25. Brief Analysis

The books, sermons, and other sayings of the leaders of the Protestant Reformation make it clear that although those leaders separated faith and goodwill, nevertheless they did say that goodwill was an appendage to faith and eventually even an integral part of it. Nevertheless they tried to avoid bringing the two together and giving them a shared or concurrent power to save. After those leaders have stated that faith and goodwill are separate, they go on to unite them, and in fact express that union in clear and unambiguous wording. For example, they say that after we go through the process of being made just, our faith is never alone — our faith brings with it goodwill or good works, and if it does not, it is dead rather than living; see §13 n, o, p, q, v, y. In fact, they state that good works necessarily follow faith; see §13 u, v, w; and that the reborn use their new powers and gifts to cooperate with the Holy Spirit; see §13 x.

From the statements gathered above from the Council of Trent in §§4, 5, 6, 7, 8, it is clear that Roman Catholics present exactly the same teachings.

43. 8 This faith is faith in God the Savior Jesus Christ. In a simple form it is this:

1. There is one God, the divine trinity exists within him, and he is the Lord Jesus Christ.

2. Believing in him is a faith that saves.

3. We must abstain from doing things that are evil — they belong to the Devil and come from the Devil.

4. We must do things that are good — they belong to God and come from God.

5. We must do these things as if we ourselves were doing them, but we must believe that they come from the Lord working with us and through us.