Precious faith considered in its nature, working, and growth

Thirdly, The proper formal reason, why we are justified by Faith, is, because it is the condition of the Gospel, on which God, the Great Donor, gives out Christ with all his blessings. We are not justified by faith, as for any reason intrinsical, or in the nature of it, but as it doth inright and instate us into Christ and his righteousness; and how is that done? ⟨p. 219⟩the old Law-rule must be remembered, Voluntas donatoris observetur: the Donors Will is the best guide; and what is that in this case? Clearly in the Gospel Christ and his righteousness are given upon the condition of faith. Bellarmine asserting, that it did not please God to give justification upon the condition of faith alone: Dr. Ames answers him,¹ Vel maximè placuit boc Deo: It pleased him altogether. We must take as God gives. God in the great charter gives out Christ and his righteousness, upon the condition of faith: Faith therefore instates and inrights us into these as it is the condition of that grant. And by consequence we are justified by it as such, as when a Prince grants a pardon, upon condition the Traitor take it from him with his own hands; his taking it gives impunity, not because of the organical apprehensiveness in the hand, but because it is the modus donationis, the pardon runs upon those terms. So, when God grants justification upon condition of believing, we are justified by faith; not because of its intrinsical receptivity or apprehensiveness, but because that faith, which stands in the Gospel as the condition of justification, is found in the heart.

Thirdly, The proper formal reason, why we are justified by Faith, is, because it is the condition of the Gospel, on which God, the Great Donor, gives out Christ with all his blessings. We are not justified by faith, as for any reason intrinsecal, or in the nature of it, but as it doth inright and instate us into Christ and his righteousness; and how is that done? ⟨p. 219⟩the old Law-rule must be remembred, Voluntas donatoris observetur: the Donors Will is the best guide; and what is that in this case? Clearly in the Gospel Christ and his righteousness are given upon the condition of faith. Bellarmine asserting, that it did not please God to give justification upon the condition of faith alone: Dr. Ames answers him,