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Pars 4, Cap. 7

Breviloquium · Pars IV: De incarnatione Verbi

Textus Latinus
p. 247

Capitulum VII. De perfectione meriti in effectu.

De plenitudine autem meriti Christi hoc tenendum est, quod in Christo Domino fuit omnis meriti perfectio et plenitudo: primo, quantum ad eum qui merebatur, quia non tantum erat homo, verum etiam Deus. — Secundo, quantum ad tempus, in quo merebatur, quia ab instanti conceptionis usque ad horam mortis. — Tertio, quantum ad id, per quod merebatur, quia per perfectissimum habitum caritatis et perfectissimum exercitium virtutis in orando, in agendo et in patiendo. — Quarto, quantum ad eum cui merebatur, quia non tantum sibi, verum etiam nobis, immo omnibus iustis. — Quinto, quantum ad id quod merebatur nobis, quia non tantum gloriam, verum etiam gratiam et veniam, non tantum gloriam spiritus, sed etiam stolam carnis et apertionem ianuae caelestis6. — Sexto, quantum ad id quod merebatur sibi, quia, licet non mereretur glorificationem mentis, quam iam habebat; merebatur tamen glorificationem corporis et accelerationem resurrectionis et clarificationem sui nominis et dignitatem iudiciariae potestatis. — Septimo, quantum ad modum, quo merebatur. Cum enim tripliciter dicatur aliquis mereri: vel de indebito faciendo debitum, vel de debito faciendo magis debitum, vel de debito uno modo faciendo debitum alio modo7; omnibus his modis meruit nobis, tertio tantum modo meruit sibi, faciente hoc plenitudine gratiae Spiritus sancti, per quam Christus simul erat beatus et in statu merendi, ita quod super eius meritum omnia merita nostra habent fundari8.

Ratio autem ad intelligentiam praedictorum haec est: quia, cum in principio reparativo, Christo scilicet Domino nostro, necessario fuerit plenitudo gratiae et sapientiae, quae sunt nobis origo recte et sancte vivendi; necesse est, quod in Christo fuerit plenitudo et perfectio omnis meriti secundum omnem modum plenitudinis. Quia enim in Christo fuit plenitudo gratiae unionis1, per quam erat Deus ab instanti conceptionis, habens gloriam comprehensionis et motum liberi arbitrii; hinc est, quod necessario fuit in Christo perfectio meriti et quantum ad excellentissimam dignitatem merentis et quantum ad celerrimam opportunitatem temporis.

p. 248

Rursus, quia fuit in eo plenitudo gratiae singularis personae, per quam habuit firmissimam caritatem et omnes virtutes perfectas quantum ad habitus et exercitia; necesse fuit, quod in eo esset plenitudo meriti quantum ad id, per quod contingit mereri, cuiusmodi est radix caritatis et actus multiplicis nobilitatis2.

Amplius, quia fuit in eo plenitudo gratiae capitis, per quam plenissimam habuit influentiam in membra sua; hinc est, quod plenitudinem habuit meriti non tantum respectu sui, sed etiam respectu nostri, quibus, sicut omnia spiritualia, quae habemus, influit ratione Deitatis, sic meruit ratione assumtae humanitatis, sive sint bona status praesentis, sive aeternae felicitatis.

Postremo, quia tantorum charismatum plenitudo necessario ponebat in Christo summam et perfectam felicitatem secundum sui partem superiorem, licet dispensative propter nos esset in statu viae; hinc est, quod perfectionem habuit meriti, quantum ad id quod meruit sibi, quia non3 gloriam et beatitudinem animae concreatam, quae naturaliter in ipso omne meritum anteibat, sed solum illa, cum quibus status viae stare non poterat, sicut stolam carnis cum glorificatione suae excellentissimae dignitatis.

