Mr Jo. MᶜGill was chosen clerk. Soe the present Moderator called for the Moderator of the Committy for making their report concerning the procedure of the Commission, and he gave them ane ample testimony of honesty, care, and fidelity; but in regard there wer some particulars quherein the Committy did more fully debate, they now represent them; and 1. Anent the Westland Remonstrance the Committy thought they did rightly and wisely; 2ly, Anent the first querie, that they answered rightly and wisely; 3ly, Anent the Answer to the King’s Letter they did rightly; 4, Anent the Answer to the bretheren of Stirling they did wisely; 5, Anent the Commissioners Letter to Presbytrys and their act for citing of unsatisfyed bretheren they did rightly and wisely; 6, Anent their Answer concerning the repealing the Act of Classes, that they did wisely and rightly, only the Act the 13 of August about the stating of the question, quhereupon the shouldiers should fight, that the Committy was not clear enough.
Then the present Modʳ asked a number of the members concerning their whole opinion of the whole procedure of the Commission; soe all that wer asked being many, and the most considerable members sitting answered, they were satisfyed with the whole procedure of the Commission; only some of them said they wer not clear concerning the act of Agust 13; and the most of all said the Commission of the Kirk wer censurable in regard of their too much lenity in reference to the persons who had opposed the publick resolution. Only among all the Members of the Assembly, Mr Jo. Dickson, Mr Rob. Fergison, Mr Ja. Nisbet, Mr Alexʳ Gordon, Mr Thomas Lundy, being asked of their opinion anent the Publick Resolutions, declared themselves unsatisfyed in taking men into places of power and trust, contrary to the Covenant and solemn engagment. And Mr Tho. Lundy being the first of the former 5 that was interrogate of his opinion, propounded his objections in the name of the rest very acuratly; especially he urged ane argument from the Engagment, viz., how we could acknowledge it a sin to put malignants in places of trust in armys, and promise, in the obligatory part, not to doe the like again?—how these, by the Publick Resolutions, are reconciled? 2ly, How the Commissioners Act for excomunication of these who rose last in the north untill the Assemblie could be compensate with to be violate and the act not stand? 3ly, He objected that that word in the querie “notoriously scandalouse” was contrary to that of the engagement, viz., of knowen integrity; and this he confirmed by the first of the three objections: but the truth is, noe satisfactory answer was given. And the rest of this bussiness was referred to the afternoon. But here mark, that the Moderator of the Committy gave the opinion of the Committy for approbation of all before one man’s opinion in the Assembly was sought, quhich, in such debatable matters, might seem to be a prelimitation of the Assembly.
Sess. 10.—July 24.
It being propounded that all papers might be read, the Westland Remonstrance was read with the Commissions sence thereupon. In the midst of the reading of the Remonstrance came in Mr Ja. Wood, and desyred, that seeing he heard ther was a brother, viz., Mr Thomas Lundy, quhich proponed some objections in the forenoon quhich he heard, according to the propounders opinion wer not sufficiently answered, that again they might be proponed.
The Moderator desired him to remove untill the present bussiness was done, and then he and others in the Commission should be called upon; soe, after the reading of the Remonstrance with the Commissions sence thereupon, Mr Ja. Wood, Mr Douglasse, Mr Dickson, was called in upon, and Mr Tho. Lundy was desired to propone his former objections, to the quhich he replyed modestly, that he was not fitt to debeat with such able men, grave men, befor such a judicatory; yet, least he should seem to refuse satisfaction, he would propone, and the former 3 answered; but the strenth of their answer did run to the point of necessity, but that was not satisfactory to the former. After long dispute, Mr Tho. objecting, and these answering, the debate ceased.
After this, Mr Robᵗ Fergison proponed ane objection to this purpose; that the Commission of the Kirk had not stood for the libertys of the same, in regard they did not bear testimony agˢᵗ the Estates confining the Ministers of Stirling for supposed error in doctrine, ther being noe precedent judgment of the Kirk condemning their doctrine.
Mr Douglasse answered, that they wer not confyned by the State, but only amicably desired to stay at Perth till the King’s return, he being gone to Aberdeen.
After this, the present Moderator proponed if there wer any more that had any scruple to propone. Mr Murdoch, Mr MᶜKenny, and Mr Dav. Forret, said Mr Alexʳ Gordon was unsatisfyed in some parts, quhich he declared befor noon, and desired him to propone them.
Mr Alexʳ answered he would doe quhat he had engaged, to propone them in a more privat way to the Members of some of the Commission quhom he thought most able for answering.