T. GATA Eft, Jva. Mt. men report, tendered what he took to be a refutationof his doctrine, to those who were then intrusted with the licensing of the press. But his performance, being written with greater appearance of anger than argument, was stopped ; which the passionate writer considered as an additional injury, and of which he so loudly complained, that our author, who only sought the investigation of truth, generously interposed, and opened the way as well for his adversary as for himself. He was, indeed, convinced that he could not better defend his own character and sentiments against evil reports, than by affording his virulent adversary the fairest opportunity. He did not, however, treat him with total silence. After the publication of his opponent's angry piece, he employed his pen in a most learned refutation of his arguments and objec- tions, in a work entitled, " A just Defence of certain Pas- sages in a former Treatise concerning the Nature and Use of Lots, against such exceptions and oppositions as have been made thereunto by Mr. J. B. i. e. John Balmford, wherein the insufficiency of his Answers given to the Arguments brought in defence of a Lusorious Lot is manifested; the imbecilityof his Arguments produced against the same further discovered; and the point incontroversy more fully cleared," 1623. About twelve years after, Mr. Gataker had to contendwith more learned opponents, and he found himself under the necessity of publishing .a defence of his sentiments in Latin, against two very learned men who had written on the same subject. His treatise is entitled, " Thomw Gatakeri Lon- dinatis Antithesis partim Gulielmi Arnesii partirn Gisberti Vzetii de sorte Thesibus reposita," 1637. In this performance he discovered, as in all, the productions of his pen, .his great piety, modesty, end erudition.. Mr. Gataker, in the year 1620, made a tour into the Low Countries, which gave him a very favourable impression of the protestantism of the Dutch, and doubtlessly inclined hint to the religious moderation by which he was characterized. While he gave much satisfaction to the protestants, by his preaching to the English church at Middleburg, he excited the warm displeasure of the catholics, by disputing with great freedom and boldness against the ablest of their priests. 'Though he might not convert them, he certainly confounded them,'which occasioned their great resentment. His mother, therefore, knowing his fervent zeal in the cause of truth, and Biog. Briton. vol. iv. p. 2160-5161.
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