1718?1720s Scottish theology dispute
The
Marrow Controversy
was a
Scottish
ecclesiastical dispute occasioned by the republication in 1718 of
The Marrow of Modern Divinity
(originally published in two parts in
London
in 1645 and 1649 by "E. F.", generally believed to be a
pseudonym
for
Edward Fisher
, a lay theologian of the seventeenth century).
[1]
The work consists of religious dialogues which discuss the doctrine of the
atonement
and aim to guide the reader safely between
Antinomianism
and
Neonomianism
. The dispute involved two parties, being the
Marrow Brethren
and the
General Assembly
.
[2]
History
[
edit
]
In 1700, while making a pastoral visit in the small country parish of Simprin, in the course of his work as a
Church of Scotland
minister,
Thomas Boston
borrowed a copy of
The Marrow of Modern Divinity
. He greatly appreciated the book and while a member of the 1717 General Assembly, commended it to a fellow minister. As a consequence of this conversation, in 1718 arrangements were made to have the Marrow reprinted, with a preface by
James Hog
of Carnock.
Based on the book, the Presbytery in Auchterarder issued a declaration, the
Auchterarder Creed
, which said it was unorthodox to say a person must repent of their sins to be justified.
[3]
[4]
[5]
[6]
This Auchterarder Creed was condemned by the
General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
in 1717,
[7]
saying that one could only be saved after a person had gotten rid of their sins through repentance.
[4]
James Hadow
, Professor of Divinity and Principal of St. Mary's College in the University of St Andrews, took the lead in opposing
The Marrow
, assailing it in his opening sermon at the Synod of Fife in April 1719. This was published shortly thereafter as
The Record of God and Duty of Faith Therein required
. An interchange of pamphlets with Hog ensued, with Hadow accusing the
Marrow
of the
Antinomian heresy
and Hog asserting that Hadow was misrepresenting the
Marrow
.
Committee for Purity of Doctrine report
[
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]
At the May 1719 General Assembly, an existing "Committee for Purity of Doctrine" was instructed to "enquire into the publishing and spreading of Books and Pamphlets", tending to the spread of doctrines "inconsistent with our
Confession of Faith
" and to call such authors to account. The committee's report, submitted in May 1720, strongly condemned the book as Antinomian. The Assembly overwhelmingly approved this report, prohibited all ministers of the Church of Scotland from recommending
The Marrow
in any way, and instructed them to warn their people against reading it. This had the effect of advertising a previously obscure book to people throughout Scotland and many proceeded to buy a copy and to read it carefully.
Representation and Petition
[
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]
At the Assembly in 1721 twelve men, including Boston, Hog and
Ralph
and
Ebenezer Erskine
, submitted a "Representation and Petition", arguing that in condemning
The Marrow
the Assembly had condemned propositions which were scriptural, and other expressions which were plainly taught both by many orthodox divines and in the doctrinal standards of the Church of Scotland. They also argued that the report had misrepresented the book's teaching, taking various expressions out of context. Their petition was rejected. In the Assembly of 1722
The Marrow's
condemnation was reaffirmed and the twelve Representers were rebuked.
Associate Presbytery
[
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]
Subsequently, every effort was made by the men who had opposed
The Marrow
to prevent ministers holding Marrow doctrines from obtaining more influential pastoral charges, but no effective disciplinary action was taken against them. The ecclesiastical controversy thus gradually drew to an end, but theological disagreement continued. In the 1730s, though over a different issue, that of patronage, some of the proponents of Marrow theology left the Church of Scotland to form the
Associate Presbytery
, with the distinctive doctrines of
The Marrow
forming the theological basis for the new church.
In 1726 a new edition of
The Marrow
was published, with a preface and extensive annotations by
Thomas Boston
, defending and expounding the Marrow's teaching as Scriptural. In this form
The Marrow
has been frequently reprinted over the last nearly 300 years and has been widely influential.
