERS, AS COLLECTED BY ABP. USHER.

When this work was originally composed and published, I had not read Abp. Usher's Answer to a Jesuit's Challenge. On a subsequent perusal of that valuable Treatise, I had much satisfaction in finding, that, although the learned Primate produces numerous testimonies from the old ecclesiastical writers in favour of the true scriptural doctrine of Justification, he very rarely happens to bring forward those which I have myself cited. This circumstance shews the much greater extent to which my own quotations might easily have been carried, and thus adds a mighty degree of force to the evidence which I had been at the pains to collect.

The Archbishop, furthermore, cites, to the same effect, various authors, who flourished chronologically between Augustine and Bernard: thus filling up the chasm, which I have, perhaps from very weariness, left between those two Fathers.

I. That the moral demonstration may be still more cogent, I shall enrich my own Work from the stores of the indefatigable Usher, adding to each author's name the date of the time when he lived.

1. Hilary of Poictiers. A. D. 360.

Merces quidem ex dono nulla est, quia debetur ex opere. Sed gratuitam Deus omnibus, ex fidei justificatione, donavit. Hilar. Pictav. in Matt. Can. xx.

2. Theodoret. A. D. 430.

Ἡ τῶν ἀνθρώπων σωτηρία μόνης ἤρτηται τῆς θείας φιλανθρωπίας οὔτε γὰρ μισθὸν δικαιοσύνης ταύτην καρπούμεθα, ἀλλὰ τῆς θείας ἐστιν ἀγαθότητος δῶρον. Theodor. in Sophon. c. iii.

3. Prosper. A. D. 440.

Non labori pretium solvens, sed divitias bonitatis suæ in eos, quos sine operibus elegit, effundens; ut etiam hi, qui in multo labore sudarunt nec amplius quam novissimi acceperunt, intelligant, donum se gratiæ, non operum, accepisse, mercedem. Prosper. de Vocat. Gent. lib. i. c. 17.

4. Ennodius of Pavia. A. D. 510.

Meritum meum Regnator coelestis si attenderet, aut exigua bona adipiscerer aut magna supplicia: et mei idoneus æstimator, quo meritis pervenire non poteram, voto non tenderem. Sed gratias illi, qui delicta nostra sic, ne extollamur, resecat, ut spem ad lætiora perducat. Ennod. Ticinens. lib. ii. epist. 10. ad Faust.

5. Eusebius Emessenus sive Gallicanus. A. D. 520.

Totis licet et animæ et corporis laboribus desudemus, totis licet obedientiæ viribus exerceamur, nihil tamen condignum merito pro coelestibus bonis compensare et offerre valebimus. Non valent vitæ præsentis obsequia æternæ titæ gaudiis comparari. Lasseseant licet membra vigiliis, pallescant licet ora jejuniis, non erunt tamen condigna passiones hujus temporis ad futuram gloriam quæ revelabitur in nobis. Pulsemus, ergo, carissimi, in quantum possumus, quia non possumus quantum debemus. Futura beatitudo acquiri potest: æstimari non poEuseb. Emiss. sive Gallic. ad Monachos. ser. iii.

test.

6. Pope Gregory 1. A. D. 600.

Ut enim sæpe diximus, Omnis humana justitia injustitia esse convincitur, si districté judicetur. Prece ergo post justitiam indiget, ut, quæ succumbere discussa poterat, ex sola Judicis pietate convalescat.- Dicat ergo, Qui etiamsi habuero quippiam justum, non respondebo, sed meum Judicem deprecabor; velut, si apertius fateatur, dicens, Etsi ad opus virtutis excrevero, ad vitam, non ex meritis, sed ex venia, convalesco. Gregor. Moral. in Job. lib. ix. c. 14.

