cere its members might all be
in the desire to promote the religious welfare of the community, they
were, nevertheless, divided in their views as to how that could be best
accomplished. There were three parties in the Assembly, the Presbyterians,
the Independents, and the Erastians. Of these the Presbyterians(1) formed
by far the most numerous, comprising at least nine-tenths of the entire
body. There were at first only five Independent divines, commonly termed
"the Five Dissenting Brethren;" but their number finally amounted to ten
or eleven. Only two ministers were decided Erastians, but a considerable
number of the parliamentary members, chiefly those who were professionally
lawyers, advocated that secular policy. The Scottish Commissioners refused
to exercise the right of voting, but were continually present in the
Assembly, and took a very prominent part in all its deliberations and
debates, supporting, as might be expected, the views of the Presbyterians.
The chief strength of the Independents consisted in the tenacity with
which they adhered to their own opinions, disputing every proposition
brought forward by others, but cautiously abstaining from giving any
definite statement of their own; and in the close intercourse which they
contrived to keep with Cromwell and the military Independents. And the
Erastian party, though few in numbers within the Assembly itself,
possessed, nevertheless, considerable influence, arising out of their
reputation for learning, having as their ornament and support, that
distinguished man, emphatically called "the learned Selden." But the true
source of their power was the Parliament, which, having deprived the King
of that ecclesiastical supremacy which he had so grievously abused, wished
to retain it in its own possession, and therefore, supported the Erastian
party in the Assembly.

Numerous and protracted were the debates which arose in the Westminster
Assembly, during the discussion of the various topics on which these three
parties differed in opinion; and in all those debates no person took a
more active part, or gained more distinction than George Gillespie. His
previous course of studies had rendered him perfectly familiar with all
that had been written on the subjects under discussion; his originally
acute and powerful intellect had been thoroughly trained and exercised to
its highest degree of clearness and vigour; and to a natural, perspicuous,
and flowing readiness of lan