No question is of more eternal significance than this one: How is a sinner able to stand before a holy God? Can a man be saved by his own goodness? If so, how good must that goodness be? Is justification by the finished work of Christ alone, or is it a combination of the work of Christ and the work of man? Does God accept anything less than perfection? These questions have divided the Protestant church and the Roman church for centuries. In this rare book, William Pemble, a 17th century Puritan, looks at the issues and shows how faith alone in the finished work of Christ is what justifies. He specifically challenges the teaching of the Council of Trent as taught by Robert Bellarmine, the Roman church's champion of that era.