Marrow of Modern Divinity.Indd

MMarrowarrow ofof ModernModern Divinity.inddDivinity.indd 1 229/07/20099/07/2009 16:38:5816:38:58 “Anyone who comes to grips with the issues raised in Th e Marrow of Modern Divinity will almost certainly grow by leaps and bounds in understanding three things: the grace of God, the Christian life, and the very nature of the gospel itself. I personally owe it a huge debt. Despite their mild-mannered appearance, these pages contain a powerful piece of propaganda. Read them with great care!” Sinclair B. Ferguson, Senior Minister, Th e First Presbyterian Church, Columbia, South Carolina

“Th e Marrow of Modern Divinity is one of the most important text’s of all time” Derek W. H. Th omas, John Richards Professor of Practical and Systematic Th eology, Reformed Th eological Seminary, Jackson, Mississippi

ISBN 978-1-84550-479-3

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Published in 2009 in the Christian Heritage Imprint by Christian Focus Publications, Geanies House, Fearn, Tain, Ross-shire, IV20 1TW, Scotland, UK www.christianfocus.com

Cover design by Paul Lewis

Printed in the USA

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior per-mission of the publisher or a licence permitting restricted copying. In the U.K. such licences are issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency, Saﬀ ron House, 6-10 Kirby Street, London, EC1 8TS www.cla.co.uk.

MMarrowarrow ofof ModernModern Divinity.inddDivinity.indd 4 229/07/20099/07/2009 16:39:3116:39:31 CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION 17

A Journey into the Past:Th e Story of Th e Marrow of Modern Divinity 21 Searching for E.F. 22 Th e Two Fishers 23 Looking in London 25 Concluding the Case of Edward Fisher 26 Scotland and Th e Marrow 28 Th e Marrow of Modern Divinity in the Twenty-ﬁ rst century 31

PART ONE 33

BOSTON’S PREFACE 35

TO THE HON. COLONEL JOHN DOWNES 38

TO THE READER 40

INTRODUCTION 45 Diﬀ erences About the Law 45 A Th reefold Law 46

 OF THE LAW, OR COVENANT OF WORKS 52 Th e Nature of the Covenant of Works 52 Adam’s Fall 55 Th e Sinfulness and Misery of Mankind by the Fall 56 No Recovery by the Law, or Covenant of Works 58 Th e Covenant of Works Binding, though Broken 60

 OF THE LAW OF FAITH, OR COVENANT OF GRACE 63 Of the Eternal Purpose of Grace 63

MMarrowarrow ofof ModernModern Divinity.inddDivinity.indd 5 229/07/20099/07/2009 16:39:3216:39:32 Of the Promise 70 Th e Promise Made to Adam 70 Th e Promise Renewed to Abraham 72 Th e Law, as the Covenant of Works, Added to the Promise 80 Th e Promise and Covenant with Abraham, Renewed with the Israelites 86 Th e Covenant of Grace under the Mosaic Dispensation 88 Th e Natural Bias Towards the Covenant of Works 101 Th e Antinomian Faith Rejected 112 Th e Evil of Legalism 115 Contents Of the Performance of the Promise 118 Christ’s Fulﬁ lling of the Law in the Room of the Elect 119 Believers Dead to the Law as the Covenant of Works 121 Th e Warrant to Believe in Christ 144 Evangelical Repentance a Consequent of Faith 162 Th e Spiritual Marriage with Jesus Christ 165 Justiﬁ cation before Faith, Refuted 168 Believers Freed from the Commanding and Condemning Power of the Covenant of Works 172

 OF THE LAW OF CHRIST 185 Th e Nature of the Law of Christ 185 Th e Law of the Ten Commandments a Rule of Life to Believers 186 Antinomian Objections Answered 198 Th e Necessity of Marks and Signs of Grace 200 Antinomian Objections Answered 202 Holiness and Good Works Attained to Only by Faith 203 Slavish Fear and Servile Hope not the Springs of True Obedience 216 Th e Eﬃ cacy of Faith for Holiness of Heart and Life 218 Use of Means for Strengthening of Faith 223 Th e Distinction of the Law of Works, and Law of Christ, Applied to Six Paradoxes 224 Th e Use of that Distinction in Practice 235 Th at Distinction a Mean Betwixt Legalism and Antinomianism 241 How to Attain to Assurance 243 Marks and Evidences of True Faith 245 How to Recover Lost Evidences 247 Marks and Signs of Union with Christ 247

