Beveridge on Article XIV: Of Works of Supererogation

dwelleth no virtue, but that all their works are unclean and defiled, they having not spiritual but fleshly wisdom, not heavenly but earthly, not Christian but devilish, not from the Father of lights, but from the prince of darkness’.” And therefore we may well conclude, that all the works of such as have not received grace from God to be converted to him are not pleasing unto God, but have the nature of sin.

t Et ita manifestissime patet, in animalem, non celestem sed ter- impiorum animis nullam habitare renam, non Christianam sed diabo- virtutem, sed omnia opera eorum licam, non a Patre luminum, sed a immunda esse atque polluta, haben-principe tenebrarum. Id. contra Col- tium sapientiam non spiritualem sed lat. c. [28.]

Voluntary works besides, over and above God’s Com- mandments, which they call Works of Supererogation, cannot be taught without arrogancy and impiety: for by them men do declare, that they do not only render unto God as much as they are bound to do, but that they do more for his sake than of bounden duty is required: whereas Christ saith plainly, When ye have done all that are commanded to you, say, We are unprofitable servants.

LTHOUGH (as we have seen in the eleventh article) both scripture, reason, and Fathers determine that we cannot merit any thing of ourselves from God, but that we are justified by Christ’s merit imputed to us, not by any works performed by ourselves ; yet there are a sort of people in the world that would persuade us, that we may not only merit for ourselves, *but do and suffer more than in justice can be here required of us; and what we thus do or suffer more than we are bound to, though it be superfluous as to our- selves, being abundantly supplied from our other good works, yet it is not superfluous as to others’: but whatsoever any

Auth. ht tae tet

a Asserimus non paucos sanctos homines multo plura propter Deum et justitiam esse perpessos, quam exigeret reatus poene temporalis, cui fuerunt obnoxii propter culpas ab ipsis commissas. Bellarm. — ,

Haud dubito quin quod in zrumnarum quas tolerarunt crucia- tibus erat satisfactorium, non eva- nuerit penitus in aera. Nam Deus ipse benignissimus, qui mala nostra semper vertit in bonum, non patitur hanc satisfactionem omnino perire ;

sed in aliquam haud dubie convertet utilitatem. At peribit sane si nec eis neque ceeteris profuerit quicquam. Et quoniam illi sue satisfactionis fructum nullis destinarunt personis certis, ideo fit ut in commune cesse- rit ecclesiz totius emolumentum, et communis ecclesie thesaurus jam dicatur, nimirum, ut inde rependa- tur quicquid ceteris ex justa satis- factione defuerit. [Fischer. episc. | Roftens. Artic. 17. [ Assert. Luther. confut. p. 491.]

Arr. XIV. Of Works of Supererogation. 319

one thus doth and suffereth more and above his duty, it is thrown into the common stock or treasury of the church, out of which such as lack may be supplied. And ¢ out of this common treasury or magazine it is, that their church fetch all their indulgencies, which are indeed nothing else but the distributions 4 of the several satisfactions made by the super- erogatory works of others to such as themselves see fit, viz. to such as will give the most money for them. If I commit a great sin, for which I must do great penance, this penance can by no means be pardoned or remitted to me, unless I make complete satisfaction for the sin committed some other ways. Now seeing there are several in the world (as they pretend) that have performed more works, and suffered more penances and more punishments than were due [to] their own sins, if I will sue out for them, these supererogatory works and sufferings, undergone and performed by them, may be granted out to me; and so I being looked upon as under- going this penance in others, am freed from it in myself. They have done more than was required, I am loath to do as much as is required; and therefore what they have done more than is required of them, I buy, to satisfy for what I do

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a ior oe we find Gregorius de Valentia [de indulg. c. 1.] describ- ing an indulgence: “ Indulgentia ecclesiastica est relaxatio poene temporalis, judicio divino peccatis actualibus post remissam culpam

debitz, per applicationem supera- bundantium Christi et sanctorum satisfactionum, facta extra sacra- mentum ab eo, qui legitimam ad hoc autoritatem habet. So that it is the superabundant works of the saints as well as Christ, that are the subject matter of indulgences, by the application whereof the punish- ment due to actual sins is taken away. And therefore must the works of saints also help to fill up this treasure. Indeed there were some of them that denied any of the merits or satisfactions of saints to be thrown into the treasury with Christ’s, as Franciscus Maronis, Angelus de Clavasio, and others. But Bellarmine tells us, Communis aliorum theologorum, tum antique- rum, ut S. Thome, et S. Bonaven- turee, tum recentiorum omnium sen- tentia, thesaurum satisfactionum tum Christi tam sanctorum semper agnovit. Bellarm. de indulg. [vol. III. lib. I. ¢. 2.

