
Predestination and Justification: Two Theological Loci Writings
The Peter Martyr Vermigli Library, Volume 8
By Peter Martyr Vermigli
Edited by Frank A. James III
$33.95 $23.95
Published November 18, 2025
About this book
Vermigli’s Definitive Treatment of Reformed Theology’s Central Doctrines
This eighth volume of The Peter Martyr Library presents Peter Martyr Vermigli’s most extensive and mature discussions of two cornerstone doctrines of Protestant theology: predestination and justification. Drawn from his monumental commentary on Paul’s Letter to the Romans, these two theological loci represent full-fledged treatises that stand among the most significant contributions to Reformed theological thought.
Written during Vermigli’s tenure as Regius Professor of Divinity at Oxford (1550-1552), these treatises emerged from his strategic lectures on Romans—chosen deliberately to advance the English Reformation. Vermigli saw himself as England’s chief articulator of continental Reformed theology, and these loci represent his systematic engagement with the theological controversies that defined the Protestant movement.
The locus on predestination methodically examines the nature, cause, effects, and necessity of God’s eternal decree, engaging with opponents from Albert Pighius to the doctors of Trent. The locus on justification presents a comprehensive biblical and patristic defense of justification by faith alone, directly confronting Roman Catholic teaching and the emerging debates following the Council of Trent.
Editor Frank A. James III, having devoted two doctoral dissertations to these very topics, provides expert translation and extensive annotations. His research reveals that Vermigli’s understanding of predestination derives not from Calvin or other Protestant reformers, but from the fourteenth-century Augustinian Gregory of Rimini, demonstrating the theological diversity among early Reformers.
These treatises showcase Vermigli’s remarkable scholarly depth, combining rigorous biblical exegesis with extensive patristic learning to address the most controverted questions of his day. They reveal why contemporaries considered him one of the most acute Reformed theologians of his generation.
Paperback | 248 pages | 6×9 | Published November 18, 2025 | ISBN-10 1-949716-52-X | ISBN-13 978-1-949716-52-8
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FROM THE BOOK
“In case our reasoning should stray too far, which might easily happen in so large a field as God’s predestination, a subject full of twists and turns, we intend to divide the subject into four principal parts. First, I will examine carefully the nature and definition of predestination. Second, I will ask what the cause of predestination is, since nothing can be known adequately unless its cause is known. Third, I will consider the effects that predestination brings forth in men; there are many things that are most plainly understood from their effects. Last, I will ask whether its power is such that it brings necessity to man, whether it takes away or hinders the freedom of the human will, and whether it can be changed.”
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
General Editors’ Preface
Translator’s Preface
Translator’s Introduction
- Prologue: The Romans Commentary
- Loci Communes
- The Theological Context
- Predestination and Justification at Trent
- Origins
- Text and Translation
PART ONE: LOCUS ON PREDESTINATION
Prolegomena
- Should Predestination Be Taught?
- Does Predestination Exist?
Article 1: The Nature and Definition of Predestination
- The Nature of Predestination
- The Definition of Predestination
- The Definition of Reprobation
Article 2: The Cause of Predestination
- The Fourfold Cause of Predestination
- Are Foreseen Good Works the Cause of Predestination?
- Testimony from the Church Fathers
- Contra Pighius
Article 3: The Effects of Predestination
- Is Grace Universal?
- Is Grace Sufficient?
- Arguments to the Contrary
Article 4: The Necessity of Predestination
- Is Necessity Imposed upon Us?
- Does Necessity Hinder Free Will?
- Does Foreknowledge Cancel God’s Justice?
PART TWO: LOCUS ON JUSTIFICATION
Prolegomena
- Justification
- Faith
- Works
Proposition 1: Justification Is Not by Works
- Proof from Paul’s Letter to the Romans
- Proof from Paul’s Other Letters
- Proof from Other Scriptures
- Objections to Proposition 1
- Proof from the Church Fathers
- Proof from Church Councils
Proposition 2: Justification Is by Faith
- Proof from Paul’s Letter to the Romans
- Proof from Paul’s Other Letters
- Proof from Other Scriptures
- Objections to Proposition 2
- Proof from the Church Fathers
- Proof from the Church Councils
Proposition 3: Justification Is by Faith Alone
- Contra Richard Smith
- Proof from the Church Fathers
About the Editor and Translator
Scripture References
Classical, Patristic, and Medieval References
Index
Praise for this work
“Peter Martyr Vermigli was everywhere in the sixteenth century—abbot of a monastery in Naples, teacher and colleague of Cranmer in Oxford, pastor and theologian in Zurich. His erudition was immense, from Aristotle and Augustine and Aquinas to Bucer and Zwingli, not to mention his biblical commentaries. These nine volumes will be a major resource for all who seek to learn from the leading figures of the sixteenth century and, in our own context, to foster ecumenical conversations rooted in the love and truth of Christ.”
