ABBOT (George) Archbishop of Canterbury, was born October 29. 1562, at Guilford, in Surrey (a) He received the rudiments of his education at the place of his nativity, under the care of Mr. Francis Taylour, Mafter of the freefchool at Guilford, founded by Edward VI. From thence ་ 3. Traité de la verité de le Religion Chretienne; Rotterdam, 1684. A treatife of the truth of the Christian religion. This has gone through seven editions. The Abbe Houteville fpeaks of it in these terms: 'The most 'fhining of these treatifes for defence of the chriftian religion, which F were published by the proteftants, is that written by Mr. Abbadie. The favourable reception it met f with, the praises it received, almost without example, immediately after its publication, the univerfal approbation it ftill meets with, renders it unnecessary for me to join my commendations, which would add fo little to the merit of fo great an author. He has united in this book, all our controverfies with the • infidels. In the first part, he combats the atheifts; the deifts in the fecond; and the focinians in the third philofophy and theology enter happily into his manner of 'compofing, which is in the true method, lively, pure, and elegant, especially in the first books *. 4. Reflexions fur la prefence reelle du corps de Jefus Chrift dans l'Euchariftie, comprises en diverfes lettres; Hague, 1685. Reflexions on the real prefence in the facrament. 5. L'Art de fe connoitre foi-meme, ou la recherche des fources de la morale; Rotterdam, 1692. The art of knowing one's felf, or an enquiry into the fources of morality. 6. Defense de la nation Britannique; où les droits de Dieu, de nature, et de la focieté font clairement erablis au fujet de la revolution d'Angleterre, contre l'auteur de l'avis important aux refugies. A defence of the revolution in England. 7. Panegyrique de Marie reine d'Angleterre, decedée le Decembre 28, 1694; Haye, 1695. A panegyrick on Mary queen of England. 8. Hiftoire de la confpiration derniere d'Angleterre, avec le detail des diverfes entreprises contre le roi et la nation, qui ont precedé ce dernier attentat; London, 1696. An account of the late confpiracy in Eng land. This piece was wrote by order of king William III, and the materials were furnished by the earl of Portland, and fir William Trumball, fecretary of state. 9. La verité de la religion reformée; Rotterdam, 17.8. The truth of the reformed religion. Dr. Henry Lambert, Bishop of Dromore, tranflated this piece into English, for the inftruction of the Roman Catholicks in his diocese. 10. La triomphe de la providence et de la religion, ou l'ouverture des fept fceaux par le fils de Dieu; Amfterdam, 1723. The triumph of providence and religion, or the opening the feven feals by the fon of God, &c. Mr. Voltaire fpeaks contemptuously of this performance in his lift of writers in the age of Lewis XIV. He was celebrated, says that author, for his treatife upon the chriftian religion, but he afterwards difcredited that work by his 'Opening of the feven feals.' Befides what we have mentioned, he published feveral fingle fermons, and fome other little pieces, which met with general approbation. (a) His father Maurice Abbot was a clothworker, and fettled at Guilford, where he married Alice Marth he fuffered a great deal for his ftedfaftnefs in the proteftant religion, thro' the means of Dr. Story, who was a great perfecutor of such persons in the reign of queen Mary. Difcours biflorique et critique fur la metkode des principaux auteurs, &c. p. 187. hẹ Heylin's life he was removed to Baliol college in Oxford. November 29, 1563, he was elected probationer fellow of his college, and having foon after entered into holy orders, he became a celebrated preacher in the univerfity. In 1593, he took his degree of batchelor in divinity, and proceeded doctor in that faculty in May, 1597; and, in the month of September of the fame year, he was elected maiter of Univerfity College. About this time it was, that the differences began between him and Dr. Laud, which fubfifted as long as they lived. of abp Laud, In March 6, 1599, he was inftalled dean of Winchefter: fol. 1688. the year following he was chofen vice-chancellor of the P. 53univerfity of Oxford, and a fecond time in 1603. In 1604, Ant. Wood; that tranflation of the bible now in ufe was begun by the Fati Cxon. vol. I. c. 157. direction of king James, and Dr. Abbot was the fecond of 165. eigh divines of Oxford, to whom the care of tranflating the le new teftament (excepting the epiftles) was com- Fuller's ch. The year following he was a third time vice-chan- hin. lib. x. 1608, died his great patron Thomas Sackville, T. Lewis's on, lord high treafurer of England, and chancellor comp. hift. of the unverfiy of Oxford: after his deceafe Dr. Abbot became chaplain to George Hume, earl of Dunbar, and treafurer of and teft. 3va. Scoda d; with whom he went to that kingdom to affift in p. 311. eftablishing an union betwixt the kirk of Scotland and the church of England, and in this attair he behaved with for much address and moderation that it laid the foundation of all his future preferment (b). When he was at Edinburgh, à rians, f. 1672. P. 333. mitted. cell ear! "the indiation (or calling) of all ge- (b) King James had fuffered fo much by the fpirit and power of the prefbyterians in Scotland, that he was very defirous of reftoring the form of government by bithops in that kingdom; the care of which was entrusted to the earl of Dunbar. This noble lord had proceeded fo far two years before, as to obtain an act for the reftitution of the eftates of bi- ry minifter, at his admiffion to a fhops. The prefbyterians, however, "benefice, fhould take the oath of had made fo ftout a refiftance, that "fupremacy and canonical obedience. the whole affair was in the utmoft "That the vifitation of the diocefe danger of being overthrown; but by "fhould be performed by the bithop the good management of Dr. Abbot, "or his deputy only and finally, many difficulties were removed, and "that the bishop fhould be modera the clergy of Scotland were brought "tor of all conventions, for exer to a better temper; for the earl, of "cifings, or prophefyings, which Dunbar, who was wholly guided in "fhould be held within their this matter by the advice of his chap- "bounds." All which articles were lain, procured an act in the general ratified by the parliament of that afembly," That the king fhould have kingdom. fol. 46. 