Annals of the persecution in Scotland: From the Restoration to the Revolution

About this book

The work is a historical chronicle of the Scottish Reformation’s darker side, tracing the persecution of Presbyterians from the Restoration through the Revolution. It opens with a theological framing that links biblical promises of suffering to the concrete trials of Scotland’s church, then launches into a rapid survey of early reformist martyrs, Lollard executions, and the escalating conflict between the Presbyterian kirk and the monarchs James VI, Charles I and Charles II. The author, James Aikman, moves swiftly from the 1407 burning of James Resby to the 1637 riot over the new liturgy, outlining the political upheavals, covenants, and assemblies that shaped the period. The introductory passages set the stage for a detailed annalistic account, promising a dense narrative of doctrinal struggle, royal intrigue, and the steadfastness of Scottish believers.

Aikman writes in a solemn, eighteenth‑century prose style that mirrors the gravitas of the subject. His voice is earnest and polemical, echoing the language of contemporary sermons and parliamentary records, while remaining accessible to modern readers familiar with church history. The book will appeal to scholars of Reformation studies, students of Scottish political and religious history, and anyone drawn to the interplay of faith and power in early modern Britain.

Opening lines

The first annunciation of the gospel in Eden to fallen man, was accompanied with an assurance of persecution:—“I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed: it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” And the same was explicitly renewed under the New Testament dispensation, where it is declared with peculiar emphasis—“Yea, all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” But, like “the primal curse, ’tis softened into mercy;” nay more, it is transformed into a blessing—“Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake: rejoice, and be exceeding glad; for great is your reward in heaven.” That these promises have been made good, the history of the Church in all ages bears testimony; and there is no testimony stronger than that of the Church in …

Keep reading free · chapter 1 needs no account