 OF THE HEART’S HAPPINESS, OR SOUL’S REST 252 No Rest for the Soul Till it Come to God 252 How the soul is kept from rest in God 253 God in Christ the Only True Rest for the Soul 261 Conclusion 265

MMarrowarrow ofof ModernModern Divinity.inddDivinity.indd 6 229/07/20099/07/2009 16:39:3216:39:32 PART TWO 267

TO THE RIGHT HON. JOHN WARNER, LORD MAYOR OF THE MOST RENOWNED CITY OF LONDON 269

THE AUTHOR TO THE WELL-AFFECTED READER 271

INTRODUCTION 273 Contents Th e First Commandment 276 Th e Second Commandment 281 Th e Th ird Commandment 286 Th e Fourth Commandment 294 Th e Fifth Commandment 297 Th e Sixth Commandment 304 Th e Seventh Commandment 307 Th e Eighth Commandment 309 Th e Ninth Commandment 312 Th e Tenth Commandment 314 Th e Use of the Law 317

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE LAW AND THE GOSPEL 339

APPENDIX: Th e Occasion Of Th e ‘Marrow’ Controversy 345 Queries Agreed unto by the Commission of the General Assembly 346 Query I. Whether are there any precepts in the gospel that were not actually given before the gospel was revealed? 347 Query II. Is not the believer now bound, by the authority of the Creator, to personal obedience to the moral law, though not in order to justifi cation? 350 Query III. Doth the annexing of a promise of life, and a threatening of death to a precept, make it a covenant of works? 352 Query IV. If the moral law, antecedent to its receiving the form of a covenant of works, had a threatening of hell annexed? 353 Query V. If it be peculiar to believers to be free of the commanding power of the law, as a covenant of works? 354 Query VI. If a sinner, being justifi ed, has all things at once that are necessary for salvation? 357 Query VII. Is preaching the necessity of a holy life, in order to the obtaining of eternal happiness, of dangerous consequence to the doctrine of free grace? 358 Query VIII. Is knowledge, belief, and persuasion, that Christ died for me, and that he is mine, and that whatever he did and suff ered…instated in God’s covenant of grace? 361 Query IX. What is that act of faith, by which a sinner appropriates Christ and his saving benefi ts to himself? 370

MMarrowarrow ofof ModernModern Divinity.inddDivinity.indd 7 229/07/20099/07/2009 16:39:3316:39:33 Query X. Whether the revelation of the divine will in the word, aff ording a warrant to off er Christ unto all, and a warrant to all to receive him, can be said to be the Father’s making a deed of gift and grant of Christ unto all mankind? Is this grant to all mankind by sovereign grace? And whether is it absolute or conditional! 371 Query XI. Is the division of the law, as explained and applied in the Marrow, to be justifi ed, and which cannot be rejected without burying several gospel truths? 373 Query XII. Is the hope of heaven and fear of hell to be excluded from the motives of the believer’s obedience? And if not, how can the Marrow be defended, that expressly excludes them, though it should allow of other motives? 374 Contents INDEX 377

MMarrowarrow ofof ModernModern Divinity.inddDivinity.indd 8 229/07/20099/07/2009 16:39:3316:39:33 ABOUT THIS EDITION

