guage, the warmth and earnestness of his heart
added the energy and elevation which form the very essence of true
eloquence. We have already referred to the high expectations which Baillie
entertained of his future career. But high as these had been, they were
far surpassed by the reality, as he himself declares. "None in all the
company did reason more, and more pertinently than Mr Gillespie. That is
an excellent youth; my heart blesses God in his behalf!"--"Very learned and
acute Mr Gillespie, a singular ornament of our church, than whom not one
in the whole Assembly speaks to better purpose, and with better acceptance
by all the hearers."--"Mr George Gillespie, however I had a good opinion of
his gifts, yet I profess he has much deceived me: Of a truth there is no
man whose parts in a public dispute I do so admire. He has studied so
accurately all the points that ever yet came to our Assembly, he has got
so ready, so assured, so solid a way of public debating, that however
there be in the Assembly divers very excellent men, yet, in my poor
judgment, there is not one who speaks more rationally, and to the point,
than that brave youth has done ever."

We cannot here follow the course of the prolonged deliberations in which
Gillespie so greatly distinguished himself; but there is one instance of
his eminence which has so often been related, and not always very
accurately, that it would be unpardonable not to give it here,--especially
as some pains have been taken to obtain as full and correct a version of
it as is now practicable. After the Westminster Divines had agreed
respecting the office-bearers whose permanent continuation in the church
can be proved from scriptural authority; they proceeded to inquire
concerning the subject of Church Discipline. In this the Presbyterians
were constrained to encounter both the Independents and the Erastians; for
the Independents, on the one hand, denied any authoritative
excommunication or suspension, and the Erastians, on the other, admitted
such a power, but placed it in the hands of the civil magistracy. For a
considerable time the discussion was between the Presbyterians and the
Independents; but when the arguments of the latter party had been
conclusively met and answered by their antagonists, the Erastians hastened
to the rescue, and their champion, "the learned Selden," came to the
Assembly, when the discussion drew near its close, prepared to pour forth
all his learning for