For 300 years a school of evangelical Christianity changed Scotland as a nation. Passing on the evangel of the Reformation, and growing stronger in persecution, it turned a people to the Bible, and finally gave many of its best sons and daughters to the ends of the earth. For fidelity, joyful perseverance in hardship, and improbable advance, the record remains a witness to the faith that overcomes the world. The compelling interest of this account lies in the way it draws on contemporary records - many of these Christian leaders being authors as well as men of action. Iain Murray's narrative explores this rich heritage and underlines its remarkable relevance for our own day. While not a Scottish Church history, this is a gripping introduction to the many glorious successes, and some of the painful failures of the church, from the days of John Knox to those of Horatius Bonar. Explaining this panoramic tapestry are the words of Knox's own commentary, 'God gave his Holy Spirit to simple men in great abundance.'
As various recent publications have indicated, Scotland exercised an influence on world history out of all proportion to its size. But the real reason for this has been obscured. It will be found here, however. And in the discovery of it the reader will be introduced to a wealth of little-known literature that is a vital part of the inheritance of the whole Christian church.
