 Scottish Protestants in the 1520s and 1530s were Lutherans such as Patrick Hamilton and George Wishart, who translated the First Helvetic Confession written by Heinrich Bullinger, marking the impact of the Swiss Reformation.With the return of Knox from Geneva Scottish Protestants rallied around him and the Scottish Reformation continued to be characterised by the example of John Calvin in Geneva

Queen dowager Mary of Guise, acting as regent for her daughter Mary, Queen of Scots, wanted to crush the Protestants and felt the use of force would be necessary.Civil war appeared imminent, but each side shrank from the first step.