41 
It was at this juncture that John Knox, by the invitation 
of the reforming nobles, landed at Leith. Preaching at Perth 
he so roused the people that a riot ensued, several monasteries 
were wrecked, and at Perth several noblemen solemnly renewed 
the covenant made two years before. Protestantism was 
finally established by the first free Parliament assembling 
after the death of the Queen Regent. The first General 
Assembly of Scotland was held in 1560, and the Presbyterian 
form of Church government was settled by the “ First Book 
of Discipline.” 
Under the regency of Morton, attempts were made to inter- 
fere with the government of the Church, and there grew up 
a constant struggle between the Court and the Kirk. When 
James VI. assumed the reins of government at the age of 
twelve years, his chaplain, John Craig, drew up the “ King’s 
Confession,” which was sworn and signed by the king and his 
household, and afterwards subscribed by the whole nation 
through the General Assembly, thus becoming a National 
Covenant. In this document the subscribers pledged them- 
selves to defend the reformed religion to the death, and bound 
themselves also “ to defend his Majesty’s person and authority 
with their goods, bodies and lives, in defence of Christ’s 
evangel, liberties of their countries and ministration of 
justice.” James, however, though a Protestant, never seems 
to have been a Presbyterian, and soon made attempts to 
overthrow that form of church polity. In 1587 his Parlia- 
ment passed the Black Acts, quite destroying the liberty of 
the Church. But in 1592 these Acts were formally repealed 
by Parliament, and in 1596 the Covenant was again solemnly 
renewed by the nation. 
Notwithstanding all this, in the following year the king 
again showed his hostility to Presbyterianism by publishing 
two books “ The true law of Free Monarchies,” and “ Basilicon 
Doron.” In the former he claimed the most arbitrary powers 
for the king. In the latter he claims for the king the supreme 
headship of the Church and contends that Presbyterianism 
is not favourable to monarchy, as it is a kind of government 
by the people. Hence his favourite maxim, “ No Bishop, 
no King.” From this time onwards James took bold steps 
to re-establish prelacy ; he got bishops appointed with a seat 
in Parliament, and got the new bishops invested with the 
temporal estates belonging to their sees before the Reforma- 
tion ; and later he got the bishops appointed Moderators or 
Presidents of the Synods, and formed a Court of High Com- 
mission, in which the bishops were sole judges, to try ecclesias- 
tical cases. 
