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95 Theses XII: A Few Good Heresies

56. The treasures of the church, out of which the pope dispenses indulgences, are not sufficiently spoken of or known among the people of Christ. My comment: I agree completely.


57. That these treasures are not temporal are clear from the fact that many of the merchants do not grant them freely, but only collect them. My comment: Not much to say here.

58. Nor are they the merits of Christ and the saints, because, even apart from the pope, these merits are always working grace in the inner man, and working the cross, death, and hell in the outer man. My comment: Troubling that he puts the cross next to death and hell. A see a false Law-Gospel dichotomy here. And a nominalistic saint-sinner one, too. 

59. St. Laurence said that the poor were the treasures of the church, but he used the term in accordance with the custom of his own time. My comment: OOOH, burn!

60. We do not speak rashly in saying that the treasures of the church are the keys of the church, and are bestowed by the merits of Christ. My comment: I'd say rather that the merits of Christ are the treasures. On the other hand, if the treasury of merit is in view, then this is correct. "Bestowed" belies a troubling notion of imputation.

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