The History of the Reformation of the Church of Scotland

1. No mortal man can be the head of the Church. 2. The Pope is an Antichrist, and so is no member of Christs mystical body. 3. Man may neither make nor devise a Religion that is acceptable to God, but man is bound to observe and keep the Religion that from God is received, without chopping or changing thereof. 4. The Sacraments of the New Testament, ought to be ministered as they were instituted by Christ Jesus, and practised by his Apostles, nothing ought to be added unto them, nothing ought to be diminished from them. 5. The Mass is abominable Idolatry, blasphemous to the death of Christ, and a profanation of the Lords Supper. 6. There is no Purgatory, in the which the souls of men can either be pined or purged after this life. But heaven resteth to the faithful, and hell to the reprobate and unfaithful. 7. Praying for the dead is vain, and to the dead is Idolatry. 8. There is no Bishop, except he Preach even by himself, without any Substitute. 9. The Tithes by Gods Law do not appertain of necessity to the Church-men.

1. No mortall man can be the head of the Church. 2. The Pope is an Antichrist, and so is no member of Christs mysticall body. 3. Man may neither make nor devise a Religion that is acceptable to God, but man is bound to observe and keep the Religion that from God is received, without chopping or changing thereof. 4. The Sacraments of the New Testament, ought to be ministred as they were instituted by Christ Iesus, and practised by his Apostles, nothing ought to be added unto them, nothing ought to be diminished from them. 5. The Masse is abominable Idolatry, blasphemous to the death of Christ, and a prophanation of the Lords Supper. 6. There is no Purgatory, in the which the soules of men can either be pined or purged after this life. But heaven resteth to the faithfull, and hell to the reprobate and unfaithfull. 7. Praying for the dead is vain, and to the dead is Idolatry. 8. There is no Bishop, except he Preach even by himselfe, without any Substitute. 9. The Tythes by Gods Law do not appertain of necessity to the Church-men.

The strangeness (said the Sub-Prior) of these Articles which are gathered forth of your Doctrine have moved us to call for you, to hear your own answers. John Knox said, I for my part praise my God, that I see so honourable, and apparently so modest and quiet an Auditory: But because it is long since that I have heard, that ye are one that is not ignorant of the Trueth, I may crave of you in the Name of God, yea, and I appeal your conscience, before that supreme Judge; That if ye think any Article there expressed, contrary unto the Truth of God, That ye oppose your self plainly unto it, and suffer not the people to be therewith deceived. But on the other side, if in your conscience ye know the Doctrine to be true, then will I crave your Patrocinie thereto; That by your authority the people may be moved the rather to believe the Truth, whereof many doubts, by reason of your thoughts. The Sub-Prior answered, I came not here as a Judge, but only familiarly to talk, and therefore I will neither allow nor condemn. But if ye list, I will reason.