Jones on Article XIV: Of Works of Supererogation

” But these merit-mongers have so many good works that they be able to sell them for money, and so to bring other men to heaven too by their good works ; which no doubt is the greatest contempt of the passion of Christ that can be devised.” — Ser. 23rd Sun. after Trinity.

” How much we are bound to hate the insolency of those

men, who besides all this swelling in the proud conceit of their works, will have eternal life, which is his gift, to be their merit ! nor only that, but the worthiness of their deserts to be so great, that many of them doing God more service than can be sufficiently rewarded in their own persons, deserve heaven not only for themselves, but for others too. These shipwrecks of faith they have made by reason of their inward pride.” — Isa. lv. 1—3.

” Which sects and religions, had so many hypocritical works in their state of religion, as they arrogantly named it, that their

lamps, as they said, ran always over, able to satisfy not only for their own sins, but also for all other, their benefactors,

brothers and sisters, of their religion keeping in divers

places, as it were, marts or markets of merits, being full of their holy relicts, images, shrines, and works of supererogation, ready to be sold.” — Homily of Good Works.

” Out of these Scriptures, (Rom. ii.) ’ God shall give to every one according to his own deeds,’ &c, we learn that we shall not be rewarded according to other men’s deeds, but

according to our own deeds If we consider well the history

of the ten virgins, it shall easily be perceived that no man have scarcely oil enough for himself. Yea, were not the great mercies of God set forth to all faithful penitent sinners in the precious blood of Christ, we with all our oil should perish.” — Sick Man’s Salve.

” “What trust reposed we in the masking masses of the momisb mass-mongers believing to have as plenteous remission of all our sins in them, as in the precious death of our Lord and Saviour Jesu Christ, that immaculate and undefiled Lamb of God ! Into how foolish a paradise were we brought, through the crafty juggling of the spiritual sorcerers, to believe that the work of a sinful man (I mean, saying of the popish private mass for the quick and dead) was a propitiatory, satisfactory, expiatory sacrifice, for the sin of so many as it was offered for, yea, and of greater strength and virtue than the sweet-smelling sacrifice of the high bishop Christ Jesu !” — Pref. to the Jewel of Joy.

See also Articles XI. XII. XIII. and XV.