《宋史·列传·卷一百五十八》
他负责处理案件，有个囚犯杀人，郡守判决说： 给他条活命，也是积阴德。 高登说： 阴德怎么可以有意去积累，杀人的人要处死，如果可以免去死罪，那么被杀死的人的冤屈什么时候能除去？ 
摄狱事，有囚杀人，守欲奏裁曰： 阴德可为。 登曰： 阴德岂可有心为之，杀人者死，而可幸免，则被死之冤何时而销？ 
When he was hearing and adjudicating cases, a prisoner committed murder, and the prefect said: “Let him live, so as to accumulate virtue.” Gao Deng argued: “How can virtue be intentionally accumulated? Someone who has committed murder should be sentenced to death. If he can be excused of his crime, then when can the grievance of the murdered person be redressed?”