The Works of Mr. George Gillespie (Vol. 1 of 2)

THE WORKS OF

                           MR. GEORGE GILLESPIE

                          MINISTER OF EDINBURGH,

                AND ONE OF THE COMMISSIONERS FROM SCOTLAND

                    TO THE WESTMINSTER ASSEMBLY, 1644

                           NOW FIRST COLLECTED.

                  WITH MEMOIR OF HIS LIFE AND WRITINGS,

                       BY M. W. HETHERINGTON, LL.D.

                             IN TWO VOLUMES.

                                 VOL. I.

                                EDINBURGH:

                     ROBERT OGLE AND OLIVER AND BOYD.

               M. OGLE & SON AND WILLIAM COLLINS, GLASGOW.

                       HAMILTON, ADAMS & CO, LONDON

                                  1846.





CONTENTS


ADVERTISEMENT.
MEMOIR OF THE REV. GEORGE GILLESPIE.
APPENDIX. EXTRACTS FROM WODROW’S ANALECTA (MAITLAND CLUB EDITION)
DISPUTE AGAINST THE ENGLISH POPISH CEREMONIES OBTRUDED ON THE CHURCH OF
SCOTLAND.
   DEDICATION
   AUTHOR’S PREFACE
   PROLOGUE.
   ORDER.
   THE FIRST PART. AGAINST THE NECESSITY OF THE CEREMONIES.
      CHAPTER I. THAT OUR OPPOSITES DO URGE THE CEREMONIES AS THINGS
      NECESSARY.
      CHAPTER II. THE REASON TAKEN OUT OF ACTS XV. TO PROVE THE NECESSITY
      OF THE CEREMONIES, BECAUSE OF THE CHURCH’S APPOINTMENT, CONFUTED.
      CHAPTER III. THAT THE CEREMONIES THUS IMPOSED AND URGED AS THINGS
      NECESSARY, DO BEREAVE US OF OUR CHRISTIAN LIBERTY, FIRST, BECAUSE
      OUR PRACTICE IS ADSTRICTED.
      CHAPTER IV. THAT THE CEREMONIES TAKE AWAY OUR CHRISTIAN LIBERTY
      PROVED BY A SECOND REASON, NAMELY, BECAUSE CONSCIENCE ITSELF IS
      BOUND AND ADSTRICTED.
      CHAPTER V. THAT THE CEREMONIES TAKE AWAY CHRISTIAN LIBERTY, PROVED
      BY A THIRD REASON, VIZ., BECAUSE THEY ARE URGED UPON SUCH AS, IN
      THEIR CONSCIENCES, DO CONDEMN THEM.
      CHAPTER VI. THAT THE CEREMONIES TAKE AWAY CHRISTIAN LIBERTY PROVED
      BY A FOURTH REASON, VIZ., BECAUSE THEY ARE PRESSED UPON US BY NAKED
      WILL AND AUTHORITY, WITHOUT GIVING ANY REASON TO SATISFY OUR
      CONSCIENCES.
      CHAPTER VII. THAT FESTIVAL DAYS TAKE AWAY OUR LIBERTY, WHICH GOD
      HATH GIVEN US, PROVED; AND FIRST OUT OF THE LAW.
      CHAPTER VIII. THAT FESTIVAL DAYS TAKE AWAY OUR CHRISTIAN LIBERTY,
      PROVED OUT OF THE GOSPEL.
      CHAPTER IX. SHOWING THE WEAKNESS OF SOME PRETENCES WHICH OUR
      OPPOSITES USE FOR HOLIDAYS.
   THE SECOND PART. AGAINST THE EXPEDIENCY OF THE CEREMONIES.
      CHAPTER I. AGAINST SOME OF OUR OPPOSITES, WHO ACKNOWLEDGE THE
