2O LIVES OF THE PURITANS. arrears of that annuity. This is mentioned to chew the generous temper of his christian Mr. Gataker's learned preaching to the above society, as it gave him much satisfaction, so it gained him great reputa- tion; and, if it had accorded with his views, would have pro- cured him considerable preferment. But when various valuable benefices were offered him, he refused to accept of them, con- cluding that the charge of one congregation was sufficient for one man. He therefore chose to remain in his present situa- tion ' in which, though his salary was small, his employment was honourable, and his condition safe. Moreover, it afforded him great leisure, for the pursuit of his studies, in which he was very assiduous, particularly the holy scriptures in the original languages, the fathers of the church, and the best writers among the Greeks and Romans. In the year 1611, he was prevailed upon, not without some difficulty, to accept of the rectory, of Rotherhithe in Surrey, a living of considerable value, with which he was much importuned to hold his former office ; but that being inconsistent with his principles, he absolutely refused. In this situation, notwithstanding an almost perpetual head-ache with which he was afflicted from his youth, he continued for many years to discharge his numerous pastoral duties with unremitting and indefatigable industry, and to feed the flock of Christ over which the Holy Ghost made him overseer, God greatly blessing his labours. Although lie had not C0111- 'flitted any of his learned productions to the press ; yet his celebrity for erudition was so great, that he held a regular correspondence with the learned Dr. Usher, afterwards the celebrated primate of Ireland. Some of his epistles are still preserved, and afford sufficient testimonies of the nature and extent of his studies, and of his unremitting care to preserve the unpublished works of some of the ancient divines. Thesp letters contain very shining proofs of his modesty and hurrn- lity,,which donot always accompany profound literaryacquire- meats. Mr. Gataker's first letter is dated from Rotherhithe, March 18, 1616, in which he informs Usher, that he had in his possession a manuscript, containing certain treatises which he could not learn ever to have been printed;. among which was " Guielmus de Santo Amore, de periculis novissi- morum temporum," and an oration delivered in writing to the Pope at Lyons, by Robert Grostliead, formerly Bishop of Lincoln. tt Clark's Lives annexed to Martyrologie, p. 148-151.
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