Scottish Reformation Parliament
The Scottish Reformation Parliament was the assembly commencing in 1560 that claimed to pass major pieces of legislation establishing the
Background
In 1559,
Queen dowager Mary of Guise, acting as regent for her daughter Mary, Queen of Scots, viewed the Protestants as a serious threat and felt the use of force would be necessary against them. Civil war appeared imminent, but each side shrank from the first step. Knox at once became the clerical leader of the reformers. He preached against "idolatry" with the greatest boldness, with the result that what he later called the "rascal multitude" began the "purging" of churches and the destruction of monasteries and nunneries. Mary of Guise died on 11 June 1560, at which point the youthful Mary Queen of Scots, then resident in France, gave permission, through her husband, Francis II, for Parliament to meet in her absence, but religious questions were specifically to be submitted to the 'intention and pleasure' of the king and queen.
Course
Still, in August 1560 the 'Reformation Parliament' abolished the
A Reformed
. On 17 August 1560, the document was read twice, article by article, before the Parliament, and the Protestant ministers stood ready to defend "the cause of truth" if any article of belief was assailed.When the vote was taken, the Confession was ratified and adopted. An assembly of several ministers and laymen, subsequently known as the first General Assembly of the Church of Scotland met in Edinburgh, and the First Book of Discipline (1560) was drawn up. The Second Book of Discipline (1581) was ratified much later by Parliament in 1592 (see General Assembly Act 1592[3]). This definitely settled the Presbyterian form of polity and the Calvinistic doctrine as the recognised Protestant establishment in the country.
The Confession of Faith was established by parliament on 17 August.
On 26 August the Parliament approved the
The work of the 'Reformation Parliament' was popularly acclaimed but not formally ratified until seven years later by James VI. Mary never ratified it.
Process and ceremony
The English correspondent
See also
- History of the Reformation- Knox's account of the Reformation in Scotland.
- English Reformation Parliament, 1529-1536
- List of parliaments of Scotland
- Thomson, Thomas, ed., Acts of the Parliaments of Scotland, vol. 2, (1814)
References
- ^ "Statute Law: Confession of Faith Ratification Act 1560". Retrieved 18 August 2007.
- ^ "Statute Law: Papal Jurisdiction Act 1560". Retrieved 18 August 2007.
- ^ "Statute Law: General Assembly Act 1592". Retrieved 18 August 2007.
- ^ CSP Scotland, vol. 1 (1898), 462: Acts of the Parliaments of Scotland, vol. 2 (1814), 526-534.
- ^ CSP Scotland, vol. 1, (1898) 465, 466-467: Acts of the Parliaments of Scotland, vol. 2, (1814), 605-606.
- ^ Calendar State Papers Scotland, vol. 1, (1898), 473-474.
- ^ Calendar of State Papers relating to Scotland, vol. 1 (1898), 456-459, Randolph to Cecill.