Breviloquium

But concerning the fullness of the merit of Christ this is to be held: that in Christ the Lord was all perfection and fullness of merit: first, as to him who merited, because he was not only man, but also God. — Second, as to the time in which he merited, because from the instant of conception even to the hour of death. — Third, as to that through which he merited, because through the most perfect habit of charity and the most perfect exercise of virtue in praying, in acting and in suffering. — Fourth, as to him for whom he merited, because not only for himself, but also for us, nay for all the just. — Fifth, as to what he merited for us, because not only glory, but also grace and pardon, not only the glory of spirit, but also the stole of flesh and the opening of the celestial gate¹. — Sixth, as to what he merited for himself, because, though he merited not the glorification of mind, which he already had; yet he merited the glorification of body and the hastening of resurrection and the clarification of his name and the dignity of judiciary power. — Seventh, as to the mode by which he merited. For since one is said to merit in three ways: either by making debt from the undue, or by making more due from debt, or by making due in one mode due in another mode²; in all these modes he merited for us, only in the third mode he merited for himself, with the fullness of grace of the Holy Spirit making this, through which Christ was at once blessed and in the state of meriting, so that upon his merit all our merits have to be founded³.

The reason for understanding the aforesaid is this: because, since in the reparative principle, namely Christ our Lord, there necessarily was fullness of grace and wisdom, which are to us the origin of living rightly and holily; it must be that in Christ there was fullness and perfection of all merit according to every mode of fullness. For because in Christ was the fullness of the grace of union⁴, through which he was God from the instant of conception, having the glory of comprehension and the motion of free choice; hence it is that there necessarily was in Christ perfection of merit both as to the most excellent dignity of the meriting and as to the swiftest opportunity of time.

Again, because there was in him the fullness of the grace of the singular person, through which he had the firmest charity and all virtues perfect as to habits and exercises; it was necessary that in him be fullness of merit as to that through which it happens to merit, of which sort is the root of charity and the act of manifold nobility⁵.

Further, because there was in him the fullness of the grace of the head, through which he had the fullest inflow into his members; hence it is that he had fullness of merit not only in respect of himself, but also in respect of us, to whom, just as he infuses all the spiritual goods we possess by reason of his divinity, so he merited by reason of assumed humanity, whether they be goods of the present state or of eternal felicity.

Lastly, because the fullness of such charisms necessarily posited in Christ the highest and perfect felicity according to his superior part, though dispensatively on account of us he be in the state of way; hence it is that he had perfection of merit as to what he merited for himself, because he did not⁶ merit the glory and blessedness of the soul, which naturally went before all merit in him, but only those with which the state of way could not stand, as the stole of flesh with the glorification of his most excellent dignity.

Hence it is also that he had perfection of merit as to the mode of meriting. For because in him from the instant of conception was the most perfect fullness, at once he merited all which he could merit in respect of himself; and thereby from debt in one mode he could make debt in another mode; but from the undue debt, or from debt more debt he could not make for himself; because in no mode could he advance in holiness, since from the beginning he was most holy. Yet he made this for us, who by his merit are justified through grace⁷, advance in justice and through eternal glory are crowned.

And thereby in the merit of Christ are rooted all our merits, whether satisfactions for punishment, or merits for eternal life, because neither from the offense of the highest good are we worthy to be absolved, nor the immensity of the eternal reward, which is God, are we worthy to gain except through the merit of the man-God, to whom we can and must say: All our works thou hast wrought in us, O Lord⁸. He, I say, is the Lord, to whom the Prophet says: I said to the Lord: Thou art my God, for of my goods thou hast no need.