( 394) the Father for us : 1. That our fins maybe forgiven. 2. That our imperfeet works of Righteoufnefs may be accepted, and we faved. And he thews that it is but quoade.ffeElus, as to the fruits, that God giveth us Chrifts Merits or Righteoufnefs , and not. he thing it felf, which is impoffible. And pag. 304. hefaith, [ But in the latterfort they plead the truth and fincerity oftheir hearts, and the fincerityof the righteoufnefs that is found in them, and this for two Reafons ; i. &c. z. For that they know this is a Conditionwerewithal the Promifes of God madeunto them for their good, are limited : and therefore if they found not this they couldexpeet nothing of God ; and finding this, they need not doubt to obtainany thing that is neceffary for them. And-pag. 313. he fbews,that though the Juftified never final- ly fall fromGod, yet upon grievous fin , in fome fort regnant , fuch as Davids was, they lofe their prefent a6tual claim to falvation it being fufpended till they Repent : But the Right it felf they lofe not. And Chap. 12, of Merits, pag. 33o. he faith , Anno 1541. in the time of Charles the 5th and by his appointment, there was a conference between fix learned Divines at Ratisbone , for the compofing of Differences in Religion , whereof three were chofen for the Rontan,and three for the Reformed part : at which Cnoference Cardinal Contarenus was prefent. At this confe- rence the Collocuters on both fides agreed in all the punts that concern Iutfification, compofed thedifferences touching the fame, and offered the form of their Agreement to the Emperour and the Imperial States. In this agreement they left out the matter of Merit : Whichwhen fome difliked, and there wanted not in Rome, that took exceptions at their fodoing,Cardinal Contarenus writeth to Cardinal Farnefius, and iheweth at large that there is noMerit properly fo named, out of the grounds of Philofophy and Divinity : and ftrongly proveth that there isno Merit of Eternal Life, becaute if there be, then men Merit it either before or after Itiftification. Not before ; then they areenemies, e.c. Not after; becaufe to Merit, is to make that Due that was not Due before : whereas the happinefs of eternal. Life is due to the luftified by the Right of his Iuftification fo that the works of the Iuftified do not make the fame newly Due.] Iudge
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