520 Of Works of Supererogation. Art,

less than is required of me. And so my defect is cured by their excess.

Now this article is composed to awake us out of these pro- fitable and pleasant but sinful dreams, assuring us, that all such works besides, over and above Gods commands, which they call works of supererogation, cannot be taught without arrogancy and impiety, it beg both an arrogant, proud, and impious thing for any one to say he can do more than God commands, and so be able to satisfy for others as well as for himself. So that whosoever saith he can do more than God’s laws re- quire, or suffer more than his own sins deserve, is a proud and a wicked person: it being a great sin and wickedness in any to broach or abet such doctrines as plainly appear to be erroneous both from scripture, reason, and Fathers.

And as for the scriptures, what more pregnant and con- vineing proof can be alleged by us, or expected by any, than what is expressed in this article itself, even that saying of our Saviour, So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are © unprofitable ser- vants: we have done that which was our duty to do? Luke xvii. 10. If whatsoever commands we perform, it is but still our duty to perform them, how is it possible we should do more than is our duty to do? as considering, that whatsoever we do, it is God’s command we should do it. Do I pray with- out ceasing? I do no more than what I am commanded, 1 Thess. v. 1%. Do I in every thing give thanks? it is no

‘more than what I am commanded, ver. 18. Do I sell all I

have, and distribute to the poor? it is no more than what I am commanded, Luke xviii. 22. Do I deny myself, take up my cross, and follow Christ? it is no more than what I am commanded, Matt. xvi. 24. Yea, am I faithful unto death 2 it is no more than what I am commanded, Rey. ii. 10. Thus can there no good thing be performed by me but what is commanded by God ; and if it be God’s will to command it, it is my duty to perform it. And hence it is, that in the

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parable of the labourers in the vineyard, he that came in at the last hour had his penny as well as he that came in at the first, Matt. xx. 9, 10: plainly shewing us, that they that had borne the heat of the day, the heat of temptations, the heat of afflictions, the heat of persecutions, yet had not done any more than what it was their duty to do; they were still unprofitable servants, and had deserved no more than they that coming not in till the last hour underwent none of these, and that was nothing at all.

But we need not heap up arguments in so plain a truth: for how is it possible that any one should do more good works than are commanded, when nothing is a good work but what is commanded, nay, and therefore only, because it is commanded, it is a good work? It is God’s command that is the ground of all duty. And what is the ground of duty to me, is the ground of acceptance with him. And therefore is there nothing that God will accept as good from me, but what himself hath commanded to me. These voluntary works therefore, which they call works of supererogation, are they commanded by God or not? If they be commanded, it is my duty to perform them, and so they are not superero- gatory ; and I should sin if I do not do them: if they be not commanded, it is my duty not to perform them; and so I should sin if I do them. How then shall I do more good | works than it is my duty to do, seeing what it is not my duty to do cannot be any good work? We may see this evidently in the Jews, in their over-multiplied fasts and uncommanded sacrifices, which they might have accounted as so many works of supererogation, wherein they thought they did God good service: yet what saith he? Who hath required these things at your hands ? Isa. i. 12. And thus doth he say of all works, besides and above his commands, Who hath required these at your hands? As if he should say, I never commanded these things to you, and therefore will never accept of them from you. And thus are all these works of supererogation not good and accepted, because not commanded works; and there- fore it is impossible that any more good works should be per- formed by us than what is commanded, seeing nothing that is not commanded can be a good work.

822 Of Works of Supererogation. Art.

But I would willingly know what necessity there is of such works of supererogation? Are they necessary for the satisfac- tion for their own sins?, No; for then they are not works of supererogation: what need therefore is there of them! Are they needful for the satisfying for other men’s sins? I know the great maintainers‘ of this opinion, being loath to say these works are altogether superfluous, adjudge them necessary for others, though not for themselves who do perform them, making them copartners with Christ, in making satisfaction for the sins of others. But what is this but blasphemously to debase the merits of Christ to exalt their own, and to make the good works (I might say the sins) of finite creatures to be of the like value with the blood of the Son of God?

