Justification by faith played a large role in throwing off the shackles of Popery and superstition early in the first Reformation, especially among the Lutherans. And "(a)lthough Calvin refers to justification by faith as 'the principal article of the Christian religion,' it seems that he is acknowledging its importance to an earlier generation, rather than stating its importance to his own theological position. Justification is not demonstrably of central importance to Calvin's conception of the Christian faith. Nevertheless, the issues raised by the doctrine of justification remained active, even in Calvin's day" (Oxford Encyclopedia of the Reformation, vol. 2, p. 365).

In our day this issue bears reinvestigating in light of the predominance and resurgence of Romanism and the heresies which follow close on her heels, Arminianism and eventually Pelagianism or even Universalism. In our modern context this book should provide a very helpful shorter statement of the classic Protestant position pertaining to what Alexander himself terms "the most important question which can possibly be conceived."

51 pages.