the care of translating the Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, and the Revelation was committed. He

The Epistles of St. Paul, and the Canonical Epistles, by seven of Westminster: Drs. Barlow, Dean of Chester; Hutchinson, and Spencer; and Messrs. Fenton, Rabbett, Sanderson, and Dakins:

"The four Gospels, Acts of the Apostles, and Apocalypse, by eight from Oxford: Drs. Ravis, Dean of Christ-Church; ABBOT, Dean of Winchester; Montague, Dean of Worcester; and Thomson, Dean of Windsor; Mr. Savile, Drs. Perin and Ravens, and Mr. Harmar :

"And the Prayer of Manasses with the rest of the Apocrypha by seven from Cambridge: Drs. Dupont, Branthwaite, and Radcliffe; and Messrs. Ward (Eman.), Downes, Boyse, and Warde of King's."

To these forty-seven, of whom Andrews, Overal, Smith, Barlow, Ravis, ABBOT, Montagu, and Thomson were soon afterward exalted to the Bench, were to be added seven others as Overseers of the Translation, and especially as guardians of the third and fourth subjoined rules, to make up the intended number of fifty-four (perhaps three from each University, and one from Westminster, thus completing the number supplied by each to eighteen); and "for the better ordering of their proceedings," we are told by Fuller in his Church-History,' (X. 46, 47.) his Majesty recommended the following Rules to them to be very carefully observed:

1. The ordinary Bible read in the Church, commonly called the Bishops' Bible, to be followed, and as little altered as the original will permit:

2. The names of the Prophets and the Holy Writers, with the other names in the Text, to be retained as near as may be, accordingly as they are vulgarly used:

3. The old ecclesiastical words to be kept, as the word 'Church' not to be translated Congregation: '

4. When any word hath divers significations, that to be kept, which hath been most commonly used by the most eminent Fathers, being agreeable to the propriety of the place and the analogy of faith:

5. The division of the chapters to be altered either not at all, or as little as may be, if necessity so require:

likewise published, this year, An Answer to Dr. Hill's Reasons for upholding Popery.'

6. No marginal notes at all to be affixed, but only for the explanation of the Hebrew or Greek words, which cannot without circumlocution so briefly and fitly be expressed in the text:

7. Such quotation of places to be marginally set down, as shall serve for the fit references of one scripture to another:

•

8. Every particular man of each company to take the same chapter or chapters, and having translated or amended them severally by himself where he thinks good, all to meet together to confer what they have done, and agree for their part what shall stand:

9. As any one company hath despatched any one book in this manner, they shall send it to the rest to be considered of seriously and judiciously; for his Majesty is very careful in this point:

10. If any company, upon the review of the book so sent, shall doubt or differ upon any places, to send them word thereof to note the places, and therewithal to send their reasons; to which if they consent not, the difference to be compounded at the general meeting, which is to be of the chief persons of each company at the end of the work:

11. When any place of special obscurity is doubted of, letters to be directed by authority to send to any learned in the land for his judgement in such a place:

T

12. Letters to be sent from every Bishop to the rest of his clergy, admonishing them of this translation in hand, and to move and charge as many as, being skilful in the tongues, have taken pains in that kind, to send their particular observations to the company either at Westminster, Cambridge, or Oxford, accordingly as it was directed before in the King's letter to the Archbishop:

13. The directors in each company to be the Deans of Westminster and Chester for Westminster, and the King's Professors in Hebrew and Greek in the two Universities:

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14. These translations to be used, when they agree better with the text than the Bishops' Bible, viz. Tyndal's, Coverdale's, Matthews,' Whitchurch's (the great Bible printed in 1539 and 1540 by Whitchurch) and Geneva.'

As a proof of the accuracy with which this version was conducted, I subjoin a passage from Walton's Life of San

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.