Charles Hodge: We are justified by faith that unites us to Christ as our righteousness

Charles Hodge explains that faith is not inherently virtuous so as to provide a meritorious grounds for acceptance with God, but that justifying righteousness is alien to ourselves:

It is not on account of any virtue or goodness in faith, but as it unites us to Christ, and involves the acceptance of Him as our righteousness. Thus it is we are justified “by faith alone, without any manner of virtue or goodness of our own.” (Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, vol. 3: Justification)