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virtues of faith, hope, and charity, or the proper fulfilment of God's commandments and counsels. Now, it is certain that the just man while practising these works endeavors to avoid sin and its occasions; and, since he acts according to the will of God, he receives abundant actual graces, which protect him from mortal sin; and thus he preserves sanctifying grace, which can be destroyed only by sin.

2. By good works sanctifying grace is increased. Whether this increase is only a pure gift of God's goodness, or may be regarded at the same time as a recompense, will be discussed later on (153). If sanctifying grace is given in greater abundance to those who with the help of actual grace dispose themselves to receive it (149), why should not the measure of grace be increased in the just who seek to progress in virtue? Why should not the talent he has received, and of which he makes good use, be multiplied, since Christ Himself teaches that "to every one who hath shall be given, and he shall abound"? (Matt. xxv. 29.) If good works did not increase sanctifying grace there would be no meaning in the words, "He that is just let him be justified still; and he that is holy let him be sanctified still" (Apoc. xxii. 11).

152. Good works are under certain conditions truly meritorious.

Meritorious is that work which, being performed in the service or in behalf of another, owing to its intrinsic value, is worthy of a reward. Merit differs from satisfaction. The latter implies atonement for an offence; it differs from impetration; for in impetration it is not the intrinsic value of the work, but the humble disposition of the petitioner, that comes into consideration. Prayer, however, considered as a good work is also meritorious.

We distinguish two kinds of merit with God-merit strictly socalled (de condigno), which rests upon the worth of the action, and merit in a wider sense (de congruo), which is not grounded on justice, but on a certain fitness. Merit in the strict sense exists when the value of the action is in some way equal to the reward due to it at least in virtue of God's promise; if such equality does not exist there can be merit only in the wider sense. Merit in the strict sense can never go without its reward; while the reward due to merit in the wider sense is infallible only when God has promised it.

1. The good works of the just are strictly meritorious. (a) Scripture promises to the just a reward, a reward proportioned

to the work done, a crown. "Be glad and rejoice; you reward is great in heaven" (Matt. v. 11). "Every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labor” (1 Cor. iii. 8). "As to the rest, there is laid up for me a crown of justice which the Lord, the just judge, will render to me in that day" (2 Tim. iv. 8). That which is promised simply as reward, and which is given in virtue of God's justice, implies merit properly so-called; for that only demands a reward which is strictly meritorious. (b) The Church in its councils proposes the same doctrine. Thus it says in the Second Council of Orange (can. 18): "A reward is due to good works, when performed; but grace, which is not due, must precede in order that such works may be performed." Again, the Council of Trent (Sess. VI. can. 32) declares: “If any one assert that the just man does not truly merit an increase ol grace and eternal life, and, if he dies in the state of grace, the possession of eternal life, by the good works which he has performed through the grace of God and the merits of Jesus Christ, whose living member he is; let him be anathema." True merit is merit strictly so-called, and, therefore, presupposes some sort of equality between the value of the action and its reward.

Not without reason does the council call attention to the fact that the just man performs meritorious works through the merits of Jesus Christ, "whosc living member he is." For it is by this union that our works acquire a value in some way equal to eternal salvation. Good works are our works, inasmuch as we perform them; but they are at the same time the works of Christ, inasmuch as by grace we are the members of Christ and partake of His infinite merits. We are the branches, Christ is the vine; we are enlivened by His divine life, and thus enabled to perform those divine works which are peculiar to Him.

When St. Paul says that "the sufferings of this time are not worthy to be compared to the glory to come, that shall be revealed in us" (Rom. viii. 18), he regards the intensity and duration of the sufferings, not their supernatural value. The just are to esteem themselves unprofitable servants (Luke xvii. 10), not because their good works are not meritorious, but because it is God's grace alone that enables them to will and to perform good works.

