The History of Protestantism

by James Aitken Wylie

This was originally published as a large 24 book set. All 24 books are published here in one volume. There is a linked table of contents to all 24 book at the beginning of the volume, as well as a fully descriptive table of contents at the beginning of each book.
The History of Protestantism' by J. A. Wylie, is an incredibly inspiring work. It pulls back the divine curtain and reveals God's hand in the affairs of His church during the Protestant Reformation. Through the centuries, the sacrifices and victories of God's faithful people have often been obscured and forgotten. Now once again, you can read the fascinating story of how truth triumphed over error, principle over falsehood, and light over darkness.
While Wylie is intent on telling the story of Protestantism he in many places travel back to the middle ages and picks up the story and heads forward to the reformation of the sixteenth century. When reading Wylie is thrilled to see just that men and woman stood for truth and in doing so maid a way for truth to prevail in the end. Wylie’s ability as a scholar and author are apparent in every chapter of these seas. Anyone interested in knowing about the history of the Christian Church would be truly in lighted by reading this work of Dr. Wylie on the history of Protestantism'. His disposition to use the pen as a mighty “Sword of the LORD” (Judges 7:18) is evidenced through out this work.

CONTENTS
Book One - Protestantism in Scotland
Book Two - Wicliffe and His Times, or Advent of Protestantism
Book Three - John Huss and the Hussite Wars
Book Four - Christendom at the Opening of the Sixteenth Century
Book Five - History of Protestantism in Germany to the Leipsic Disputation, 1519
Book Six - From the Leipsic Disputation to the Diet at Worms, 1521
Book Seven - Protestantism in England, From the Times of Wicliffe to Those of Henry VIII
Book Eight - History of Protestantism in Switzerland From A.D. 1516 to Its Establishment at Zurich, 1525
Book Nine - History of Protestantism From the Diet of Worms, 1521, to the Augsburg Confession, 1530
Book Ten - Rise and Establishment of Protestantism in Sweden and Denmark
Book Eleven - Protestantism in Switzerland From Its Establishment in Zurich (1525) to the Death of Zwingli (1531)
Book Twelve - Protestantism in Germany From the Augsburg Confession to the Peace of Passau
Book Thirteen - From Rise of Protestantism in France (1510) to Publication of the Institutes (1536)
Book Fourteen - Rise and Establishment of Protestantism at Geneva
Book Fifteen - The Jesuits
Book Sixteen - Protestantism in the Waldensian Valleys
Book Seventeen - Protestantism in France From Death of Francis I (1547) to Edict of Nantes (1598)
Book Eighteen - History of Protestantism in the Netherlands
Book Nineteen - Protestantism in Poland and Bohemia
Book Twenty - Protestantism in Hungary and Transylvania
Book Twenty-one - The Thirty Years’ War
Book Twenty-two - Protestantism in France From Death of Henry IV (1610) to the Revolution (1789)
Book Twenty-three - Protestantism in England From the Times of Henry VIII
Book Twenty-four - Progress From the First to the Fourteenth Century

Genres: History, Christianity, Religion, Church History

3463 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1878

About the author

Rev. James Aitken Wylie was a Scottish historian of religion and Presbyterian minister. He was a prolific writer and is most famous for writing The History of Protestantism. Wylie was born in Kirriemuir, Scotland and his father, James Aitken was an Auld Licht Antiburgher minister in the Original Secession Church. Wylie was educated at Marischal College, University of Aberdeen where he stayed for three years before studying at St. Andrews under Thomas Chalmers. He followed his father's example, entering the Original Secession Divinity Hall, Edinburgh in 1827, and was ordained in 1831. In 1852, after joining the Free Church of Scotland, Wylie edited their Free Church Record until 1860.

He published his book The Papacy: Its History, Dogmas, Genius, and Prospects in 1851. The Protestant Institute appointed him Lecturer on Popery in 1860. He continued in this role until his death in 1890, publishing in 1888 his work The Papacy is the Antichrist. Wylie's classic work, The History of Protestantism (1878), went out of print in the 1920s.

Reviews

[Frank · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very interesting and well written book. The amount of research that must have gone into this book is impressive. It must have taken up a considerable amount of time just to write it.

The author gives a very readable history of Protestantism and the trials and tribulations that it encountered mainly from the Roman Catholic authorities. When people began to read and understand the Bible for themselves not only were their eyes opened to the error of what they had been taught but they came to understand that their ignorance was due to most of the clergy being ignorant themselves! Their rule of faith was what they found in the pages of the Bible and not the so-called authoritative pontifications of a priesthood whose authority derived not from the Bible but the Pope. They broke off the shackles of a corrupt belief system and grew in the knowledge of the Truth. This was not done without great difficulty however. The Roman Catholic institution was unwilling to let others decide for themselves what was and is acceptable worship and practice so attempts were made to win or most often coerce the people back into the fold of darkness. The struggles of Protestantism endured for centuries until it was finally accepted by not only the populace at large but by those in authority and persecution by the Roman Catholic authorities ceased.

There are a number of typos but I believe that this may be due to the book being scanned and prepared as an eBook. In my humble opinion I do not think that this in any way diminished the quality or worth of the book.

I cannot recommend this book too highly and I think that any and all who call themselves Protestants can and will benefit from reading it.

[John Lowery · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the finest books you will read and it will stir your heart as you feel yourself immersed in the Reformation. Published in 3 volumes, it traces the history of protestantism from the eraly church to the Glorious Revolution of 1688. I don't know whether it is available other than as second hand. There is a .pdf version on the internet at http://www.reformation.org/wylie2.html

[Kenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

If a brief survey of the reformation is what your looking for like look elsewhere. This is an extensive narrative of the reformation in every country it touched. Set aside 3-6 months to complete.

[Wesley Hankins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well worth the time required to read

While the perspective of the author would perhaps have shifted had he been aware of future events, his grasp of the events of the reformation is incredible. Anyone who wonders to what depth humanity, in its quest for power shrouded in an accommodating religion, is willing to go will find these books enlightening. The battle waged by the evil on still rages; the actors may change and we may feel that we, humanity, are too civilized now to behold such things in our day, but watch closely as modern history plays itself out using the lower desires of our race. Hard times are coming for many and will proclaim the return of our deliverer.

[David Means · Rating 2 out of 5]

Posturing mixed with History

This book reads like a novel written by a love-struck biographer. There are facts to be had, but you’ll find yourself parsing them out of the copious verbosity flowery prose.

The concept of “just the facts, ma’am” rarely crosses the mind of this historian.

[Alister · Rating 2 out of 5]

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