The Marrow Controversy 1718-1723

Book Description

The 1718 republication of the Marrow of Modern Divinity ignited a furious debate within the Established Church of Scotland over the doctrines of grace, and particularly the relationship between law and gospel. However, since at least Thomas M’Crie’s 1831 Account of the Controversy, no writer has given the impression that his acquaintance with the literature of the Controversy itself is any better than secondhand. Consequently, current analyses seldom appeal to the primary sources necessary to sustain firm, evidence-based conclusions.

Two key questions thus emerge. First, in view of the Marrow Brethren’s continued protests to the contrary, were the ecclesiastical proceedings essentially fair, arrived at after due process, and representative of the mind of the Church as a whole? And second, was the General Assembly historically correct in condemning the Marrow as being incompatible with the Westminster Standards and Reformed Orthodoxy? Dr. Lachman’s Marrow Controversy provides a sufficiently thorough historical and theological analysis to produce a fair and conclusive answer to these questions.

Author

David C. Lachman (1939-2023) was a church historian, antiquarian, theological bookseller, elder, husband, father, and grandfather. Dr. Lachman was widely respected for his deep learning, built on decades of meticulous research into primary sources. He was a self-described "treasure hunter"—diligently searching out scarce and valuable Reformed, Puritan, and Scottish Presbyterian theological writings. A native of suburban Philadelphia, he earned degrees at Houghton College (B.A.), the University of Pennsylvania (M.A.), Westminster Seminary (B.D. & Th.M.), and the University of St. Andrews (Ph.D.). Dr. Lachman was a skilled editor, most notably serving as a general editor of the Dictionary of Scottish Church History and Theology, and an adjunct professor, occasionally teaching at Westminster and Puritan Reformed Theological Seminaries. This Ph.D. dissertation was the product of five years of painstaking labour—untold hours scouring the special collections of New College Library, Edinburgh, as well as the National Library and Archives of Scotland--uncovering every primary source which could be found on the subject. The result is this definitive work, his thorough explanation and analysis of the Marrow Controversy.

Endorsements

“I’ve read and perused this volume many times throughout my life, and I still consider it to be the best scholarly work ever produced on the famous Marrow Controversy.”
—Dr. Joel R. Beeke, Chancellor, Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary

“The late Dr David Lachman’s patient scholarship and theological acumen made—and still makes—The Marrow Controversy a landmark study. Here is the essential guide to the way issues that often haunt the church exploded in 18th century Scotland. Its long-hoped-for republication is good news indeed!”
—Sinclair B. Ferguson, Chancellor’s Professor of Systematic Theology, Reformed Theological Seminary

Additional Information

Cover: Hardcover
Number of Pages: 608
Publisher: Grange Press
Publication Date: 2026