denomination of particular baptists. Mr. Strype writes of Mr. Penry with very great acrimony. Mr. Foulis, with great injustice and falsehood, says, "He was a man so much guilty of his own villanies, that, with Cain, he feared death from every man's hand; and, therefore, was forced to skulk and ramble amongst his friends for protection."+ These accounts of so learned, laborious, and pious a man, remind us of the case of some of the primitive christians, who, being dressed in bears' skins, were cast among wild beasts to be torn in pieces. Mr. Penry was the author of several learned works; but it was never proved that he had any hand in the writings under the title of Martin Mar-Prelate. Though most of the high churchmen ascribe them to him and several others, it is well known the real authors were never found out; consequently, the charge is without foundation. The following is supposed to be a correct list of his writings, though we dare not warrant them all to have been his.

His WORKS.-1. A Treatise containing the Equity of an Humble Supplication which is to be exhibited unto her Gracious Majesty and this High Court of Parliament, in the behalf of the Country of Wales, that some Order may be taken for the Preaching of the Gospel among those People, 1587.-2. A View of some part of such Public Wants and Disorders as are in the Service of God, within her Majesty's Country of Wales; with an Humble Petition to the High Court of Parliament for their speedy Redress, 1588.-3. A. Defence of that which hath been written in the Questions of the Ignorant Ministry, and the Communicating with them, 1588.-4. Exhortation unto the Governors and People of her Majesty's Country of Wales, to labour earnestly to have the Preaching of the Gospel planted among them, 1588.-5. Dialogue; wherein is plainly laid open the Tyrannical Dealings of the Lords Bishops against God's Children, 1589.-6. Treatise, wherein is manifestly proved, that Reformation, and those that sincerely favour the same, are unjustly charged to be Enemies to her Majesty and the State, 1590.-7. The State of the Church of England.-8. Petition of Peace.-9. His Apology.-10. Of public Ministry.-11. History of Coral, Dathan, and Abiram, applied to the Prelacy, Ministry, and Church-Assemblies of England, 1609.

THOMAS GATAKER, A. B.-He was descended from a very ancient and respectable family at Gatacre-hall, in Shropshire. His parents, who were zealous papists, designed him for the law; for which purpose, he was entered a student at the Temple. While in this situation, Strype's Whitgift, p. 346-350.—Annals, vol. iii. P. 611-616. + Foulis's Hist. of Plots, p. 61.

he occasionally visited his friends and relations at court, and was often present at the examinations of the pious confessors of truth, under the barbarous severities of popery. The shocking spectacle had the happiest effect on his mind. For, while he beheld the constancy of the sufferers, who, with invincible patience, and for the testimony of a good conscience, endured the most relentless and cruel usage; the tragic scene proved the happy means of awakening his mind, and of leading him to reject popery and embrace the protestant religion. His parents, apprehensive of the change in his opinions, sent him to Louvain, in Flanders; and, to wean him effectually from his new thoughts about religion, settled upon him a considerable estate: but he counted all worldly allurements and advantages as nothing in comparison of Christ. His father at length perceiving him to be immoveable, called him home, and revoked his grant; which, however, could not take effect without his son's consent. Young Gataker counted the cost. He had already learned the hard lesson of self-denial, and of forsaking all for Christ and a good conscience; therefore, he voluntarily gave up that which had been the bait of his apostacy. This was in the beginning of the reign of Queen Mary.

Mr. Gataker being cast off by his unnatural parents, was enabled to put his trust in the Lord, who, in a very remarkable manner, raised up friends, by whom he was sent to the university of Oxford, and supported by their great generosity. After having spent eleven years in that seat of learning, he entered at Magdalen college, Cambridge, where he continued about four years. In the year 1568, he entered upon the ministerial function, and was ordained both deacon and priest by the Bishop of London; and, in 1576, was admitted vicar of Christ's church, London, which he resigned in 1578, probably on account of his puritanical principles. He became rector of St. Edmunds in Lombard-street, June 21, 1572, but resigned it by death, previous to June 2, 1593, when the next incumbent entered upon the benefice. He was a minister of puritanical principles, furnished with excellent parts, a zealous preacher, a most conscientious divine, firm in his attachment to the protestant religion, and some time domestic chaplain to the Earl of Leicester. Though he left behind him only a small fortune, he left many friends, particularly among the great men of * Clark's Lives annexed to Martyrologie, p. 218, 249. + Newcourt's Eccl. Repert. vol. i. p. 344.

the law, with whom he had been, in the earlier part of his life, a fellow-student; and who, on that account, were afterwards ready to testify their respect to his memory, by affording their countenance and expressing their kindness to his son. His son was the celebrated Mr. Thomas Gataker, another puritan divine, who was first chosen lecturer at the Temple, then minister at Rotherhithe, near London.

ARTHUR WAKE.-This excellent person was son of John Wake, esq. and descended from a very ancient and honourable family. He was canon of Christ's Church in Oxford, and a most popular and useful preacher. In the year 1565, he was preferred to the benefice of Great-Billing, in Northamptonshire;+ and several times he preached the sermon at Paul's cross. In one of these sermons, delivered in the year 1573, he boldly defended the sentiments of Mr. Cartwright in his reply to Whitgift, and openly declared his objections against the established church. Bishop Sandys, of London, the very next day, sent a pursuivant to apprehend him; but he had left the city, and returned to Oxford, where his lordship's authority could not reach him. The bishop, meeting with this sore disappointment, wrote to the Lord Treasurer Burleigh and the Earl of Leicester, the latter being at that time Chancellor of Oxford, urging them to take the case into consideration. It does not appear, however, that the two honourable persons were at all disposed to comply with his lordship's solicitations.

