GILPIN. 



Hie popular religion, for he even cntorcJ into a vii-.d;cati«n cf 

 tl.c Catiiolic cUidriiics in a dil'|)ute with Hooper, afterwards 

 iiilliop of AVincheftcr. Tiic difcuir;on was however favour- 

 able to hi.i improvement ai)d candour, ai it ajTorded him th.c 

 opportunity of difcovering that his own opinions were not 

 fo well fup'portcd by icripture as lie imagined. Upon ih.o 

 iieceflion of Edward VI.,* Peter Martyr was fent, wider the 

 patronage of that prince, to Oxford to read divinity lectnreJ, 

 a dutv whicli he performed in a '.Irain to which tliat uni- 

 verfity had been but little accullomed. He attacked many 

 cllabl'i'.hed doclrines, which had been long regju'ded as the 

 truth, and the only truth. Gilpin was looked up to, as ca- 

 pable of defending the ellablillicd doctrines in oppofition to 

 modern innovations, but his faith was Ihaken, and he chcie 

 to remain an unprejudiced fpcdator, ready to embrace^ what- 

 ever iliould appear the truth, after deliberately weighing the 

 arguments which the difcuflion might proyok:. At length, 

 howerer, he confented to enter the lills with Peter, and the 

 difpute ended in the conviftion of Gilpin tliat there were 

 o-reat corruptions in popery, and that there was need of a 

 total reformation. He continued at Oxford till ho was thirty- 

 five, and took his bachelor's degree in divinity. In 1552 

 he was prefented with a living in Durham, but before he 

 went to rcfide tiiere, he was appointed to preach before his 

 majelly at Greenwich. The king was not prefent, but 

 Gilpin's difcourfe was a ferious and very hollile attack 

 on the prevailing avarice and corruption of the age ; he 

 fparcd neither the court, clergy, magiftrates, nor gentry. 

 The freedom which he made ufe of at this time recommended 

 him to the notice of many perfons of the firft rank, parti- 

 cularly of fir William Cecil, afterwards lord Burleigh, who 

 obtained for him a general licence for preaching. While 

 Mr. Gilpin was in London, he freqriently vifited his uncle 

 Tonftal, bifhop of Durham, at that time a prifoner 

 in the Tower, under a fentence of mifprifion of treafon. 

 When Mr. Gilpin was fettled in the country, he felt many 

 doubts how to proceed in the inftrudlion of his people ; he 

 had not made un his own mind on many important doc^imes, 

 and therefore felt but ill qualified to teach others, or indeed 

 to guard them from tlie prevailing errors. He actordingly 

 refigned his living, and determined, at 'he advice of Tonftal, 

 to fpend fome time abroad. He had now an opportunity of 

 re-examining all his opinions ; he began to have jull notions 

 of the doftrines of the reformed ; faw things in a clearer 

 light, and felt a fatisfattion in the change that he had made, 

 to which he had hitherto been a ftranger. On the death 

 of king Edward, Tonftal was releafed and reinftated in his 

 bifhopric ; he immediately offered his nephew a good living, 

 which was refpeftfuUy rcfufed on conicientions principles. 

 He returned from the continent in the year 1556, and imme- 

 diately vifited biiliop Tonftal, who received him with great 

 friendfliip, and prefented him with the archdeaconry of Dur- 

 ham, to which he annexed the living of Eafmgton. He now 

 repaired to his parifti, determined to do what good lie was 

 able in reproving vice, and encouraging virtue. His zeal 

 and affiduity in the good work of reformation made him 

 many enemies, and the cry of hercfy was continually founded 

 againft him, but by the fl<ilful management of his uncle, the 

 charge, though formally and publicU' brought, was difmified. 

