James Aitken Wylie (9 August 1808 – 1 May 1890) was a Scottish

historian of religion A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the stu ...

and

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...

minister. He was a prolific writer and is most famous for writing ''The History of Protestantism''.

Life

Wylie was born on 9 August 1808 in

Kirriemuir Kirriemuir, sometimes called Kirrie or the ''Wee Red Toon'' ( gd, An Ceathramh Mòr; IPA: nˈkʰʲɛɾəvmoːɾ, is a burgh in Angus, Scotland. It reaches back to earliest recorded times, when it is thought to have been a major ecclesiastical ...

to James Wylie and Margaret Forrest. His name-father, Rev James Aitken, was an Auld Licht

Anti-burgher The Anti-Burghers were opponents of the Burgher Oath on theological grounds. History First Secession In 1733 the First Secession from the Church of Scotland resulted in the creation of the "Associate Presbytery". This church split in 1747 ove ...

minister in the Secession Church. Wylie was educated at

Marischal College Marischal College ( ) is a large granite building on Broad Street in the centre of Aberdeen in north-east Scotland, and since 2011 has acted as the headquarters of Aberdeen City Council. However, the building was constructed for and is on long- ...

University of Aberdeen The University of Aberdeen ( sco, University o' 'Aiberdeen; abbreviated as ''Aberd.'' in List of post-nominal letters (United Kingdom), post-nominals; gd, Oilthigh Obar Dheathain) is a public university, public research university in Aberdeen, Sc ...

, where he studied for three years before transferring to

St Andrews University (Aien aristeuein) , motto_lang = grc , mottoeng = Ever to ExcelorEver to be the Best , established = , type = Public research university Ancient university , endowment ...

to study under Rev Dr

Thomas Chalmers Thomas Chalmers (17 March 178031 May 1847), was a Scottish minister, professor of theology, political economist, and a leader of both the Church of Scotland and of the Free Church of Scotland. He has been called "Scotland's greatest nine ...

. He followed his name-father's example, entering the Original Secession

Divinity Hall Divinity Hall, built in 1826, is the oldest building in the Harvard Divinity School at Harvard University. It is located at 14 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts. The Hall was designed by Solomon Willard and Thomas Sumner, and dedicated o ...

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

in 1827. He was ordained at the Secessionist Church in

Dollar, Clackmannanshire Dollar ( gd, Dolair) is a small town with a population of 2,800 people in Clackmannanshire, Scotland. It is east of Stirling. Toponymy Possible interpretations are that Dollar is derived from ''Doilleir'', an Irish and Scots Gaelic word mean ...

, in 1831. In 1846 he left Dollar to become sub-editor of the Edinburgh religious newspaper the ''

Witness In law, a witness is someone who has knowledge about a matter, whether they have sensed it or are testifying on another witnesses' behalf. In law a witness is someone who, either voluntarily or under compulsion, provides testimonial evidence, e ...

'', under

Hugh Miller Hugh Miller (10 October 1802 – 23/24 December 1856) was a self-taught Scottish geologist and writer, folklorist and an evangelical Christian. Life and work Miller was born in Cromarty, the first of three children of Harriet Wright ('' ...

. In 1852, after he had (with the majority of the

United Original Secession Church The Original Secession Church or United Original Secession Church was a Scottish Presbyterian denomination formed in 1827 by the union of (1) the Anti-Burgher Old Lights, led by Thomas M'Crie the Elder and known as "the Constitutional Associa ...

) joined the Free Church of Scotland, Wylie edited their ''Free Church Record'', a role which he continued until 1860. He published his book ''The Papacy: its History, Dogmas, Genius, and Prospects'' in 1851, winning a prize of a hundred guineas from the Evangelical Alliance. 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''. He died with his ''History of the Scottish Nation'' taken forward to 1286.

