Page:A new and general biographical dictionary; containing an historical and critical account of the lives and writings of the most eminent persons in every nation v1.djvu/62

 26 A B E R N E T H Y. fequence of which was, that the minifters of this denomina- tion found every where great difficulties arifing from jealoufies fpread among their people. The reputation which Abernethy had acquired, and which was eftabliflied by a long; courfe of exemplary living, was no lecurity to him from thefe. Some of his people forfook his miniftry, and went to other congre- gations : and in forr,e time the number of the fcrupulous and diiTatisfied fo increafed,that they were by the fynod erected into a diftinct congregation, and provided with a Miniiter. There hap- pened 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 himfelf to fludy and compofing of fermons with as great indiiftry as ever. He wrote all his fermons at full length, and conftantly made ufe of his notes in the pulpit. Here he continued his la- bours for ten years with much reputation : and while his friends, from the ftrength of his conilitution and his peifecl: temperance, promifed themfelves a longer enjoyment of him, he was attacked by the p,out, to which he had been fubjecl:, in a vita! part, and died, Dec. 1740, in the 6oth year of his age. His works are, a few occafional Sermons, papers published in the controversies in the north, and traits relating to the re- peal of the tefi at. After he carne to Dublin, he preached a let of fermons upon the divine attributes : and in his own lifetime publiihed in one volume 8vo. all upon the exiftence and natural perfections of the Deity. After his death the fe- cond volume was publifhed by his friends, on the moral attri- butes. They were printed in Dublin, and reprinted in Lon- don ; and have been fo well received in the learned world, that there is no occafion to fay any thing more of them. He left behind him feveral volumes of milcellany fermons in MS. a fpecimen of which was publiflied in London in two vols. 8vo. 1748. To thefe the editor has prefixed fome memoirs of his life, from which the above particulars are extracted. ABLANCOURT. See Pcrrot, Wood'sFafti ABLE, or ABEL (THOMAS), was admitted B. A. r.t Ox- Ox a - vo!<1 - ford, July 4, 1513, and took his degree of M. A. June 26, Jb.'p', 1516. He was afterwards appointed chaplain to queen Cathe- H -."c-icf. rine, wife to king Henry VIII. Mr. Bouchier thus fpeaks of him : " Vir longe doclilnrnus, qui reginae aliquando in " muficarum ta&u & linguis operam fuam navaret;" a man of great learning, who ufed fometimes to teach the queen rouiic and :hc languages. He greatly diftinguiihejd himfelf by pppofing