Upon Mr Carstaires’ Letter, there arose a debate; for
My Lord Angus said—If men had liberty quhen they pleased to adhere to the Protestation, that would be ane ill preparative, in regard enow would ly by untill they saw how things would goe, and if things went the enimies’ way, then possibly enow would protest quho otherwise would not.
Mr D. Dickson spoke much to Mr Carstaires’ commendation, and shewed how he disputed against the Protestation.
Mr Jo. Smith said he saw noe other thing by Mr Carstaires’ Letter but that he adhered to the Protestation; and he being contradicted by the Moderator, all the 3 Letters wer committed.
After this the Committy of Appeals made some reports of quhat they had done, and, among other Appeals, they made report of Adam Stewarts appeal against the Synod of Argyle, concerning Mr Pat. Steuart, Minister of Rasa in Bute. The Synod Book and Mr Pat. not being present, they referred the tryall of the bussiness to the Presbitry of Irivine, and with them joined the Commissioners of Air and Dumbartan, and that their diet be the 3d Wednsday of August.
After this the Protestation was publickly read, and the grounds of ane answer, drawen up by the Committy, was publickly read. And quhen it was read,
Mr Douglasse said, that beside all that was said in answer to the Protestation, he thought it noe hard matter to evince the Protestation to be the highest breach of all the articles of the Covenant that ever was since the work of reformation began.
After this they fell on a debate, whether or not they should presently take the Protestation in consideration, or deferr it till the consideration of the procedure of the Commission?
Mr Dickson pleaded that it should be presently taken into consideration, for it was a declinator of the Assembly. Others would have had the Commission approven; soe it passed in the Assembly [that] that paper was a declinator.
After, the Lord Commissioner and Mr W. Jamison said, that seeing there was ane Act of the Assembly ’38 relating to former Acts, that declinators should be summarly excommunicat, and he understood not how the Assembly could passe by that Act and the former practise.