The Six
Johns.

The six Johns were Knox, Spottiswoode, Willock, Row,
Douglas and Winram, who jointly produced the First Book of
Faith. This gave a creed to the new Church and, amongst
other things, justified the action taken by the
Congregation. They also produced the First Book of
Discipline, or the Policie and Discipline of the Church
which addressed the practical issues of managing church
matters. 
Collectively they brought together clear, emphatic, and
logical documents that were also scriptural, and gave a
firm framework to the Presbyterian Church in
Scotland. It is perhaps important to affirm that this was
teamwork of the highest order and not the work of John
Knox alone. No doubt he had a major input by virtue of his
status and also because of his experience in Geneva , and
knowledge of the Geneva Confession of Faith, but
these were men of considerable scholarship, experience and
strong character.

Wynram (
1492-1582) was  from Fifeshire  and a graduate 
who spent all his days in the cultured atmosphere of St
Andrews. He entered the Augustinian monastery and became a
sub prior and was actually involved in the assize 
that tried the martyrs George Wishart and Walter Mill, but
became a Protestant  in 1560. A doctor of theology
his conversion bore further fruit  becoming the first
Superintendent of Fife  and he was involved in
compiling the Second Book of Discipline , and held the
priorship of Portmoak.

Willock ( d 1585)
was an Ayrshire man  who had been a monk. He had been
exiled  for having Reforming opinions and fled to the
continent. Here he practiced as a doctor of medicine
before returning to Ayrshire  in 1558 and proclaimed
the reformed church under the protection of the Lollard
landlords. He was appointed Superintendent of Glasgow and
the West, and was five time Moderator of the General
Assembly.  He was also unique in that he was the only
English cleric to hold the Moderator`s position, as he was
rector of Loughborough until his death.

John Row (1526-80) of
Row near Stirling, was a graduate of St Andrews, an
advocate and Doctor of Law who was appointed 
procurator  for the Scots clergy in Rome. He gained a
Doctor of Law degree at the University of Padua and was
highly thought of in Church circles. He returned to
Scotland as a papal nuncio to investigate  and
suggests methods for dealing with the heresy in the north
(Scotland). From such a strong catholic background he
turned to join the heretics and was Moderator  four
times. Appointed to the Superintendence of Galloway , he
helped compile the Books of Discipline , was minister of Kennoway and died while minister in Perth. He was the
stalwart on legal matters  where his knowledge of
canon and civil  law  and the forms of judicial
procedure were especially valuable.

Douglas
(1494-1574) was Provost of St Mary`s college and 
Rector of St Andrews University who was later made the
first Protestant Archbishop of St. Andrews. He was
essentially a scholar but his educational experience
enabled a singular contribution to the Standards of the
new Church.

Spottiswoode
(1510-1585)  was a graduate of Glasgow and had been
in England under the patronage of Archbishop Cranmer which
ensured he was well grounded in the principles of the
Reformation. He was settled as the parson at Calder 
Reputedly  a mild, witty man, and wise in his
councils he became the first Superintendent  of
Lothian and the Eastern Marches.