ABBOT (Robert) brother to the archbishop, was born alfo in the town of Guilford, in the year, 1560, and bred up under the fame fchoolmafter there. He was afterwards fent to Baliol college in Oxford. In 1582, he took his degree of master of arts, and foon became a celebrated preacher, and to this talent he chiefly owed his preferment. Upon his firft fermon at Worcester, he was chosen lecturer in that city, and foon after rector of All-faints in the fame place. John Stanhope, efq; happening to hear him preach at Paul's-crofs, was fo pleas'd with him, that he immediately prefented him to the rich living of Bingham, Nottinghamfhire. In 1597, he took his degree of doctor in divinity, and in the beginning of king James's reign was appointed chaplain in ordinary to his majefty, who had fuch an opinion of him as a writer, that he ordered the doctor's book, de antichrifto, to be printed with his own commentary upon part of the Apocalyple. In 1609, he was elected mafter of Baliol college, which trust be discharged with the utmost care and affiduity, by his frequent lectures to the scholars, by his the crucifix with the dove upon it fhould not be again fet up, but approved rather of a pyramid or some other fimple ornament. This determination was confiftent with his own practice, when in his faid office he caufed feveral fuperftitious pictures to be burnt in the market-place in Oxford. 4. The reafons which Dr. Hill hath brought for the upholding of papistry, unmasked and thewed to be very weak; Oxon. г604. 5. A preface to the examination of George Sprot. 6. A fermon preached at Weftminfter, May 26, 1608, at the funeral of Thomas earl of Dorset, late lord high treasurer of England, on Kaiah xl. 6. London, 1608. 7. Translation of part of the New Teftament, with the rest of the Oxford divines, 1611. 8. Some memorials touching the nullity betwixt the earl of Effex and his lady, pronounced September 25, 1613, at Lambeth, and the difficulties endured in the fame. To this is added, fome obfervable things fince September 25, 1613, when the fentence was given in the cause of the earl of Effex, continued unto the day of the marriage, December 26, 1613, which appears also to have been wrote by his grace; and to it is joined, the fpeech intended to be spoken at Lambeth, September 25, 1613, by the archbishop, when it came to his turn to declare his mind concerning the nullity of the marriage. 9. A brief defcription of the whole world; London, 1634: 10. A short apology for archbishop Abbot, touching the death of Peter Hawkins, dated October 8, 1621. 11. Treatife of perpetual visibility and fucceffion of the true church in all ages; London, 1624, 4to. 12. A narrative containing the true caufe of his fequeftration and disgrace at court, 1627. 13. Hiftory of the maffacce in the Valtoline. 14. His judgment of bowing at the name of Jefus; Hamburgh, 1632. col, 430. continual prefence at public exercifes, and by promoting temperance in the fociety. In November, 1610, he was made prebendary of Normanton in the church of Southwell, and in 1612, his majefty appointed him regius profeffor of divinity at Oxford, in which ftation he acquired the character of a profound divine, though a more moderate Calvinift than either of his two predeceffors in the divinity chair, Holland and Humphrey; for he countenanced the fublapfarian tenets concerning predeftination. In one of his fermons before the Athen. Ox. univerfity, where he was profeffor, he thus points out the 721. vol. I oblique methods then practised by some perfons, who fecretly favoured popery, to undermine the reformation. "There "were men, fays he, who, under pretence of truth, and preaching against the Puritans, ftruck at the heart and root "of that faith and religion now eftablished amongst us; "which was the very practice of Parfon's and Campian's "counfel, when they came hither to feduce young ftudents; "who, afraid to be expelled if they fhould openly profess "their converfion, were directed to fpeak freely against the "Puritans, as what would fuffice; fo thefe do not expect to "be accounted Papifts, because they speak only against Pu"ritans; but because they are indeed Papifts, they speak "nothing against them: or if they do, they beat about the "bufh, and that foftly too, for fear of difquieting the birds "that are in it." Dr. Laud, then prefent, was fo much fufpected to be one of thofe perfons here hinted at, that the whole auditory applied these reflections to him; nay, Laud himself wrote a letter to the bishop of Lincoln, complaining, "that he was fain to fit patiently at the rehearsal of this fermon, though abused almost an hour together, being pointed at as he fat; yet would have taken no notice of "it, but that the whole univerfity applied it to him; and "his friends told him he fhould fink in his credit, if he an"fwered not Dr. Abbot in his own: nevertheless, he would "be patient, and defired his lordship would vouchsafe him "fome direction." But as Laud made no answer, it is likely the bishop advised him against it. The fame of Dr. Abbot's Rushworth, lectures became very great; and thofe which he gave upon the fupreme power of Kings against Bellarmine and Suarez fo much pleafed his majefty, that when the fee of Salisbury became vacant, he named him to that bifhoprick, and he was confecrated by his own brother at Lambeth, December 3, 1615. When he came to Salisbury he found the cathedral running to decay, through the negligence and covetousness of the clergy belonging to it: however, he found VOL. I. means vol. I. P. 62. Fullerwor thies of Eng land in sui rey. means to draw five hundred pounds from the prebendaries, Featly's life which he applied to the reparation of this church; he then gave of bp. Abbot. himself up to the duties of his function with great diligence P. 49. and affiduity, vifiting his whole diocefe in perfon, and preaching every Sunday, whilft health would permit, which was not long; for his fedentary life, and close application to study, brought upon him the gravel and ftone, of which he died on the 2d of March, 1617, in the fifty-eighth year of his age; having not filled the fee quite two years and three months; and being one of the five bifhops which Salisbury Fuller, ib. had in fix years. He was buried opposite to the bishop's feat in the cathedral. Dr. Fuller, fpeaking of the two brothers, fays," that George was the more plaufible preacher, Robert Ibid. the greateft fcholar; George the abler ftatefman, Robert "the deeper divine; gravity did frown in George, and smile "in Robert." Robert had been twice married, and his fecond marriage gave fome displeasure to the archbishop. He left one fon, and one daughter, Martha, who was married to Sir Nathaniel Brent, warden of Merton college in Oxford (a). (a) Dr. Abbot wrote the follow- tholic, being an apology against Dr. ing pieces: Bishop's reproof of the defence of the reformed catholic, 1611. 