! ry Sunday, whilst health would permit, which was Dr. Abbot's writings were numerous, and chiefly in the Latin language; but as they, in general, respected such controversies as are well understood, in the present age, it would be needless to recapitulate them. ABELARD (PETER), one of the most celebrated doctors of the 12th century, was born in the village of Palais, 6 miles from Nantz, in Brittainy. Being of an acute genius, he applied himself to logic with more success than to any other study, and travelled to several places, on purpose to exercise himself in this science. Having for a long series of time signalized himself by his logical disputations, he resolv ed to apply himself to the study of divinity, in which he soon became as famous for his knowledge as he was in philosophy; and his encouragement was so considerable, that he was enabled to live in great affluence. That he might enjoy all, the sweets of life, he thought it necessary to have a mistress and accordingly fixed his affections on Heloise, a cannon's niece. The cannon, whose name was Fulbert, had a great passion for money, and vehemently desired to have Heloise a woman of learning, which disposition of the Uncle, Abelard contrived to make subservient to his design. "Allow me," said he to Fulbert, "to board in your house, and I will pay you whatever sum you demand." The simple uncle, thinking he should now furnish his niece with an able preceptor, who, instead of putting him to expences would pay largely for his board, fell into the snare, and requested Abelard to instruct her day and night, and to use compulsion in case she should prove ne gligent. The preceptor gave himself no concern to fulfil the expectation of Fulbert: he soon spoke the language of love to his fair disciple; and instead of explaining authors, amused himself in kissing and toying with his lovely pupil. Having never tasted such joys before, they gave themselves up to them with the greater transports; so that Abelard now performed the functions of his public office with great remissness; for he wrote nothing but amorous verses. His pupils perceiving his lectures much altered for the worse, quickly guessed the cause: but the simple Fulbert was the last person who discovered Abelard's intrigue. He would not at first believe it; but his eyes being at last opened, he obliged his boarder to quit his house. Soon after, the niece finding herself pregnant, wrote to her lover, who advised her to leave Fulbert. She complied with the advice of Abelard, who sent her to his sister's house in Brittainy, where she was delivered of a son: and in order to pacify the Canon, Abelard offered to marry Heloise privately. This proposal pleased the uncle more than the niece, who, from a strange singularity in her passion, chose rather to be the mistress than the wife of Abelard. At length, however, she consented to a private marriage: but even after this, would, on some occasions, affirm with an oath that she was still unmarried.. Fulbert being more,desirous of divulging the marriage, to wipe off the aspersion brought upon the family, than by keeping the promise he had made to Abelard not to mention it, often abused his niece, when she absolutely denied her being Abelard's wife., Her husband thereupon sent her to the monastery of Argenteuil, where, at his desire, she put on a religious habit, but not a veil. Heloise's relations looking upon this as a second piece of treachery in Abelard, were so transported with resentment against him, that they hired ruffians, who deprived him of his virility. This infamous treatment forced Abelard to a cloister, there to conceal his confusion: so that it was shame and VOL. I. B L hot devotion which made him put on the habit in the Abbey of St. Dennis. From this place he removed to the territories of the Court of Champagne, where be gave public lectures, and drew together such a number of hearers, that the other professors, whose pupils left them on his account, being stung with envy, began to raise persecutions against him. In consequence of these, he retired to a solitude in the diocese of Troies, and there built an oratory, where great numbers of pupils resorted to him. Here again his success excited that envy, by which he had been persecuted through life; and having been several times in great danger from poison, and other artifices, he at length retired to the Abbey of Clugnis where he gave lectures to the monks, and by his whole behav four, shewed the greatest humility and industry. At length becoming infirm from the prevalence of disease, he was removed to the priory of St. Marcellus, on the Soan, near Chalons, where he died, April 21, 1142, in the 63d year of his age. ABERNETHY (JOHN), an eminent dissenting minister in Ireland, was born Oct. 19, 1680: his father being a dissenting minister in Colraine his mother from Renfrewshire in Scotland. In 1689, he was separated from his parents; his father being obliged to attend some public affairs in London; and, his mother, to avoid the tumult of the Irish insurrection, withdrawing to Derry. He was at this time with a relation, who in that general confusion, determined to remove to Scotland; and having no opportunity of conveying the child to his mother, carried him along with him. By this means he escaped the hardships of the siege of Derry, in which Mrs. Abernethy lost all her other children. Having spent some years at a grammar school, he was removed to Glas college, where he continued till he took the degree of M. A. His own inclination led him to the study of physic, but he was diverted from this by the advice of his friends, and turned to that of divinity. At his return home, he proceeded in his studies with great success, and was licensed to preach, by the presbytery, before he was twenty-one years of age, In 1708, having a call by the dissenting congregation at Antrim, he was ordained. His congregation was large, and he applied himself to the pastoral work with great diligence. His preaching was much admired; and, as his heart was set upon the acquisi tion of knowledge, he was very industrious in reading. In 1716, he attempted to remove the prejudices of the native Irish in the neighbourhood of Antrim, who were of the popish persuasion, and to bring them over to the protestant faith-his labours were not without success. About the time that the Bangorian controversy was on foot in England, and a spirit of Christian liberty prevailed, a considerable number of ministers and others, in the north of Ireland, formed themselves into a society, in order to their improvement in useful knowledge; and, for this purpose, to bring things to the test of reason and scripture, without a servile regard to any human authority. Abernethy went into this design with much zeal, and constantly attended their meetings at Belfast, whence it was called the Belfast Society. Debates soon grew warm, and dissentions high among them, on the subject of requiring subscriptions to the Westminster Confession. This controversy, on the negative side of which, Aber nethy was one of the principal leaders, was brought into the general synod, and ended in a rupture in 1726. The synod determined that those ministers, who at the time of this rupture, were known by the name of non-subscribers should be no longer of their body: the consequence of which was, that the minis ters of this denomination found every where great difficulties arising from jealousies spread among their - people. The reputation which Abernethy had acquired, and which was established by a long course of exemplary living, was no security to him from these. Some of his people forsook his ministry, and went to other congregations: and in some time the number of the dissatisfied so increased, that they were by the synod erected into a distinct congregation, and provided with a minister. There happened about this time a vacancy in the congregation of Wood-street in Dublin to this Abernethy had an invitation, which he accepted. When he came to Dublin, he applied himself to study and composing sermons with as great industry as ever. Here he continued his labours for ten years with much reputation, when he was attacked by the gout, to which he had been subject, in a vital part, and died Dec. 1740, in the 60th year of his age. His works are in a few occasional sermons, papers published on the controversies in the north, and tracts relating to the repeal of the test act. After he came to Dublin, he preached a set of sermons upon the divine attributes: and in his own life-time published in one volume 8vo. all upon the existence and natural perfections of the Deity. ABLE, or ABEL (THOMAS), was admitted B. A. at Oxford, July 4, 1513, and took his degree of M. A. June 26, 1516. He was afterwards appointed chaplain to queen Catherine, wife to king Henry VIII. He greatly distinguished himself by opposing the divorce of the queen, and was a violent enemy to the king in all his unlawful proceedings. In the year 1534, he was attainted of misprision, for taking part and being active in the affair of Elizabeth Barton, the holy maid of Kent, as she was called. He was afterwards sentenced to die for denying the king's supremacy, and was accordingly executed July 30, 1540. |