Customer Reviews

The Scots Worthies

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This is a facsimile edition, but a particularly clear one. There are occasional page blemishes, but no missing pages, distorted pages, or annoying archaic letters (such as s that looks like an f). There is some difficulty from historical or geographic references, as well as odd words, that have no meaning to us today, so there are incidentals that are hard to follow, but the stories as a whole are quite readable. In a way, that is what makes this book hard to read. Not in the physical sense of seeing, but rather in the mental sense of accepting what is read. These were men who suffered, were banished, or even executed in particularly gruesome ways because of their bold preaching. It is a sharp condemnation of our spiritual impotence and latitudinarianism in today's church, even the Reformed church. What king or pope would shiver at the name of any preacher today? Yet, there was a time when the Stuart kings feared for their thrones at the mention of the Covenanters, and they defended their power like vultures struggling over a scrap of carrion.

As with all good Christian biography books, Scots Worthies offers you a glimp into the lives of God's people in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. I believe its central message is to amaze you with God's amazing grace towards sinners. This book could have been called the jewels of the Holy Spirit. If you are intrested in God's power to save sinners, then this book is a must for every libary. If you thirst to see the power of God unto salvation, then drink deeply of this book and cherish the fruit that is evidenced in the lives of these godly people.

I came across reference to this book in Doug Phillips' Vision Forum catalouge. I don't know what I really think of it. As to the book itself, the first half is very good reading; the writing is quite fine and Howie accurately captures the Covenanters' spirituality. There is a lot of good material on Rutherford. About halfway through the book then meanders off to...nowhere. It loses any sort of historical narrative. I think I know what happened. Much of the early material per Rutherford and Gillespie is well-known and Howie was repeating common knowledge. I think he then began to collect all manner of legends and stories related to the covenantners and mixed them all together without integating them into a coherent whole. It's not that the last half of the book is bad, per se, but it really isn't coherent enough for one to make an accurate judgment.

As to the theology and practice of the Covenanters, I really don't want to get into it. My own views have changed a good bit in the seven years since I read this book. Even for those who are sympathetic, the story is very complicated and defies any sort of simplistic analysis. The Covenanters were sometimes fighting the King's men and sometimes fighting the men who killed the king (e.g., Cromwell). Are they good guys or bad? Well, that's what makes history a difficult process. Life doesn't always offer us easy choices that allow glib answers. Life is messy and complicated and sometimes we have to trust God and go forward, even with eyes closed. That's not relativism or situational ethics. To allude to St Augustine, we sometimes face in life an uncomfortably multiciplicity and even chaos. There is an absolute truth and we are expected to follow "the good," but sometimes it's not always easy to see.

well done history of the scots reformation movement. many side lights and details of the troubles.portraits & scetches of castles & churches of the times .

also describes influx of italians, germans and french fleeing the romish persecutions, similar to foxes christian martyrs.