57. of the tranf. of the bible Heylin's hift. of prefbyte profecution was commenced againft one George Sprot, for having been concerned in Gowry's confpiracy eight years before A long account of this affair, with a narrative prefixed by Dr. Abbot, was published at London to fatisfy the publick about this matter, which had, hitherto appeared Calderwood's doubtful and myfterious. Abbot's behaviour in Scotland fo bift. of the much pleased king James, that he ever after paid great deference to his advice and counfel: there is extant, a letter from his majefty to him, relating to the convocation, which he had confulted about the lawfulness of efpoufing the cause of the ftates (c). Upon the death of Dr. Overton bishop of Litch ch. of Scot land, p. 443 (c) Here follows a copy of the letter *. • Good Dr. Abbot, I cannot abftain to give you my judgment on the proceedings in the ' convocation, as you will call it, and both as rex in folio, and unus gregis in ecclefia, I am doubly concerned. My title to the crown nobody calls in question, but they that love nei ❝ther you nor me, and you may guess 'whom I mean: all that you and " your brethren have faid of a king in poffeffion, (for that word, I tell you, is no more than that you make use of in your canon) concerns not me at all, I am the next 'heir, and the crown is mine by all rights you can name, but that of conqueft; and Mr. Sollicitor has fufficiently expreffed my own thoughts concerning the nature of 'kingship, and concerning the nature of it ut in mea perfona; and I before I was of the mind to call my lieve you were all of his opinion, clergy together, to fatisfy not fo much me as the world about us, of the juftnefs. of my owning the 'Hollanders at this time. This I needed not to have done, and you have forced me to fay, I wish I had not; you have dipped too deep in what all kings referve among the arcana imperii, and whatever averfion you may profess against God's being the author of fin, you have stumbled upon the threshold of that opinion, at least, none of you faid any thing in New Obfervator, vol. III. no 12. the author of which tells us, the original is in the bands of an eminent perfon; the four laft lines in the king's own hand, and the raft in the secretary's, Litchfield and Coventry, the king named Dr. Abbot for his fucceffor, and he was accordingly confecrated bishop of those two united fees, in December 1609. About a month afterwards he was tranflated to the fee of, London, vacant by the death of Dr. Thomas Ravis. Upon the deceafe of Dr. Richard Bancroft, archbishop of Canterbury, on the fecond of November 1610, his majefty had a new opportunity of teftifying his efteem for Dr. Abbot, and accordingly raised him to the 281. archiepifcopal fee. He became now in the higheft favour Regift.ipfius, following year happened the famous cafe of divorce betwixt the lady Frances Howard, daughter of the earl of Suffolk, and Robert earl of Effex: this affair has been by many confidered as one of the greateft blemishes of king James's reign, but the part acted therein by the archbishop added much to the reputation he had already acquired for incorruptible integrity (d). In 1618, the king published a declaration, which he ordered to be read in all churches, permitting sports and paftimes on the Lord's day; this gave great uncafinefs to the archbishop, who happening to be at Croydon when it Heylin'shift. came thither, had the courage to forbid its being read. On of the Sabb. the 5th of April, 1619, fir Nicholas Kempe laid the first P.493. ftone of the hofpital at Guilford; the archbishop, who was prefent, afterwards endowed it with lands to the value of three hundred pounds per annum, one hundred of which was to be employed in fetting the poor to work, and the remainder for the maintenance of a master, twelve brothers, and eight fifters, who have blue cloaths, and gowns of the fame colour, and half-a-crown a week each. The 29th of October, being the anniversary of the bishop's birth, is commemorated here, and the archbishop of Canterbury for the Aubrey's an- time being is the vifitor of the hofpital. Towards the endtiq. of Surrey, of this year, the Elector Palatine accepted of the crown of vol. III. p. 282: (d) This affair was by the king referred to a court of delegates. It was drawn out into a great length, and many accidents happened in the courfe of it, which gave the archbishop difquiet. He faw plainly, that the king was very defirous the lady fhould be divorced, but he was, in his own judgment, directly against the divorce. He laboured all he could to extricate himself from thefe difficulties, by having an end put to the caufe by fome other way than by fentence; but it was to no purpose, for thofe, who drove on this affair, had got too great power to be reftrained from bringing it to the conclufion he defired. He prepared a fpeech, which he intended to have fpoken, against the nullity of the marriage, in the court at Lambeth; but he did not make ufe of this fpeech, because the king ordered them to deliver their opinions in few words. * Saunderson's biftory of king James, page 390. Bohe |