GILPIN. 243 Mr. Gilpin having been trained up in the popish religion, still continued a steady son of that church ; and in defence of popery, had held a disputation with JohnHooper, after- wards bishop of Worcester, and the famous martyr. This was in the reign of Henry VIII. ; but upon the accession of King Edward, Peter Martyr being sent to Oxford, delivered public lectures upon divinity in a strain to which that university had been little accustomed. He attacked the Romish doctrines in a manner that alarmed the popish party ; which induced them to unite, andmake as strong an opposition as they were able. Mr. Gilpin' having gained considerable reputation in the university, the popish party were exceedingly solicitous to engage him in a public defence of their cause, and made themost pressing applica- tions for this purpose. But they found his zeal much cooler than their own. Indeed, he was not satisfied with the cause of the reformers, having never had a sufficient opportunity of acquainting himself with their principles but, on the other hand, he had never been abigotted papist; and had discovered, in his dispute with Hooper, that several of the Romish doctrines were not so well supported by scripture, as he had before supposed. While his mind was thus unsettled, he thought himself ill qualified to defend either side by public disputation. His inclination was to stand by as an unprejudiced observer ; and to embrace the truth, whether he found it among papists or protestants. By much importunity, however, he at length yielded, and the next day appeared in public against Peter Martyr.. Mr. Gilpin being thus drawn into the controversy against his inclination, was determined to make it as useful as possi- ble to himself:, By bringing his old opinions to the test, he hoped that he should be enabled to discover whether they were justly founded, or he had hitherto been involved in error. He resolved, therefore, to lay aside as much as possible, the temper of a caviller ; and to follow truth, from which he was determined nothing should make him swerve. .Having commenced the dispute, he soon found the argu- ments of his adversary too strong for him. They came so Ibrcibly authorized by the testimony of scripture, that he Dr. Peter Martyr, a celebrated reformer, was born in Florence, and invited to England by the ProtectorSomerset and Archbishop Cranmer. In the year 1548, he was made regius professor of divinity at Oxford, and, in 1550, installed canon of Christ-church. His numerous works, which are in Latin, consist chiefly of commentaries on the scriptures, and pieces on controversy. On the accession of Queen Mary, and the commencement of persecution, he desired to withdraw, and died at Zurich, November 12, 1562.-Granpr's Biog. Hist, vol. i. p. 141.
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