, but neither of them appears to be Gillespie's own
hand-writing; the quarto certainly is not, and the octavo seems to be an
accurate copy of _two_ of the original volumes. These have been collated
and transcribed by Mr Meek, with his well-known care and fidelity, and the
result is now, for the first time, given to the public. What has become of
the missing volumes is not known, and it is to be feared the loss is
irrecoverable. There is one consideration, however, which mitigates our
regret for the loss of these volumes. The one which has been preserved
begins February 2d, 1644, and ends January 3d, 1645.(8) Lightfoot's
Journal continues till the end of 1644, and then terminates abruptly, as
if he had not felt it necessary any longer to continue noting down the
outline of the debates. Yet Lightfoot continued to attend the Assembly
throughout the whole of its protracted deliberations. From other sources
also, we learn that the whole of the points on which there existed any
considerable difference of opinion in the Assembly, had been largely
debated during the year 1644, so that little remained to be said on either
side. The differences, indeed, continued; but they assumed the form of
written controversy, the essence of which we have in the volume entitled,
"The Grand Debate." It is probable, therefore, that the lost volumes of
Gillespie's manuscript contained chiefly his own remarks on the writings
of the Independents, and, not unlikely, the outlines of the answers
returned by the Assembly. Supposing this to be the case, it would
doubtless have been very interesting to have had Gillespie's remarks and
arguments, but they could not have given much information which we do not
at present possess.

A few brief notices respecting the papers now first published may both be
interesting, and may conduce to rendering them intelligible to the general
reader.

There is _first_, an extract attested by the scribes, or clerks, of the
Westminster Assembly, copied from the original, by Wodrow, and giving a
statement of the Votes on Discipline and Government, from session 76, to
session 186.

_Second_, Notes of Proceedings from February 2, to May 14, 1644, to p. 64.

_Third_, Notes of Proceedings from September 4, 1644, to January 3, 1645,
to p. 100. (By consulting Lightfoot, we learn that the time between May
and September was occupied chiefly in debates respecting Ordination, the
mode of dispensing the Lord's Supper, Excommunication