An answer to a challenge madeAn ansvver to a challenge made

Among those famous Clerks that lived in the family ⟨p. 519⟩of Richard Angervill Bishop of Durham in the days of Edward the third; Thomas Bradwardin who was afterward Archbishop of Canterbury, Richard Fitzraufe afterward Archbishop of Armagh, and Robert Holeot the Dominican, were of special note. The first of these, in his Defence of the cause of God against the Pelagians of his time, disputeth this point at large: showing, ^dthat Merit is not the cause of everlasting reward; and that when the Scriptures and Doctors do affirm, that God will reward the good for their good merits (or works,) Propter did not signify the cause properly; but improperly, either the cause of knowing it, or the order, or the disposition of the subject thereunto. Richard of Armagh (whom my countrymen commonly do call S. Richard of Dundalke, because he was there borne and buried) intimateth this to be his mind; that the reward is here rendered, ^enot for the condignitie of the work, but for the promise and so for the justice of the rewarder: as heretofore we have heard out of Bernard. Holcot, though in words he maintain the merit of condignitie; yet he confesseth with the Master of the Sentences, that God is hereby made our debtor, ex. naturâ sui promissi, non ex naturâ nostri commissi, out of the nature of his own promise, not out of the nature of our doing: and that our works have this value in them, not naturally, as if there were so great goodness in the nature or substance of the merit that everlasting life should be due unto it, but legally, in regard of Gods ordinance and appointment. even ^fas a ⟨p. 520⟩little piece of copper, of it own nature or natural value, is not worth so much as a loaf of bread; but by the institution of the Prince is worth so much. And in this manner ^gwe may say (saith he) that our works are worthy of life everlasting by grace, and not by the substance of the act. For God hath ordained, that he that worketh well in grace should have life everlasting: and therefore by the law and grace of Christ our Prince we merit condignly everlasting life. Whereby we may see, how rightly it hath been observed by Vasquez;