BALNAVES, Henry, a Scottish Protestant, born at Kirkcaldy in Fife, in the reign of James V., and educated at the university of St Andrews. There is some doubt both as to the exact date of his birth, which has been fixed as 1520, and as to the rank in society to which he belonged. He completed his studies on the Continent, and, returning to Scotland, entered the family of the Earl of Arran, who at that time was regent; but in the year 1542 the earl dismissed him for embracing the Protestant religion. In 1546 he was implicated in the murder of Cardinal Beaton, at least he is known to have taken refuge with the conspirators in the castle of St Andrews; and when they were at last obliged to surrender to the French, he was sent with the rest of the garrison as a prisoner to France. During his confinement at Rouen he wrote the work entitled Confession of Faith, to which Knox added marginal notes and a preface; but it was not published till 1584, five years after his death. He returned to Scotland about the year 1559, and having joined the Congregation, was appointed one of the commissioners to treat with the duke of Norfolk on the part of Queen Elizabeth. In 1563 he was made one of the lords of Session, an office which he is said to have held for the first time in 1538, and was appointed by the General Assembly, with other learned men, to revise the Book of Discipline. Knox, his contemporary and fellow-labourer, gives him the character of a very learned and pious man. Balnaves died at Edinburgh in 1579.