Controversy, during which he produced his greatest work.

We have already referred to the distinguished ability with which Gillespie
encountered and defeated Selden, in the discussion which arose within the
Westminster Assembly itself. But the principles of Erastianism were
entertained by many who were not members of that Assembly, and were
advocated in other quarters, so as to lead to a literary controversy. The
Rev. Thomas Coleman, one of the Erastians divines, the other being
Lightfoot, preached a sermon before the House of Commons, on the 30th of
July, 1645, in which there was a peculiar display of Erastianism of the
very strongest kind. This sermon was printed, as were all sermons preached
before either House, and excited at once the disapprobation of all the
friends of religious liberty. It did not remain long unanswered. On the
27th of August, the same year, Gillespie preached before the House of
Lords; and when his sermon was also published, he added to it an appendix
entitled, "A Brotherly Examination of some passages of Mr Coleman's late
printed sermon." In this appendix Gillespie not only answered and refuted
Coleman, but turned his arguments completely against himself. Coleman soon
afterwards published a pamphlet entitled, "A Brotherly Examination
Re-examined." To this Gillespie replied in another bearing the title,
"Nihil Respondes," in which he somewhat sharply exposed the weak and
inconclusive character of his opponent's argument. Irritated by the
castigation he had received, Coleman published a bitter reply, to which he
gave the somewhat unintelligible title of "Male Dicis
Maledicis,"--intending, probably, to insinuate that Gillespie's answer was
of a railing character. This roused Gillespie, and induced him to put
forth his controversial power in a singularly vigorous pamphlet, entitled,
"Male Audis," in which he took a rapid survey of the whole Erastian
controversy, so far as Coleman and some of his friends had brought it
forward, convicted him and them of numerous self-contradictions, of
unsoundness in theology, of violating the covenant which they had sworn,
and of inculcating opinions fatal to both civil and religious liberty. To
this powerful production Coleman attempted no reply; nor have its
arguments ever been answered by any subsequent advocate of Erastianism.

But however able and well-timed these controversial pamphlets were, they
were not enough to occupy even the few spare hours that Gille