Nobleford Presbyterian Church

28 January 1581

The King’s Confession: the first National Covenant

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Subscribed by the King and his household

The Confession as printed from the original is headed: “A short and general Confession of the true Christian Faith and Religion, according to God’s Word, and Acts of our Parliament, subscribed by the King’s Majesty and his Household, with sundry others, to the glory of God, and good example of all men, at Edinburgh, the 28 day of January 1580, and 14 year of his Majesty’s reign” [spelling modernised].1

Until 1600 the Scottish year began on 25 March, so January “1580” is January 1581 by our reckoning. Calderwood says so: “The Second Confession of Faith, commonly called the King’s Confession, was subscribed by the King’s Majesty and his household, with sundry others, the 28th day of January, at Edinburgh, the year 1581, according to the new account [reckoning]” [spelling modernised]. M’Crie also gives “the 28th of January, 1581”.2

The signatures are headed “James R.” [James the King]. Calderwood ends his list with “Mr John Craig, minister, John Duncanson, minister, Peter Young” [spelling modernised]. The names as printed from the original, with first names in modern spelling and places as printed:3

  • James R[ex]
  • Mr John Craig; John Duncanson; Michael Elphinstone; P. Young; Robert Erskine; James Elphinstone; S. Borthwick “with hand and heart” [spelling modernised]; William Craig; John Murdo; James Colville of Est Wemes; George Douglas; Alexander Durem; Walter Stewart, Prior of Blantyre; William Ruthven of Ballandane; John Scrymgeour, younger, of Glaswall; William Murray; David Murray; James Fraser
  • Lennox; Morton; Bothwell; Argyll; Ruthven; Robert Stewart; Seton; R. Dunfermline; P. Master of Gray; Cathcart; James Haliburton; James Lord Ogilvy; Alan Lord Cathcart; William Schaw; James Stewart; Alexander Seton; J. Chishle; Richard Heriot; Master Thomas Hamilton; Walter Kerr

Neither the Assembly’s register nor Calderwood names an author. Later historians name John Craig, whom they describe as one of the King’s ministers: Kerr calls him “minister of Holyrood House”, M’Crie the King’s “chaplain”, Aiton “the minister in his household”, and MacPherson “one of the King’s chaplains”. Hetherington notes that it “has often been termed Craig’s Confession of Faith”, and it was known as “the Negative Confession”, because, Cunningham explains, “it related rather to doctrines which were not believed, than to those which were”.4

The King’s charge and the Assembly’s orders

On 2 March 1581 the King wrote from Holyroodhouse: “Seeing that we and our household have subscribed and given this public Confession of our Faith, to the good example of our subjects: we command and charge all Commissioners and Ministers to crave the same Confession of their parishioners, and to proceed against the refusers according to our laws and order of the Kirk” [spelling modernised], under a penalty of forty pounds from their stipends.5

The General Assembly met at Glasgow in April 1581, with Mr Robert Pont as Moderator and William Cunningham of Caprington as the King’s Commissioner. “Anent [concerning] the Confession of Faith lately set forth by the King’s Majesty’s proclamation, and subscribed by his Highness: the Kirk, in one voice, acknowledges the said Confession to be a true and Christian Confession, to be agreed unto by such as truly profess Christ and his true religion” [spelling modernised].6

In October 1581 the Assembly at Edinburgh, with John Craig as Moderator, found that “great negligence” had been shown in carrying out the King’s proclamation. It ordered all ministers to “execute the tenor [terms] of his Majesty’s proclamation” [spelling modernised] before the next synods, “under the pain of deprivation of the said ministers from the function of the ministry that are found negligent herein” [spelling modernised].7

Renewed in 1590; the ministers’ covenant of 1596

In 1588 the Assembly asked the King “of new again, now in his perfect age [now that he was of full age], to subscribe the Confession of Faith” [spelling modernised], and to renew his charge to all his subjects. At Edinburgh in March 1590 the Assembly recorded that “The subscription of the Bond of maintaining religion and Confession, de novo [anew], is to be executed by the brethren and Commissioners appointed by the Privy Council thereto” [spelling modernised], and that the Bond and Confession were to be printed, “whereof every Presbytery shall take home a copy” [spelling modernised].8

In March 1596 the Assembly at Edinburgh resolved that the ministers should “make solemn promise before the Majesty of God, and make a new covenant with him for a more reverent and careful discharging of their ministry” [spelling modernised], and chose John Davidson, minister at Saltpreston, to lead it. On Tuesday 30 March some four hundred ministers and “choice professors” [chosen believers] [spelling modernised] met in the Little Kirk. At the end the Moderator stayed them, and they were “desired to hold up their hands to testify their entering into a new league with God” [spelling modernised].9

The Covenant of 1638 recalls the whole history in its heading: “The Confession of Faith, subscribed at first by the King’s Majesty and his Household, in the year of God 1580; thereafter by persons of all ranks, in the year 1581, by ordinance of the Lords of the Secret Council and Acts of the General Assembly; subscribed again by all sorts of persons in the year 1590, by a new Ordinance of Council, at the desire of the General Assembly, with a general Band [bond] for maintenance of the true Religion and the King’s person” [spelling modernised].10

