First Book of Discipline

work by Knox

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June 26, 2026

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The First Book of Discipline was a foundational document for the Church of Scotland, primarily authored by John Knox and adopted by the Scottish Parliament in 1560. This work, alongside the Scots Confession, outlined the structure and principles of the Reformed Church in Scotland. It proposed a system of church governance involving elected elders and ministers, and also included ambitious plans for education and poor relief. However, the financial aspects of these proposals were not fully realized due to a lack of support from the nobility. The First Book of Discipline was a key text in shaping the moral and governmental tone of the church, emphasizing a strong moral discipline and a democratic form of church government.123

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John Knox
Shaping the Reformed Church
…before the Scottish Parliament the First Book of Discipline containing proposals for the constitution and finance of the Reformed Church. Worship was to be regulated by the Book of Common Order (also called Knox’s Liturgy), according to which congregations were to be governed by elders elected annually by the people…
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…before the Scottish Parliament the First Book of Discipline containing proposals for the constitution and finance of the Reformed Church. Worship was to be regulated by the Book of Common Order (also called Knox’s Liturgy), according to which congregations were to be governed by elders elected annually by the people…
Read More

Scotland
Mary (1542–67) and the Scottish Reformation
In the First Book of Discipline (1560), Knox and other ministers proposed a striking social program for the church that would provide education and relief for the poor. However, laymen had not despoiled the old church to enrich the new, and, as an interim settlement secured by…
Read More
In the First Book of Discipline (1560), Knox and other ministers proposed a striking social program for the church that would provide education and relief for the poor. However, laymen had not despoiled the old church to enrich the new, and, as an interim settlement secured by…
Read More