[ad. med.L. condignitas, f. condign-us CONDIGN: F. condignité.]
† 1. Worthiness, merit. Obs.
1605. Sylvester, Du Bartas, Ded. To sing to our posterity This Noblest Work after it selfs Condignitie.
1668. Howe, Bless. Righteous (1825), 92. While the soul tastes its own act … apprehends the condignity and fitness of it.
b. spec. in Scholastic Theol. That worthiness of eternal life which a man may possess through good works performed while in a state of grace.
1554. T. Sampson in Strype, Eccl. Mem., III. App. xviii. 48. They so enwrap themselves with their terms … with merit of congruence and merit of condignity.
a. 1623. W. Pemble, Justif., 31. Wherfore when in the distinction they make some merits of Condignity or worthinesse, some of Congruity, or of fitnesse without worthinesse, they offend two wayes, grosly against two rules of Reason.
1654. Trapp, Comm. Job xxxv. 7. The Papists … talk of works of super-erogation, and of … merit of condignity.
1725. trans. Dupin’s Eccl. Hist. 17th C., I. v. 72. Able to deserve Grace, neither with the Merit of Condignity, nor with that of Congruity.
1842. Hook, Ch. Dict., s.v., The Scotists maintain that it is possible for man in his natural state so to live as to deserve the Grace of God, by which he may be enabled to obtain salvation; this natural fitness (congruitas) for grace, being such as to oblige the Deity to grant it. Such is the merit of congruity. The Thomists, on the other hand, contend that man, by the divine assistance, is capable of so living as to merit eternal life, to be worthy (condignus) of it in the sight of God. In this hypothesis the question of previous preparation for the grace which enables him to be worthy, is not introduced.
† 2. Desert; what one deserves. Obs.
1653. Baxter, Worc. Petit. Def., 17. If God should bring to condignity their Town Clerks.
1654. H. L’Estrange, Chas. I. (1655), 8. Theirs was also the greater condignity of the Block.
