ABBOT. commenced apainft one Georg'- Sprof, for having been con- cerned in Cowry's confpiracy eight years before. A long account of this affair, with a narrative prefixed |-.y Dr. Abbot, was published at London, to fatisfy the public about this mat- ter, which had hitherto appeared doubtful and myfterious. Abbot's behaviour in Scotland fo much pleafed king Jam?s, that he ever after paid great deference to his advice and coun- fel : there is extant a letter from his majefty to him, n lating to the convocation, which he. had confulted about the- lawful- nefs of efpoufing the caufe of the States [cj. Upon the death of C.Ic'er. K;/>. " obedienc'. That the vifitation of the " " diocefe fliould be performed by the " " bifhop or his deputy only : and finally, " " that the bifliop fhould be moderator of " " all conventions, fur txercifings, or " " pro^hefyings, which fhould be held " t{ within their bounds." All which articles were ratified by the parliament of that kingdom. [c] Here follows a copy of the let- ter, tranfcribed from the New Obferva- tor, vol. iii. No. 12. the author of which tells us, the original is in the " hands of an eminent perfon ; the four " Jaft lines in the king's own hand, and tfat reft in the fecretary's. " Good Dr. Abbot, " I cannot abftain to give you my
- ' judgment on the proceedings in the
" convocation, as you will call it; and " " both as rex in folio, and utias gregis in " " ccclefia, I am doubly concerned. My " title to the crown nobody calls in " quefHon, but they that love neither " v-u nor me, and you may guefs whom <! I mean: all that you and your bre- ' " thren have fiid of a Icing in poffefiion, " (for that word, I tell you, is no more ' than that you make ufe of in your " " canon) concerns not me at all. I am " '* the next heir, and the crown is mine " " by all rights yon can name, but that ofconqueft; and Mr. Solicitor has
- ' fufficiently exprefl'.'d my own thoughts
" concerning thi nature of kir.gfhip, and " concerning the nature of it at tn rr.rjz " perfjiia ; and I believe you were all of " his opinion; at leaft. none of you ' faid any thing contrary to it at the " " time he fpoks to you from me : hut tc " you know all "f'you, as I think, that " " my reafon of calling you together was " " to give your judgment, how far a " ' CJiriftian and a Proteftant king may " B 4 concur to alTiil his neighbours to fhake ofi their obedience to their own fove- reign, up- n accoun: of opprcfli'-n, ty- ranny, or what e!fe you p.'eafe to name it. In the late queen's lime, this kir/gdom was very fr-e in aiTifting th<; Hollanders both wi'h arms and advice; and none of your coat ever told me, that any fcrupled at it in her reign. Upon my coming to England, you may know that ic carne from fome of yourfelves to fiife fcruples about this matter ; and albeit I have often told my mind concerning jut regium in fubdito;, as in May laft, in the ftar- chamber, upon the occaflou of Hales's pamphlet ; yet I never tooic any notice of thefe fc.-uples, till the affairs of Spnin and Hollard forced me to it. Ah n-.y neighbours call on me to concur in the treaty between Holland and Spain} and the honour of 'he nation will not fuffer the Hol- landers to be abandoned, efpecjjlly afcer fo much money and men fpent in their quarrel ; iherrfoie I was of the mind to call my clergy together, to fjtisfy not fo much me, as the world about us, of the juftnefs of my owning the Hollanders at this time. This. J needed not to have done, and you have forced me to lay, I widi [ had not; you have dipped too deep in what :.ll kings refcrve among the ar- cana itnperii j and whatever averfion you rray prof'els againit God's b;ing the author of fin, you hive I'.urn. upon the threfiiold of that opinion, in faying upon the matter, that even tyranny is God's authority, nnd fi.oiili be rrmemnx'd ;>S Inch. It" the kin* o' Spiin thojld return to rbim his old pontifical right to my kingdon-: f you leave ire to icik lor ot-f
