erever they preached, the people flocked in crowds to hear them,
and even clustered round the doors and windows of the churches in which
they were proclaiming the unsearchable riches of Christ. It soon became
apparent that both the cause, and the men by whom it was defended, were
too mighty to be despised. Courtly parasites might scoff, but the heart of
England was compelled to know that living faith and true eloquence are
equally powerful to move and guide the minds of men, whether on the bleak
waste of a Scottish moor, or in the midst of a mighty city.

Soon after the return of the Scottish Commissioners and ministers, in the
Assembly of 1641, the town of Aberdeen gave a call to George Gillespie to
be one of their pastors. This call, however, he strenuously and
successfully resisted, and was permitted to remain at Wemyss. But next
year, the town of Edinburgh applied to the General Assembly, to have him
translated to one of the charges there, and this application was
successful, so that he became one of the ministers of Edinburgh in the
year 1642, and continued so during the remainder of his life.

But although Edinburgh had succeeded in obtaining Gillespie, the citizens
were not long permitted to enjoy the benefit of his ministry. Another
class of duties awaited him, in a still more public and important sphere
of action. It is impossible here to do more than refer to the great events
which at that time agitated not only Scotland, but also England. The
superstition, bigotry and intolerance of Archbishop Laud and his
followers, combining with and urging on the despotism of the King, had at
length completely exhausted the patience of the English people and
parliament. Every pacific effort had proved fruitless; and it had become
undeniably evident, to every English patriot, that Prelacy must be
abolished and the royal prerogative limited, unless they were prepared to
yield up every vestige of civil and religious liberty. They made the
nobler choice, passed an act abolishing Prelacy, and summoned an Assembly
of Divines to deliberate respecting the formation of such a Confession of
Faith, Catechism, and Directory, as might lead to uniformity between the
Churches of the two kingdoms, and thereby tend to secure the religious
liberty of both. The Assembly of Divines met at Westminster, on the 1st
day of July, 1643. Soon afterwards Commissioners from the English
Parliament, and from the Westminster Assembly, were appointed to pr