Great Concernment
This treatise emerged from the political and religious crisis surrounding the prospect of James, Duke of York's succession to the English throne. Writing as a Scottish Presbyterian minister during the height of the Exclusion Crisis, Durham addressed the fundamental question of whether a Catholic could legitimately rule over a Protestant nation. The work reflects the intense fears of English and Scottish Protestants who remembered the persecution under Mary Tudor and witnessed contemporary Catholic persecution of Huguenots in France.
Durham constructs his argument on both theological and political grounds, contending that admitting a Catholic successor would inevitably lead to the destruction of Protestant religion and English liberties. He argues that popery and arbitrary government are inseparably linked, making Catholic rule incompatible with the constitutional order that protects both civil and religious freedom. The treatise examines the nature of royal authority, the relationship between civil and ecclesiastical power, and the rights of subjects to resist ungodly rule. Durham draws extensively on Reformed political theory, particularly the tradition of resistance theory developed by figures like John Knox and George Buchanan, while grounding his arguments in biblical principles about the duties of Christian magistrates.
The work represents a significant contribution to the literature of Protestant political resistance and the development of arguments for limited government. Durham's synthesis of theological conviction and constitutional theory influenced later Presbyterian thought about the relationship between church and state. His arguments about the incompatibility of Catholic rule with Protestant liberty would echo through subsequent centuries of Anglo-Scottish political discourse.
Who should read this: Students of Reformed political theology and seventeenth-century British history will find Durham's systematic treatment of Protestant resistance theory valuable. This work is not suited for general readers seeking devotional material, but rather for those interested in how theological convictions shaped early modern political arguments.