8. Faith comes by hearing, when a man believes those things to be true which are Divinely revealed, and trusts in the promises of God. Faith is the beginning of man's salvation, the foundation and root of all justification, without which it is impossible to please God and enter into the fellowship of His children. Justification is brought about by faith, hope and charity, and unless faith is accompanied by hope and charity, it is not living but dead, and incapable of effecting union with Christ. It is man's duty to co-operate; he has the power to approach and withdraw. Otherwise, nothing could be given to him, for he would be like an inanimate body. Inasmuch as the reception of justification renews man, and as this is effected by the application to him of Christ's merit with man's co-operation, it follows that works are meritorious. But since they are done from grace, and by the Holy Spirit, and as Christ alone has merit, therefore God makes His own gifts in man as meritorious whence it follows that no one ought to attribute anything of merit to himself.