A Hind Let Loose

Shields, Alexander, 1660？-1700Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.4

Word count: 1.7M words
Chapters: 166

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.A Hind Let Loose by Alexander ShieldsAuthor: Shields, Alexander, 1660?-1700,Language: English, Class: BX: Philosophy, Psychology, Religion: Christianity: Churches, Church movements, Release Date: Aug 20, 2011

Editor's review

This book was written in the late seventeenth century by Alexander Shields, a Scottish Presbyterian minister, and belongs to the literature of church history and religious thought. It is not light popular reading but a religious text with a pronounced polemical stance, valuable for understanding the church conflicts of the Scottish Covenanters and the intertwined history of politics and faith. The Project Gutenberg electronic edition makes this early English text available at low cost, suitable as research material or extended reading for enthusiasts of religious history. Reading it requires a certain proficiency in English and background historical knowledge; otherwise one can easily get lost among unfamiliar names, sectarian terminology, and the context of the era. It is best read as a historical source rather than a storybook, and works better alongside a relevant historical introduction.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Scholars or students studying seventeenth-century Scottish church history and religious conflict
Enthusiasts of religious history interested in the Covenanters and Presbyterian history
Humanities readers needing English primary sources for research papers
Those accustomed to reading public-domain e-books with strong English reading ability

Not a good fit for

General casual readers seeking light stories or novels
Beginners with limited English reading ability and no background in religious history
Readers expecting a modern annotated and introduced edition

Reading tips

First consult background material on the Scottish Covenanters and seventeenth-century church history before entering the text.
Read closely only the chapters relevant to one's research topic rather than page by page throughout.
Jot down unfamiliar names, sects, and events while reading for later verification.
Read alongside other general histories to avoid relying on a single partisan text.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book suitable for someone without a background in religious history?

Not very. Written in the late seventeenth century, it involves numerous sectarian disputes, figures, and political events of the time; without background knowledge it is hard to understand the targets of argument and the author's intent. It is advisable first to acquire basic knowledge of Scottish church history, or to read selected chapters with specific research questions in mind.

Is this a novel or a religious-historical document?

This is a work of religious and church history by Alexander Shields, a Scottish Presbyterian minister; its content has a clear polemical stance and it is not a fictional novel. It should be read as a historical document, with attention to its period stance and purpose.

What are the features of the Project Gutenberg edition?

This edition is a free e-book released by Project Gutenberg, part of its effort to digitize public-domain texts, making it freely accessible and searchable. It generally preserves the original text and provides no modern scholarly annotation or introduction, so readers must supply their own background material.

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About the author

Shields, Alexander, 1660？-1700 Author · Scottish · 1660–1700

Alexander Shields (Shields, Alexander, c. 1660–1700) was a Scottish Presbyterian minister who lived from about 1660 to 1700. Public information about him is limited, and many details of his life are unknown; later generations know him mainly through his one surviving work, A Hind Let Loose. The book defends religious toleration, arguing around freedom of faith and the rights of conscience, and shows a clear Presbyterian standpoint and a strong polemical character. Shields's writing is not given to empty elaboration; it is marked by rigorous argument and firm conviction, and was representative of the religious controversies of his time. The work has also become an important text for studying seventeenth-century Scottish Presbyterian thought and ideas of religious toleration, giving this sparsely documented minister a place in intellectual history.