The Institution of Christian Religion

Now they allege also these places, wherein the faithful do boldly offer §14their righteousness to the judgment of God to be examined, & require the sentence be given of them according to it.¹ Of which sort are these: Judge ⟨image 282⟩me O lord according to my righteousness,² & according to my innocence, which are in me. Again, Hear my righteousness, O God. Thou haste proved my heart, & hast visited it in the night, & there was no wickedness found in me.³ Again, The Lord shall render to me according to my righteousness, & he shall recompense me according to the cleanness of my hands. Because I have kept the ways of the Lord, & have not wickedly departed from my God. And I shall be unspotted & shall keep me from my iniquity.⁴ Again, Judge me, Lord, because I have walked in mine innocence. I have not sit with lying men, I will not enter in with them that do wicked things. Destroy not my soul with the ungodly, my life with men of blood: in whose hands are iniquities: whose right hand is filled with gifts. But I have walked innocently. I have above spoken of the affiance which the holy ones do seem simply to take to themselves of works. As for these testimonies that we have here alleged, they shall not much encumber us if they be understanded according to their compass, or (as they commonly call it) their circumstance. Now the same is double. For neither would they have them to be wholly examined, that they should be either condemned or acquitted according to the continual course of their whole life: but they bring into judgment a special cause to be debated. Neither do they claim to them selves righteousness in respect of the perfection of God, but by comparison of naughty & wicked men. First when the justifying of man is entreated of, it is not only required that he have a good cause in some particular matter, b•t a certain perpetual agreement of righteousness in his whole life. But the holy oes, when they call upon the judgment of God to approve their innocency, do not offer themselves free from all guiltiness & in every behalf faultless: but verily when they have fastened their affiance of salvation in his goodness only, yet trusting that he is the revenger of the poor afflicted against right & equity, they commend to him the cause wherein the innocent are oppressed.