Of free justification

By these things I suppose it is ¹sufficiently evident, what this Righteousness is, and of what sort, which makes us righteous before God, whether it is Christs or ours? If it is Christs, it is not ours? How then of works of our righteousness? If it is ours, it is not Christs: how is a man of wicked made righteous? If of wicked he is made righteous, that I may speak in the words of Augustine, what are the ²works of wicked men? Let the wicked man now boast of his works, I give to the Poor, I take nothing away from any man, &c. then thou art in this thy boast wicked, and thy works are none. These things said he, therefore it is a false Opinion, which men plead for, to wit, that a man cannot be called righteous by an external righteousness. Neither is it less Ass-like which those Balqamites do bray, who say, that it is the same thing for a man to be thus Righteous; as if a man should say, an Ass with the form of an Ass is a Man; for by Faith we are called faithful, and by righteousness weare called righteous, &c. Be it so indeed, that no Man should rightly be called righteous, but upon ⟨p. 111⟩the account of Righteousness; what then, seeing Christ is our righteousness, is there not sufficient cause upon that account why we should be called righteous? should any man require a better righteousness than that which is Christs? And what form of expressing, though external, can hinder, but that the righteousness which is peculiar to Christ, may also be called ours, and may be common both to him and us, especially seeing he is wholly ours with his merits, virtues, benefits, and all his goods? ³which qualities, though they are not properly in our selves, yet being received from him, they pass likewise into our possession. As the Bodies of the Stars and Planets, though dark of themselves, yet they shine and are made bright, not with their own, but another's light, to wit, being enlightened with the light of the Sun; just so it comes to pass to us, that we are made Righteous, Kings, Priests, Sons and Heirs of God, not by any property of our nature or condition of works, but because the Son and Heir himself is said to be made Sin and a Curse for us, not for any sin inherent in him, but imputed to him.