James Kiefer's introduction to this work explains its premise well. Richard Hooker said once in a sermon, "I doubt not but God was merciful to save thousands of our fathers living in popish superstitions, inasmuch as they sinned ignorantly." Keifer explains that "This sentence, which today would be fiercely attacked by those who thought it arrogant, narrow, and bigoted, was at the time attacked on opposite grounds. Walter Travers...said that since the adherents of the Pope did not believe in justification by faith, they could not be justified by faith, which meant that they could not be justified at all, which meant that they were certainly damned, with no exceptions. Hooker, he claimed, had sold out to the enemy." In response to Travers' objections, Hooker crafted a masterful sermon on justification. A brief look at the table of contents will show readers the outline of his sermon. This work is a practical application of Hooker's educated, logical, and authoritative theology.

Abby Zwart
CCEL Staff Writer