ABBOT, Robert, elder brother to the former, was born at Guildford in 1560, and completed his studies at Balliol college, Oxford. In 1582, he took his degree of master of arts, and soon became a celebrated preacher; and to this talent he chiefly owed his preferment. Upon the first sermon at Worcester, he was chosen lecturer in that city, and soon after rector of All-saints in the same place. In 1597, he took his degree of doctor in divinity; and, in the beginning of King James's reign, was appointed chaplain in ordinary to his majesty; who had such an opinion of him as a writer, that he ordered the doctor's book De Antichristo to be printed, with his own commentary upon part of the Apocalypse. In 1609, he was elected master of Balliol college; which trust he discharged with the utmost care and assiduity, by his frequent lectures to the scholars, by his continual presence at public exercises, and by promoting temperance in the society. In November 1610, he was made prebendary of Normanton in the church of Southwell; and, in 1612, his majesty appointed him regius professor of divinity at Oxford. The fame of his lectures became very great; and those which he gave upon the supreme power of kings, against Bellarmine and Suarez, so much pleased his majesty, that when the see of Salisbury became vacant, he named him to that bishopric, and he was consecrated by his own brother at Lambeth, December 3. 1615. When he came to Salisbury, he found the cathedral falling to decay, through the avarice and negligence of the clergy belonging to it; however, he found means to draw five hundred pounds from the prebendaries, which he applied towards repairing it. Here he devoted himself to the duties of his function with great diligence and assiduity, visiting his whole diocese in person, and preaching every Sunday. But his sedentary life, and close application to study, brought upon him the gravel and stone; of which he died on the 2d of March 1618, in the 58th year of his age; having filled the see only two years and three months.