564 The HISTORY of the PURITANS. Chap. IV. K: Chark;I. The king was no fooner returned from Scotland than Dr. ABBOT arch- 1633. bi(hop of Canterbury died. He was born at Guilford in Surrey 156z. and ,Heath and educated in Baliol College Oxford, where he was a celebrated preacher. In eharatier of the year 1597. he proceeded donor in divinity, and was elened 'matter of archhí/hop Univerfity College : Two years after he was made deanof Winchefler, and AaSOr. was one of thofedivines appointed by king names to trantlate the New Teflament into engli/h. In the year 1609. he was confecrated bifhop of Lichfieldand Coventry, from thence he was tranflated to London, and upon the death of archbi(hop Bancroft to Canterbury, April 9th. r 6 i i. having never been recì=or vicar or incumbent, in any parifh church in England. Garen. Lord Clarendon has leffened the character of this excellent prelate, contrary Vol. L p.88. to almoft all other hiftorians, by faying that " he was a man of very mó- " rofe manners, and of a very fower afpeet, which in that time was called " gravity ; that he neither underflood nor regarded the conftitution of the " church ; that heknew very little of ancient divinity, but adhered ftifly, " to the donrine of Calvin, and did not think fo ill of his difcipline as he .r ought to have done ; but if men prudently forbore a publick reviling and " ° railing at the hierarchy, let their private pralice be as it would, he " would give them no difiurbance; that his houle was a fanâuary to dif affected perfons, and that he licenfed their writings, by which means his " fucceffor [Laud] had a very difficult talk to reduce things to order." Ath. Ox.. The Oxford hiftorian, who was no friend to our archbifhop's principles, P. 584. confeffes that he was a pious grave perfon, exemplary in his life and con -- verfation, a plaufible preacher, and that the many things he has written, thew him to be a man of parts learning and vigilance ; an able ftatef-, man, andof unwearied fludy, though overwhelmed with bufinefs. Fuller fays he was an excellent preacher, and that his feverity towards the clergy. was gnly to prevent their being puni(hed by lay-judges, to their greater ufhw :. fhame. Mr. Coke and Dr. Welwood add, that he was a prelate of primi- P.450. Live fanctity, who followed the true interefts of his country, and of the reformed churches at home and abroad; that he was a divine ofgood learning, great hofpitality, and wonderful moderation, (hewing upon all occafons an unwillingnefs to ftretch the king's prerogative or the an of uniformity, beyond what was confiltent with law, or neceffary for the peace of the church ; this brought him into all his troubles, and has provoked the writers for the prerogative, to leave a blot upon his me- mory, which on this account will be reverenced by all true lovers of the proteftant religion, and the liberties of their country; and if the court . had followed his wife and prudent counfels, the mifchiefs that befel the . crown and church force years after his death, would have been prevented.. We have mentioned his cafual homicide in the year 1621, which occa- fioned his keeping an annual fart as long as he lived, and maintaining the widow ;,
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