Aberdeen University , mottoeng = The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom , established = , type = Public research universityAncient university , endowment = £58.4 million (2021) , budget ...

awarded him an honorary doctorate (LL.D.) in 1856. Wylie's classic work, ''The History of Protestantism'' (1878), went out of print in the 1920s, although it was briefly reprinted in Northern Ireland in a two-volume reproduction in the late 20th century. It has received praise from a number of influential figures, including

Ian Paisley Ian Richard Kyle Paisley, Baron Bannside, (6 April 1926 – 12 September 2014) was a Northern Irish loyalist politician and Protestant religious leader who served as leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) from 1971 to 2008 and First ...

. ''The History of Protestantism'' was also reprinted by Hartland Publications, Rapidan, Virginia, USA in 2002 in four volumes. . It has now been re-published, as a 3-volume hardback set, by Reformation Heritage Books. He died at 12 Archibald PlaceEdinburgh Post Office Directory 1889 (next to the old

Edinburgh Royal Infirmary The Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, or RIE, often (but incorrectly) known as the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, or ERI, was established in 1729 and is the oldest voluntary hospital in Scotland. The new buildings of 1879 were claimed to be the largest v ...

on 1 May 1890. He is buried with his wife, Euphemia Gray (1808–1845) and their children, in

East Preston Street Burial Ground East Preston Street Burial Ground is a burial ground in south Edinburgh holding graves from the 19th and 20th century. The graveyard is in the care of the City of Edinburgh Council. It stands at the junction of East Preston Street and Dalkei ...

. The grave lies in the eastern part of the south-east section.

Publications

* ''The Seventh Vial'', (1848
online ebook
* ''History of the Waldenses'', (1880)

* ''Rome and civil liberty: or, The papal aggression in its relation to the sovereignty of the Queen and the independence of the nation'', (1865)
online ebook
* ''The Awakening of Italy and the Crisis of Rome.'' Religious Tract Society: London, (1866) Octavo. * ''A Popish University for Ireland. The Irish Chief Secretary and the working classes.'' (1889). pp. 8. 22 cm. * Character-its paramount influence on the happiness of individuals, and the destinies of society. In : Course. A Course of Lectures to young men ... delivered in Glasgow ... Second Series. Lect. 4. 1842. 12º. * ''The Papacy: Its History, Dogmas, Genius, and Prospects'' — which was awarded a prize by the

Evangelical Alliance The Evangelical Alliance (EA) is a national evangelical alliance, member of the World Evangelical Alliance. Founded in 1846, the activities of the Evangelical Alliance aim to promote evangelical Christian beliefs in government, media and societ ...

in 1851
online pdf
* ''The rise, progress, and insidious workings of Jesuitism'', (1877)
online ebook
* ''The Jesuits: Their Moral Maxims and Plots Against Kings, Nations, and Churches'', (1881). * ''The History of Protestantism'' (1878). 3 vol. Cassell & Co.: London, 1899. Physical description: 8º. Shelfmark at

British Library The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom and is one of the largest libraries in the world. It is estimated to contain between 170 and 200 million items from many countries. As a legal deposit library, the British ...

: 4650.g.2.
online ebook
* ''The History of Protestantism'' (2018). 3 vol Inheritance Publications, Neerlandia AB Canada / Pella IA USA newly typeset Hard Cover edition http://www.inhpubl.net/ip/refo500.htm * ''The History of The Scottish Nation in 3 volumes'' (1886

* ''The Papacy is the Antichrist - A Demonstration'' (1888
online pdf
* ''Historical Sketch of the Free Church of Scotland''

References

Sources

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External links

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* Additional titles are listed at the British Library catalogue at http://catalogue.bl.uk {{DEFAULTSORT:Wylie, James Austin 1808 births British historians of religion 1890 deaths Alumni of the University of St Andrews Alumni of the University of Aberdeen People from Kirriemuir Ministers of Secession Churches in Scotland 19th-century Ministers of the Free Church of Scotland