This book contains Edward Fisher’s 1 Very short notes of only a few words Marrow of Modern Divinity along with appear within the Marrow dialogue Thomas Boston’s notes. Apart from in square brackets. For example, making the style and placement of biblical ‘[typically]’ on page 91. references consistent with modern practice, 2 Brief notes of anything up to one and changing Roman numerals to Arabic, hundred words appear as sidenotes the text is original. alongside the dialogue. We have placed This does not mean, however, that them as close as possible to whatever we have not done anything designed to Boston is referring to within the text. make the book more user-friendly. Earlier 3 For Boston’s lengthier notes of several editions of the Marrow provided Boston’s hundred to several thousand words we notes as footnotes, but this presents have created titles, which also appear a challenge to the compositor and to as sidenotes with the number of the the reader since the length of his notes page where the extended note may be range from one word defi nitions to a fi ve- found. Anything that appears in two thousand-word essay. Our aim has been column text in Part One of the Marrow to produce a book that makes Boston’s (pp. 43–266) is written by Thomas material more accessible, while at the same Boston. Th is also means that for the time presenting it in a more manageable fi rst time it is possible to use the list format. Th e diagram overleaf uses pages on pages 9–10 to fi nd out what Boston 63 and 66 to illustrate our approach to the said on a particular subject without layout. We have presented Boston’s notes having to read through a blizzard of in the following three ways: indistinguishable footnotes.

MMarrowarrow ofof ModernModern Divinity.inddDivinity.indd 1313 229/07/20099/07/2009 16:39:3416:39:34 Main Dialogue

OF THE LAW OF FAITH,  OR COVENANT OF GRACE antinomista I beseech you, sir, proceed to help us to the true knowledge of the law of faith. evangelista Th e law of faith is as much as to say the covenant of grace, or the gospel, which signifi es good, merry, glad, and joyful tidings; that is to say, that God, to whose eternal knowledge all things are present, and nothing past or to come, foreseeing man’s fall, before all time purposed,1 and in time promised,2 and in the fullness of time performed,3 the sending of his Son Jesus Christ into the world, to help and deliver fallen 1 ‘Who hath saved us according to his own 4 mankind. purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began’ Of the Eternal Purpose of Grace (2 Tim. 1:9). ‘According to the eternal purpose, which antinomista I beseech you, sir, let us hear more of these things; and fi rst of all, show he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord’ (Eph 3:11). how we are to conceive of God’s eternal purpose in sending of Jesus Christ. 2 ‘Th e gospel of God, which evangelista Why, here the learned frame a kind of confl ict in God’s holy attributes; he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy and by a liberty, which the Holy Ghost, from the language of holy Scriptures’ (Rom. 1:1–2). Scripture, alloweth them, they speak of God after the manner of men, as if he were reduced to some straits and diffi culties, by the cross 3 ‘But when the fullness 5 of the time was come, demands of his several attributes. God sent forth his Son, For Truth and Justice stood up and said, that man had sinned, and made of a woman, made therefore man must die; and so called for the condemnation of a sinful, under the law, to redeem them that were under and therefore worthily a cursed creature; or else they must be violated: the law’ (Gal. 4:4–5). for thou saidst (said they to God), ‘In that day that thou eatest of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt die the death.’ 4 ‘Th e Law of Faith’ (66). Mercy, on the other side, pleaded for favour, and appeals to the 5 ‘How shall I give thee great court in heaven: and there it pleads, saying, Wisdom, and power, up, Ephraim? How shall I deliver thee, Israel? and goodness, have been all manifest in the creation; and anger and How shall I make thee as justice have been magnifi ed in man’s misery that he is now plunged Admah? How shall I set into by his fall: but I have not yet been manifested. [Mercy requires thee as Zeboim? Mine heart is turned within me, an object in misery.] O let favour and compassion be shown towards my repentings are kindled man, woefully seduced and overthrown by Satan! together’ (Hos. 11:8).

Very short notes Titles in the sidenotes Brief notes appear as appear in square refer to Boston’s long sidenotes. brackets. notes and the page number on which they appear.

MMarrowarrow ofof ModernModern Divinity.inddDivinity.indd 1414 229/07/20099/07/2009 16:39:3516:39:35 Boston’s longest notes are printed with new titles in two Sidenotes highlight the columns on separate pages page number to which between pages 43 and 260. Boston’s note refers.