Though Mr. Wake escaped the snare of the Bishop of London, he fell, the same year, into the hands of Scambler, Bishop of Peterborough, when he received the ecclesiastical censure. He was rector of the above place; and being cited before the bishop's chancellor, he was first suspended for three weeks, then deprived of his living. Mr. Eusebius Paget, and several other worthy ministers, were suspended and deprived at the same time. They were all laborious and useful preachers. Four of them were licensed by the university, as learned and religious divines; and three of them had been chosen moderators in the religious exercises,

The reason of Mr. Wake's deprivation, and that of his brethren, was not any error in doctrine, nor any depravity of life; but because they could not, with a good conscience,

Biog. Britan. vol. iv. p. 2155, 2156. Edit. 1747. + Bridges's Hist. of Northamptonshire, vol. i. p. 407. Strype's Whitgift, Appen. p. 19.

See Art. Eusebius Paget.

subscribe to two forms devised by the commissioners. In one of these forms, called forma promissionis, they were required to subscribe and swear, "That they would use the Book of Common Prayer, and the form of administration of the sacraments, invariably and in all points to the utmost of their power, according to the rites, orders, forms, and ceremonies therein prescribed; and that they would not hereafter, preach or speak any thing to the degradation of the said book, or any point therein contained."-In the other form, called forma abjurationis, they were required to subscribe and swear, "That the Book of Consecration of Archbishops and Bishops, and of the ordering of priests and deacons, set forth in the time of King Edward VI, and confirmed by authority of parliament, doth contain in it all things necessary to such consecration and ordering, having in it, according to their judgment, nothing that is either superstitious or ungodly; and, therefore, that they who were consecrated and ordered according to the said book, were duly, orderly, and lawfully consecrated and ordained. And that they acknowledge their duty and obedience to their ordinary and diocesan as to a lawful magistrate under the queen's majesty, as the laws and statutes do require; which obedience they do promise to perform, according as the laws shall bind them. In testimony whereof they do hereunto subscribe their names."*

Mr. Wake and his brethren, refusing to be tied by these fetters, offered to use the Book of Common Prayer and no other, and promised not to preach against it before the meeting of the next parliament; but they apprehended both the subscription and the oath to be contrary to the laws of God and the realm. In these painful circumstances, being all deprived of their livings, they appealed to the Archbishop of Canterbury, but he rejected their appeal. Upon this, having suffered deprivation about two years, they presented a supplication to the queen and parliament; in which, after presenting an impartial statement of the tyrannical oppressions under which they laboured, they give the following reasons for refusing the subscription and the oath :-" That they should thereby have allowed, contrary to their consciences, that it was lawful for women to baptize children :-That they would have exposed themselves to much danger :-That any man, though ever so unable to preach the word, might be made a minister, according to

* MS. Register, p. 198.

the said book:-And that they should have given their consent to the unlawful form of ordination, wherein are these words, Receive the Holy Ghost, &c." They conclude by expressing their concern for their bereaved flocks, and how desirous they were of being restored to their former labour and usefulness, earnestly soliciting the favour of the queen, and the lords and commons in parliament.

They

Though the case of these pious divines was deserving the utmost compassion, they could not obtain the least redress. They had wives and large families of children, now reduced to extreme poverty and want, and, as they expressed in the above supplication, if God in his providence did not interfere, they should be obliged to go a begging; yet they could procure no relief. The distress of these zealous and laborious servants of Christ, was greatly increased by the ignorance and insufficiency of their successors. could scarcely read so as to be understood, and the people were left in a great measure untaught. Instead of two sermons every Lord's day, which each of them had regularly delivered, the new incumbents did not preach more than once in a quarter of a year, and frequently not so often. The numerous parishioners among whom they had laboured, signed petitions to the bishop for the restoration of their former ministers; but all to no purpose. They must subscribe and take the oath, or be buried in silence.+

It does not appear how long Mr. Wake remained under the ecclesiastical censure, or whether he was ever restored to his benefice. He was living in the year 1593, and at that time minister at St. John's Hospital in Northampton.t He was a divine of good learning, great piety, and a zealous, laborious, and useful preacher. He was father to Sir Isaac Wake, a learned and eloquent orator at Oxford, afterwards ambassador to several foreign courts, and a member of parliament.§

WILLIAM WHITAKER, D. D.-This most celebrated divine was born at Holme, in the parish of Burnley, in Lancashire, in the year 1547, and descended from an ancient and a respectable family. His mother was Elizabeth Nowell, sister to Dr. Alexander Nowell, Dean of St. Paul's, who married Thomas Whitaker, in 1550, and survived her + Ibid. p. 198, 199. Bridges's Hist. of Northamptonshire, vol. i. p. 457. Wood's Athenæ Oxon. vol. i. p. 491.

MS. Register, p. 202.