A Classic from History

My last post was written to encourage people to think about the need for modeling stable governance for new Christians in developing nations by placing an appropriate emphasis on biblical church government. My purpose was not so much to trumpet the biblical form of government of Presbyterianism.

However, that discussions around that post brought to mind one of my favorite stories from the days of the Westminster Assembly, now over 350 years ago. It is admittedly anecdotal, but it is a great story of one of our fathers defending the truth. We need to remember our history better to the glory of God, so I post this so that you might enjoy and glean from what I have enjoyed and gleaned so much from myself.

The topic of church government was one of the hottest issues of the day for the Assembly. The Erastians (Hierarchical/Anglican), Independents, and Presbyterians were all represented.
An articulate an learned man named John Selden represented the Erastian party. He had endeavored to study that position from Scripture for many years, and gave a eloquent apologetic for Erastianism. George Gillespie, a Scottish commissioner to the Assembly who was not yet thirty years old, represented Presbyterianism at the plea of his friends. What follows is a short account of that great debate and the power of prayer. It is written by a Scottish historian:

“Indisputable...is the story of his [Gillespie’s] encounter with the champion of the Erastian party - ‘the learned Selden’-although the various versions differ slightly in detail. While Selden was leading a lengthy and carefully reasoned argument to prove that Matthew 18: 15-17 contained no authority for ecclesiastical jurisdiction, Gillespie was seen to be employed-as it appeared-in making notes. Overawed by the vast erudition which the Erastian leader had displayed, the Divines who endeavoured to answer him made rather a poor showing, Turning to George Gillespie, one of the Scottish Commissioners-some accounts say that it was Samuel Rutherford - said, ‘Rise up, George, rise up, man, and defend the right of the Lord Jesus Christ to govern, by His own laws, the Church which He hath purchased with His Blood.’ Gillespie arose, and the speech by which he refuted Selden's arguments was so masterly that Selden himself is reported to have exclaimed, ‘That young man, by this single speech, has swept away the labour and learning of ten years of my life.’ And when Gillespie's Scottish brethren looked into his note-book expecting to find there an outline of his speech, they found nothing but the words Da lucem, Domine - Lord, give light - and similar brief petitions for guidance.
The influence of prayer upon George Gillespie's public life is gratefully acknowledged by himself. Wodrow records a saying of his to the following effect: ‘Let no man who is called of God to any work, be it never so great and difficult, distrust God for assistance, as I clearly found at that great Assembly at Westminster. If I were to live a long time in the world, I would not desire a more noble life than the life of pure and single dependence upon God; for though I may have claim to some gifts of learning and parts, yet I ever found more advantage by single looking to God for assistance than by all the parts and gifts that ever I could pretend to at that time.’"