BE8.当一个人相信以神圣方式所启示的那些事是真的，并信赖上帝的应许，信就因着听（道）而来。信是人得救的开端，是一切称义的根据与基础，没有信就不可能蒙上帝悦纳并进入他的众儿女的团契中。称义乃是藉着信、望、爱产生；离了望与爱，这样的信不是活的，是死的信，不能与基督相结合。人应当合作；他有能力或进或退，要不然任何东西都无法赐给他，因为这样的话，他将如同一具行尸走肉。对称义的接受使人更新，它的成就乃是在他合作的情况下、藉着基督之功在他身上的应用，于是得出：行为是有功的。不过，因为它们乃是靠着恩典、藉着圣灵才能行出来，又因为唯独基督有功德，所以上帝视他自己在人里面的恩赐为有功；由此得出，任何人都不可将任何功德归给自身。
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.
8. That faith comes by hearing, when a man believes those things to be true which are Divinely revealed, and believes in the promises of God. That 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. That justification is effected by faith, hope, and charity; and that unless faith be accompanied by hope and charity, it is not living but dead, which cannot unite with Christ. That man ought to cooperate; that he has the power to approach and recede, otherwise nothing could be given unto him, for he would be like an inanimate body. That inasmuch as the reception of justification renews man, and as this is effected by the application of the merit of Christ, during man's cooperation, it follows that works are meritorious; but inasmuch as they are done from grace, and by the Holy Spirit, and as Christ alone has merited, therefore God considers His own gifts in man as meritorious; whence it follows, that no one ought to attribute anything of merit to himself.
8. Quod fides sit ex auditu, cum credit vera esse quae Divinitus revelata sunt, et credit promissis Dei. Quod Fides sit humanae salutis initium, fundamentum et radix omnis justificationis, sine qua impossibile est placere Deo, et in filiorum ejus consortium venire: quod Justificatio fiat per fidem, spem et charitatem, et quod fides nisi ad illam accedant spes et charitas, non sit viva sed mortua, quae non unit cum Christo. Quod homo cooperari debeat; quod accedere et recedere possit, alioquin nihil ei posset donari, quia foret sicut inanimatum corpus. Quod quia receptio justificationis innovat hominem, et hoc fit per applicationem meriti Christi in illum, cooperante homine, sequatur quod opera promereantur; sed quia fiunt ex gratia, et per Spiritum Sanctum, et quia Solus Christus meruit, Deus faciat dona sua apud hominem merita; unde consequitur, quod nemo possit sibi aliquid meriti attribuere.