1. The mirror of popish subtilties: difcovering the fhifts which a cavilling papift, in behalf of Paul Spence, a prieit, hath gathered out of Sanders and Bellarmine, &c. concerning the facraments, &c. 1594. 7. Antilogia: adverfus apologiam Andreæ Eudæmon Johannis Jefuitæ, pro Henrico Garnetto Jefuito proditore, 1513: 8. De gratia & perfeverantia fan&torum, exercitationes habitæ in academia Oxonienfi, 1618. 9. In Ricardi Thomsoni, AngliBelgici Diatribam, de amiffione & interceffione juftificationis & gratiæ, animadverfio brevis, 1618. 10. De fuprema poteftate regia, exercitationes habitæ in academia Oxonienfi contra Rob. Bellarmine, 1619. He alfo left behind him feveral manuscripts, which Dr. Corbet made a prefent of to the Bodleian library. ABELARD (Peter) one of the most celebrated doctors of the twelfth century, was born in the village of Palais, fix miles from Nantz, in Britainy; being of an acute genius, he applied himself to logic with more fuccefs than any other ftudy he travelled to feveral places on purpose to exercife himfelf in this fcience, difputing wherever he went, discharg Ing his fyllogifms on all fides, and feeking every opportunity to fignalize himself in difputation. He finifhed his ftudies at Paris; in this city he found that famous profeffor of philofophy William de Champeaux, with whom he was at first in high favour, but did not continue fo long; for this profeffor being puzzled to answer all the fubtle objections started by Abelard, grew at last out of humour, and began to hate him. The fchool foon ran into parties; the fenior pupils, out of envy to Abelard, joined with their master: this only heightened the prefumption of our young philofopher, who now began to think himself compleatly qualified to inftruct others, and for this purpose he erected an academy at Melun, where the French court then refided., Champeaux used every method in his power to hinder the establishment of this fchool; but as he had powerful enemies, his oppofition promoted the fuccefs of his rival. The fame of this new logical Abelard. profeffor spread greatly, and eclipfed that of Champeaux ; epift. p. 5. and Abelard was fo much elated, that he removed his fchool to Corbeil, that be might harass his enemy the closer in more frequent difputations; but his exceffive application to ftudy brought upon him an illness, which obliged him to remove to his native air. After two years stay in Britany, he returned to Paris, where Champeaux, though he had refigned his profefforship, and was entered amongst the canons regular, yet continued to teach amongst them. Abelard difputed against him on the nature of univerfals with fuch strength of argument, that he obliged him to renounce his opinion, which was abftracted Spinozism unexplained. This brought the monk into fuch contempt, and gained his antagonist fo much reputation, that the lectures of the former were wholly deferted, and the profeffor himself, in whofe favour Champeaux had refigned, gave up the chair to Abelard, and became one of his hearers. But no fooner was he raised to this dignity, than he found himself more and more expofed to the darts of envy. The canon-regular got the profeffor, who had given up the chair to Abelard, to be difcarded, under pretext of his having been guilty of fome obfcene practices, and one, who was a violent enemy to Abelard, fucceeded. Abelard, upon this, left Paris, and went to Melun, to teach logic as formerly: he did not continue there long, for as foon as he heard that Champeaux was retired to a village with his whole community, he pofted himself on mount St. Genevieve, and there erected his fchool like a battery against the profeffor, who taught at Paris. Champeaux finding his friend thus befieged in his school, brought back the C 2 canons canons-regular to their convent; but this, instead of extricating him, was the cause of his being deferted by all his pupils, and foon after this poor philofopher entered into a convent. Abelard and Champeaux were now the only antagonists, and the fenior was far from having the advantage. Before the conteft was finifhed, Abelard was obliged to go to fee his mother, who, after the example of her husband, was about to retire to a cloyfter. At his return to Paris he found his rival promoted to the bishoprick of Chalons; fo that now having it in his power to give up his fchool without the imputation of flying from the field, he refolved to apply himfelf wholly to the ftudy of divinity, and for this purpose removed to Laon, where Anfelm gave lectures on theology with great applaufe. Abelard, however, upon his hearing him, had no opinion of his capacity (a), and therefore, inftead of attending his lectures, he refolved to read divinity to his fellow ftudents. He accordingly explained the prophecies of Ezekiel in fuch a fatisfactory manner, that he foon had a crowded audience. This raised the jealoufy of Anfelm to fuch a degree, that he ordered Abelard to leave off his lectures. Abelard upon this returned to Paris, where he explained Ezekiel in public with fo much fuccess, that in a fhort time he became as famous for his knowledge in divinity as philofophy, and his encouragement was fo confiderable, that he was enabled to live in great affluence. That he might enjoy all the sweets of life, he thought it neceffary to have a miftrefs, and accordingly fixed his affections on Heloife, a canon's niece, preferably to a number of virgins and married women, into whole good graces he fays he could eafily have Still feem'd he to poffefs and fill his place; Rowe's Lucan, book I. ver. 256, &c. |