Justification by Faith and Its First Preacher

Edward Hayes Plumptre (1821-1891) was an energetic and highly productive Church of England clergyman who served as Dean of Wells Cathedral and Professor of Theology at King’s College, London. His scholarly output included multiple works of Biblical theology, collected sermons, poetry, hymns, and new translations of important ancient Greek and medieval Latin texts. This 1865 sermon provides an example of his treatment of a difficult and contentious topic: justification by faith. Marked by historical sensitivity and Scriptural knowledge, this allowed him to consider the question in a less contentious and more irenic manner than might be supposed.