George Gillespie

George Gillespie was one of the Scottish commissioners to the Westminster Assembly, the youngest member there, and undoubtedly one of the most influential. William Hetherington observes 'the effect produced by this singularly able work (A Dispute Against the English Popish Ceremonies Obtruded on the Church of Scotland-ed.) may be conjectured from the fact that within a few months of its publication, a proclamation was issued by the Privy Council, at the instigation of the Bishops, commanding that all copies of the book that could be found be called in and burned by the hangman. Such was the only answer that all the learned Scottish Prelates could give to a treatise written by a youth who was only in his twenty-fifth year when it appeared.'" - William Hetherington, "Memoir," from the Works of George Gillespie, p. xviii.

"Noted for his erudition, keen mind, powerful debating skills and articulate speech and often called 'Great Mr.Gillespie' in his day, he has been referred to as the prince of Scottish theologians and the supreme defender of Presbyterian church government." - Dictionary of Scottish Church History and Theology, p. 359.

"That is an excellent youth; my heart blesses God in his behalf. There is no man whose parts in a public dispute I do so admire. He has studied so accurately all the points that are yet to come to our (Westminster-ed.) 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 judgement, there is not one who speaks more rationally and to the point than that brave youth has done ever." Robert Baillie, Letters and Journals.

Glencairn said, "There is no standing before this great and mighty man." He was called malleus Malignantium, 'the hammer of the Malignants.'" - Woodrow's Analecta). "George Gillespie was one of the greatest theologians of all time — almost singlehandedly steering, by God's grace, the Westminster Assembly at on a number of vital points." - Dr. Reg Barrow.

"... in all those debates (in the Westminster Assembly-ed.) no person took a more active part, or gained more distinction than George Gillespie," though he was the youngest man there. Furthermore, Hetherington calls him a "genius of the highest order," and writes that his work "dazzled and astonished his countrymen." He "held an undisputed position among the foremost of the distinguished men by whose talents and energy the Church of Scotland was delivered from the prelatic despotism" of that day." - William Hetherington.

Dr. Joel R. Beeke Reviews and Recommends
the Puritan Hard Drive

DR. JOEL R. BEEKE

Dr. Joel R. Beeke, Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary

The Puritan Hard Drive is a massive collection of primary Puritan resources, dozens of which are very hard to find anywhere else in the world.

Any lover of Puritan literature, which, more than any other body of literature ever written, powerfully expands our minds, convicts our consciences, allures our hearts, and moves our hands, will find a treasure trove here.

- Dr. Joel R. Beeke, President and Professor of Systematic Theology and Homiletics at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary https://puritanseminary.org/, Author of many important Reformed books (including the must read, Meet the Puritans: With A Guide to Modern Reprints, https://www.heritagebooks.org/products/Meet-the-Puritans.html), Editorial Director at Reformation Heritage Books, Editor of the Banner of Sovereign Grace Truth magazine and Pastor of Heritage Netherlands Reformed Congregation in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA.