The History of Protestantism

by James A. Wylie (1808-1890)

James A. Wylie’s massive History of Protestantism was published in 1878 and covers the beginnings of Christianity to the Glorious Revolution in Great Britain in 1688. The following quote on J. A. Wylie is taken from a publisher’s Preface by Mourne Missionary Press:

“The Rev. James Aitken Wylie was for many years a leading Protestant spokesman. Born in Scotland in 1808, he was educated at Marischal College, Aberdeen and at St. Andrews; he entered the Original Seccession Divinity Hall, Edinburgh in 1827, and was ordained in 1831.  Dr. Wylie became sub-editor of the Edinburgh Witness in 1846, and, after joining the Free Church of Scotland in 1852, edited the Free Church Record from 1852 until 1860.  In 1860 he was appointed Lecturer on Popery at the Protestant Institute, a position he held until the year of his death.  Aberdeen University awarded him the LL.D. in 1856.”

Due to the size of the work, it is presented as 24 books in 3 volumes. Full-text PDF is available at Hathi Trust Digital Library. Additional formats are available at Archive.org, which has the illustrations more nicely rendered.

Volume 1

Book 1 Progress From the First to the Fourteenth Century
Book 2 Wicliffe and His Times, or Advent of Protestantism
Book 3 John Huss and the Hussite Wars
Book 4 Christendom at the Opening of the Sixteenth Century
Book 5 History of Protestantism in Germany to the Leipsic Disputation, 1519
Book 6 From the Leipsic Disputation to the Diet at Worms, 1521
Book 7 Protestantism in England, From the Times of Wicliffe to Those of Henry VIII
Book 8 History of Protestantism in Switzerland From A.D. 1516 to Its Establishment at Zurich, 1525
Book 9 History of Protestantism From the Diet of Worms, 1521, to the Augsburg Confession, 1530

Volume 2

Book 10 Rise and Establishment of Protestantism in Sweden and Denmark
Book 11 Protestantism in Switzerland From Its Establishment in Zurich (1525) to the Death of Zwingli (1531)
Book 12 Protestantism in Germany From the Augsburg Confession to the Peace of Passau
Book 13 From Rise of Protestantism in France (1510) to Publication of the Institutes (1536)
Book 14 Rise and Establishment of Protestantism at Geneva
Book 15 The Jesuits
Book 16 Protestantism in the Waldensian Valleys
Book 17 Protestantism in France From Death of Francis I (1547) to Edict of Nantes (1598)

Volume 3

Book 18 History of Protestantism in the Netherlands
Book 19 Protestantism in Poland and Bohemia
Book 20 Protestantism in Hungary and Transylvania
Book 21 The Thirty Years’ War
Book 22 Protestantism in France From Death of Henry IV (1610) to the Revolution (1789)
Book 23 Protestantism in England From the Times of Henry VIII
Book 24 Protestantism in Scotland