      INCONVENIENCY OF THE CEREMONIES, AND YET WOULD HAVE US YIELD TO
      THEM.
      CHAPTER II. AGAINST THOSE OF OUR OPPOSITES WHO PLEAD FOR THE
      CEREMONIES AS THINGS EXPEDIENT.
      CHAPTER III. THAT THE CEREMONIES ARE INEXPEDIENT, BECAUSE THEY ARE
      PREPARATIVES FOR GREATER EVILS.
      CHAPTER IV. THAT THE CEREMONIES ARE INEXPEDIENT, BECAUSE THEY HINDER
      EDIFICATION.
      CHAPTER V. THAT THE CEREMONIES ARE INEXPEDIENT, BECAUSE THEY ARE
      OCCASIONS OF INJURY AND CRUELTY.
      CHAPTER VI. THAT THE CEREMONIES ARE INEXPEDIENT, BECAUSE THEY HARDEN
      AND CONFIRM THE PAPISTS.
      CHAPTER VII. THAT THE CEREMONIES ARE INEXPEDIENT, BECAUSE THEY
      DISTURB THE PEACE OF THE CHURCH.
      CHAPTER VIII. THAT THE INEXPEDIENCY OF THE CEREMONIES, IN RESPECT OF
      THE SCANDAL OF THE WEAK, MAY BE PLAINLY PERCEIVED. TWELVE
      PROPOSITIONS TOUCHING SCANDAL ARE PREMITTED.
      CHAPTER IX. ALL THE DEFENCES OF THE CEREMONIES, USED TO JUSTIFY THEM
      AGAINST THE SCANDAL IMPUTED TO THEM, ARE CONFUTED.
   THE THIRD PART. AGAINST THE LAWFULNESS OF THE CEREMONIES.
      CHAPTER I. THAT THE CEREMONIES ARE UNLAWFUL, BECAUSE SUPERSTITIOUS,
      WHICH IS PARTICULARLY INSTANCED IN HOLIDAYS, AND MINISTERING THE
      SACRAMENTS IN PRIVATE PLACES.
      CHAPTER II. THAT THE CEREMONIES ARE UNLAWFUL BECAUSE THEY ARE
      MONUMENTS OF BY-PAST IDOLATRY, WHICH NOT BEING NECESSARY TO BE
      RETAINED, SHOULD BE UTTERLY ABOLISHED, BECAUSE OF THEIR IDOLATROUS
      ABUSES: ALL WHICH IS PARTICULARLY MADE GOOD OF KNEELING.
      CHAPTER III. THAT THE CEREMONIES ARE UNLAWFUL, BECAUSE THEY SORT US
      WITH IDOLATERS, BEING THE BADGES OF PRESENT IDOLATRY AMONG THE
      PAPISTS.
      CHAPTER IV. THAT THE CEREMONIES ARE IDOLS AMONG THE FORMALISTS
      THEMSELVES; AND THAT KNEELING IN THE LORD’S SUPPER BEFORE THE BREAD
      AND WINE, IN THE ACT OF RECEIVING THEM, IS FORMALLY IDOLATRY.
      CHAPTER V. THE FIFTH ARGUMENT AGAINST THE LAWFULNESS OF THE
      CEREMONIES TAKEN FROM THE MYSTICAL AND SIGNIFICANT NATURE OF THEM.
      CHAPTER VI. THAT THE LAWFULNESS OF THE CEREMONIES IS FALSELY
      GROUNDED UPON THE HOLY SCRIPTURE; WHERE SUCH PLACES AS ARE ALLEGED
      BY OUR OPPOSITES, EITHER FOR ALL THE CEREMONIES IN GENERAL, OR FOR
      ANY ONE OF THEM IN PARTICULAR, ARE VINDICATED FROM THEM.
      CHAPTER VII. THAT THE LAWFULNESS OF THE CEREMONIES CANNOT BE
      WARRANTED BY ANY ECCLESIASTICAL LAW, NOR BY ANY POWER WHICH THE
      CHURCH HATH TO PUT ORDER TO THINGS BELONGING TO DIVINE WORSHIP.
      CHAPTER VIII.