While the Queen Regent practised with the prelates, how the blessed Evangel of Christ Jesus might be utterly suppressed within Scotland, God so blessed the labours of His weak servants that no small part of the Barons of this realm began to abhor the tyranny of the bishops. God did so open their eyes by the light of His Word, that they could clearly discern betwixt idolatry and the true honouring of God. Yea, men almost universally began to doubt whether they might give their bodily presence to the Mass without offending God, or offer their children for papistical baptism. When the most godly and the most learned in Europe had answered these doubts, both by word and writing, affirming that we might do neither, without extreme peril to our souls, we began to be more troubled. Then also, men of estimation, who bore rule amongst us, began to examine themselves concerning their duties towards reformation of religion, as well as towards the just defence of their most cruelly persecuted brethren. And so divers questions began to be moved, to wit, whether such as were judges, lords, and rulers of the people might, with safe conscience, serve the superior powers in maintaining idolatry, in persecuting their brethren, and in suppressing Christ's truth? Or, whether they, to whom God had in some cases committed the administration of justice, might suffer the blood of their brethren to be shed in their presence, without any declaration that such tyranny displeased them? By the plain Scripture it was found that a lively faith required a plain confession, when Christ's truth was attacked; that not only are they guilty that do evil, but so also are they that assent to evil. It is plain that they that assent to evil, seeing iniquity openly committed, do by their silence seem to justify and allow what is done. These things being sufficiently proven by evident Scriptures of God, every man began to look more diligently to his salvation; for the idolatry and tyranny of the clergy, called the Churchmen, was and is so manifest, that whoever doth deny it declares himself ignorant of God, and enemy to Christ Jesus. We therefore, with humble confession of our former offences, began, with fasting and supplication unto God, to seek some remedy in so present a danger. At the outset it was decided that the brethren in every town should at certain times assemble together for common prayers, and for exercise and reading of the Scriptures, until it should please God to give the sermon of exhortation to some, for comfort and instruction of the rest. [Sidenote: The Office of Elder is instituted, and the Privy Kirk is founded.]