Gillespie, George

GILL, JOHN: English Baptist, Biblical scholar; b. at Kettering (14 m. n.n.e. of Northampton), Northamptonshire, Nov. 23, 1697; d. at Camberwell (2 m. s. of St. Paul's, London) Oct. 14, 1771. He attended the Kettering grammar-school for a short time, became pastor at Higham Ferrers in 1718, and in 1719 entered upon a pastorate of fiftytwo years at Horsleydown, Southwark. In 1748 he received the degree of D.D. from the University of Aberdeen. He was a profound scholar and a voluminous author. His most important works are, The Doctrine of the Trinity Salted and Vindicated (London, 1731); The Cause of God and Truth (4 parts, 1735-38), an able answer to Whitby's Five Points; An Exposition of the New Testament (3 vols., 1746-48), which with his Exposition of the Old Testament (6 vols., 1748-63) forms his magnum opus (best ed., 9 vols., Philadelphia, 1811-19); also A Dissertation on the Antiquit- of the Hebrew Language (1767); A Body of Doctrinal Divinity (1767); and A Body of Practical Divinity (1770).

Bibliography: J. Rippon, Brief Memoir of the Life and Writings of . . . John Gill, London, 1838; DNB, xxi. 355.

GILLESPIE, GEORGE: Scotch Presbyterian; b. at Kirkcaldy (11 m. n. of Edinburgh) Jan. 21, 1613; d. there Dec. 16, 1648. After his graduation from the University of St. Andrews he became chaplain to John Gordon, and in 1634 chaplain to John Kennedy. He became pastor of the parish of Wemyss in 1638, and of Greyfriars Church,

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Edinburgh, in 1642. He preached before Charles I. at Holyrood Sept. 12, 1641, and received a pension from Charles Nov. 16. In 1643 he was chosen a member of the Westminster Assembly. Though the youngest member of that body he proved to be one of its ablest debaters. He took his leave of the Assembly July 1.6, 1647. A few weeks later he presented the confession of faith to the General Assembly at Edinburgh and secured its ratification. In Sept., 1647, he was elected to the High Church of Edinburgh, and in 1648 he was moderator of the General Assembly. His writings, which are almost entirely controversial, include an anonymous Dispute, against the English Popish Ceremonies Obtruded upon the Church of Scotland (n.p., 1637), of which the Scottish privy council ordered all copies to be collected and burned; An Assertion of the Government of Scotland (1641); and Aaron's Rod Blossoming; or, the Divine Ordinance of Chureh Government Vindicated (London, 1646). His works were edited, with a memoir, by W. M. Hetherington (2 vols., Edinburgh, 1843-46).

Bibliography: Sources are: R. Wodtow, Hist. of the Suf ferings of the Church of Scotland, 2 vols., Edinburgh, 1829 1830; idem, Analecta, Glasgow, 1842 Hew Boot, Faeti eccleeim Scoticanm, 5 parts, London, 1871. Consult: W. M. Hetherington, Hist. of Church of Scotland, pp. 182-197, New York, 1881; DNB, xxi. 359-361 (where other lit erature is indicated).