The life of faith in three parts, the first is a sermon on Heb.…

Error 46. It is sinful, and against free grace, to think that any works or actions of our own, are rewardable; or to say, that they are meritorious, though it be nothing but rewardableness that is meant by it.

Errour 46. It is sinful, and against free grace, to think that any works or actions of our own, are rewardable; or to say, that they are meritorious, though it be nothing but rewardableness that is meant by it.

Contr. The Papists have so much abused the word merit, by many dangerous opinions about it, that it is now become more unmeet to be used by us than it was in ancient times, when the Doctors and Churches (even Austin himself) did commonly use it. But if nothing be meant by it, but rewardableness, or the relation of a duty to the reward as freely promised by God (as many Papists themselves understand it, and the ancient Fathers generally did) he that will charge a man with error in doctrine for the use of an inconvenient word, is uncharitable and perverse; especially when it is other mens abuse, which hath done most to make it inconvenient. The merit of the cause is a common phrase among all Lawyers, when there is commutative meriting intended. I have fully showed in my Confession, that the Scripture frequently useth the word [worthy] which is the same or full as much: And a subject may be said to merit protection of his Prince; and a scholar to merit praise of his Master, and a child to deserve love and respect from his Parents, and all this in no respect to commutative Justice, wherein the Rewarder is supposed to be a gainer at all; but only in governing distributive Justice, which giveth every one that which (by gift or any way) is his due. And that every good man, and every good action, deserveth praise, that is, to be esteemed such as it is. And that there is also a comparative merit, and a not meriting evil: As a Believer may be said not to deserve damnation by the Covenant of Grace, but only by (or according to) the Law of Nature or Works.

Contr. The Papists have so much abused the word merit, by many dangerous op•nions about it, that it is now become more unmeet to be used by us than it was in ancient times, when the Doctors and Churches (even Austin himself) did commonly use it. But if nothing be meant by it, but rewardableness, or the relation of a duty to the reward as freely promised by God (as many Papists themselves understand it, and the ancient Fathers generally did) he that will charge a man with errour in doctrine for the use of an inconvenient word, is uncharitable and perverse; especially when it is other mens abuse, which hath done most to make it inconvenient. The merit of the cause is a common phrase among all Lawyers, when there is commutative meriting intended. I have fully shewed in my Confession, that the Scripture frequently useth the word [worthy] which is the same or full as much: And a subject may be said to merit protection of his Prince; and a scholar to merit praise of his Master, and a child to deserve love and respect from his Parents, and all this in no respect to commutative Justice, wherein the Rewarder is supposed to be a gainer at all; but only in governing distributive Justice, which giveth every one that which (by gift or any way) is his due. And that every good man, and every good action, deserveth praise, that is, to be esteemed such as it is. And that there is also a comparative merit, and a not meriting evil: As a Believer may be said not to deserve damnation by the Covenant of Grace, but only by (or according to) the Law of Nature or Works.