ABBOT, charged upon her; such as the indispensable morality of the Abp. Cant. Sabbath, the rejecting confession and sacerdotal absolution, the five predestinarian articles settled at Dort, the indistinction of bishops and presbyters, &c. These tenets peculiar to puritanism Montague set aside in his answer to the gagger, disclaimed their being the doctrines of the Church of England, and left them to the defence of their private abettors. This performance Montague applies to the king for and succeeds. When this answer appeared, it was deeply censured by the censured by Calvinian party. They pretended the author had deserted the the Puritans. Church of England, and made dangerous advances towards popery and Arminianism. They were conscious this book, if unanswered, would expose their singularities, and prevent the passing their private opinions any longer upon the Church. To make their attack more regular and formidable, it was resolved, that Yates and Ward, two preachers in Ipswich, should peruse the answer, make a collection of some pretended popish and Arminian tenets, and lay them before the next parliament. Montague having procured a copy of the information against him, applied to the king's protection. By the way: his maprotection, jesty had now disentangled himself from some Calvinian prejudices, and had a better opinion than formerly of the Remonstrants' side of the controversy. He had likewise a particular esteem for Montague, and was well pleased with his performance against the "History of Tithes:" and over and above, the king approved Montague's answer to the popish gagger, and thought his distinguishing the doctrines of Calvin from those of the Church of England sufficiently defensible. His to Appell. majesty likewise, taking notice of the informations being published, and the heat and clamour of Montague's adversaries, gave him leave to appeal to himself, and make his defence in print: and that the book might be the better recommended, the king expressly ordered Dr. White, dean of Carlisle, a celebrated champion against the Church of Rome, should see it published. The book was accordingly licensed by the dean with this approbation, "that there was nothing contained in the same but what was agreeable to the public faith, doctrine, and discipline established in the Church of England.” The tract was entitled "Appello Cæsarem; or, a just Appeal from two unjust Informers:" but the king dying before it was Cæsarem," printed off, it was addressed to king Charles, as shall be afterlicensed. wards related. Dedicat. Cæsar. His book, entitled, "Appello In the mean time it may not be improper to inquire a little JAMES 1. farther what the Informers meant in their charge of popery. Now by popery they understood all such points of doctrine, as either being determined by this Church, bear some resemblance with the doctrines of the Church of Rome; or else being left undecided by the English Reformation, every man has the liberty to draw towards the tenets of what communion he pleases. Of the first sort, these following opinions were censured for popery by the Puritans, viz., "the perpetual visibility of the Church; the local descent of Christ into hell; the lawfulness of images; the signing with the sign of the cross; the real presence; the reward of good works; the terms sacrifice and altar; with some others already mentioned." Now See Heylin's these were both received doctrines, and the language of the Introduct. Church of England. Amongst the undecided points may be reckoned evangelical The Anticouncils, antichrist, and limbus patrum: and here Montague divines enwas left to his own judgment, and might settle his assertions couraged in as his own reason and the authority of the ancients should direct him. However, the Calvinian interest was then so strong, that had not this divine been a person of great spirit and abilities, and well supported, he must have sunk in the controversy. In November this winter, a marriage was concluded between the prince of Wales and Henrietta Maria, sister to the French king. The articles were not so full in favour of the Roman Catholics as those agreed with the Spanish court. The clashing between the English Regulars and Seculars touching jurisdiction, has been already related. To make up this difference, to give orders, and to keep their party better united, the Seculars and Benedictines desired the pope to put them under the government of a bishop. Matthew Kellison and Richard Smith were presented to the court of Rome for this purpose. Pope Urban consecrated the latter, and despatched him into England for a bishop to the Seculars and laity. to Cyprian. Anglic. Calvinian this reign. 730. In the beginning of the next year the king fell ill of an ague, which crossed the proverb, and proved mortal1. He died at The king's Theobalds, on Sunday, the 27th of March. 1 The proverb alluded to is one that has little but rhyme to recommend it. It is this: "An ague in the spring death and character. ABBOT, The king, as has been observed, disengaged from the CalAbp. Cant. vinian tenets towards the latter end of his reign, and, to speak clearly, he was never entirely in that persuasion. This, amongst other things, appears sufficiently by his promoting the other party to the highest stations in the Church. Thus, for instance soon after the Hampton-court conference, Bancroft was preferred to the see of Canterbury, and Barlow to that of Rochester; and upon the translation of this latter to Lincoln, Neil, dean of Westminster, was made bishop of Rochester; and at his removal to Lichfield, was succeeded by Buckeridge. In the year 1614, when Neil was translated to York, Overall succeeded him at Lincoln. The famous AntiCalvinian Harsnet, already mentioned, was successively promoted to the sees of Chichester and Norwich. In the year 1619, Dr. Houson, canon of Christ-church, was made bishop of Oxford: two years after, Cary, dean of St. Paul's, was preferred to the see of Exeter, and Laud to that of St. David's. And thus at last the Anti-Calvinian divines were strong enough to maintain their ground, and, at least, a balance to the other Quinquart. party. Hist. cap. 22. De Aug ment. Scient. p. 2. As to