GATAKER, THOMAS, B.D., son of Thomas Gataker, rector of St. Edmund's, Lombard Street, was born in London, Sept. 4, 1574. In 1611 he was appointed to the rectory of Rotherhithe, having filled for ten years previously the office of preacher to the society of Lincoln's Inn. He was a member of the Westminster Assembly of Divines, and was held in high esteem by his contemporaries for his great learning. He died July 27, 1654. While at Lincoln's Inn he preached a series of sermons upon the use and abuse of lots, and upon the kindred topics of games of chance and divination. The substance of these lie subsequently published under the title, A Discourse of the Nature ana' Use of Lots, a treatise historical and theological, Lund. i619, 4to. His more important literary labours were undertaken at a later period of his life, and after he had become incapacitated by illness for the dis charge of his pastoral duties. Amongst these were --1 . Annotations on Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Lamen tations, included in the so-called Assembly's anno tations, and of which it is by far the most valuable portion. It forms nearly one-fourth of the entire work. 2. De Novi Instrument:. Stylo Disseitatio,
Lond. i648, 4to, which in form is a criticism of the treatise of Seb. Pfochen entitled Diatribe de linguae Grocer N. T. puritate, and in matter is a defence of the views of the Hcbraists against those of the Purists. Bound up with this volume is a transla tion into Latin of the Jerusalem Targum on the Pentateuch by Fmncis Tayler, which was published at Gataker's instigation, and has his commendation prefixed. 3. Cinnus, sive Adversaria miscellanea, Lond. 165x, 4to. This contains two only out of the six books which it was the author's intention to publish `Deo favente,' A further portion was pub lished after his death by his son Charles Gataker, and the nature of the work is sufficiently set forth in the title of this volume, Adversaria Miscellanea in gibus [sic] Sacra So-item-re prime deinde Scriptorum locis aliqam multis Lux redditur, Lond. 1659, fol. The last three works are included in an edition of Gataker's critical works published by Hermann Witsius, T. Gatakeri Opera Critica, Traj. ad Rhen. 1698, fol,—S. N.