The Five Articles of Perth
Preserved but no longer current.
Those passed in 1618 by order of James VI, enjoining the attitude of kneeling to receive the elements; the observance of Christmas, Good Friday, Easter, and Pentecost; the rite of confirmation, etc. They were ratified August 4th, 1621, called Black Saturday, and condemned in the General Assembly of Glasgow in 1638.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “The Five Articles of Perth” mean?
Those passed in 1618 by order of James VI, enjoining the attitude of kneeling to receive the elements; the observance of Christmas, Good Friday, Easter, and Pentecost; the rite of confirmation, etc. They were ratified August 4th, 1621, called Black Saturday, and condemned in the General Assembly of Glasgow in 1638.
Is “The Five Articles of Perth” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.