age. As of Job, (Jam. v. 26.) fo it may well be faid of him, in after-times, Have you not heard of the patience of Whitaker? How illuftrious did the grace of GOD make this faint of GOD! How glorious was GOD himself in the grace which was given to this faint, by which he stood fo invincibly in his fharp encounters!'

THOMAS GATAKER, B. D.

TH

HOMAS GATAKER, properly GATACRE, was defcended of the antient family of Gatacre, of Gatacre-hall, in Shropshire; which enjoyed the fame eftate and manfion, in an uninterrupted fucceffion, from the time of K. Edward the confeffor. His father, Mr. Thomas Gataker, being a younger fon of his father William Gatacre, was bred to the law; and, while a student in the Temple, he frequently vifited fome relations then high in place and power; by which means he was fometimes prefent at the examinations and fevere treatment of thofe, who fuffered perfecution for righteoufnefs fake; and obferving their meeknefs and patience, and with what evidence of truth and refolution. of mind, they maintained faith and a good conscience, he was led to seek their GOD and their happiness. His parents perceiving the change, fent him to Louvain in Flanders, and, in order effectually to win him back to the popish perfuafion, fettled upon him an estate in leafe of an hundred pounds a year; but, like St. Paul, he counted all outward advantages nothing in comparison of the knowledge of Jefus Chrift: Which, when his father understood, he recalled him, and in great anger revoked his own voluntary grant; and although the fon had it in his power to retain it, yet having learned that excellent leffon of felf-denial, and forfaking all to follow Chrift, he readily gave up that which had been only the bait for his apoftacy. GOD, who hath faid, When father and mother for fake thee, I will take thee up, (Pfal. xxvii. 10.) raised him friends, by whofe advice and fupport he pursued his ftudies at Oxford till he was of a proper age and judged duly qualified to enter into holy orders. He was then appointed domeftic chaplain to Robert earl of Leifler, and foon after inducted into the benefice of

St.

St. Edmund's in Lombard Street, London: Where, having married Margaret Pigot, a young lady of a worthy family in Hertfordfbire; he had, befides other children, Thomas the fubject of the following memoirs, who was born the fourth of September, in the year 1574.

Both in childhood and youth, he fhewed great eagerness for learning, and through all the exercises of the grammar fchools, he overcame the difficulties, which that age, deftitute of many helps enjoyed in later times, had to ftruggle with, and outftripped many that ran in the fame courfe; fo that, what Gregory Nazianzen faid of the great Bafil, might be averred of him, that he held forth learning beyond his age, and fedateness of manners more confiderable than his learning. At fixteen years of age, his father entered him in St. John's-college, in Cambridge, and about three years afterwards deceased, (in 1593) who, though he left him not wholly deftitute, yet not fufficiently provided long to continue his ftudies there. But GOD (who hath engaged his truth and mercy to the upright, and alfo to their feed, Pfal. cxii. 1, 2.) provided means for him, having, in his purpose and grace, defigned him to be an inftrument of great fervice to his church. Thus the fruit was not nipped in its promifing bud, by the froft of want. He was foon chofen fcholar of St. John's, not merely from favor, but merit, upon proof of his genius and learning; and here he continued his ftudies with unwearied diligence and happy fuccefs, till, with a proficiency anfwerable to his degree, he proceeded mafter of arts with uncommon applaufe. His conftantly attending upon the Greek lectures of the very learned Mr. 7. Bois, who delivered them in bed to certain young ftudents who preferred antelucana ftudia to their reft and eafe, is a fpecimen of his industry at college. The notes of these prelections he kept as a treasure, and being visited by Mr. Bois many years after, he produced them, to the no fmall joy of the old man, who profeffed himself to be made fome years younger by that entertainment About this time commenced that close friendship between our Author, and that faithful minifter Mr. Stock which continued till the death of the latter, as appears by the teftimony given him at his funeral. The foundation of Sydney-college being laid about this time, our Author's learning and piety received a particular atteftation from the trustees of the foundrefs's will, archbishop Whitgift, and Dr. Goodman,

Pp 2

dean

dean of Westminfier, who, in virtue of their truft, appointed Mr. Gataker a fellow of that fociety, before the building was finifhed. This college was founded by Frances, countefs of Suffex, and fifler to Sir Henry Sydney, deputy of Ireland, whence it is called Sydney Suffexcollege. The firft ftone was laid May 20, 1596, and the whole fabric was finished in three years. Fuller's Hiftory of Cambridge.

