Cap. 5 Mem. 2 Rat. 4: Merit works only as the Father accepts it — never before faith
Ratio 4. The whole force and efficacy of that merit which Christ by his death prepared for the good of the human race, as regards its outflow and derivation into other persons, depends on the will of the Father who ordains and accepts it.
For who would dare snatch the merit of Christ to himself in another manner, or under another law, than that by which God himself ordained it to be communicated to human beings and accepted in their name? Indeed if anyone tries to do this, he will have done it in vain: for the merit of Christ is so great a good to us as it was accepted by God — as Scotus taught in this sense (Sentences book 3, distinction 19, unique question, p. 74).
But it was by no means accepted by God so as to produce actual remission of sins and reconciliation for any mortal before penitence, faith, and insertion into Christ. Therefore it does not actually justify, or reconcile to God, anyone except the penitent and the believing.
That it was not so accepted as to reconcile anyone before faith is clear from an argument drawn negatively from the Scriptures, in this way. No word occurs in the Sacred Scriptures from which it can be gathered that by the very force and efficacy of Christ’s death all human beings are promiscuously placed in the state of grace, or that any human being — whether elect or those not chosen — before penitence and faith obtains, by the virtue of Christ’s ross, remission of sins or actual reconciliation with God. Therefore it is rash to assert this.
Nor is there any reason for rejecting an argument of this kind drawn from the authority of the Scriptures negatively. For although in more middling matters, which do not concern the summit of our salvation, the reasoning is weak — This is not set down in the Scriptures; therefore it is false or illicit — yet in matters necessary to do or to know for salvation, such as the mode of obtaining remission and reconciliation with God, it follows most soundly: This is not taught in the Scriptures; therefore it is not to be believed by us. Since therefore the Scriptures nowhere teach that by the death of Christ remission of sins, or actual reconciliation, is conferred on any singular person before he has repented and believed in Christ, it is by no means to be admitted under pretext of amplifying the dignity of Christ’s death, or under any other pretext.
Latin
Rat. 4. Tota vis et efficacia meriti ejus, quod Christus morte sua in bonum humani generis comparavit, quoad effluxum et derivationem in alias personas, pendet a voluntate Patris illud ordinante et acceptante. Quis enim ausit Christi meritum ad se rapere alio modo, aut alia lege, quam Deus ipse illud hominibus communicandum, et eorum nomine acceptilandum ordinavit? Sane si quis hoc facere conetur, frustra fecerit: Nam meritum Christi tantum bonum est nobis, pro quanto acceptabatur a Deo, ut Scotus hoc nostro sensu haud incommode docuit, l. 3. dist. 19. qu. unic. pag. 74. At a Deo minime acceptatum est, ut pareret actualem remissionem peccatorum, et reconciliationem cuiquam mortalium ante poenitentiam, fidem, et insertionem in Christum: Ergo non actu justificat, aut Deo reconciliat nisi poenitentes et credentes. Non fuisse autem ita acceptatum ut quenquam reconciliaret ante fidem, patet argumento a Scripturis negative, hoc modo. Nullum verbum occurrit in Sacris Scripturis ex quo colligi potest, ipsa vi et efficacia mortis Christi omnes homines in statum gratiae promiscue reponi, aut ullum hominem, sive electum sive non-electum, ante poenitentiam et fidem, obtinere virtute sanguinis Christi in cruce fusi, remissionem peccatorum aut actualem reconciliationem cum Deo: Ergo temerarium est hoc asserere. Neque est quod quis rejiciat hujusmodi argumentum ductum ab autoritate Scripturarum negative: Quia licet in rebus mediocrioribus, quae summam salutis nostrae non spectant, infirma sit argumentatio, Hoc non est positum in Scripturis, Ergo falsum est aut illicitum, tamen in rebus ad salutem factu aut cognitu necessariis, quale est modus impetrandae remissionis et reconciliationis cum Deo, optime sequitur, Hoc in Scripturis non docetur, Ergo non est a nobis credendum. Cum ergo Scripturae nullibi doceant, Christi morte cuiquam singulari personae remissionem peccatorum, aut reconciliationem actualem conferri, priusquam poenituerit, et in Christum crediderit, sub praetextu amplificandi dignitatem mortis Christi, aut quocunque alio minime est admittendum.