4.—The 4ᵗʰ of December, (after calling on the name of the Lord,) the Earle of Argyle produced a letter sent unto him from some of the Lords of the Councell, wherein were these words, (viz.)—Your Lordship knowes that wee subscribed the Covenant upon noe other condition than you did—that is, as it was subscribed in anno 1581. And the Earle of Montrose also declared that the Earle of Wigton (another Privy Councillor) had written the same unto him, and desired him to signifie it unto the Assemblie, and 7 or 8 Councillors and noblemen afterwards sent the like declarations to the Assembly.
Those who had beene appointed upon the Committees appeared, and declared that they had begun upon their employments, but had not ended, because it was a worke that required more then one or two dayes labour, but promised to proceed with all care and diligence.
5.—The 5ᵗʰ of December, (after calling on the name of the Lord,) sundry complaints and processes were produced against Mr David Michell, Mr Gladstons, and Doctor Panter, for Arminianisme, whose libells being read, every one of them was 3 severall tymes called in the Assembly, and 3 severall tymes called at the doore, to come in and appeare, and answer to the things given in against them; but, none of them appearing, Mr David Dixon and Mr Robʳᵗ Baily, were ordayned to make an oracon the next day to refute those Armynian points whereof Panter, Michell, and Gladstons were accused, that they might proceed against them. And, in the meanetyme, a Committee was appointed to heare, and see, and exawmine these things alleadged against the said parties.
6.—The 6 of December, Mr Dixon made a speech, wherein he refuted fully all those Armimian points which had beene preached by Mr Michell and the other two; and Mr Andrew Ramsay made another speech, that hee (being one of the Committees) and the rest of the Committees, had seene, read, heard, and considered the things wherewith Michell and the rest were charged, and found them fully proved. Whereupon, by whole consent of the Assembly, Mr Michell and the other two were quite deposed and deprived of their office in the Church.
After this, Mr John Hamilton declared to the Assembly, That the Laird of Blackhall (a Councellor) had requested him to tell the Assemblie, that his subscribing of the Kings Covenant could be noe hindrance to their proceedings, but rather a furtherance, to cause him to doe what lay in his power for them; and that hee would come himselfe to the Assemblie and make his declaracon thereof unto them.