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To: Petrosius; Old Yeller
As regards merit, the Roman Catholic catechism states,

    "Moved by the Holy Spirit, we can merit for ourselves and for others the graces needed for our sanctification and for the attainment of eternal life (Catechism of the Catholic church, Part 3, Life in Christ, Merit, 2010)

The term “merit” refers in general to the recompense owed by a community or a society for the action of one of its members..., (Catechism of the Catholic Church, #2006) Regarding those who cooperated with grace, Trent concludes that:

    "nothing further is wanting to the justified [baptized and faithful], to prevent their being accounted to have, by those very works which have been done in God, fully satisfied the divine law according to the state of this life, and to have truly merited eternal life." (Trent, Chapter XVI; The Sixth Session Decree on justification, 1547)

    Canon 32 similarly states,
    "If anyone says that the good works of the one justified are in such manner the gifts of God that they are not also the good merits of him justified; or that the one justified by the good works that he performs by the grace of God and the merit of Jesus Christ, whose living member he is, does not truly merit an increase of grace, eternal life, and in case he dies in grace, the attainment of eternal life itself and also an increase of glory, let him be anathema." (Trent, Canons Concerning Justification, Canon 32. Also see The Canons and Decrees of the Council of Trent, in Philip Schaff, The Creeds of Christendom, Grand Rapids: Baker, 1919 ed., Decree on Justification, Chapters V, VI, VII, X, XIV, XV, XVI)

Shortened, this teaches, "If anyone says that the one justified by the good works that he performs by the grace of God does not truly merit eternal life, and in case he dies in grace, the attainment of eternal life itself, let him be anathema."

An additional teaching is that this justification can be increased by doing works which are enabled by the grace of God dispensed through Catholic sacraments, and which grace includes that of the merits of saints. (Indulgetiarum Doctrina 4)

The Roman Catholic Council of Trent "infallibly" defines that one is,

    "justified by the good works that he performs by the grace of God and the merit of Jesus Christ", and that his justification is increased by personal works. (Council of Trent, Canons 24, 32)

http://peacebyjesus.witnesstoday.org/papalpresumption.html

98 posted on 11/20/2016 10:51:16 PM PST by boatbums (God is ready to assume full responsibility for the life wholly yielded to Him.)
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To: boatbums
Why did you not quote all of Canon 24 and Canon 32:
CANON XXIV.-If any one saith, that the justice received is not preserved and also increased before God through good works; but that the said works are merely the fruits and signs of Justification obtained, but not a cause of the increase thereof; let him be anathema.

CANON XXX.-If any one saith, that, after the grace of Justification has been received, to every penitent sinner the guilt is remitted, and the debt of eternal punishment is blotted out in such wise, that there remains not any debt of temporal punishment to be discharged either in this world, or in the next in Purgatory, before the entrance to the kingdom of heaven can be opened (to him); let him be anathema.

These and the other references you gave all speak of what happens after one is justified. Catholics and Protestants agree that justification is only by the grace of God without any merit on the part of man. The dispute is whether, after justification has be received, is there an actual sanctification or increase in holiness (as Catholics believe), or do we remain hopelessly corrupt with only a legal imputation of God's righteousness (as Protestants believe). This latter would leave us as the whitewashed sepulchers that our Lord condemned with the Pharisees. There are enough disputes between Catholics and Protestants that you do not have to create new ones where they do not exist.
112 posted on 11/21/2016 9:45:24 AM PST by Petrosius
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To: boatbums
Sorry, I posted Canon 30 rather than Canon 32:
CANON XXXII.-If any one saith, that the good works of one that is justified are in such manner the gifts of God, as that they are not also the good merits of him that is justified; or, that the said justified, by the good works which he performs through the grace of God and the merit of Jesus Christ, whose living member he is, does not truly merit increase of grace, eternal life, and the attainment of that eternal life,-if so be, however, that he depart in grace,-and also an increase of glory; let him be anathema.

113 posted on 11/21/2016 9:58:05 AM PST by Petrosius
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