Quod si illa sanctorum felicitas misericordia est et non meritis acquiritur, ubi erit quod scriptum est: Et tu reddes unicuique secundum opera sua ? Si secundum opera redditur, quo

modo misericordia æstimabitur? Sed aliud est secundum opera reddere; et aliud, propter ipsa opera reddere. In eo enim quod secundum opera dicitur, ipsa operum qualitas intelligitur ; ut, cujus apparuerint bona opera, ejus sit et retributio gloriosa. Illi namque beatæ vitæ, in qua cum Deo et de Deo vivitur, nullus potest æquari labor, nulla opera comparari; præsertim cum Apostolus dicat: Non sunt condigna passiones hujus temporis ad futuram gloriam quæ revelabitur in nobis. Gregor. in Psalm. Poenitent. vii. 9.

7. Anastatius Sinaita. A. D. 640.

Οὐκοῦν ταπεινοφροσύνη ἀλήθης ἐστι τὸ πράττειν τὰ ἀγαθὰ, λογίζεσα θαι δὲ ἑαυτὸν ἀκάθαρτον καὶ ἀνάξιον τοῦ Θεοῦ, διὰ μόνην τὴν φιλανθρωπ πίαν αὐτοῦ σωθῆναι νομίζοντα· Όσα γὰρ ἀγαθὰ ἐὰν ποιήσωμεν, οὐκ ἀπολογούμεθα τῷ Θεῷ ὑπὲρ μόνου αὐτοῦ τοῦ ἀέρος τοῦ ἀναπνεομένου . Ὅταν γὰρ καὶ πάντα, ὅσα ἔχομεν, προσενέγκωμεν αὐτῷ, οὐ χρεωστεῖ ἡμῖν μισθὸν· αὐτοῦ γὰρ ἐστι τὰ σύμπαντα· Οὐδεὶς δὲ τὰ ἴδια λαμ βάνων χρεωστεϊ μισθὸν δουναι τοῖς προσφέρουσιν αὐτῷ αὐτὰ. Anastas. Sin. Quæst. cxxxv.

8. Bede, sirnamed The Venerable. A. D. 720.

Per justitiam factorum nullus salvabitur, sed per solam justitiam fidei. Bed. in Psalm. lxxvii.

Instruit videlicet, ut nemo vel libertatem arbitrii vel merita sua sufficere sibi ad beatitudinem credat, sed sola gratia Dei se salvari posse intelligat. Bed. in Psalm. xxxi.

Accipiet benedictionem, id est, multiplicationem a Domino ; hanc, scilicet, ut in præsenti bene promereatur, et in futuro bene remuneretur: et hoc, non ex meritis, sed ex sola gratia. Bed. in Psalm. xxiii.

9. Haymo Halberstattensis. A. D. 840.

Propter David servum tuum, id est, propter meritum ipsius Christi et hic datur planè intelligi, nullum de meritis suis debere præsumere, sed omnem salvationem ex Christi meritis exspectare. Haym. Halber. in Psalm. cxxxi,

Sed et nos, agentes poenitentiam, sciamus, nihil nos dignum dare posse ad placandum Deum, sed solummodo in sanguine immaculati et singularis Agui nos posse salvari. Haym. Halber. in Mich. c. vi.

10. Smaragdus. A. D. 950.

Necesse est sola fide Christi salvari credentes. Smaraga. in Galat. c. iii.

11. Anselm of Canterbury. A. D. 1080.

Sed et Anselmus Archiepiscopus Cantuariensis interrogationes quasdam præscripsisse dicitur infirmis in extremis constitutis; inter quas extrema est: Credis te non posse nisi per mortem Christi salvari? Respondet infirmus: Etiam. Tum illi dicitur: Age, ergo, dum superest in te anima, in hac sola morte fiduciam tuam constitue; in nulla alia re fiduciam habe; huic morti te totum committe; hac sola te totum contege; totum immisce te in hac morte, totum confige; in hac morte te totum involve. Et, si Dominus voluerit te judicare, dic: Domine, mortem Domini nostri Jesu Christi objicio inter me et tuum judicium; aliter tecum non contendo. Et, si tibi dixerit; Quia peccator es: dic; Domine, mortem Domini Jesu Christi pono inter te et peccata mea. Si dixerit tibi; Quod meruisti damnationem; dic; Domine, mortem Domini nostri Jesu Christi obtendo inter me et mala merita mea: ipsiusque meritum offero pro merito, quod ego debuissem habere, nec habeo. Si dixerit; Quod tibi est iratus: dic; Domine, mortem Domini nostri Jesu Christi oppono inter me et iram tuam. Hosius in Confess. Petricoviens. c. 73.