– Matthew Levering
James N. Jr. and Mary D. Perry Chair of Theology, Mundelein Seminary
“Legend has it that Peter Martyr Vermigli wandered out of the Italian Alps as the ‘ready-made reformer,’ a fact confirmed by the respect he commanded among sixteenth-century Reformed churches. A theologian of the first order, trained in catholic theology and fully committed to the Reformation, students of Scripture would do well to read, mark, and meditate upon the biblically faithful, theologically insightful, and practically oriented work of this great theologian.”
– J. V. Fesko
Harriet Barbour Professor of Systematic and Historical Theology, Reformed Theological Seminary, Jackson, Mississippi
“Peter Martyr is a name too little known and appreciated, but his clarity, rigor, and meaningful contribution to early Reformation theology make his work well worth our time. Whether he is carefully navigating the hypostatic union, the eucharist, or questions about justification, this powerful Reformer helps us better appreciate not only 16th-century Reformed distinctives, but why it all might matter for Christian life. I am thrilled that the Davenant Institute is now making these significant volumes available as high-quality hardback reprints. I hope they will fill the shelves of many personal and professional libraries.”
– Kelly M. Kapic
Professor of Theological Studies, Covenant College
“There are few servants of the Reformation era who had such theological insight and widespread influence as Peter Martyr Vermigli. Yet his labours have never truly received either the attention or the appreciation that they deserve. It is therefore a delight to see this stunning new edition of his works come to publication, which will hopefully inspire fresh engagement with his ideas and his legacy. There are treasures here – for Christians and for churches – that will amply reward careful reading and judicious reflection.”
– Professor Paul T. Nimmo
King’s Chair of Systematic Theology, University of Aberdeen
“This is a wonderful collection from an exemplary Hebraist, exegete, preacher, theologian and controversialist. Forced to move between the Continent and British Isles following his conversion to the Reformation, Vermigli impressed people wherever he went and will undoubtedly impress readers today. The Florentine was a trained Dominican and Renaissance humanist. He exhibited deep familiarity with the Patristic, Classical, and Scholastic corpora. He is not for the faint-hearted, but the effort of reading him will be rewarded 1000-fold.”
– Christina Larsen
Associate Professor of Theology, Grand Canyon Theological Seminary & College of Theology
“The very fact that Peter Martyr Vermigli has become something of a household name in Reformed theology is due in large part to the Davenant Institute’s republication of his various works at a reasonable price. The Peter Martyr Vermigli Library covers a whole panoply of this Italian Reformer’s writings, ranging from exposition of Aristotle’s moral philosophy to the catechetical theology of his commentary on the Apostles’ Creed. Vermigli—more so than Calvin—represents the intellectual and theological high-mark of early, 16th century Reformed orthodoxy. This collection has and will continue to provide theologians, ministers, or even those simply interested in Reformational Protestantism a one-stop shop for early modern theological, philosophical, and biblical reflection. With pleasure I say: Tolle lege!”
– Michael Lynch
Professor of Christian History, Davenant Hall
“Peter Martyr Vermigli was one of the preeminent theologians of the Protestant Reformation. For far too long his contributions to the development of Reformed theology have been neglected. With the publication of this library, his rich, thoughtful, and textured theology and philosophy will finally be widely available!”
– Gayle Doornbos
Associate Professor of Theology, Dordt University
“Peter Martyr Vermigli must be listed among the most remarkable men who shaped one of the most remarkable centuries in the long span of human history. The fact that the man and his writings have been barely known is a scandal and that is why the publication of The Peter Martyr Vermigli Library is such good news. Vermigli was one of the most important figures in the Protestant Reformation and, strangely enough, in the formation of what became the English constitutional tradition. The Peter Martyr Vermigli Library represents a great recovery and is to be celebrated.”
– R. Albert Mohler, Jr.
President & Centennial Professor of Christian Theology, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
“This is a wonderful collection from an exemplary Hebraist, exegete, preacher, theologian and controversialist. Forced to move between the Continent and British Isles following his conversion to the Reformation, Vermigli impressed people wherever he went and will undoubtedly impress readers today. The Florentine was a trained Dominican and Renaissance humanist. He exhibited deep familiarity with the Patristic, Classical, and Scholastic corpora. He is not for the faint-hearted, but the effort of reading him will be rewarded 1000-fold.”
– Jon Balserak
Visiting Lecturer, University of Illinois at Chicago (History dept), Senior Research Fellow, University of Bristol

About the Editor
Frank A. James III received his D.Phil. in history from Oxford University (1993) and Ph.D. in historical theology from Westminster Theological Seminary (2000), both focusing on Vermigli’s doctrines of predestination and justification. He has served as professor of historical theology at Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, Florida, and as vice president for academic affairs. Dr. James is the author of Peter Martyr Vermigli and Predestination: The Augustinian Inheritance of an Italian Reformer (1998) and co-editor of numerous volumes on Reformation theology. As a general editor of The Peter Martyr Library series since 1996, he brings unparalleled expertise to these pivotal texts that have been the focus of his scholarly career for many years.
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