T. GATAKER, JON. 209 and hopes do fail. But these lamentable occurrences carry me farther than I had purposedwhen I put my pcn to paper. I shall be right glad to hear of your lordship's health and welfare, which the' Lord vouchsafe to continue ; gladder to see the remainder of your former learned and laborious work abroad. The Lord bless and .protect you. And thus read to do your lordship any service I may in these parts, I rest, &c.". Mr. Gataker had not yet finished all his writings on points of controversy. His zeal and courage in the cause of Pro- testantism engaged him to enter the list of disputants against the popish party. Observing that the papists laboured to prove the doctrine of transubstantiation to be agreeable to the holy scriptures, he resolved to shew, in the most con- vincing manner, the absurdity and impossibility of their attempts; and, having driven them from this, which was their strongest post, he prosecuted his attack, and forced his opponents to quit every other refuge. This he did in his work entitled " Transubstantiation declared by the Popish Writers to have no necessary Foundation in God's Word," 1624. He also published a " Defence" of this work. His learned performances in this controversy proved a great and seasonable service to the cause of protestants, and very deservedly rendered him conspicuous in the eyes of the most worthy persons of those times, who admired his erudition and his fortitude as much as his humility and his readiness to serve the church of Christ.t In the year 1640, he wasdeeply engaged in the controversy about justification, which greatly increased his reputation. In 1643, he was chosen, one of the assembly of divines, and constantly attended during the session. His endeavours iii this learned synod, for promoting truth and suppressing- error, were equally strenuous and sincere ; yet his study o peace was so remarkable, that when his reason concerning Christ's obedience in order to our justification, could not obtain the majority of that assembly, by whom the question was determined contrary to his sense, his peaceable and pious spirit caused him to keep silence, and hindered him from publishing the discourses which he had designed to publish on that subject. In the year 1644, he was chosen one of the committee for the examination of ministers. He was re peatedly urged to take his doctor's degree, but he always 4. Parr's Life of Usher, p. 76. .1 Biog. Wiliam. vol. iv, p, 2164. VOL. M.
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