1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Montagu, Richard

MONTAGU (or Mountague), RICHARD (1577–1641), English divine, was born at Dorney, Buckinghamshire, and educated at Eton and Cambridge. In 1613 he was elected fellow of Eton and became rector of Stanford Rivers, Essex. He was appointed to the deanery of Hereford in 1616, but exchanged it next year for a canonry of Windsor, which he held with the rectory of Petworth, Sussex. He was also chaplain to James I. Like Laud, he disliked the extremes of Calvinism and Romanism, and this attitude constantly involved him in difficulties. About 1619 he came into collision with some Roman Catholics in his parish, and Matthew Kellison (1560?–1642) attacked him in a pamphlet entitled The Gagg of the Reformed Gospel (Douai, 1623). Montagu replied with A Gagg for the New Gospell? No. A New Gagg for an Old Goose (London, 1624). The publication of the Immediate Addresse unto God alone (London, 1624) incensed the Puritans, who appealed to the House of Commons, but Montagu was protected by the king. After the appearance of his famous Appello Caesarem (London, 1625), his case frequently came before parliament and conferences of bishops, but his influence at court and with Laud enabled him to hold his ground. He was consecrated bishop of Chichester in 1628, and became bishop of Norwich in 1638. He died on the 13th of April 1641.