Upon the death of his first patron the Earl of Dorset in 1608, he became Chaplain to the Earl of Dunbar Treasurer of Scotland, with whom he visited that kingdom, in order to effect an union between the English and Scottish church and by the address, moderation, and learning, which he manifested upon this important subject, he laid the foundation of his future fortune. King James had suffered so much by the spirit and influence of his Presbyterian compatriots, that he was determined at all events to restore episcopacy: but his agent, the Earl of Dunbar, from the opposition which he encountered, was on the point of abandoning the

derson: "This Dr. Kilbie was a man of so great learning and wisdom, and so excellent a critic in the Hebrew tongue, that he was made Professor of it at Oxford; and was also so perfect a Grecian, that he was by King James appointed to be one of the Translators of the Bible: and this Doctor and Mr. Sanderson had frequent discourses, and loved as father and son. The Doctor was to ride a journey into Derbyshire, and took Mr. Sanderson to bear him company: and they resting on a Sunday with the Doctor's friend, and going together to that parish-church where they then were, found the young preacher to have no more discretion than to waste a great part of the hour allotted for his sermon in exceptions against the late translation of several words (not expecting such a hearer as Dr. Kilbie) and show three reasons, why a particular word should have been otherwise translated. When Evening Prayer was ended, the preacher was invited to the Doctor's friend's house, where after some other conference the Doctor told him, he ❝ might have preached more useful doctrine, and not have filled his auditors' ears with needless exceptions against the late translation; and for that end, for which he offered to that poor congregation three reasons why it ought to have been translated as he said, he and others had considered all them, and found thirteen more considerable reasons why it was translated as now printed:' and the preacher was so ingenuous as to say, 'he would not justify himself.""

project; when by the skilful management of Dr. Abbot, aided perhaps by the powerful influence of some seasonable distributions from the treasury,* an accommodation was brought about, and Bishops were allowed to form a part of the ecclesiastical constitution of the Kirk. Their powers and privileges, however, were limited by articles, which were subsequently ratified by the parliament of that kingdom. While he remained at Edinburgh, a prosecution was commenced against one George Sprot, for having been concerned in Gowry's conspiracy eight years before. A long account of this affair, with a narrative † prefixed by Abbot, was published by Judge Hart in London, to satisfy public curiosity upon this hitherto mysterious affair. His whole conduct indeed in Scotland was

* See Calderwood's History of the Church of Scotland.' The Bishops were appointed to be perpetual moderators in the diocesan synods, and to possess the power of presentation to benefices, and of deprivation or suspension of ministers, with other privileges.

+ In this Preface, he says of James: "His whole life has been so immaculate and unspotted in the world, so free from all touch of viciousness and staining imputation, that even malice itself, which leaveth nothing unstained, could never find true blemish in it nor cast probable aspersion on it; zealous as David; learned and wise, the Solomon of our age; religious as Josias; careful of spreading Christ's faith as Constantine the Great; just as Moses; undefiled in all his ways as Jehoshaphat or Hezekias; full of clemency as another Theodosius!!" Not long afterward, he asserted, that a Protestant Prince ought not to assist his neighbours in shaking off their obedience to their own Sovereign upon the account of oppression or tyranny'-on the slavish principle, that eventyranny is God's authority!' But he lived to exchange these for sounder notions.

Of the reality of this conspiracy, of which doubts have occasionally been entertained, Dr. Robertson and Guthrie seem fully persuaded.

highly acceptable to his Majesty, who after his return began to solicit his advice upon affairs of state.*

Upon the death of Overton, Bishop of Lichfield and Coventry, Abbot was promoted to the vacant see in December 1609. In little more than a month afterward, he succeeded Dr. Ravis in the see of London, in which he distinguished himself by his frequent preaching, and his patronising of learning and learned men; and before the expiration of the following year, on the demise of Bancroft Archbishop of Canterbury, his Majesty bestowed upon him the primacy. From this time, he had a principal share in the administration of government, with the entire approbation of the people. In his high station he never forgot himself, nor appeared inordinately elated by the power, which he had so rapidly attained. Neither did he extend the prerogatives of his dignity beyond their due bounds: by the coolness of his temper indeed, and the moderation of his principles, he displeased the high-church party, who deemed the establishment endangered by his candid and liberal treatment of such as dissented from it's tenets. Regardless however of their intolerant clamors, he persisted in one uniform course of conduct; and when he thought the rights of the church actually invaded, maintained them with great resolution, particularly in the case of the prohibitions set forth by

