Andrewes, Launcelot

(1555–1626)

   Bishop and Devotional Writer.

   Andrewes was born near London and was educated at the University of Cambridge. He was known as a remarkable preacher and he rose quickly in the Church. In 1601 he became Dean of Westminster, in 1605 Bishop of Chichester, in 1609 Bishop of Ely and in 1619 Bishop of Winchester. He took a full part in the affairs of state, participating in the Hampton Court Conference in 1604, sitting on the Essex divorce suit commission and on the of- ficial investigation of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s accidental shooting of a gamekeeper. He also accompanied King James I to Scotland in his attempt to make episcopacy acceptable to the Scots. He was one of the translators of the Authorised Version of the Bible, being responsible for most of the Pentateuch and the historical books of the Old Testament. Among his friends were Richard Hooker and George Herbert and, later, he was greatly revered by Archbishop William Laud. His fame, however, rests on his reputation for sanctity and for his inspiring sermons. His Ninety-Six Sermons and his Preces Privatae remain classics of Anglican spirituality.

   P. Welsby, Launcelot Andrewes (1958);

   N. Lossky, Launcelot Andrewes the Preacher (1971).