this prince's character, the lord Bacon's dedication shall speak part of it, which, though intermixed with some strokes of panegyric, may not be unacceptable to the reader. This great author admires the king for "the compass and extent of his genius, for the strength of his memory, for the quickness of his apprehension, for his penetration, for his ready, methodical, and persuasive manner in speaking; that these natural advantages made him recollect Plato's opinion, 'that science was nothing more than remembrance; that the mind was naturally acquainted with all sort of knowledge: but that this faculty was somewhat embarrassed by the grossness of her vehicle' that if this assertion was ever made good in any person, it was in this king: that his majesty's apprehension catched at the least spark or glimmering of an object: that as the Scripture reports of king Solomon, that his heart was like the sand of the sea;' vast in the whole bulk, but very small in the parts; so God hath given his majesty's understanding a wonderful quality; a faculty to grasp the greatest things, and yet fasten upon the least, and stop them from running through. This, without experiment, would look like an impossibility; that the same instrument should be able to 6 command the greatest disproportions in quantity, and manage JAMES I. things of such different dimensions. As to your majesty's elocution," continues the lord Bacon, "it brings what Tacitus reports of Augustus Cæsar to my memory. Augustus,' says this historian, had a flowing eloquence, and spoke like a prince.' And if we examine the matter closely, all drudging, affected, or imitating rhetoric, though otherwise moving, has something that looks mean and servile in it. But your majesty's manner has an air of royalty, flows from your own fountain, and yet keeps within the channels which nature directs. It is remarkably easy, unborrowed, and inimitable. And as conduct and fortune join in the happiness of your majesty's administration, so in your intellectual advantages there seems to be an emulation between nature and improvement, between what you were born to, and what you have acquired. For since the beginning of Christianity, it is hard to find a prince so much ornamented with variety of knowledge, or going so great a length in the particular kinds of it. Whoever runs over the list of kings and princes will be of my opinion for it is looked on as no ordinary attainment in princes if they can borrow somewhat of their subjects' brains, compass some superficial learning, or give encouragement to men of letters. But for one born a king to go to the bottom and draw from the fountain, or rather to be a spring himself, is next to a miracle. Your majesty," as the noble author goes on, "is so richly furnished with divine and human learning, that you have a right to the character of the celebrated Hermes Trismegistus, and unite the sovereignty of a prince, the illumination of a priest, and the learning of a philosopher in the same person." He goes on to something more, but I shall translate no farther. The lord keeper Williams, in his sermon at the king's funeral, taking his text out of 1 Kings xi. 41, 42, 43, drew a parallel between Solomon and the prince deceased: he carried on the comparison from their resemblance in knowledge, from the prosperity of their reigns, and the peaceableness of their inclinations. The lord keeper runs the parallel through many other instances too long to recite. He concludes how earnestly his majesty recommended the care of religion and justice to the prince: these he called the two supporters of his throne. As to his marriage, he advised him to marry like himself, and marry where he would. But if he married the princess last ABBOT, mentioned, he should take care to distinguish in the engageAbp. Cant. ment; marry her person, but not her religion. Benefactions to the university of Oxford in this reign. To proceed a little in the description of this prince: his regard for episcopacy appears by his restoring that government in Scotland; and by his majesty's discourse and decision at the conference at Hampton-court, his inclination to the English ecclesiastical constitution is sufficiently evident: his encouragement to learning may be collected from his visiting the universities, and giving them particular marks of esteem. For instance; he augmented the salary of the regius professor at Oxford with a prebendary in Christ-church, and the rectory of Ewelm in that county. The professors of law and physic had likewise their income improved; the first with the corps of a good prebendary' in the church of Salisbury, and the other with the government of an hospital in Ewelm above-mentioned, annexed to their employment. The precedent of princes commonly draws imitation, and sets something of a fashion; whether this might be a motive to other benefactions, I shall not conjecture. However, it may not be improper to take notice, that in this reign two mathematic lectures were founded by sir Henry Savil, provost of Eton, and warden of Merton-college: with these must be remembered the history lecture founded by William Cambden, clarencieux; the lecture in natural philosophy by sir William Sidley, baronet; that in moral philosophy by Dr. Thomas White, residentiary of St. Paul's. All these lectures had a considerable settlement: to which may be reckoned an anatomy lecture set up by Richard Tomlins of Westminster, though his fortune would not reach to so plentiful an endowment. To what has been mentioned, we may add the magnificent struc731. tures of the public schools, the inclosing a large piece of ground with a fine wall for a physic garden; not to repeat the founding of Wadham-college, and several other considerable improvements in the building of that university. To draw towards an end of this prince's character. His peaceable temper is by some people reckoned to disadvantage of constitution. His mother's fright at the murder of Rizio affected the foetus, and gave an overbalance of fear. By this accident, say they, the son was born with a natural aversion to The corpse of a prebendary is the land with which a prebend or any ecclesiastical office is endowed.- Vide Bacon. |