The Reformation Parliament and the Scots Confession

John Knox returns

Knox records his own return from France: “the secound of Maij [second of May] 1559, arryved [arrived] Johne Knox from France”.¹

Ministers placed before the Parliament

Knox writes that the Commissioners of Burghs [the towns’ representatives], with some of the nobility and barons, were “appointed to see the equal distribution of Ministers, to change and transport as the most part should think expedient” [spelling modernised]. Hetherington places this “Previous to the meeting of parliament”. These were the ministers placed, and the men named as superintendents [overseers of the churches of a province, described in the First Book of Discipline]:²

• John Knox, to Edinburgh
• Christopher Goodman, to St Andrews
• Adam Heriot, to Aberdeen
• Master John Row, to St Johnstoun [Perth]
• Paul Methven, to Jedburgh
• William Christison, to Dundee
• David Ferguson, to Dunfermline
• Master David Lindsay, to Leith
• Superintendents named: Master John Spottiswood for Lothian; Master John Winram for Fife; Master John Willock for Glasgow; the Laird of Dun for Angus and Mearns; Master John Carswell for Argyll and the Isles

The Parliament meets

The Act against the Mass dates the Parliament from “the tent of Julij [tenth of July]” 1560, “continewed [continued] to the first of August nixt [next] thairafter following”. MacPherson has it meet on 16 July and adjourn “till 1st August”.³

Knox writes that “due advertisement [notice] was made by the Council to all such as by law and ancient custom had or might claim to have vote therein. The assembly was great” [spelling modernised]. Even “the chief pillars of the Papistical Kirk [church] gave their presence” [spelling modernised], the Bishops of St Andrews, Dunblane and Dunkeld. Among those who had renounced the old religion were the Bishop of Galloway, the Abbots of Lindores, Culross, Inchcolm, Newbattle and Holyroodhouse, the Priors of St Andrews, Coldingham and St Mary’s Isle, and the Subprior of St Andrews.⁴

The Confession made in four days

Knox tells how the Confession was made. The barons and ministers were called, “and commandment given unto them, to draw, in plain and several [separate] heads, the sum of that Doctrine which they would maintain, and would desire that present Parliament to establish” [spelling modernised]. They “willingly accepted, and within four days presented this Confession” [spelling modernised]. Calderwood and MacPherson give the same four days, and MacPherson adds that “It consists of twenty-five articles”.⁵

Kerr records the bonds entered into at Perth in 1559 and at Edinburgh in 1560, which were “soon followed by the Confession of Faith prepared by Knox and five other Reformers”.⁶

Its title reads: “The Confession of Faith professed and believed by the Protestants within the Realm of Scotland, published by them in Parliament, and by the Estates thereof ratified and approved, as wholesome and sound doctrine, grounded upon the infallible truth of God’s word” [spelling modernised].⁷

Its preface asks that “if any man will note in this our Confession any article or sentence repugning [contrary] to God’s holy word, that it would please him of his gentleness, and for Christian charity’s sake, to admonish us of the same in writing” [spelling modernised], promising “satisfaction from the mouth of God, (that is, from his holy Scriptures,) or else reformation of that which he shall prove to be amiss” [spelling modernised].⁸

Read, voted and ratified

Knox describes the vote: “This our Confession was publicly read, first in audience of the Lords of Articles [the committee that prepared Parliament’s business], and after in audience of the whole Parliament” [spelling modernised]. Some of the ministers were present, “standing upon their feet, ready to have answered” [spelling modernised] any objection, and the Confession was read again, “every article by itself”. Of the Temporal Estate [the lay lords] only the Earl of Atholl and the Lords Somerville and Borthwick voted against it, saying “We will believe as our fathers believed.” [spelling modernised] “The Bishops (Papistical, we mean) spoke nothing” [spelling modernised].⁹

William Keith, Earl Marischal, gave his vote in these words: “seeing, I say, my Lords Bishops here present speak nothing in the contrary of the doctrine proponed [put forward], I cannot but hold it to be the very truth of God, and the contrary to be deceivable doctrine” [spelling modernised].¹⁰

The Confession closes: “These Acts and Articles were read in face of Parliament, and ratified by the Three Estates [clergy, lords and burghs] of this Realm, at Edinburgh, the seventeenth day of August, the year of God 1560” [spelling modernised]. MacPherson and David Laing, the editor of Knox’s Works, give the same day. Laing notes that Knox’s manuscripts give 17 July in error, and Calderwood has the same 17 July.¹¹

Laing sums it up: “The ministers were then called upon to prepare, in separate and distinct heads, the sum of the Doctrine which they would maintain, and desired the Parliament to establish. This was done, within the brief space of four days, in the Confession of Faith, which was voted, and publicly ratified on the 17th of August 1560”.¹²

The Acts of 24 August

“Three Acts were likewise passed on the 24th of that month, against the Pope’s jurisdiction in Scotland, and for the abolition of Idolatry, and of the Mass, by which all former Acts in favour of the Church of Rome were annulled.”¹³

Under the Act against the Mass, those who said or heard it were liable to “confiscation of all their goods … for the first fault; banishing of the Realm, for the second fault; and justifying to the death [putting to death], for the third fault” [spelling modernised].¹⁴

In 1569, as the General Assembly’s register records, the Regent and Council required men accused of Popery at the college of Old Aberdeen to subscribe articles ratifying “the Confession of Faith, together with all other acts concerning our religion, given forth in the Parliaments holden at Edinburgh, the 24 day of August 1560, and the 15 day of December 1567” [spelling modernised].¹⁵

The Confession and the Acts in favour of the Reformed religion “obtained the formal ratification of Parliament” at the Parliament opened at Edinburgh in December 1567.¹⁶