The Law of Faith above; namely, the debt of punishment and the debt of perfect obedience. It was also Th ese are the good tidings, this is the law necessary that provision should be made for of faith, that is the law to be believed for the sanctifi cation of the sinner, the repairing salvation, which the apostle plainly teacheth. of the lost image of God in him. And man ‘Th e gospel is the power of God unto salvation being as unable to sanctify himself, as to to every one that believeth’ (Rom. 1:16); satisfy justice, (a truth which proud nature and ‘For therein is the righteousness of God cannot digest), the Saviour behoved, not only Boston’s revealed from faith to faith’ (v. 17). In this to obey and suff er in his stead, but also to Notes last text, clouded with a great variety of have a fullness of the Spirit of holiness in him interpretations, I think there is a transposition to communicate to the sinner, that his nature of words to be admitted, and would read the might be repaired through sanctification whole verse thus: ‘For therein is revealed the of the Spirit. Th us was the groundwork of ‘Th e Law of Faith’ (63). righteousness of God by faith unto faith; as man’s salvation laid in the eternal counsel; it is written, But the just by faith shall live.’ the sanctifi cation of the sinner, according to Th e key to this construction and reading of our author, being as necessary to his salvation the words in the former part of the verse, is, as the satisfaction of justice; for indeed the the testimony adduced by the apostle in the necessity of the former, as well as of the latter, latter part of it, from Habakkuk 2:4, where ariseth from the nature of God, and therefore the original text appears to me to determine is an absolute necessity. the version of that testimony as here off ered. Th e sense is, the righteousness which is by Christ’s Consent faith, namely, the righteousness of Christ, ‘Christ’s Consent’ (65). the only righteousness in which a sinner can Th e Son of God consented to put himself in stand before God, is in the gospel revealed man’s stead, in obeying his Father, and so to unto faith, that is to be believed. See a like do all for man that his Father should require, phrase, 1 Timothy 4:3, translated after this that satisfaction should be made: farther, he manner. consented, in man’s nature, to satisfy and suffer the deserved punishment, that the Payment of a Double Debt same nature that sinned might satisfy; and yet farther, he undertook to bear the very ‘Payment of a Double As man lay in ruins, by the fall guilty same penalty that lay upon man, by virtue Debt’ (64). and unclean, there stood in the way of his of the covenant of works, to have undergone; salvation, by mercy designed— so making himself a proper surety for them, who, as the author observes, must pay the sum 1 the justice of God, which could not admit of money that the debtor oweth. Th is I take to the guilty creature; and, be the author’s meaning; but the expression 2 the holiness of God, which could not of ‘Christ’s undertaking under the penalty,’ admit the unclean and unholy creature to &c., is harsh and unguarded. communion with him. Christ and Th erefore, in the contrivance of his salvation, the Covenant of Works ‘Christ and the Covenant it was necessary that provision should be of Works’ (65). made for the satisfaction of God’s justice, Our Lord Jesus Christ became surety for the by payment of the double debt mentioned elect in the second covenant (Heb. 8:22); and

MMarrowarrow ofof ModernModern Divinity.inddDivinity.indd 1515 229/07/20099/07/2009 16:39:3516:39:35 MMarrowarrow ofof ModernModern Divinity.inddDivinity.indd 1616 229/07/20099/07/2009 16:39:3616:39:36 INTRODUCTION

Thomas Boston is one of my favorite as a biblical and systematic theologian. authors. Th rough his sermons, memoirs, Th ough he served his whole ministry in and other writings, the prolifi c theologian an obscure parish, Th omas Boston became and humble pastor of a small rural church the most frequently published Scottish in the Scottish border country has become author of the eighteenth-century. His one of the pastors of my soul. books were widely recommended during I admire Boston for his spiritual the Great Awakening in England and devotion—what Boston himself would America. We know from contemporary have termed ‘a heart exercised unto accounts that in addition to helping people godliness.’ I admire him for his dedication grow in the Christian faith, these books to his calling as a good shepherd. Riding were instrumental in leading people to on horseback, he ranged the more than Christ—everyone from slaveholders to one hundred square miles of his parish their slaves. to visit each family or individual twice Like most prolific writers, Thomas annually for spiritual conference and Boston was also a prodigious reader. As catechetical instruction. I also admire a man of limited means, his personal Thomas Boston for his perseverance. library was small—little more than Despite struggling with depression and a single shelf of books. Yet he read suff ering from chronic physical weakness, whatever he could fi nd, and in his Memoirs he never missed a single Sunday in the he lovingly describes new theological pulpit during the course of more than books arriving by post. three decades of pastoral ministry. True Boston’s favorite book was Th e Marrow to form, his fi nal sermons were preached of Modern Divinity, which he discovered from his deathbed, with the members early on in his ministry. He spied the book of his congregation gathered outside one day in the cottage of a parishioner, the window of the manse. And so, like who was only too happy to share it Jonathan Edwards, I consider Th omas with the book-starved pastor. Much Boston ‘a truly great divine.’ later Boston produced his own edition, Yet when Edwards said this, he was complete with detailed theological notes. not thinking of Boston’s work as a pastor, Publishing this edition was a labor of primarily, but of his international infl uence love, because the dialogues he read in Th e