Hinc est etiam, quod perfectionem habuit meriti quantum ad modum merendi. Quia enim in ipso ab instanti conceptionis fuit perfectissima plenitudo, statim omnia meruit, quae potuit mereri respectu sui; ac per hoc de debito uno modo facere potuit debitum alio modo; de indebito autem debitum, vel de debito magis debitum facere non potuit sibi; quia nullo modo potuit in sanctitate proficere, cum a principio esset sanctissimus. Fecit tamen hoc nobis, qui merito ipsius iustificamur per gratiam4, proficimus in iustitia et per aeternam gloriam coronamur.

Ac per hoc in merito Christi radicata sunt omnia merita nostra; sive satisfactoria poenae, sive meritoria vitae aeternae, quia nec ab offensa summi boni digni sumus absolvi, nec immensitatem aeterni praemii, quae Deus est, digni sumus lucrari nisi per meritum hominis-Dei, cui dicere possumus et debemus: Omnia opera nostra operatus es in nobis, Domine5. Ipse, inquam, est Dominus, cui Propheta dicit: Dixi Domino: Deus meus es tu, quoniam bonorum meorum non eges.

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English Translation

Chapter VII. On the perfection of merit in its effect.

Concerning the fullness of Christ's merit, however, this is to be held: that in Christ the Lord there was every perfection and fullness of merit: first, as regards him who merited, since he was not only man, but also God. — Second, as regards the time in which he merited, since it was from the instant of his conception up to the hour of his death. — Third, as regards that through which he merited, since it was through a most perfect habit of charity and a most perfect exercise of virtue in praying, in acting and in suffering. — Fourth, as regards him for whom he merited, since he merited not only for himself, but also for us, indeed for all the just. — Fifth, as regards that which he merited for us, since it was not only glory, but also grace and pardon, not only the glory of the spirit, but also the stole of the flesh and the opening of the heavenly gate6. — Sixth, as regards that which he merited for himself, since, although he did not merit the glorification of the mind, which he already had, he nevertheless merited the glorification of the body and the hastening of the resurrection and the making famous of his name and the dignity of judiciary power. — Seventh, as regards the mode in which he merited. For since one is said to merit in three ways: either by making what is undue due, or by making what is due more due, or by making what is due in one mode due in another mode7; by all these modes he merited for us, by the third mode only he merited for himself, the fullness of the grace of the Holy Spirit bringing this about, through which Christ was at once blessed and in the state of meriting, so that upon his merit all our merits have to be founded8.

Now the reason for the understanding of the foresaid is this: since, seeing that in the reparative principle, namely Christ our Lord, there necessarily was the fullness of grace and of wisdom, which are for us the origin of living rightly and holily, it is necessary that in Christ there was the fullness and perfection of all merit according to every mode of fullness. For since in Christ there was the fullness of the grace of union1, through which he was God from the instant of his conception, having the glory of comprehension and the motion of free choice; hence it is that necessarily there was in Christ the perfection of merit both as regards the most excellent dignity of the one meriting and as regards the most swift opportuneness of the time.

Again, since there was in him the fullness of the grace of the singular person, through which he had a most firm charity and all the virtues perfect as regards both habits and exercises; it was necessary that in him there be the fullness of merit as regards that through which it comes about that one merits, of which sort are the root of charity and an act of manifold nobility2.

Further, since there was in him the fullness of the grace of the head, through which he had a most full influence into his members; hence it is that he had the fullness of merit not only in respect of himself, but also in respect of us, into whom, just as he pours all the spiritual things which we have by reason of the Deity, so he merited by reason of the assumed humanity, whether they be goods of the present state or of eternal happiness.

Lastly, since the fullness of such great charisms necessarily placed in Christ the highest and perfect happiness according to his superior part, although by dispensation, for our sake, he was in the state of the way; hence it is that he had the perfection of merit as regards that which he merited for himself, since he did not3 merit the glory and beatitude concreated with his soul, which naturally went before every merit in him, but only those things with which the state of the way could not stand, such as the stole of the flesh together with the glorification of his most excellent dignity.

