Dr. Donald MacLean’s recent dissertation on James Durham and the Free Offer is now (largely) online and available for purchase.  Please enjoy! 

Maclean, Donald – James Durham (1622-1658) and the Gospel Offer in its Seventeenth Century Context  Buy  2015  311 pp.   

‘The free offer of the gospel has been a matter of significant debate within Reformed theology. However, despite this controversy, Reformed theologians such as James Durham preached a gospel offer which was a sincere and free invitation from God to all, to embrace Jesus Christ as Saviour. This gospel offer expressed God’s grace and goodness to all. Donald MacLean argues that Durham’s doctrinal position is representative of the Westminster Standards and embraced by his contemporaries and evidenced by the later disputes concerning the meaning of the teaching of the Westminster Confession of Faith.’

‘It is impossible to avoid the conclusion that Durham (1622-1658) teaches that God desires the salvation of all men.’