But I would wish all such but seriously to consider with themselves, whether they think in their consciences that one mere man may satisfy for another’s sins, or whether at the day of judgment what one man hath done shall be rewarded in another? I am sure the apostle tells us, We must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to what he hath done, whether it be good or evil, 2 Cor. v.10: and, Every man shall bear his own burden, Gal. vi. 5: and, Hvery man shall receive his own reward, according to his own labour, 1 Cor. iii. 8: so that the father shall not there be punished for the son’s iniquity, nor the son rewarded for the father’s piety; but every one shalk stand upon his own legs; %in the same condition he died

f Let us hear one of their own rabbies. Heec satisfactio redundans quorsum evadit? Quum mortuus est Christus, et preter Christum cum Maria Virgo, et Petrus, et Paulus, et innumeri preterea alii sancti mortem obierunt, tot operibus redundantis satisfactionis cumulati, quandoquidem illa non intulerunt in celum ubi nullus est satisfaciendi locus, opera illa quonam abierunt? &c. Si egomet, auditores, dicerem abjici et supervacaneum esse (opus illud supererogatorium) vererer ne me lapidibus obruendum censeretis. Kt merito quidem : nam nulla ratione dicendum est, quicquam in ecclesia

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& In quo quemque invenerit suus

XIV. Of Works of Supererogation. 323 before, he must now be judged. And if so, what will become of the works of supererogation? What need is there that any one should perform them, seeing himself stands not in need of them, neither can any one else receive any profit from them, by having satisfaction made for their sins by them? But as he that lives and dies in holiness shall not be prejudiced by other men’s sins: so he that lives and dies in sins shall not be any way profited by other men’s holiness. Though there have been many that have done and suffered much for the sake of Christ, yea, unto death itself; yet it is not the torments of their death that can satisfy for the sins of another’s life. No, it is Christ, and Christ “alone, we are to expect this satisfaction from. What he did, he did of merit, not of duty ; but what all others do, they do of duty, not of merit. Them- selves were bound to it, and therefore they cannot advantage others by it.

And if they will not believe us, let them hearken to the Fathers. St. Basil saith, i“ For no man is able to persuade the Devil to let go one out of his power, whom he hath once gotten into it. And he that cannot make satisfaction, or propitiate God for his own sins, how can he do it for another %” The like to which I find in the Commentary upon St. Matthew, ascribed to St. Chrysostome: * “ If therefore the glory that is

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h Quod de uno solo mediatore Dei et hominum, homine Christo Jesu, catholica fides novit, quod pro nobis mortem, hoc est peccati po- nam, sine peccato subire dignatus -est. Sicut enim solus ideo factus est hominis filius ut nos per illum Dei fili fieremus; ita solus pro

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k Si ergo major est gloria que preparata est sanctis a Deo, quam quod unusquisque sanctorum mere- tur, quomodo sufficiat et aliis ad salutem uniuscujusque opus eorum, cum nec sibi soli sufficiat ad gloriam illam justo judicio consequendam ? Opus imperfect. in Mat. hom. 52. [vol. VII. p. 967. ed. Par.]

xy 2

324 Of Works of Supererogation. “Arr.

prepared for the saints by God be greater than every one of the saints deserve, how can their work suffice others also for their salvation, when it is not sufficient for themselves for the attainment of that glory by just judgment” Clearly implying that the saints cannot do as much as they ought to do for themselves ; and then how can they do any thing for others ?

To the same purpose also speaks Leo: !“‘ Though the death of many of his saints be precious in the sight of God, yet the death of any of these innocent persons was not the propitia- tion of the world. The righteous persons do receive crowns, not give them. And from the courage of the faithful exam- ples of patience do arise, not the gifts of righteousness. For the death of them all were single deaths, neither did any of them pay another man’s debts by his end: seeing amongst the children of men there is none but the Lord Jesus Christ only in whom all are crucified, all dead, all buried, all are raised up at the last day.” So that there is no righteousness or satisfaction to be had from the actions and passions of any, but only Christ.

And so St. Augustine: ™“ Neither is this so spoken, as if we could be equal to the Lord Christ, if we suffer martyrdom for him even unto blood. For he had power to lay down his life, and he had power to take it up again: but we neither. live as long as we would, and die although we would not, &ec. Lastly, brethren may die for brethren, yet the blood of any martyr is not poured out for the forgiveness and remission of their brethren’s sins as he did for us.” What could be spoken more fully to the purpose? Our adversaries say that

Palestin. et Serm. 12. de passione.

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XIV. Of Works of Supererogation. — 325

many of the saints, especially the martyrs, do and suffer more

Notes

• Quamvis multorum sanctorum in conspectu Domini pretiosa mors fuerit, nullius tamen insontis occisio propitiatio fuit mundi. Acceperunt justi, non dederunt coronas, et de fortitudine fidelium nata sunt exem- pla patientiz, non dona justitia. Singulares quippe in singulis mortes fuerunt, nec alterius quisquam de- bitum suo fine persolvit. Cum inter filios hominum unus solus Dominus noster Jesus Christus extiterit, in quo omnes crucifixi, omnes mortui, omnes sepulti, omnes sunt etiam suscitati. Leo Epist. [97. c. 4.] ad