MERIT

.

Definition; Origin of the Conception (§ 1).

Views of Apostolic Fathers (§ 2).

Augustine and Others (§ 3).

Thomas Aquinas (§ 4).

Later Roman Catholic Views (§ 5).

Protestant Views (§ 6).

1. Definition; Origin of the Conception

The conception "merit," in a religious-ethical sense, points to a fundamental opposition between Roman Catholicism and Protestantism. While the former recognizes merit as establishing a relation between man and God, the latter denies this absolutely. In the Roman Catholic view, religion is concerned with Inan'S securing after his death eternal salvation; tion from God as a reward for his merits; and under "" merit" is under stood works done voluntarily in the service of God constituting a claim on a reward from God. Connected with this is the narrower conception of merit as some thing done beyond the normal measure of ordinary duty. The origin of the religious conception of merit is to be found in Jewish practical piety, in the thought of a legal relation between God and mankind. But in post-exilic Judaism the idea became more usual that there was to be a retribution for service of God after death, limited, however, to the good and the pious. The classical example of this view is found in the book of Tobit: "If thou aerveat God it will be requited thee" (iv. 14). God's service consists chiefly in prayer and almsgiving. The main principle of the religious relation of man to God was that he wins from the divine judge a reward, first of all by keeping the commandments, second by good works not involved in the performance of the Law. It was implied that enough could be done to satisfy God's demands and that therefore a claim of reward was legitimate. An atoniistic weighing and counting of separate performances, good as well as evil, from the human se well as the divine side was in order and was a characteristic feature of Pharisaic piety. A similar view is found in the works of Philo of Alexandria, intermingled there with strains of Platonism, for Plato in many places speaks of rewards given to the good and punishment of evil deeds. In the early Christian view these Judaistic conceptions were not received, for man's salvation goes back to God's grace in Christ; despite the paradoxical character of Jesus' teaching in several places his clearest statements tend to reject the thought of any human claim of merit from God (Matt. xx. 1 sqq.; Luke xv. 17 sqq.). The kingdom of heaven is not built on the right of men but on the grace of God. Paul's position was naturally entirely in line with this, for he was occupied in many places in showing that God did not reward man according to his merit but according to free grace.