He revived the awarding of degrees in divinity which earlier Protestants had suppressed as prideful or as redolent of the Roman Catholic title Doctor of the Church.
[1] John Dury wrote to the doctors seeking their opinion on the points of dispute between the Lutherans and the Calvinists.
On 20 July 1638, a deputation seeking Aberdeen's adhesion to February's National Covenant arrived, comprising the Earl of Montrose, Lord Cupar, the Master of Forbes, and Sir Thomas Burnett, Laird of Leyes representing the nobility; and Alexander Henderson, David Dickson, and Andrew Cant, the ministry.
The doctors were prepared to adhere provided satisfactory answers were given to 14 written questions, termed "demands".
The doctors' obduracy contributed to the First Bishops' War of 1639 in which the Covenanters sought the submission of Aberdeen.