2. In order that a good work may be meritorious certain conditions are required.

a. On the part of God-the promise of a reward is necessary For a strictly meritorious work is one which produces the strict right to a reward and a corresponding obligation. But God, the sovereign Lord of all things, cannot have an obligation towards His creatures unless in virtue of a free promise (82).

b. On the part of the doer-in order to be capable of merit ne must still be a wayfarer, i.e., in the state of probatior. here on earth. For after this life "the night cometh wher no man can work" (John ix. 4). Besides, he must be in the state of sanctifying grace; for this alone makes him a member of Christ, an adopted son of God, and thus gives his works a value in some way proportioned to an infinite reward.

c. On the part of the work-it is necessary that it should be free (i.e., exempt from external force or internal necessity). "[The just man] could do evil things, and hath not done them; therefore are his goods established in the Lord" Ecclus. xxxi. 10, 11). Moreover, it must be, in its object, 'n its end, and in its circumstances, morally good; for only what is pleasing to God is deserving of a reward. Finally, it must be supernatural, i.e., proceed from grace and from a supernatural motive; for only the supernatural can claim supernatural reward.

As often as all these conditions exist good works are meritorious in the strict sense (de condigno). If any one of these conditions is wanting merit may yet exist, but only in a wider sense (de congruo). Hence it follows that the good works of the sinner are profitable. For, although they neither simply merit nor increase habitual grace and the right to glory, yet the sinner may hope that in consideration of his good works he may from the goodness of God obtain the grace of conversion.

Merit is greater or less according to the perfection of the work in itself, in its end, and in its circumstances, and according to the degree of sanctifying grace possessed by the person who performs the good work, and the actual disposition of the will with which it is performed. The difficulty of the work also increases its merit, inasmuch as it requires greater zeal and fortitude in the performer Facility, however, arising from the perfection or virtue of the acting subject does not lessen the merit of his actions, but rather increases t. since it perfects the actions themselves.

153. The chief object of merit is eternal salvation and the increase of sanctifying grace.

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1. That salvation can be merited we know from Scripture, which describes it as a reward proportioned to our works. "Be glad and rejoice, for your reward is very great in heaven" (Matt. v. 12). 'Every man shall receive his own reward ac cording to his own labor" (1 Cor. iii. 8; cf. 152). It is true, however, that salvation is at the same time a free gift of God's goodness, as well as an inheritance. It is a gift inasmuch as God of His pure bounty destined us for eternal salvation, and we perform our good works by the help of His grace. It is an inheritance inasmuch as Christ by His death purchased it for

us.

For the just, however, we speak only of adults-salvation is also a reward whenever their works possess the conditions necessary for true merit. We can also merit an increase of glory or salvation; for glory is the proportionate reward of our works (1 Cor. iii. 8), and is, consequently, commensurate with the value of our good works.

2. The increase of sanctifying grace is also an object of merit. We have already shown (151) that sanctifying grace is increased by our faithful co-operation. This increase is the result of merit, strictly so-called; for the supernaturally good works of the just have all the necessary conditions for merit, and particularly the divine promise given by Our Lord (Matt. xxv. 29). The same truth may be concluded from the possibility of meriting an increase of glory. For the degree of glory corresponds to the degree of sanctifying grace, since the reward of the just man is proportioned to his right as the adopted child of God, and this right is determined by the egree of sanctifying grace.

Together with the increase of sanctifying grace the just merit also the necessary means of preserving it, which consist in actual graces; for the promise of the end-increase of grace and glory-includes the promise of the necessary means, which embrace also actual graces.

The adult can, by due preparation, merit sanctifying grace itself, or the first grace, only in the wider sense (de congruo); for he is not yet the adopted child of God. But if nothing is wanting in his preparation he is certain to obtain sanctifying grace, since God has promised it on certain conditions. In like manner, it is only in the wider sense that the just man can merit final perseverance, since this grace was not promised as a reward of supernaturally good works; it may, however, be reasonably presumed that God in His goodness will grant this grace to the just man in answer to earnest and constant prayer. The just man may, in the stricter sense, merit the grace necessary to avoid sin, but not that special series of graces without which he would not actually persevere to the end.

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