All-Saints there; and upon a sermon he preached at Paul's Cross, he was presented to the rich benefice of Bingham, in Nottinghamshire, by one of his auditors, John Stanhope, Esq. as Dr Featley has observed in his life. In 1594, he became no less eminent for some of his writings; particularly against a certain Papist, on the sacrament. He then took his degrees in divinity; that of doctor being completed in 1597.

In the beginning of the reign of K. James I. he was made chaplain in ordinary to him; and this king so highly esteemed him for his writings, that, with the second edition of Dr Abbot's book, De Antichristo, in 1608, his majesty ordered his own commentary upon part of the Apocalypse to be printed: An honour, which that king did to no other of the great clerks in this kingdom. And, in truth, the doctor's pen had now brought him also into general esteem, for what he had hitherto published in defence of William Perkins's Reformed Catholic, against Dr William Bishop, now a secular priest, but afterwards, in the pope's style, a titular bishop, of the aerial diocese of Chalcedon. It is my author's assertion, that Dr Abbot has herein given that William Bishop as great an overthrow, as Jewel to Harding, Bilson to Allen, or Reynolds to Hart. At the end of this excellent work is added a particular treatise, he soon after wrote, entitled, The true ancient Roman Catholic, which he dedicated to prince Henry; to whom it was so acceptable, that he returned him many thanks in a letter written with his own hand, and promised his assistance, upon the next vacancy, to advance him higher in the church. And though by that prince's untimely death the doctor lost some hopes, yet, in course of time, his deserts found other friends to do him that justice.

In 1609, he was unanimously elected master of BaliolCollege. Here (says Dr Featley), he was careful and skilful, to set in this nursery the best plants: and then took such care to water and prune them, that in no plat, or knot, throughout the university of Oxford, there appeared more beautiful flowers, or grew sweeter fruit, than in Baliol-College, while he was master. His diligent reading to his scholars, and his continual presence at public exercises, both countenanced the readers, and encouraged the hearers. These regulations and improvements he further wrought, by establishing piety, which had been much neglected; restoring peace, which had been long wanted; and making temperance more familiar among them, which had been too great a stranger in that society.

In May, 1610, we find him nominated by the king, the first fellows of his majesty's royal college at among Chelsea, then newly founded, and designed as a kind of fortress for controversial divinity; being thus, as it were, engarrisoned, with the most able and select champions for the Protestant cause, against all assaults of popery. In November the same year, he was made prebendary of Normanton, in the church of Southwell. Upon his preaching a sermon before the king, during his month of waiting at court, in 1612, when the news of Dr Thomas Holland's death was brought from Oxford, his majesty named him successor in the theological chair, usually called the king's professor of divinity; but he modestly refused the same, till his broth procured a mandate from the king for him to hold it. Some notable circumstances we meet with of him in this station *; and herein, he has had the character given him of a profound divine; most admirably well read in the fathers, councils, and schoolmen; and a more moderate Calvinian, then either of his two predecessors in the divinity chair, Holland and Humfrey, were ; which he expressed by countenancing the sublapsarian

way

*Among the reft, while he was profeffor in the chair at Oxford, was, his preaching a fermon before the univerfity; in which, he fo fignificantly laid open the oblique methods then used by thofe who fecretly favoured popery, to undermine the Reformation; and Dr Laud, then prefent, was fo notoriously fufpected to be one who used those methods, as to have the faid reflections applied by the whole auditory to him; that in great vexation he wrote to his patron, Dr Neal, then bishop of Lincoln (therefore about the year 1614), to know whether he should not make a direct reply to it. The paffage Laud objected to, was, that Abbot should fax, There were men, who, under pretence of truth, and preaching against the Puritans, ftruck at the heart and root of that faith and religion now eftablished among us; which was the very practice of Parfons' and Campian's counfel, when they came hither to feduce young ftudents; who, afraid to be expelled, if they should openly profess their conversion, were directed to speak freely against the Puritans, as what would fuffice: So thefe do not expect to be accounted Papifts, because they speak only against Puritans; but because they are indeed Papists, 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.' Hereupon, Laud, in his letter to the faid bishop of Lincoln, complains, 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 answered not Dr Abbot in his own: Nevertheless, he would be patient; and desired his lordfhip to vouchsafe him some direction.' But, as we hear not that Laud did answer it, the bishop might perhaps vouchsafe him rather directions to be quiet.

way of predestination. Lastly, upon the king's perusal of his Antilogia, against the Apology for Garnet, and the fame of his incomparable lectures in the university, upon the king's supreme power, against Bellarmine and Suarez (printed after his death,) his majesty, when the see of Salisbury fell void, sent his Conge d'Elire for him to the dean and chapter.

Thus, as he set forward, one foot in the temple of virtue, his other still advanced in the temple of honour, though indeed, but leisurely; which is imputed to his own humility, the obstruction of his foes, who traduced him for a Puritan (though cordial to the doctrine of the church of England,) and the unwillingness of some friends to adorn the church with the spoil of the university, and mar a professor to make a bishop. He was consecrated by his own brother the archbishop, on December 3, 1615, in his chapel at Lambeth. Herein equalizing the felicity of Seffridus, some time bishop of Chichester, who being a bishop himself, also saw his brother, at the same time archbishop of Canterbury. Other bishoprics were voiced upon him; but the business of the nullity (before-mentioned, in his brother's life,) made a nullity for a time, says my author, in his Grace's good intentions; insomuch, that K. James, when the doctor, newly consecrated bishop of Sarum, came to do his homage, said pleasantly to him, Abbot, I have had very much to do to make thee a bishop; but I know no reason for it, unless it were, because ⚫ thou hast written against one;' alluding to the name of the popish priest before-mentioned.