* When called upon by his allies to concur in the treaty between the states of Holland and Spain, James, after consulting the Convocation upon the subject, in a letter to Dr. Abbot (which is still extant) requested his private opinion on the same

matter.

Sir Edward Coke against the jurisdiction and authority of the High-Commission Court.*

His zeal for the interests of the Protestant religion induced him strenuously to recommend the marriage between the Elector Palatine and the Princess Elizabeth, daughter of King James; and he had the pleasure of performing the nuptial ceremony. His Electoral Highness, however, left England dissatisfied: but previously to his departure, as a testimony of his confidence in the Primate, he announced to him in a private letter, as the principal cause of his disgust, the King's refusal to grant to his entreaties the release of Lord Grey from his imprisonment in the Tower. †

* It is not here meant to contend, that he was right upon this occasion, for the jurisdiction of the Court in question was most oppressive but he thought himself so; and, in correct ideas of civil liberty, his contemporaries were no mighty proficients.

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+ About this time the celebrated Grotius visited England, for the purpose of endeavouring to give James a more favourable opinion of the Remonstrants,' by which name the Arminians in Holland had then begun to distinguish themselves. Neither the Archbishop however, nor any of his collegues, treated him with particular respect; and he returned disappointed of the grand object of his journey. The occasion of this visit I abridge from Dr. Aikin's 'General Biography.' When Conrad Vorstius, who had in Holland written in Latin an Arminian treatise the Attributes of God,' was nominated to a professorship at Leyden, Abbot, a rigid Calvinist, persuaded his Sovereign (as appears from authority, which the author of the Confessional' has in vain endeavoured to invalidate) to protest, through his minister Sir Ralph Winwood, against the admission of this "heretic' to the chair; and being unexpectedly opposed, pitifully concurred in postponing the decision till the opinion of the churches of France, Germany, and other countries on the subject could be collected. A passage from the Archbishop's

In 1613, an event occurred, which considerably lowered him in the royal esteem. Lady Frances Howard, daughter of the Earl of Suffolk, had been married at thirteen years of age to the Earl of Essex, who as he was himself only fourteen, was immediately sent abroad on his travels, his young wife remaining at home and occasionally attending the court. This gave Car Viscount Rochester, the King's favourite, an opportunity of winning her affections; and accordingly, upon her husband's return, she instituted a suit against him in the ecclesiastical court, praying a divorce. To this wicked artifice, though countenanced by James himself, the incorruptible Primate, foreseeing the encouragement it would furnish to licentious gallantry, could not by any means be induced letter to Winwood is too curious to be omitted: "You must take heed how you trust Dr. Grotius too far: I perceive him to be so addicted to some partialities in these parts, that he feareth not to lash, so it may serve a turn. At his first coming to the King, by reason of his good Latin tongue he was so tedious and full of tittle-tattle, that the King's judgement was of him, that he was some pedant full of words and of no great judgement.' And I myself, discovering that to be his habit, as if he did imagine that every man was bound to hear him so long as he would talk (which is a great burthen to men replete with business) did privately give him notice thereof, that he should plainly and directly deliver his mind, or else he would make the King weary of him.' This did not so take place, but that afterward he fell to it again, as was especially observed one night at supper at the Lord Bishop of Ely's, whither being brought by Mr. Casaubon (as I think) my Lord entreated him to stay supper, which he did. There was present Dr. Steward and another civilian, unto whom he flings out some question of that profession, and was so full of words, that Dr. Steward afterward told my Lord, that he did perceive by him that like a smatterer he had studied some two or three questions, whereof when he came in company he must be talking to vindicate; but, if he were put from those, he could show himself but a simple fellow!'"