22 LIVES 'OF THE PURITANS. to determine the points in contest between' him, and learned opponent.* Most persons at this period, and, among others, the learned Hugh Broughton, had very erroneous conceptions of the grand principles of protestantism ; and their views of religious freedom were extremely inconsistent and absurd. The controversy, however, was not determined by public authority, but referred to the arbitration of Archbishop Whitgift and Bishop Aylmer. Though an entire pacifi- cation could not be effected, the result appears to have been greatly in favour of Mr. Broughton. For, although the archbishop exceedingly disliked Broughton's book, when it was first published; yet, upon cool and mature delibera- tion, he openly declared on this occasion, " That never any human pains were of greater travail and dexterity, to clear up the holy story, and against errors of fifteen hundred years standing, than appeared in the book of Consent.-F The following year Mr. Broughton again retired to Germany. He had a powerful adversary at court, who hindered him from obtaining those preferments which, it is said, the queen designed to confer upon him. Notwith- standing Whitgift's high opinion of'his book, this potent adversary was the archbishop himself; who, it is positively affirmed, laid wait for him, and even offered a sum of money to anywho would apprehend him.t Mr. Broughton, in one of his addresses to the queen, complains that her majesty was prejudiced against him by means of the archbishop, whom he represents as a person of no great learning, and speaks of his bare Latin studies.4 Mr. Broughton, during his abode on the continent, formed an acquaintance with the learned Scaliger, Rephe; lengius, Junius, Beza, and other celebrated scholars. He received great favour from the Archbishop of Mentz, to whom he dedicated his translation of the prophets into Greek. He was highly esteemed by many of the learned Jesuits; and though he was a bold and inflexible enemy to popery, he was offered a cardinal's cap.11 The article of our Saviour's local descent into hell began about this time to be questioned. It had hitherto been the received doctrine of the church of England, that the soul of Christ, being separated from his body, descended locally into hell; that, as he had already conquered death Biog. Britan. vol. ii. p. 607. + Strype's Whitgift, p. 289. Clark's. Lives, p.5. Biog. Britan. vol. ii. p. 610. 11 Clark's Lives, p. 5.
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