In his way to Sarum, he made a farewell oration at the university with great applause. We have some fragments of it preserved, in the original Latin by two authors; and a translation of it, or epitome in English, by a third. His brethren, the heads of houses, and other Oxford friends, parted with him on the edge of his diocese with tears of grief; and the gentry of Sarum received him with those of joy. He soon observed the beautiful old cathedral to be much decayed, through negligence, and the covetousness of those who filled their purses, with that which should have stopped the chinks. Therefore he used such means with the prebendaries, as drew from them five hundred pounds, which he applied to the reparation of this church; and then laboured to repair the congregation, both by doctrine and discipline; visiting his whole diocese in person, and preaching every Sabbath

day,

day, whilst his health would permit, which was not long; for that sedentary course, to which he had accustomed himself, by his close application to study, brought upon him the gravel and stone. But in all the bodily tortures of his last fit, his soul was at ease, and his heavenly hopes disposed him contentedly to resign all earthly enjoyments.

He was so far from needing the advice of patience, to make the remainder of life supportable, that he gave it others. Even to the judges, who in their circuit came to visit him on his death-bed, he spared not his Christian admonitions; and besides his precepts, gave them his example of the comforts that flowed from a clear conscience. And for the inhabitants; he mourned less to leave the world, than they to part with him; who had so much endeared himself to them, by diligence in his pastoral charge, by his hospitality, and bounty to the poor; and humble carriage to all.

Having summoned his domestics, with desire to declare his faith, he was persuaded to refrain, it being manifest in his writings. Thus, with exhortations, benedictions, and the pains of his disease quite worn out, he lay a while slumbering; and at length, with eyes and hands uplifted for some space, gave up the ghost, on March 2, 1617, (and not, as some have mistaken, the year after) in the fifty-eighth year of his age, and before he had completely filled this see two years and three months; being one of the five bishops which Salisbury saw in six years. His last words were, "Comé, Lord Jesus, come quickly : "Finish in me the work which thou hast begun! Into "thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit; for thou "hast redeemed me, thou God of truth. Save thy ser"vant, who hopeth and trusteth in thee alone. Let thy << mercy be shewed upon me. In thee have I hoped ; let me not be confounded for ever!"

He was buried over-against the bishop's seat in the cathedral: Having been twice married; the last time, with some displeasure to the archbishop, about a half year after his promotion to the said see. He left one son, or more, and also one daughter, named Martha, who was married to Sir Nathaniel Brent, warden of Merton-college in Oxford; and their daughter Margaret, married Dr Edward Corbet, rector of Haseley in Oxfordshire; who gave some of the bishop's MSS. to the Bodleian library *.

His

*There was another Robert Abbot, a minifter, and author alfo of feveral devout pieces; who though he was fcarcely a writer before

His WORKS. Those in print are," The Mirror of popish Subtilties: Discovering the Shifts which a cavelling Papist, in behalf of Paul Spence, a Priest, hath gathered out of Saunders and Bellarmine, &c. concerning the Sacraments, &c. Dedicated to archbishop Whitgift, London, 4to. 1594. 2. The Exaltation of the Kingdom and Priesthood of Christ. Sermon on the hundred and tenth Psalm. Dedicated to bishop Babington, 4to. London, 1601. 3. Antichristi Demonstratio: contra fabulas Pontificias, & ineptiam Bellarmini, &c. Dedicated to K. James, London, 4to. 1603, and in 8vo. 1608. This is much commended by Scaliger. 4. Defence of the Reformed Catholic of Mr W. Perkins, against the Bastard counterCatholic of Dr William Bishop, Seminary Priest. Dedicated to K. James: The first part, 4to. 1606, the second part, 4to. 1607, third part, 4to. 1609. A most elaborate work, as one calls it; and another wishes, that W. Bishop had answered all the said Reformed Catholic; then we should have had, in Abbot's encounter, a whole system of controversies exactly discussed; and the truth of the Reformed religion, in all points solidly confirmed, by scripture, fathers, and reason. From a small typographical error in one author, there is another also, who has made a great blunder about this book; For the former, mentioning Dr Abbot's two volumes against Bishop's,' (next to another book, which was written by his brother the archbishop) has, by not obliterating the last letter of the last word, and by neglecting to distinguish it as a proper name, in Italics, given a foreigner occasion to make his said brother the archbishop, author of a Treatise against bishops; which, as hath been truly observed, would be somewhat extraordinary in a Metropolitan. 5. The old Way; a Sermon, at St Mary's, Oxford. 4to. London, 1610. Dedicated to archbishop Bancraft, and translated into Latin by Thomas Drax. 6. The true ancient Roman Catholic Being an Apology against Dr Bishop's Reproof of the Defence of the Reformed Catholic. 4to. 1611. Dedicated to prince Henry, as was before observed. 7. Antilogia: Adversus Apologiam, Andrea Eudemon-Johannis, Jesuita, pro Henrico Garnetto Jesuitá proditore. London,

4to.

bishop Abbot died, is yet here mentioned, that fome Readers may not confound him with this bishop of Salisbury, as others have divided him into three diftinct perfons; becaufe fo many different livings are mentioned to his name in his books: Never confidering that one man might, by removal, or fucceffively, enjoy them all, as was the cafe: That Robert Abbot being first beneficed in Kent, afterwards in Hampfhire, and laftly

in Loudon.