Perth Assembly

Perth Assembly was written by David Calderwood in 1619. It was printed in Leyden, Holland by the Pilgrims just a year before they made the voyage to America to settle at Plymouth Colony. The book enraged King James I, who sent authorities to Holland to arrest William Brewster, the printer. Brewster fled to England and went into hiding. He was never apprehended, and later made the voyage to America in 1620. Calderwood wrote Perth Assembly out of protest to King James’ imposition of the “Five Articles” upon the Church of Scotland. He fled to Holland after publishing the book, and didn’t return to Scotland until after the death of James I, in 1625.