MMarrowarrow ofof ModernModern Divinity.inddDivinity.indd 1717 229/07/20099/07/2009 16:39:3616:39:36 Marrow of Modern Divinity saved Boston’s even use the grace of God to legitimize ministry by teaching him ‘the gospel of bad behavior. free grace.’ Both legalism and antinomianism are Th e story of Th e Marrow of Modern perennial dangers for the church and for Divinity—of its original publication individual Christians. When we begin to and later influence on the Church of think of the Christian life primarily as Scotland—is more thoroughly told in the a list of ‘dos’ and ‘don’ts,’ we are under Philip G. Ryken essay that follows, by the church historian the sway of legalism. When we begin to William VanDoodewaard. My purpose think that it is okay for us to go ahead in this introduction is to answer a simple and sin, because God will forgive us question: Why is this old theological book anyway, we are feeling the temptation of still good and useful to read today? antinomianism. Perhaps the best way to begin to The Marrow of Modern Divinity answer this question is by mentioning proclaims a gospel that can rescue us two equal but opposite errors that have from both of these dangers. Filled with plagued the church since the days of quotations from the great reformer Martin the New Testament. On the one hand, Luther and from the worthy Puritans, Th e some congregations tend to be overly Marrow emphasizes biblical, evangelical legalistic. Th ey have a performance-based doctrines such as the sovereignty of God in approach to the Christian life, in which the covenant of grace, the free off er of the Christianity is reduced to a list of rules. gospel, assurance in Christ as the essence A good Christian is someone who does of faith, and sanctifi cation by grace rather certain things and avoids doing certain than by the law. Th omas Boston loved other things. The only way to gain these grace-fi lled doctrines and discovered favor with God is by leading a good life. that they strengthened his hold on the Somehow churches like this never manage precious gospel that he lived and preached. to outgrow their ‘inner Pharisee.’ He also perceived, correctly, that these Yet there is an equal error in the doctrines were necessary to preserve opposite direction, the sin of lawlessness, Calvinism from degenerating into either or what theologians like Th omas Boston legalism or antinomianism. would call ‘antinomianism’ (which simply Boston was inspired by Th e Marrow’s means to be ‘against the law’). Churches description of what God has done in like this tend to be overly permissive. giving us the gospel of his Son. To quote Th ey take the question that the apostle from ‘Evangelista,’ who is the book’s Paul asked in Romans 6:1 (‘Are we to normative theologian: ‘I beseech you, continue in sin that grace may abound?), consider, that God the Father, as he is in and answer in the affi rmative rather than his Son Jesus Christ, moved with nothing the negative. Th ey use their Christian but with his free love to mankind lost, liberty as an excuse for license. Th ey may hath made a deed of gift and grant unto