Viewpoints held by the Marrow Brethren
[
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]
The
Marrow Brethren
, though rejecting universal atonement, held to common grace and that in some way God desires the salvation of all.
[8]
They attacked "High Calvinism", and sought to clear the gospel out of any other conditions other than faith. The Marrow Brethren denied that actions such as repentance, with either inward or outward reformation, are necessary to receive salvation, but saw them as naturally flowing from receiving Christ.
The Marrow Brethren taught the
republication of the covenant of works
.
[11]
The Marrow had a high emphasis on the possibility of
assurance
,
[12]
seeing the work of Christ as the foundation of the believer's assurance, while the general Assembly emphasized the human element in having assurance.
[13]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
Beaton, Donald (1926).
The "Marrow of Modern Divinity" and the Marrow Controversy
. Scottish Church History Society. pp. 112?134
. Retrieved
25 August
2018
.
- ^
"The Whole Christ: Legalism, Antinomianism, and Gospel Assurance ? Why the Marrow Controversy Still Matters"
.
Reformed Faith & Practice
. Retrieved
9 November
2022
.
- ^
"A Short History of Scotland, by Andrew Lang on Undiscovered Scotland: XXXII: The First Secession"
.
www.undiscoveredscotland.co.uk
. Retrieved
13 November
2022
.
- ^
a
b
"Ordained Servant October 2015: A Righteousness Apart from the Law That Is Not against the L"
.
opc.org
. Retrieved
13 November
2022
.
- ^
"The Marrow Controversy?Lessons in Free Grace"
.
www.monergism.com
. Retrieved
13 November
2022
.
- ^
"Chapter 6: The Marrow Controversy"
.
www.prca.org
. Retrieved
13 November
2022
.
- ^
Myers, Stephen (2016).
Scottish Federalism and Covenantalism in Transition: The Theology of Ebenezer Erskine
. James Clarke & Co. pp. 29?30.
ISBN
9780227175699
. Retrieved
14 November
2022
.
- ^
Douma, Douglas J. (24 January 2017).
The Presbyterian Philosopher: The Authorized Biography of Gordon H. Clark
. Wipf and Stock Publishers.
ISBN
978-1-5326-0724-0
.
- ^
Hoehner, Paul J. (13 May 2021).
The Covenant Theology of Jonathan Edwards: Law, Gospel, and Evangelical Obedience
. Wipf and Stock Publishers.
ISBN
978-1-7252-8157-8
.
- ^
VanDoodewaard, William (1 November 2011).
The Marrow Controversy and Seceder Tradition: Atonement, Saving Faith, and the Gospel offer in Scotland (1718-1799)
. Reformation Heritage Books.
ISBN
978-1-60178-329-5
.
- ^
Holmes, Andrew R. (2 November 2006).
The Shaping of Ulster Presbyterian Belief and Practice, 1770?1840
. OUP Oxford.
ISBN
978-0-19-153717-2
.
- C. A. Briggs,
American Presbyterianism
, pp. 254 sqq., New York, 1885.
- David C. Lachman,
The Marrow Controversy: An Historical and Theological Analysis
, Edinburgh: Rutherford House, 1988.
- W. M. Hetherington
,
History of the Church of Scotland
, chap. ix., pp. 342, 344?347, New York, 1881.
- N. M. deS. Cameron (editor),
Dictionary of Scottish Church History & Theology
. Edinburgh, 1993. Various relevant articles.
- Edward Fisher,
The Marrow of Modern Divinity
with notes by Thomas Boston. Fearn:
Christian Focus Publications
, 2009,
ISBN
978-1-84550-479-3
- Macfadyen, Dugald
(1911). "
Boston, Thomas
". In
Chisholm, Hugh
(ed.).
Encyclopædia Britannica
. Vol. 4 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 289.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the
public domain
.
- Macleod, Donald (2010).
"Reformed theology in Scotland"
(PDF)
.
Theology in Scotland
.
17
(2):
11
?14
. Retrieved
22 April
2019
.
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