George Gillespie is most famous for his book Aaron's RodBlossoming which Walker called "the chef d'oeuvre" of Scottish ecclesiastical theology (cited in Cameron, Dictionary, p. 359-360).
He was a thundering preacher.
Gillespie was one of the Scottish commissioners to the Westminster Assembly. He was one of the greatest theologians of all time -- almost single-handedly steering this august Assembly at certain points.
As Hetherington notes, "in all those debates 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.
Johnston, in The Treasury of the Scottish Covenant cites the following concerning Gillespie,
"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 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 from his Letters and Journals).
He was one of the great men that had a chief hand in penning our most excellent (Westminster-ed.) Confession of Faith and Catechisms. He was a most grave and bold man, and had a most wonderful gift given him for disputing and arguing. The end of a dispute held by him with some of the promoters of the Engagement was, that 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).
+++ FREE ONLINE TEXT
Whether it be lawful, just, and expedient, that the taking of the Solemn League and Covenant be enjoined by the Parliament upon all persons in the kingdom under a considerable penalty by George Gillespie (CHAPTER XVI. of "A Treatise of Miscellany Questions," pp. 85-88 from The Works of George Gillespie volume 2, Still Waters Revival Books reprint. Includes "Nine particulars to be remembered for the right deducing and stating the matter of fact. - The grounds and reasons of such an ordinance and appointment may be eleven.. - Four objections answered. - How this ordinance would not be tyranny over men's consciences. - The covenant is no temporary obligation.. - If such an ordinance to the army be scandalum acceptum, then the not making of it is scandalum datum.)
Wholesome Severity Reconciled With Christian Liberty, or, The True Resolution of a Present Controversy Concerning Liberty of Conscience (1644)by George Gillespie (offsite) Free etext at http://www.covenanter.org/GGillespie/wholesome_severity.html
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