SACERDOS. Credis; non propiis meritis, sed passionis Domini nostri Jesu Christi virtute et merito, ad gloriam pervenire? Respondeat infirmus; Credo. SACERDOS. Credis, quod Dominus noster Jesus Christus pro nostra salute mortuus sit; et quod, ex propiis meritis vel alio modo, nullus possit salvari, nisi in merito passionis ejus? Respondeat infirmus: Credo. Ord. Baptiz. et Visit. edit. Venat. ann. 1575. fol. 43. Instit. Baptiz. edit. Paris. ann. 1575. fol. 35. Sacerdotal. Rom. edit. Venet. ann. 1585. fol. 116. b.

Formula illa infirmos jam animam agentes interrogandi, in Bibliothecis passim obvia; quæ et separatim Anselmo Cantuariensi inscribitur, et operi Epistolarum inserta reperitur. Georg. Cassand. in Append. ad Opusc. Johan. Roffens. de Fiducia et Misericordia Dei.

Si homo mille annis serviret Deo, etiam ferventissimè: non mereratur, ex condigno, dimidiam diem esse in regno coelorum. Anselm. in lib. de Mensuratione Crucis.

12. Bernard of Clairvaux. A. D. 1130.

We now reach the last of the Fathers, with numerous citations from whose Works I concluded my own detail of testimonies. Certain other citations are added from this writer by Archbishop Usher: and the abundance of what may be extracted from him is shewn by the circumstance, that, as the Archbishop has adduced none of my citations, so I happen to have adduced none of his. He remarks very justly, that, in a special manner, Bernard of Clairvaux delivereth this doctrine most sweetly and then confirms his remark by an adduction of the following passages.

:

Necesse est primo omnium credere, quod remissionem peccatorum habere non possis, nisi per indulgentiam Dei; deinde quod nihil prorsus habere queas operis boni, nisi et hoc dederit ipse; postremo, quod æternam vitam nullis potes operibus promereri, nisi gratis detur et illa. Bernard. Serm. i. in Annunciat. B. Mariæ.

Alioquin, si propriè appellentur ea quæ dicimus nostra merita, spei quædam sunt seminaria, caritatis incentiva, occultæ prædestinationis indicia, futuræ felicitatis præsagia, via regni, non causa regnandi. Bernard. in fin. libr. de Grat. et Liber. Arbitrio.

Periculosa habitatio eorum, qui in suis meritis sperant : periculosa, quia ruinosa. Bernard. in Psalm. Qui habitat. serm. i. Hoc enim totum hominis meritum, si totam spem suam ponat in eo quod totum hominem salvum facit. Ibid. serm. xv.

II. Here I conclude my extracts from the numerous citations which have been collected by the learning and industry of Archbishop Usher: and, unless I altogether misunderstand their import, it now, I trust, is apparent that the precise System, which the Tridentines anathematised and which Mr. Knox reprobated, was, in point of fact, maintained, as a primeval catholic verity, by at least twenty eight ecclesiastical writers, who, in regular succession, are spread over the period which extends from Clement of Rome in the first century to Bernard of Clairvaux in the twelfth century; for, to the seventeen witnesses produced by myself, I have now added eleven other witnesses produced by Usher. Hence the entire list of witnesses to the apostolicity of the System, maintained both by the Church of England