Hence it is also that he had the perfection of merit as regards the mode of meriting. For since in him from the instant of his conception there was a most perfect fullness, he at once merited all the things which he could merit in respect of himself; and through this he could make, of what was due in one mode, something due in another mode; but of what was undue something due, or of what was due something more due, he could not make for himself; since in no way could he advance in holiness, seeing that from the beginning he was most holy. He did this, however, for us, who by his merit are justified through grace4, advance in justice and are crowned with eternal glory.

And through this all our merits are rooted in the merit of Christ; whether they be satisfactory for punishment or meritorious of eternal life, since we are neither worthy to be absolved from the offense against the highest good, nor worthy to gain the immensity of the eternal reward, which is God, except through the merit of the God-man, to whom we can and ought to say: All our works thou hast wrought in us, O Lord5. He, I say, is the Lord to whom the Prophet says: I said to the Lord: Thou art my God, for thou hast no need of my goods.

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Apparatus Criticus
  1. 6
    F H L ianuae regni caelestis.
    F H L have ianuae regni caelestis [the gate of the heavenly kingdom].
  2. 7
    Pro explicando hoc triplici modo D affert exemplum de homine, cui vita aeterna debetur vel propter gratiam de novo susceptam (quae, licet ad ipsam sese disposuerit, tamen ipsi non debebatur), vel gratiae cooperando, vel non solum operando, sed etiam patiendo.
    For the explaining of this threefold mode D brings forward the example of a man to whom eternal life is due either on account of grace newly received (which, although he disposed himself toward it, was nevertheless not owed to him), or by cooperating with grace, or by not only acting but also suffering.
  3. 8
    De hoc cap. vide III. Sent. d. 18. per totam et d. 17. a. 2. q. 1, ubi de oratione Christi.
    On this chapter see III Sent., d. 18, throughout, and d. 17, a. 2, q. 1, where he treats of Christ's prayer.
  4. 1
    Cfr. supra c. 5, ubi etiam de gratia singularis personae et capitis.
    Cf. above, ch. 5, where he also treats of the grace of the singular person and of the head.
  5. 2
    Ita communiter codd. et 2, aliae edd. virtutis, A Q nobilitatis et [Q vel] virtutis, H nobilitatis virtutis. Hieron., Epist. 148. (alias 14.) n. 21: Summa apud Deum nobilitas, clarum esse virtutibus [Cfr. I. Cor. 1, 26. seqq.]. — Pro radix U habitus.
    So the codices commonly, and edition 2; other editions have virtutis, A Q nobilitatis et [Q vel] virtutis, H nobilitatis virtutis. Jerome, Epist. 148 (alias 14), n. 21: The highest nobility in God's sight is to be renowned for virtues [Cf. I Cor. 1, 26 ff.]. — For radix U has habitus.
  6. 3
    Ed. 1 addit meruit. Mox pro gloriam B K gratiam. Subinde plures codd. et 2 corporis pro carnis et B C I L M O Q clarificatione pro glorificatione.
    Edition 1 adds meruit. Shortly after, for gloriam B K have gratiam. Thereupon several codices and edition 2 have corporis for carnis, and B C I L M O Q clarificatione for glorificatione.
  7. 4
    Rom. 3, 24: Iustificati gratis per gratiam ipsius. — Pro in iustitia L U V per iustitiam.
    Romans 3, 24: Being justified freely by his grace. — For in iustitia L U V have per iustitiam.
  8. 5
    Isai. 26, 12: Domine, dabis pacem nobis; omnia enim opera nostra operatus es nobis. — Seq. locus est Ps. 15, 2. — Cfr. III. Sent. d. 20. q. 3. seq. et IV. Sent. d. 15. p. I. q. 1.
    Isaiah 26, 12: Lord, thou wilt give us peace; for all our works thou hast wrought in us. — The following passage is Ps. 15, 2. — Cf. III Sent., d. 20, q. 3 f., and IV Sent., d. 15, p. I, q. 1. ---
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