Editing Richard Bancroft (section)

=== Archbishop of Canterbury ===
In March 1604 Bancroft, on Whitgift's death, was appointed by royal writ president of convocation then assembled; and he there presented a book of canons collected by himself. It was adopted and received the royal approval, but was strongly opposed<ref>{{cite book|last=Babbage|first=S. B.|year=1962|title=Puritanism and Richard Bancroft|publisher=S.P.C.K.|place=London|pages=192–193}}</ref> and set aside by Parliament two months afterwards. In the following November he was elected successor to Whitgift in the see of [[Canterbury]]. He continued to show the same zeal and severity as before, and with so much success that [[Edward Hyde, 1st Earl of Clarendon|Lord Clarendon]], writing in his praise, expressed the opinion that "if Bancroft had lived, he would quickly have extinguished all that fire in England which had been kindled at Geneva."

In 1608 he was chosen chancellor of the [[University of Oxford]]. One of his last public acts was a proposal laid before Parliament for improving the revenues of the Church, and a project for a college of controversial divinity at [[Chelsea, London|Chelsea]]. In the last few months of his life he took part in the discussion about the consecration of certain Scottish bishops, and it was in pursuance of his advice that they were consecrated by several bishops of the English Church. By this act were laid the foundations of the [[Scottish Episcopal Church]]. Bancroft was "the chief overseer" of the [[King James Bible|authorized version of the Bible]]. He died at [[Lambeth Palace]] on 2 November 1610.