an 1613, as the
existing Register commences January, 1614, and, in the end of that year,
the birth of a daughter of Mr John Gillespie is registered, and again in
1610, of a son, baptised Patrick. It may be assumed, therefore, with
tolerable certainty, that George Gillespie was born early in the year
1613, a date which agrees with that engraven on his tombstone. Wodrow,
indeed, states, on the authority of Mr Simpson, that Gillespie was born on
the 21st of January, 1613.

Nothing has been recorded respecting the youthful period of Gillespie's
life. The earliest notice of him which appears, is merely sufficient to
intimate that his mind must have been carefully cultivated from his
boyhood, as it relates to the time of his being sent to the University of
St Andrews, to prosecute his studies, in 1629, when he was, of course, in
his 16th year. It appears to have been the custom of the Presbytery of
Kirkcaldy, as of many others at that time, to support young men of merit
at the University, as Presbytery Bursars, by means of the contributions of
the parishes within its bounds. In the Session Record of Kirkcaldy the
following statement occurs, dated November, 1629:--"The Session are content
that Mr George Gillespie shall have as much money of our Session, for his
interteynment, as Dysart gives, viz. 20 merks, being our Presbytery
Bursar." In some of the brief biographical notices of him which have been
given, we are informed that during the course of his attendance at the
University, he gave ample evidence of both genius and industry, by the
rapid growth and development of mental power, and the equally rapid
acquirement of extensive learning, in both of which respects he surpassed
his fellow-students. That this must have been the case, his future
eminence, so early achieved, sufficiently proves; but nothing of a very
definite nature, relating to that period, has been preserved.

When he had completed his academic career, and was ready to enter into the
office of the ministry, his progress was obstructed by a difficulty which,
for a time, proved insurmountable. Being conscientiously convinced that
the prelatic system of church government is of human invention, and not of
Divine institution, and having seen the bitter fruits it bore in Scotland,
he would not submit to receive ordination from a bishop, and could not, at
that juncture, obtain admission into the ministerial office without it.
Though thus excluded from the object of h