It’s Scotland, and it’s 1662, the year of ‘the Great Ejectment.’ King Charles II was tightening his grip on the church by controlling its clergy, using the chain of authority through archbishops and bishops, and loyal land owning patrons who were influential in clergy appointments. But around one third of ministers left or were forced to leave rather than accept the dictates of the so-called Patronage Act. They were excluded from their pulpits, to be replaced in most parishes by Episcopalian curates.
Among those ejected was the minister of New Luce, in Galloway, Rev Alexander Peden, dubbed by history as ‘The Prophet of the Covenant.’
Peden, only three years in his charge, would never return to a regular pulpit, but his ministry was far from over, as we shall learn in this new series of podcast episodes - coming soon on The Semper Reformata Podcast.
Peden took to the fields and the roads, he lived in caves and sheds, he ate berries and whatever he could glean from farmers and supporters. He preached in the open air and administered the sacraments in barns and at conventicles; he was hunted and condemned by the government, exiled, imprisoned, and he still kept on preaching and witnessing for Christ, and preaching the gospel.
This will be the story of Rev Alexander Peden, - Puir Auld Sandy.