 After this, he refigned his prefer'r.ojt i n the church, and be- 

 came domeftic chaplain to the biiliop. Mr. Gilpin did not 

 remain long without a benefice, but was inducted to the li- 

 ving of Houg!iton-le-Spring, and upoi. his arrival at the 

 place, people crowded to him from all quarters, perceiving 

 that he was a teacher very different from thofe to whom they 

 had been accuftomed, and by his truly afFedtionate treatment 

 «f .them, he quickly gained their confidence, refpeft, and 



attachment. The bifliop v/as ftill anxious for the advancc- 

 mcrtof his ncphev/, and prefented to liim a vacant prebend 

 in the cathedral of Durham, wliich Mr. Gilpin modeftly, 

 but firmly declined, and told the prelate, " that by his bounty 

 he had already more wealth than, he was afraid, he could 

 give a good account cf, and he hoped his lordihip would 

 rather beflow this preferment on one by whom it was more 

 wanted." A frefli let of articles of impeachment were drawn 

 up and prefented againft him, and he was again protefted by 

 his up.clo, but from this period the bilhop's favour to him 

 manifeftly declined, and he ftruck him out of his will. He was 

 exceedingly concerned to have in any way offended fo good 

 a benefactor, but he could not compromife the matter ; he 

 was bound to fatisfy his confciencc, and Tonftal was vexed 

 that he lliould carry his piety and zeal to what he thought 

 an excefs. The malice of Mr. Gilpin's enemies was not 

 fatisiied with the lofs which he had experienced in his uncle's 

 efteem ; they accufed him before the favage Bonner, who, 

 in tlie moir.ent of Iiis frantic zeal, declared that he would 

 bring him to the ftake in a fortnight. Gilpin refufed to ■ 

 h'ften to the entreaties and interceiuons of liis friends by 

 leaving the country, but was prepared to fufferfor the truth, 

 a» he had been zealous in propagating it. He accordingly 

 waited with great compofure for the arrival of the biftiop's 

 mcftengers. He v.-as apprehended, but fortunately, before 

 he could reach London, au account of the Queen's death met 

 tliem on tl e road, an event not more favourable to our 

 worthy paftor, than important for the country at large. 

 The mercilefs favage raiglit now gnafli his teeth, but he 

 could no longer inlHct the venom of his m,align:ty upon the 

 unoffending ri-formcr.i. Gilpin, thus almoft rairaculoufty de- 

 livered, returned to Houghton through crowds of people, 

 who regarded liim as a father, and who expreffed their ut- 

 inoll joy, and offered up th.eir thanks to Almighty God for 

 his deliverance, Mr. Gilpin was foon nominated to the 

 bilhopric of Carlille, which he declined, giving as a reafon, 

 that in this diocele he had many friends and acquaintance, 

 of whom he did not think very highly, and that he mull 

 connive at many irregularities, or draw upon Limfelf fo nuith 

 hatred as to prevent his ufefuln-.-fs. In 1561 he v.-aio.Tered 

 the provoftftiip of Queen's colle^je, Oxford, which he like- 

 wife declined : contentintr himfelf with the liviiu' of 

 Houghton, the duties of which he performed in the molt 

 exemplary manner. He employed much of his time in en- 

 deavouring to improve the minds of the younger part of his 

 parifti, fuffering none to grow up in an ignorance of their 

 duty, but urging all to intermix religion with labour, and 

 amidft the cares of this life to have aconftant regard to the 

 next. He was affiduous m preventing lawfuits among his 

 parilhioners, and his hall was frequently thronged with peo- 

 ple of his own or neigliboiiring pariflies, who came to fettle 

 their differences. He had a tender concern for all under 

 affliction, and was a much readier vifitant at the houfe of 

 mourning than at the hoiifc of fcafting. To ftrangers and 

 travellers there was always a generous welcome at the houfe 

 of Mr. Gilpin, and he could fuit himfelf to perfons of all 

 ranks in life. Once he received an unexpedted vifit from 

 lord Burleigh, and the reception of the noble ftranger 

 was fo liberal, that his lordfhip was accuftomed to 

 fay, that he could not have expeftcd more at Lambeth. 

 AVhcn the great flatefman left his hoft, and had travelled 

 about a mile from his refidcnce, he turned his h(nfe to take 

 one more viev/ of the place in which he had experienced 

 fo much content, and having kept his eve fixed fome time, 

 he exclaimed, •' There is the erjoymcnt cf life, indeed ! Who 

 can blame that man for not accepting a bifliopric ! What 

 does he want, or what can he poflefs to make him greater 



or 