In the interim he went into Effex, as tutor to the eldest fon of Mr. afterwards Sir William Ayloff of Berkfied, who himself learned Hebrew of him at the fame time. During his refidence here, at the request of Mrs. Ayloff, he usually expounded a portion of fcripture to the family every morning, wherein, after rendering the text into English from the original language, he explained the fense of it, and concluded with fome useful obfervations. This exercife was a very fuitable preparation for holy orders, and it was not long before he became, by that qualification, an authorised teacher: Dr. Stern, then fuffragan bifhop of Colchester, being nearly related to the miftrefs of the family, happened in a vifit to be prefent at one of thefe performances, and being ftruck with admiration, inftantly exhorted the expounder to enter into the priesthood, and offered him his affiftance to that end. This advice being feconded by the reverend Mr. Alvey, formerly his tutor, and pushed by the reiterated follicitations of the bishop, at length prevailed, and Mr. Gataker was ordained by that fuffragan. It may be added, that in the fpace of two years he went through all the prophets in the Old Testament, and all the apoftolical epiftles in the New; and when the bishop heard him, he was upon the first chapter of St. Paul's epiftle to the Ephefians. This ftep was conformable to the ftatutes of his new college, and as soon as the building was finished, about the year 1599, he betook himself, as his duty required, to the flation af-. figned him there, and became an eminent tutor. At the fame time, he engaged in a defign, then fet on foot, of preaching in fuch places adjacent to the university, as were deftitute of able minifters. In performing this engagement he preached every Sunday at Everton, a village upon the borders of Cambridgeshire, Bedford and Huntingdon, the vicar of which parish was faid to be one hundred and thirty years old. He had not executed this charitable office above fix months, when he grew uneafy in the univerfity, and following the advice of

Mr.

Mr. Afhton, formerly another of his tutors, he went to London, and refided as chaplain in the family of Sir William Cook, at Charing-crofs, to whofe lady he was nearly related in blood. This fituation made him known to feveral perfons of rank and fortune, and, among others, to fome principal members of Lincoln's-inn; where the preacher's place becoming vacant, thofe gentlemen offered him their affiftance to obtain it, alledging it might be eafily compaffed by the intereft of lord chief juftice Popham, who they knew had a great refpect for Mr. Gataker, as well on his own account, as that of his father, who had been his lordship's intimate friend and contemporary in the ftudy of the law. But all importunities availed nothing, till Dr. Montague, mafter of Sydney-college, going on fome occafion to London, became acquainted with the propofal, and was fo much pleased at hearing it, that he laid afide the thoughts he had of inviting Mr. Gataker back to college to read an Hebrew lecture, which had a falary annexed to it by lord Harrington; preffed him with arguments and authority; encouraged him against his own diffidence; and gained him at laft to confent, that lord Popham fhould recommend him to the fociety, without any fuit made by himself. He was then about twenty-fix years of age, young indeed, and younger in appearance, infomuch, that, a little before, preaching in Sir William Cook's parish church of St. Martin's in the fields, it happened that Mr. Ley, afterwards earl of Marlborough, and lord treafurer, being prefent with his lady, fhe on their return home, afked an old fervant who attended them to church, How he liked the preacher? Why truly (fays the fellow) he's a pretty pert boy, but he made a reafonable good fermon." Not many weeks after, Mr. Ley returning from Lincoln's-inn, fays to his wife, I will tell you fome news, that young man whom you heard at St. Martin's, is chofen lecturer at Lincoln's-inn.' This being heard by the old fervant who stood by, What, (fays he) will the benchers be taught by fuch a boy as he?'

6

Thus he became preacher at Lincoln's-inn about the year 1601, where he thought it his duty to refide during term time, when he was obliged to attend the chapel; but in the vacations he went down to Sir William Cook's feat at Northamptonshire, and conftantly preached there, either in their private chapel or the parish-church. This kindnefs did not pafs unrewarded by that religious pair, who afterwards, in confideration of thefe pains freely taken,

fettled

fettled upon Mr. Gataker an annuity of twenty pounds a year; which, however, after fome years he remitted to the heir of that family, forbearing to infift upon the right he had, and forbidding his executors to claim any arrears thereof.

În 1603, he commenced bachelor of divinity, and was afterwards often folicited to proceed to that of doctor of divinity; but he declined it. He did not at all approve of pluralities, and, upon that principle, refused a confiderable benefice in Kent, which was offered him by Sir William Sedley, while he held this place at Lincoln's-inn. But having entered into matrimony in 1611, he quitted that place for the rectory of Rotherhithe in Surrey. Yet he yielded to the acceptance of this living only in the view of keeping it out of the hands of a very unworthy perfon. Sir Henry Hobart, then attorney-general, and Sir Randolph Crew, then king's ferjeant, afterwards lord chief justice, were his friends on this occafion, both of Lincoln'sinn: But the report of his removal was no welcome news to that fociety, fome of whom, in order to keep him there, offered an enlargement of his maintenance; and others reprefented the confiftence of holding both places by the help of an affiftant. These were motives to become a pluralift, which, therefore, had no weight with him; and though he was afflicted with almoft perpetual head-ach, yet he conftantly discharged the duties of this parish. This was the more extraordinary, as the falary of Lincoln's-inn was at firft but forty pounds a year, and never exceeded fixty. It is worth notice, that the change of the lecture for Sundays from seven o'clock in the morning to the ufual hour of morning fervice, was occafioned by one of Mr. Gataker's fermons, wherein he obferved, that it was as lawful for the hufbandman to follow his tillage, as for counfellors to confer with their clients, and give advice upon that day; and the Wednesday's lecture was alfo transferred, at the fame time, to Sunday in the afternoon. He had been troubled with the head-ach from his youth, fo that it was become habitual to him, and thence perhaps lefs inconveniently felt. 'Tis certain it did not hinder him from reaping the fruits of his genius; which, by a continual application from his youth, was not lefs habitual to him. Of this he gave a fpecimen in two letters to archbishop Ufher, from Rotherhithe, in 1616, and 1617, concerning fome curious manufcripts of the famous

Robert