Editing Robert Baillie (section)

==Life==
[[File:Assertion of Liberty of Conscience by the Independents of the Westminster Assembly of Divines, 1644.jpg|thumb|''Assertion of Liberty of Conscience by the Independents of the Westminster Assembly of Divines'', 1847, [[Palace of Westminster]]]]
Baillie was born in the [[Saltmarket]], [[Glasgow]], the eldest son of James Baillie, a merchant and [[Burgess (title)|burgess]] of Glasgow, and his wife, Helen Gibson. He was educated at the [[High School of Glasgow]] and the [[University of Glasgow]], graduating with an M.A. in 1620. He was licensed by Archbishop [[James Law]] and became a regent of Philosophy in the University, and tutor to the son of [[Alexander Montgomery, 6th Earl of Eglinton]]. He was ordained to [[Kilwinning]] on 25 May 1631 and admitted burgess of Glasgow 6 July 1631. In 1638 he represented the Presbytery of [[Irvine, Ayrshire|Irvine]] at the Glasgow Assembly, when [[Presbyterianism]] was re-established in Scotland. In 1639 he accompanied Lord General [[Alexander Leslie]] and the Scottish army as chaplain to Lord Eglinton's Regiment during the [[Bishops' Wars]]. In 1640 he was appointed by the Covenanters to draw up an accusation against [[Archbishop Laud]]. On 11 August 1642 he was translated to the Tron Kirk in Glasgow.  In the same year, Baillie was made [[Professor of Divinity, Glasgow|Professor of Divinity at the University of Glasgow]], holding the chair jointly with [[David Dickson (minister)|David Dickson]]. In 1643 he was selected as one of the five Scottish clergymen who were sent to the [[Westminster Assembly]]. In January 1647 he presented the completed [[Westminster Confession of Faith|Confession of Faith]] and a version of the Psalms in metre to the [[General Assembly of the Church of Scotland]].{{sfn|Scott|1928|p=395}}

In 1649, Baillie was one of the commissioners sent to Holland for the purpose of inviting [[Charles II of England|Charles II]] to Scotland, and of settling the terms of his admission to the government. He continued to take an interest in religious controversies during the [[Interregnum (1649–1660)|Interregnum]], but was not active politically. In 1661 he was made [[Principal of the University of Glasgow]] in place of [[Patrick Gillespie (minister)|Patrick Gillespie]]. He died the following year, in August 1662.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911|p=220}}