ANE SHORT AND GENERAL CONfession of the true Christian Faith and Religion, according to Godis word and acts of our Parliamentis, suscribed be the kings Majesty and his household, with sundry utheries. To the glory of God and good example of all men. At Edinburgh the Twenty eight day of januarie, The year of God. Ane Thousand, five hundredth, Fourscore yeirs. And the fourteen year of his Maiesteis Regne.  
WE all and every one of us underwritten protest, that after long and dew examination of our own Consciencis, in matters of true and false Religion, are now thoroughly resolved in the truth, by the word and spirit of God. And therefore we believe with our heartis, confess with our mouths, Subscryve with our hands, and constantly affirm before God and the whole world. That this only is the true Christian Faith and Religion, pleasing God, and bringing Salvation to man, quhilk is now by the mercy of God revealed to the world, by the preaching of the blessed evangel. And is received, believed, and defended by many and sundry notable Kirkis and Realms, but chief by the Kirk of Scotland, The King's Majesty & three Estates of this Realm, As Gods eternal truth, and only ground of our Salvation, as more particularly is expressed in the confession of our Faith, established and publicely confirmed by sundry acts of Parliamentis, and now of a long time hath been opinly professed by the King's Majesty, and whole body of this Realm, both in burgh and land. To the quhilk confession and form of Religion, we willingly agree in our consciencis in all points, as unto God's undoubted truth and verity, grounded only upon his written word. And therefore we abhor and detest all contrary religion and doctrine, but chief all kind of Papistry in general and particular headis, even as they are now damned and confuted by the word of God and church of scotland, but inspeciall we detest and refuse the usurped authority of that Roman Antichrist upon the Scriptures of God. upon the Kirk the civil magistrate and conscience of men. All his tyrannous Laws made upon indifferent things, against our Christian liberty. His erroneous doctrine against the sufficiency of the written word, the perfection of the law, the office of Christ, and his blessed evangel. His corrupted doctrine concerning original sin, our natural inability and rebellion to God's law. Our justification by Faith only. Our imperfect sanctification and obedience to the law▪ the nature, number and use of the holy Sacraments. His five bastard Sacraments, with all his rytis, ceremonies, and falls doctrine added to the ministration of the true Sacraments without the word of God. His cruel judgement against Infants departing without the Sacrament, his absolute necessity of Baptism, his blasphemous opinion of transubstantiation, or real presence of Christis body in the elements, and receiving of the same by the wicked, or bodeiss of men. His dispensations with solemnet oaths, Periureis, and degrees of marriage forbidden in the word, his cruelty against the Innocent divorced, His devilish Mess, his blasphemous Priestheid, his profane sacrifice for the sins of the dead and the quick. His Canonization of men, calling upon Angels, or Sainctis departed, worshipping of imagery, relics, and croces, dedicating of Kirks, Altars, Dayis, Vows to creatures. His Purgatory, prayers for the died, praying or speaking in a strange language, with his processiones and blasphemous litany, and multitude of Advocates or Mediatouris. His manifold ordouris, Auriculare confession, his despered and uncertain repentance, his general and doutsome faith, his satisfactiones of men for their sins, his justification by works, Opus Operatum, works of supererogation, meritis, pardons, peregrinationis and stationis, his holy water, Baptissing of Bellis, Conjuring of spiritis, Crossing, Saving, Anointing, Conjuring, Hallowing of godis good Creatures, with the superstitious opinion joined therewith, his warldly Monarchy, and wicked hierarchy, his three solemned vows, with all his shawellingis of sundry sorts. His erroneous and bloody decreis' maid at Trent, with all the subscryvers and approvers of that cruel and bloody band, conjured against the Kirk of God. And finally we detest all his vain allegoreiss, Ritis, signs, and traditiones brought in the church without, or against the word of God and doctrine of this true reformed Kirk. To the quhilk we join ourselves willingly, in doctrine, Faith, Religion, Discipline and use of the holy Sacraments, as lively members of the same in Christ our head, promising and swearing by the great Name of the Lord our God, that we shall continue in the dbedience of the doctrine and discipline of this Kirk, and shall defend the same according to our vocation and power, all the days of our lives, under the panes contened in the law, and danger both of body, and soul, in the day of God's fearful judgement. And seeing that many are stirred up by Satan, and that Roman Antichrist, to promise, swear, subscryve, and for a time use the holy Sacraments in the Kirk deceatfully against their own conscience, minding hereby, First under the external Cloak of Religion, to corrupt and subvert secretly God's true Religion within the Kirk, and afterward when time may serve, to become open enemies and persecutors of the same, under vain hope of the Pope's dispensation devised against the word of God, to his greater confusion, and their double condemnation in the day of the Lord jesus, We therefore willing to take away all suspicion of hypocrisy, and of sic double dealing with God and his Kirk, protest and call the searcher of all hearts for witness, that our minds and heartis do fully agree with this our confession, promise, oath, and Subscription. So that we are not moved for any worldly respect, but are persuaded only in our conscience, through the knowledge and love of God's true Religion, printed in our hearts by the holy Spirit, as we shall answer to him in the day when the secrets of all heartis shallbe disclosed. And because we perceive, that the quietness and stability of our Religion and Kirk doth depend upon the safety and good behaviour of the King's Majesty, as upon one comfortable Instrument of Godis mercy, granted to this Country, for the maintening of his church, & ministration of justice amongs us. We protest & promise with our heartis, under the same oath, hand writ, and panes, that we shall defend his person and authority, with our geir, bodeis, and lives, in the defence of Christis evangel, Liberty of our Country, ministration of justice, and punishment of Iniquity against all enemies within this Realm or without, as we desire our God to be a strong and merciful defender to us, in the day of our death, and coming of our Lord jesus Christ. To whom with the Father and the holy Spirit, be all honour and glory eternally. Amen.  

The kings majesties charge to all Commissioners and Ministers within this Realm.  
seeing, that we and our Household have subscrived and given this public confession of our Faith, to the good example of our Subiectis. We command and charge all Commissioners and Ministers, to crave the same confession of their parochinars, and procead against the refusers, according to our Laws and order of the Kirk, delivering their names and lawful process to the Ministers of our house, with all haste and diligence, under the pain of xl. pound, to be taken from their stipend, that we with the advice of our Counsel may take ordure with sic proud contemners of God and our laws. Subscryved with our hand. At Holyrudhons', (1580) the 2 day of March, the 14 year of our regne.    

¶ imprinted at Edinburgh be Robert Lekprewike.