See also

Notes

  1. Booke of the Universall Kirk, part 2, p. 515: “Ane short and general Confessione of the true Christiane Fayth and Religione, according to Godis Vorde, and Actis of our Perlament, subscryued by the Kingis Maiestie and his Houshold, with sindrie otheris, to the glorie of God, and good example of all men att Edinburght, the 28 day of Januare 1580, and 14 yeare of his Maiesties reigne” (OCR). ↑
  2. David Calderwood, The History of the Kirk of Scotland, ed. Thomas Thomson, vol. 5 (Edinburgh: Wodrow Society), p. 771 (OCR); John Aiton, The Life and Times of Alexander Henderson (Edinburgh: Fraser & Co., 1836), p. 113, note; David Calderwood, The History of the Kirk of Scotland, ed. Thomas Thomson, vol. 3 (Edinburgh: Wodrow Society, 1843), p. 501: “The Secund Confessioun of Faith, commounlie called the King’s Confessioun, was subscrived by the king’s Majestie and his houshold, with sindrie others, the 28th day of Januare, at Edinburgh, the yeere 1581, according to the new accompt” (OCR); Thomas M'Crie, The Story of the Scottish Church from the Reformation to the Disruption (London, Glasgow and Edinburgh: Blackie & Son, 1875), p. 71 (OCR). ↑
  3. Booke of the Universall Kirk, part 2, p. 518: “James R. Mr Johne Crag. Jhon Duncanson. Michaell Elphinstoun. P. Yowng. Robert Erskyne. James Elphinstoun. S. Borthik vithe hand and hart. Welȝame [William] Crag. Jhone Mordo. James Coluill of Est Wemes. George Douglas. Alexr. Durem. Walter Steuart Pryore of Blantyre. Villiam Ruthen off Ballandane. Jhon Scrymgeour ȝownger [younger] off Glaswall. William Morray. Dauid Murray. James Fraser [spelling modernised]. Lenox. Mortoune. Bothwell. Argyll. Ruthven. Robert Stewart. Seton. R. Dumfermling. P. Mr. of Gray. Cathcart. James Halyburtoun. James L. Ogiluy. Allane L. Cathcartt. Villiam Schaw. James Steuart. Allr Seytown. J. Chishle. Richard Heriot. Maister Thomas Hamilton. Waltir Kyer” (OCR); Calderwood, History, vol. 3, p. 501: “Mr Johne Craig, minister, Johne Duncansone, minister, Peter Young” (OCR). ↑
  4. Booke of the Universall Kirk, part 2, p. 515 (OCR); Calderwood, History, vol. 3, p. 501 (OCR); James Kerr (introduction), The Covenants and the Covenanters: Covenants, Sermons, and Documents of the Covenanted Reformation (Edinburgh: R. W. Hunter, n.d.; prefatory note dated December 1895), p. 13; M'Crie, Story, p. 71 (OCR); Aiton, Henderson, p. 30; John MacPherson, A History of the Church in Scotland (Paisley: Alexander Gardner, 1901), pp. 131–132 (OCR); W. M. Hetherington, History of the Church of Scotland (New York: Robert Carter & Brothers, 1854), p. 83 (OCR); John Cunningham, The Church History of Scotland, 2nd edn, 2 vols (Edinburgh: James Thin, 1882), vol. 1, p. 362 (OCR). ↑
  5. Booke of the Universall Kirk, part 2, p. 518: “Seeing that Wee and our household have subscribed and given this publick Confessione of our Faith, to the good exemple of our subjects: We command and charge all Commissioners and Ministers, to crave the same Confessione of their parishoners, and to proceed against the refusers according to our laws, and order of the Kirk” (OCR); Calderwood, History, vol. 3, p. 502, “the secund day of Marche, 1580, (now 1581,)” (OCR). ↑
  6. Booke of the Universall Kirk, part 2, pp. 473, 476 (OCR); Booke of the Universall Kirk, part 2, p. 512: “Anent the Confessioun of Faith latlie sett foorth be the Kings Majesties proclamatioun, and subscryvit be his Hienes: The Kirk, in ane voyce, acknowledgis the said Confessioun to be ane true and Christian Confessioun, to be aggreit vnto be such as truelie professis Chryst and his true religioun” (OCR); Acts 1638–1842, pp. 15–16 (OCR); Hetherington, Church of Scotland, p. 83 (OCR). ↑
  7. Booke of the Universall Kirk, part 2, p. 522 (OCR); Booke of the Universall Kirk, part 2, pp. 526–527: “quherin great negligence hes [hithertill] bein sein … execute the tenour of his Majesties proclamatioun … vnder the paine of deprivatioun of the saids ministers from the functioun of the ministrie, that beis found negligent heirin” (OCR); Acts 1638–1842, p. 16 (OCR). ↑
  8. Booke of the Universall Kirk, part 2, p. 742, OCR “row” read as “now”: “of new again, now in his perfect age, to subscrive the Confession of Faith” (OCR); Booke of the Universall Kirk, part 2, pp. 747–748, 759–761: “The subscription of the Bond of mantaining religion and Confession, de novo, is to be execute be the brethren and Commissioners appointed by the Privie Counsell thereto … whereof every Presbytrie shall take home a copy” (OCR); Acts 1638–1842, pp. 14, 17 (OCR). ↑
  9. Booke of the Universall Kirk, part 3, pp. 857, 862: “make solemne promise befor the Majestie of God, and make a new covenant with him for a more reverent and carefull dischargeing of thair ministrie”; Booke of the Universall Kirk, part 3, pp. 869–870: “choise professors … desired to hold up their hands to testify their entering into a new league with God”. ↑
  10. Peterkin, Records, p. 9: “The Confession of Faith, subscribed at first by the King’s Majesty and his Houshold, in the yeere of God 1580; thereafter by Persons of all rankes, in the yeere 1581, by ordinance of the Lords of the Secret Councell, and Acts of the Generall Assembly; subscribed againe by all sorts of persons in the yeere 1590, by a new Ordinance of Councell, at the desire of the Generall Assembly, with a generall Band for maintenance of the true Religion and the King’s person” (OCR). ↑

Sources