Although Pharisaical Jewish Christianity was so directly opposed by Paul as a perversion of a fundamental idea of the Gospel, yet the earliest works of the Apostolic. Fathers and of the apologists show the introduction of the merit idea into the church system. The sins of past life are forgiven in baptism (Hernias, Mandates,
Apostolic IV., iii.; Justin, 1 Apol., Lii.; Tertul- Fathers. lien, De bdPtismo, i.). In this and in the promise of future blessings the grace of God is exhausted (cf. Clement, L, vii. 4). The baptized has now the duty of avoiding sins and fulfilling God's commandments, observing the new law of Christ in order that in the retribution at the resurrection of the dead he may inherit eternal life (Hernias, Vision, L, iii. 4a; Clement II., viii. 4). Of course the condition of this is man's freedom of will by which he can choose the good and fulfil God's law (Hernias, Mandates XII., iii.-v.; Justin, 11 dpol,, vii, 14; Tequlllall, De AM, U1,), hHernias (Similitude, V.,iii. 3) the conception of merit also appears as an act going beyond what is commended: " If thou doest anything good outside of the commandments of God thou wilt gain for thyself more abundant glory and thou wilt be of more repute with God than thou Overt about to be." It was Tertullian who introduced the strict juristic conception of merit: " From the beginning he [God] sent into the world messengers endowed with the Holy Spirit . . . to preach that there is only one God . . . to declare the rules appointed by him for
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Thomas Aquinas makes merit the end of religion, yet in appearance holds to the Augustinian teaching (cf. Summa, II., i. 109-114). He distinguishes two kinds of grace, one belonging to the sphere of salvation, the other extending over the whole field of God's activity. This second
4. Thomas type of grace does not give man's Aquinas. acts meritorious character, although through it he may love God above all things. To inherit eternal life man, who is not able to produce merits proportioned to it, requires a higher virtue, the virtue of grace. As his nature is corrupt it must be healed by grace. This grace is called operative, inasmuch as it heals or justifies the soul, and from the other point of view co operative, inasmuch as it marks the beginning of meritorious action which proceeds from free will. The merit produced by operative grace is the motion of free will by which we accede to God's righteousness in making us righteous. Strictly speaking, merit can not be predicated of man in relation to God, but according to the prearrangement of the divine ordinance so established that man may attain it from God through his own operation, a reward, as it were, for what God be stowed on him, viz., the virtue of acting. In relation to free will he distinguishes a congruous merit from the condign merit which comes from the grace of the Holy Spirit. Man can prepare himself to receive grace through the action of his free will, not, however, without the aid of God who moves it. Its action is imperfect compared with what it can do when it is infused with grace, but the infusion of grace necessarily follows this cooperation between man's free will and God's motion.The nominalists criticized this theory of merit, yet the tendency has been since the Middle Ages to stress congruous merit and moreover to confer merit only on those works which have the stamp of churchliness, introducing as chief fao-
5. Later tors the sacraments of baptism and Roman the Eucharist. The scholastics also Catholic introduced the thought of the super Views. erogatory merits of the saints (see Supererogation, Works of). At the time of the Reformation the Roman Catholic position on merit was intensified through the conflict with Protestantism. This is seen in con fessional documents even before the time of the Council of Trent. Its decrees (Session VI.) laid down the position that through the righteousness of Christ all deserve the grace of justification. This is given to each individual. Justification comes through the sacraments and reward is given to good works, for God is so good to man that he wills that what are really his gifts should be their merits. Yet the essential spirit of merit remains. Bellarmine states plainly that the good works of the just are properly and truly merits and deserve eternal life (Disputationes, V., i. 6). Present-day Roman Catholic teaching distinguishes between auxiliary or actual grace and sanctifying or habitual grace. The first is imparted temporarily to man but is necessary to every good work. The second
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