26. Protestants say almost exactly the same things as Roman Catholics do about the rewards we gain for our good works, as is clear from the statements copied from the Formula of Concord above to the effect that, because of the promises made to us and because of grace, our good works are deserving of both physical and spiritual rewards; see §14 i, j, k, m; and that God crowns his gifts with rewards; see §14 h, m.

Very similar statements occur in the Council of Trent, namely, that because of his grace, God makes his gifts our rewards; see §5 f; and that salvation comes not as a result of our good works but as a result of God’s promise and grace, because it is God who produces those good works through the Holy Spirit; see §5 e, f, g, h, i, j.

6. Concerning free choice:

(a) Free choice was by no means extinguished by Adam’s sin, but was attenuated in its powers and bent down (Session 6, chapter 1).

(b) If any say that our free choice, once it is moved and stirred by God, does not cooperate at all through giving assent to God’s stirring and calling, in order to dispose and prepare us for obtaining the grace of justification, or that even if it wants to, it cannot refuse its consent, but, like something inanimate, does nothing whatever and is merely passive, let them be anathema (Session 6, canon 4).