Thomas Gataker
Encyclopedia
Thomas Gataker was an English
clergyman and theologian.
and educated at St John's College, Cambridge
. From 1601 to 1611 he held the appointment of preacher to the society of Lincoln's Inn
, which he resigned on accepting the rectory of Rotherhithe
. In 1642 he was chosen a member of the Westminster Assembly
, and annotated for them the books of Isaiah
, Jeremiah
and Lamentations
.
He disapproved of the introduction of the Covenant and declared himself in favour of episcopacy. He was one of the forty-seven London clergymen who disapproved of the trial of Charles I
.
He engaged in a public controversy with the astrologer William Lilly
, who had mentioned Gataker in an almanac
.
His collected works were published in Utrecht
in 1698.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
clergyman and theologian.
Life
He was born in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and educated at St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College, Cambridge
St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college's alumni include nine Nobel Prize winners, six Prime Ministers, three archbishops, at least two princes, and three Saints....
. From 1601 to 1611 he held the appointment of preacher to the society of Lincoln's Inn
Lincoln's Inn
The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn is one of four Inns of Court in London to which barristers of England and Wales belong and where they are called to the Bar. The other three are Middle Temple, Inner Temple and Gray's Inn. Although Lincoln's Inn is able to trace its official records beyond...
, which he resigned on accepting the rectory of Rotherhithe
Rotherhithe
Rotherhithe is a residential district in inner southeast London, England and part of the London Borough of Southwark. It is located on a peninsula on the south bank of the Thames, facing Wapping and the Isle of Dogs on the north bank, and is a part of the Docklands area...
. In 1642 he was chosen a member of the Westminster Assembly
Westminster Assembly
The Westminster Assembly of Divines was appointed by the Long Parliament to restructure the Church of England. It also included representatives of religious leaders from Scotland...
, and annotated for them the books of Isaiah
Book of Isaiah
The Book of Isaiah is the first of the Latter Prophets in the Hebrew Bible, preceding the books of Ezekiel, Jeremiah and the Book of the Twelve...
, Jeremiah
Book of Jeremiah
The Book of Jeremiah is the second of the Latter Prophets in the Hebrew Bible, following the book of Isaiah and preceding Ezekiel and the Book of the Twelve....
and Lamentations
Book of Lamentations
The Book of Lamentations ) is a poetic book of the Hebrew Bible composed by the Jewish prophet Jeremiah. It mourns the destruction of Jerusalem and the Holy Temple in the 6th Century BCE....
.
He disapproved of the introduction of the Covenant and declared himself in favour of episcopacy. He was one of the forty-seven London clergymen who disapproved of the trial of Charles I
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
.
He engaged in a public controversy with the astrologer William Lilly
William Lilly
William Lilly , was an English astrologer famed during his time. Lilly was particularly adept at interpreting the astrological charts drawn up for horary questions, as this was his speciality....
, who had mentioned Gataker in an almanac
Almanac
An almanac is an annual publication that includes information such as weather forecasts, farmers' planting dates, and tide tables, containing tabular information in a particular field or fields often arranged according to the calendar etc...
.
Works
His principal works, besides some volumes of sermons, are:- Of the Nature and Use of Lots (1619), a curious treatise which led to his being accused of favouring games of chance, but which Boswell called "a learned book of the age". The second edition in 1627 contained a refutation of James BalmfordJames Balmford-Works:Balmford published in 1594 a Short and Plaine Dialogue concerning the unlawfulness of playing at cards, London. This short tract against card games is dedicated to the mayor, aldermen, and burgesses of Newcastle-on-Tyne. It is stated in Hazlitt's Handbook that the Dialogue appeared also in...
's criticism. It was edited and republished in 2008 as The Nature and Uses of Lotteries. Conall Boyle (ed.) Imprint Academic. - Dissertatio de stylo Novi Testamenti (1648)
- Cinnus, sive Adversaria miscellanea, in quibus Sacrae Scripturae primo, deinde aliorum scriptorum, locis aliquam multis lux redditur (1651), to which was afterwards subjoined Adversaria Posthuma
- an edition of Marcus AntoninusMarcus AntoninusMarcus Antoninus may refer to:* Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus , Roman Emperor from 161-180* Elagabalus , Roman Emperor from 218-222...
(1652)
His collected works were published in Utrecht
Utrecht (city)
Utrecht city and municipality is the capital and most populous city of the Dutch province of Utrecht. It is located in the eastern corner of the Randstad conurbation, and is the fourth largest city of the Netherlands with a population of 312,634 on 1 Jan 2011.Utrecht's ancient city centre features...
in 1698.
External links
- http://www.usask.ca/english/gataker/gat_bio.htm
- http://www.apuritansmind.com/MemoirsPuritans/MemoirsPuritansThomasGataker.htm