'Not in the judgement of Calvin and Beza': the Articles of Perth, the Continental Reformed, and the Jacobean Church of Scotland

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In his defence of authority by which the Articles of Perth were introduced, in a 1621 account of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland held at Perth in 1618, David Lindsay - Bishop of Brechin (1619-34 and Bishop of Edinburgh 1634-38) - addressed the allegation that the practices required by the Articles were contrary to the order and discipline of the Church of Scotland as praised by Beza.

Lindsay, however, points out that this is not what Beza meant by Scotland's "good order or discipline". Beza, rather, was praising the Geneva-like approach to ecclesiastical discipline: "the use of this Ecclesiasticall power in censuring of manners". What is more, not only was Beza not referring to the particular ceremonies that had been previously adopted by the Church of Scotland, it was also the case that those ceremonies did not conform to the Genevan use:

But yee, no sooner heare good order or discipline commended but presently yee imagine, that your table gesture of sitting at the Sacrament; the abolition of Holy-dayes, and celebration of the Sacrament in priuate places in cases of necessitie, &c. are meant, as if without these Ceremonies and obseruations, the doctrine could not bee preserued; for how was it preserued in Geneua, where they sit not at table, but stand, or passe at the receiuing of the Sacrament? where the fiue Holy-dayes are not discharged, but Christmasse, and Pasche solemnely kept, and the Sacrament ministred on them. Caluine holdeth in cases of necessity, That Baptisme may be ministred in coetis aliquo, in some meeting without a Temple; That the Communion should bee giuen to the sicke; and wisheth that the examination of children, with the ancient forme of blessing were restored in the reformed Churches: whereby it is manifest, that the discharge and abolition of these things is not in the judgement of Caluine and Beza, the band wherby doctrine is retayned, but the discipline which consisteth in censuring of manners, which you both here, and in discussing of the Oath following, take for the order and policy that consisteth in alterable Ceremonies. 

The Articles of Perth revised "alterable ceremonies" and thereby brought the Church of Scotland closer to the usages of Calvin and Geneva. In other words, the Jacobean Church of Scotland, shaped by the Articles of Perth, was closer to the Continental Reformed churches than the Church of Scotland desired by the Covenanting tradition and imposed after 1688.

(The picture is of a late 17th century drawing of Brechin, Lindsay's See.)

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