View Volume II - In Today's Catholic World

AND THEIR REFUTATION. 257
they, can be found between our works and eternal glory ?
sufferings of this time are not worthy to be compared with the
" The
glory to come that shall be revealed in us" (Rom. viii, 18). We
answer, that our works in themselves, and unconnected with
Divine Grace, are, without doubt, unworthy of eternal glory, but
rendered valuable by Grace, they are worthy of it, and a propor
tion then exists between them, as the same Apostle says :
"
For
that which is at present momentary and light of our tribulation,
worketh for us above measure exceedingly an eternal weight of
glory" (II. Cor. iv, 17).
24. They object, sixthly, that St. Paul says :
"
For by grace
you are saved through faith, and not of yourselves, for it is the
gift of God, not of works, that no man may glory" (Ephes. ii, 8, 9).
Here, then, say they, it is clear that it is Grace that saves us, by
means of faith in Jesus Christ. The Apostle, however, is not here
speaking of eternal life, but of Grace itself, which, undoubtedly,
we never can merit by our works ; but, as we have already
proved, God wishes that those who fulfil his precepts should, on
account of the promise made by him, acquire eternal glory.
Then, they reply, if our works are necessary for salvation, the
merits of Christ alone are not sufficient to save us. No, in truth
they are not enough, but our works are also requisite,
for the
benefit of Jesus Christ is, that he obtained for us the power of
applying his merits with our own works. Neither is there any
thing in that out of which we can pride ourselves, because what
ever power we have to merit heaven, we have solely through the
merits of Christ ; and, therefore, all the glory is his, as when the
vine branches produce fruit, the whole is due to the vine, which
sends sap to the branches. When the just man, then, obtains
eternal life, he does not glory in his own works, but in the Divine
Grace which, by the merits of Christ, gave him the power of
meriting it. According to the doctrine of our adversaries, how
ever, almost every means of salvation is taken from us, for if our
works are of no avail to us for salvation, and God does every thing,
then it is no matter whether our morals are good or bad, we
need no preparation to receive the Sacraments ;
and prayer, incul
cated in so many passages of the Scripture, is totally useless to
us. What worse doctrine than this could the devil himself invent
to lead souls to perdition ?