GILLESPIE, GEORGE (1613–1648), Scottish divine, second son of John Gillespie (d. 12 Aug. 1627), minister of Kirkcaldy, Fifeshire, and Lilias, daughter of Patrick Simson, minister of Stirling, was born at Kirkcaldy on 21 Jan. 1613. His father was a ‘thundering preacher;’ the eldest son was Captain John Gillespie; a younger son was Patrick Gillespie, principal of Glasgow University [q. v.] George went to St. Andrews University at a very early age, if it be true that he graduated A.M. in 1629 (Scott). More probably he entered in that year. In November 1629 the session records of Kirkcaldy state that he held a bursary of twenty merks from the presbytery. Leaving the university he became chaplain to John Gordon, first viscount Kenmure [q. v.], on whose death (September 1634) he became chaplain to John Kennedy, earl of Cassilis, and tutor to his son, Lord Kennedy. In 1637, in the midst of the excitement which attended the ‘Jenny Geddes’ episode (23 July), the young tutor published his ‘Dispute against the English Popish Ceremonies obtruded upon the Church of Scotland.’ It was anonymous, and is supposed to have been printed in Holland. The Scottish privy council on 16 Oct. ordered all copies of it to be collected and burned, a measure which simply served to call attention to it.
On a supplication from the parish of Wemyss, Fifeshire, Gillespie was presented to this charge by the town council of Edinburgh on 5 Jan. 1638. The preliminaries to his ordination were taken on the motion of the archbishop (Spotiswood); but meantime all the members of the presbytery of Kirkcaldy, except three, subscribed the ‘national covenant’ of 28 Feb. They ordained Gillespie on 26 April, Robert Douglas [q. v.] presiding, this being the second instance of a non-episcopal ordination since the revival of the hierarchy. On the presentation of Lord Elcho he was instituted (8 Nov.) to the parsonage of Methill, Fifeshire, a quoad sacra parish (now in the parish of Wemyss). He preached before the general assembly which opened at Glasgow on 21 Nov., and was memorable for its deposition of the bishops. His discourse from Proverbs xxi. 1 was criticised by the Earl of Argyll as inimical to the king's prerogative. By this time his authorship of the ‘Dispute’ had become well known, and his remarkable powers in debate were making his influence felt.
On 21 Aug. 1640 the covenanting army of Scotland invaded the English border. Gillespie was one of the army presbytery, and made his first visit to London with the Scottish commissioners for the treaty of peace, after the armistice agreed upon at Ripon on 26 Oct. Next year he was called to Aberdeen, but the assembly, on 2 Aug. 1641, at his earnest request forbade his removal. Overtures were also made for his settlement at St. Andrews. After the re-establishment of presbyterianism (26 Aug.), Gillespie preached before Charles at Holyrood (12 Sept.), and was one of the covenanting leaders on whom the king bestowed a pension (16 Nov.). The town council of Edinburgh had already (12 Oct.) presented him to the Greyfriars Church, Edinburgh; he was translated thither on 23 Sept. 1642.
In 1643 Gillespie was nominated one of the Scottish commissioners to the Westminster Assembly. He took his place in the assembly on 16 Sept., and on 25 Sept. joined in subscribing the new covenant (‘solemn league and covenant’ of 17 Aug.). He was the youngest member of the assembly, being now in his thirty-first year, but his prestige as a disputant has closely associated his name with the details of its systematising work. Robert Baillie, D.D. [q. v.], who calls him ‘that brave youth,’ writes in unreserved admiration of his logical powers and his pointed speech. Legend has not dealt very accurately with Gillespie's actual contributions to the labours of the assembly. His encounter with Selden, in the debate on church government, was not a ‘single combat,’ as has been represented. Selden spoke on 20 Feb. 1644, maintaining that Matthew xviii. 15–17 has no reference to ecclesiastical jurisdiction. Herle immediately followed with an able reply. Gillespie's speech, from carefully prepared notes, was not delivered till next day, and it was Thomas Young who then met Selden on grounds of scholarship. Gillespie's ‘seven arguments’ were well chosen, but it is incredible that Selden should have said, ‘That young man, by this single speech, has swept away the learning and labour of ten years of my life.’
Gillespie's attendance at the assembly was first interrupted by the order which sent him to Edinburgh with Baillie, in January 1645, to introduce the directory to the general assembly, which opened on 22 Jan. He is said to have drawn the act of assembly sanctioning this form of worship. His return to London (9 April) was delayed a month, the ship in which he sailed being carried away to Holland. He assisted on the committee (appointed 12 May) for preparing the draft of a confession of faith. Professor Candlish successfully traces his hand in that section of chapter i. which deals with the internal evidence of the divine origin of holy scripture. On the final reading of the confession (4 Dec. 1646) he carried a technical altera-
