Calvin on the meritorious cause

This is more largely and particularly expressed in the Treatise on Justification, which I published last year. "If we take the phrase of imputing Christ's righteousness for the bestowing, as it were, the righteousness of Christ, including his obedience, as well passive as active, in the return of it, that is, in the privileges, blessings, and benefits purchased by it, so a believer may be said to be justified by the righteousness of Christ imputed. The meaning is, God justifies the believer for the sake of Christ's righteousness, and not for any righteousness of his own. So Calvin, in the Institutes, book two, chapter seventeen: 'Christ by his obedience procured and merited for us grace, or favor, with God the Father.' Again, 'Christ by his obedience procured or purchased righteousness for us.' And yet again, 'All such expressions as these, that we are justified by the grace of God, that Christ is our righteousness, that righteousness was procured for us by the death and resurrection of Christ, import the same thing.' Namely, that the righteousness of Christ, both his active and his passive righteousness, is the meritorious cause of our justification, and has procured for us at God's hand that, upon our believing, we should be accounted righteous by him."