their continuance in it permanent, the answer is ready; Because the Lord in his mercy has once adopted and perpetually defends them. But if the question relate to the manner in which he does this, it will then be necessary to advert to regeneration and its fruits, which are enumerated in the psalm that we have just quoted. VII. But there appears to be much greater difficulty in those places which dignify good works with the title of _righteousness_, and assert that a man is justified by them. Of the former kind there are many, where the observance of the commands is denominated _justification_ or _righteousness_. An example of the other kind we find in Moses: “And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments.”[142] If it be objected that this is a legal promise, which, having an impossible condition annexed to it, proves nothing,—there are other passages which will not admit of a similar reply; such as, “In case thou shalt deliver him the pledge, &c., it shall be righteousness unto thee before the Lord.”[143] Similar to this is what the Psalmist says, that the zeal of Phinehas in avenging the disgrace of Israel, “was counted unto him for righteousness.”[144] Therefore the Pharisees of our day suppose that these passages afford ample ground for their clamour against us. For when we say, that if the righteousness of faith be established, there is an end of justification by works,—they argue, in the same manner, that if righteousness be by works, then it is not true that we are justified by faith alone. Though I grant that the precepts of the law are termed _righteousness_, there is nothing surprising in this; for they are so in reality. The reader, however, ought to be apprized that the Hebrew word חקים (_commandments_) is not well translated by the Greek word δικαιωματα, (_righteousness_.) But I readily relinquish all controversy respecting the word. Nor do we deny that the Divine law contains perfect righteousness. For although, being under an obligation to fulfil all its precepts, we should, even after a perfect obedience to it, only be unprofitable servants,—yet, since the Lord has honoured the observance of it with the title of _righteousness_, we would not detract from what he has given. We freely acknowledge, therefore, that the perfect obedience of the law is righteousness, and that the observance of every particular command is a part of righteousness; since complete righteousness consists of all the parts. But we deny that such a kind of righteousness any where exists. And therefore we reject the righteousness of the law; not that it is of itself defective and mutilated, but because, on account of the debility of our flesh,[145] it is no where to be found. It may be said, that the Scripture not only calls the Divine precepts _righteousnesses_, but gives this appellation also to the works of the saints. As where it relates of Zacharias and his wife, that “they were both righteous before