The Institution of Christian Religion

For though he singularly w•ll taketh from man all praise of righteousness, and assigneth it wholly to the grace of God, yet he referreth grace to sanctification, whereby we are renewed into newness of life by the holy ghost.

For though he singularly w•ll taketh from man all prayse of righteousnesse, and assigneth it wholly to ye grace of God, yet he referreth grace to sanctificatiō, wherby we are renewed into newnesse of life by the holy ghost.

But the Scripture, when it speaketh of the righteousness of faith, leadeth us to a far other end, that is to say, that turning away from the looking upon our own works, we should only look unto the mercy of God and perfection of Christ. For it teacheth this order of justification, that first God vouchsafeth to embrace man being a sinner with his mere ⟨p. 179⟩and free goodness, considering nothing in him but misery whereby he may be mo•ed to mercy, forasmuch as he seeth him altogether naked & void of good works, fetching from himself the cause to do him good: then, that he moveth the sinner himself with feeling of his goodness, which despairing upon his own works casteth all the sum of his salvation upon Gods mercy. This is the feeling of faith, by which feeling the sinner cometh into possession of his salvation, when he acknowledgeth by the doctrine of the Gospel that he is reconciled to God: that obtaining forgiveness of sins by means of the righteousness of Christ, •e is justified: and although he be regenerate by the Spirit of God, he thinketh upon continual righteousness laid up for him not in the good works to which he applieth himself, but in y• only righteousness of Christ. When these things shall be every one particularly weighed, they shall give a perfect declaration of our sentence. Albeit they might be better disposed in an other order than they are set forth. But it maketh little matter, so that they hang together in such sort that we may have the whole matter truly declared & surely proved.