MMarrowarrow ofof ModernModern Divinity.inddDivinity.indd 1818 229/07/20099/07/2009 16:39:3616:39:36 them all, that whosoever of them all shall cross by trusting in Jesus. But it does mean believe in this his Son, shall not perish, but that salvation through the cross really and have eternal life.’ truly can be off ered to everyone. Many of Boston’s contemporaries Th is free off er of the gospel is liberating objected to the language of ‘deed of gift for ministry. For Boston, it meant that as and grant’ on the grounds that salvation a preacher he never needed to be restrained was only for the elect. To describe the in giving people the gospel. Even the most gospel as a gift or grant for unbelievers, hardened sinners and most improbable Introduction they said, amounted to universalism. Yet candidates for salvation could be called to Boston understood Th e Marrow’s ‘deed of faith and told that Christ was available to gift and grant’ as an open off er of salvation, them. As Th e Marrow said, in a quotation which needed to be received by faith. To from the famous Puritan preacher John call the gospel a ‘deed of gift and grant,’ Preston: ‘Jesus Christ himself said unto therefore, was fully in keeping with the his disciples, Mark 16:15: “Go and preach Bible’s own generous and indiscriminate the gospel to every creature under heaven:” invitations to salvation. that is, Go and tell every man without Boston loved to quote the opening exception, that here is good news for him; verses of Isaiah 55, which off ered water Christ is dead for him; and if he will take without money and bread without price him, and accept of his righteousness, he to hungry, thirsty sinners. He also loved to shall have him.’ quote John 3:16, which extended the off er Th e announcement of this good news of eternal life to the whole world. ‘Th is is will be needed from now until the end of the good old way of discovering to sinners the world. Every sinner needs the grace their warrant to believe in Christ,’ he said, of God. Lawless and unrighteous sinners ‘and it doth indeed bear the suffi ciency need it. Self-righteous Pharisees need it. of the sacrifi ce of Christ for all, and that Even people who are trusting in Christ Christ crucifi ed is the ordinance of God still need the gospel, and need to hear it for salvation unto all mankind, in the again. Th e Marrow of Modern Divinity use-making of which only they can be reminds us of the grace of that gospel. saved; but not an universal atonement Both the book itself and the explanatory or redemption.’ Stated more simply, the notes by Th omas Boston reassure us that death that Jesus died on the cross is God loves us and has a fullness of grace suffi cient to atone for the sins of anyone for us in Jesus Christ. who comes to him in repentance and faith. Th is does not mean that everyone will be Philip Graham Ryken saved; people still have to make use of the

MMarrowarrow ofof ModernModern Divinity.inddDivinity.indd 1919 229/07/20099/07/2009 16:39:3716:39:37 MMarrowarrow ofof ModernModern Divinity.inddDivinity.indd 2020 229/07/20099/07/2009 16:39:3716:39:37 A JOURNEY INTO THE PAST: THE STORY OF THE MARROW OF MODERN DIVINITY

Th is book has journeyed to you through Independent preacher appointed by the the twists and turns of four centuries Parliament as imprimatur, or official of history. Its origins are mysterious, censor, for theological literature, praised though not without hints and clues that the work’s clarity, moderation, and yield an intriguing story. It is a volume helpfulness in ‘endeavouring to reconcile which, just when it seemed about to slip and heal those unhappy diff erences which into obscurity after years of considerable have lately broken out afresh amongst readership in England, ignited a fi restorm us.’ Caryl penned his preface on May 10, of controversy in Scotland. As decades and a little less than a month before the bloody generations passed, it seemed time and Battle of Naseby, a decisive military again that it would fade from memory, victory marking the gradual ascendancy but it re-emerged, gaining fresh attention of the New Model Army against the and speaking to new generations. It Royalist forces of King Charles I. Marked encouraged many, brought spiritual by disorder in the nation, these were days clarity and liberty, simultaneously creating of heady freedom in London for both fear, concern, frustration, and division Puritans and Parliamentarians. New among others. Th e story of Th e Marrow of found liberties that allowed for gatherings Modern Divinity, its author, and the lives it like the Westminster Assembly, also led impacted, is one strand in the grand saga to new tensions in the face of the fading of church history. religious-political yoke of Charles I Th e Marrow of Modern Divinity fi r s t and the late Archbishop of Canterbury, appeared in print during the long days of William Laud. Though by the 1640’s early summer in 1645 in London, England. most Puritans and Parliamentarians Written in a popular dialogue form, the shared a common dislike for the policies work features three individuals, Nomista, of Charles and Laud, including heavy a legalist, Antinomista, an antinomian, taxation, imprisonment without trial, and and Neophytus, a young Christian, being the direction of the Church of England, counseled by a minister, Evangelista, they were not immune to fractious towards a biblical understanding of controversy, with its attendant varieties law and gospel. Joseph Caryl, a leading of mediating spirits.

MMarrowarrow ofof ModernModern Divinity.inddDivinity.indd 2121 229/07/20099/07/2009 16:39:3716:39:37 Th e author of Th e Marrow sought to wrestled with the issues in the midst of mediate that spring of 1645 in a controversy ‘hot contentions’ in the churches ‘about over the theology and life of the church. some 18 or 20 years ago, and now within ‘I, by the grace of God’, he stated in his these three or four years last past.’ Th is preface, ‘endeavoured in this ensuing means that E.F. must have been living Dialogue to walk… as a middle man’ as an adult during the early years of between ‘the Strict Professor according to the reign of Charles I (r. 1625-1649) and Searching the Law, and the loose Professor according his attempts with Archbishop Laud to for E.F. to the Gospel’—to elucidate a biblical move the Church of England away from middle way between the errors of legalism the toleration and partial support for and antinomianism. Dedicating the work Calvinist, Puritan inﬂ uences manifest to Member of Parliament, John Downes, under King James I (r. 1603-1625) and Esq., E.F. revealed little more than the Archbishop George Abbott. In the ﬁ rst initials of his identity in print. Why? few years of Charles’ reign there was an Perhaps it was a spirit of modesty; perhaps ‘uneasy coalition’ between some of the he knew his position was one certain to Puritan minded and the Laudian regime; evoke religious criticism—the specter both were briefly united in civil and of Laudian oppression and still ongoing ecclesiastical action against what they Civil War were reminders that public viewed as antinomian threats to truth address was a potentially costly venture, and order. Evidence from the later 1620s even with the imprimatur of Joseph Caryl; indicates a variety of antinomian fringe perhaps it was another concern. However, movements proclaimed law was irrelevant the Westminster Assembly and many of for those in a state of grace. Th ere were its constituents were living and writing also those among the Puritans who noted publicly, without anonymity. So why not concern over both antinomian and legal E.F.? Who was he? tendencies among their own. Laudian leadership in the Church of England Searching for E.F. stressed law, or moral righteousness at the expense of gospel grace, in keeping with Th ere are clues to aid us in learning more their movement towards a high church, about the author of Th e Marrow. In his sacramental theology. As Laudian dedication to John Downes, a member ruling policy quickly evolved beyond of Parliament, the author notes, ‘[I have] anti-antinomianism to repression and by mine own experience, and by the persecution of Puritanism, the initial, confession, and observation of others, tentative unity quickly dissipated. found out our aptness to tread in one Decades later, with Laud’s removal to of these erroneous paths [legalism or the Tower of London (1640) and his antinomianism].’ E.F. had personally beheading (1645), the author of The

MMarrowarrow ofof ModernModern Divinity.inddDivinity.indd 2222 229/07/20099/07/2009 16:39:3816:39:38 Marrow had both freedom to publish, by virtue of his person or writings, was and a readership willing to peruse and gaining the respect of notable Reformed purchase his volume. theologians and popular preachers of his Republished numerous times during day. A commendation by a less prominent the years following 1645, The Marrow divine, Samuel Prettie, gives what appears must have met demand and interest. A to be a tantalizing hint about E.F.’s identity. second edition, substantially revised, Prettie states ‘God has endowed his Fisher came out in early 1646. It included the with the net of a trying understanding, Story of appended ‘Patrick’s Places’, a series of discerning judgment, and discretion.’ In the Marrow propositions written by the early Scottish light of Puritan love for allegory and word Reformer, Patrick Hamilton, on the play it seems a legitimate possibility that relation of law and grace in justiﬁ cation E.F. may be E. Fisher, a lead opening by faith and in Christian living. The up at least two further lines of evidence publisher Giles Calvert, was a Londoner toward discovering the hidden author of with wide religious connections who Th e Marrow. eventually embraced Quakerism. The new notice on the title page stated that The Two Fishers the work was ‘corrected, amended, and much enlarged by the author, E.F… Historical evidence points to the existence [and now included] the commendatory of at least two E.F.s who authored religious epistles of divers divines of great esteem works during the time of Th e Marrow’s in the citie of London.’ Bearing the same early editions. One was Edward Fisher, commendatory imprimatur of Joseph Esq., the son of Sir Edward Fisher of Caryl, the second edition also included Mickleton. Th is E.F., Esq., who studied commendations by Jeremiah Burroughs at Brasenose College, Oxford, gaining and William Strong, men respected for accolades for his scholarly ability, received their theological acumen as Westminster a Bachelor of Arts in April 1630. In the divines. As Independents, Burroughs ﬁ rst Scottish reprint of Th e Marrow, James and Strong pushed for Congregational Hog of Carnock cited Anthony Wood’s church government, though in this they Athenae Oxonienses as giving an account manifested a spirit of moderation towards of this E. F. as the author of Th e Marrow. their Presbyterian brethren at the Assembly. It is undisputed that this Edward Fisher Along with these commendations, E.F. did author numerous works, including Th e also gained the commendation of Joshua Feast of Feasts, or, Th e Celebration of Sacred Sprigge, a popular London Independent Nativity, defending the observance of holy preacher who served as a chaplain to Lord days such as Christmas, and A Christian Fairfax and the New Model Army. Th ese Caveat to the Old and New Sabbatarians, in connections suggest that E.F., either which he argued ‘the morality and divine

MMarrowarrow ofof ModernModern Divinity.inddDivinity.indd 2323 229/07/20099/07/2009 16:39:3816:39:38 institution of the Lord’s Day are mere changes made in the preface to the reader fi ctions.’ A man with royalist inclinations between the first and second editions. during the Civil War, Fisher’s writings In the second edition, Fisher mentions indicate a sympathy for the Laudian order by name ‘Master Dod’ in his discussion of high church Anglicanism. Despite the of his own former legalism and ‘Master fact that he would be the Fisher popularly Th omas Hooker’ as the one who counseled attributed with the authorship of The him toward his conversion, making him Th e Two Marrow by Scottish publishers following aware of his hypocrisy and bringing to Fishers the historiography of Anthony Wood, him an understanding of the free riches there are several reasons why it seems of Christ’s grace. Dod and Hooker were unlikely. Th e theology expressed in works both respected among Puritans, Hooker that are clearly written by Edward Fisher, suff ering persecution, and fl eeing to exile Esq., does not conform with what would in the Netherlands, where he continued to be expected of the author of Th e Marrow. face danger from Laud’s agents. Like the While Th e Marrow was published in Welsh commenders of Th e Marrow, Hooker held in 1651, and Edward Fisher Esq., did spend to a Congregational view of church polity. time in Wales, the Welsh publication Th is second edition indicated that Fisher of Th e Marrow predates his arrival by was well connected in Independent circles. some fi ve years. Finally, all the works Perhaps most fascinating was a hint, which are clearly attributable to Edward erased in the second edition, that after Fisher, Esq., bear either his full name his conversion and movement away from and title on the front page, or E.F., Esq. spiritual legalism, Fisher’s aff ections for Th e stated title ‘esquire’ seems to suggest the free grace of the gospel led to a feeling a self-distinction from the other E.F., who of sympathy and respect for those within wrote and published at the same time and Puritan circles who were considered was a commoner. as leaning to antinomianism. Did he E. Fisher, author of Th e Marrow, while evidence a weakness common to many gaining numerous commendations in church history—a greater sympathy for the second edition of 1646, also towards those beyond his theological made substantial editorial and content position, than those from whose ranks changes to the work. He toned down bold he had come? language; he clarifi ed vague statements. Fisher deliberately removed the Expanding discussions of the covenant statement, ‘I have endeavoured to imitate of works and of grace, and enlarging the the laborious Bee, who out of divers final section on ‘the heart’s happiness, flowers gathers honey and waxe, and or soul’s rest’, Fisher improved his level thereof makes one combe… yet I hope of theological and pastoral discourse. it will not be distasteful to any...’ from Perhaps most interesting, and helpful in the second edition. A marginal reference the search for his full identity, were the beside the original text cited Henry

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