228 LIVES OF THE PURITANS. " atheism. Meddle not in the quarrel." As he drew near his end, he said, Satan hath assaulted me: but the Son of ' God hath rebuked him, and spoken comfortable words to my soul." A little before his departure, he became speechless : yet his friends asking whether they should pray with him, he signified his warmest approbation by lifting up both his hands. -Soon after the prayer was ended, he breathed his last, August 4, 1612, aged sixty-three years. His remains were interred in St. Autholin's church, London, with great funeral solemnity ; and his funeral sermon was preached by Mr. Speght, from John xi. 8; but the bishops would not allow it to be printed. Mr. Broughton was an indefatigable student, and a most celebrated scholar, which rendered his temper too austere; yet, to his friends, his spirit was sweet, affable, and affec- tionate. He was bold and severe in opposing all error and impiety, and would sharply reprove them, whatever it cost him. Hewas free and communicative to all who wished to learn; but sometimes offended when his scholars did not understand him, accounting it a shame to live in ignorance.+ As a writer, his style is rather harsh and obscure. He appears too vain and too severe against his opponents. But when it is recollected what kind of treatment he met with ; how he was tossed to and fro, and often obliged to remove from one place to another, it will not appear surprizing, that so great a scholar sometimes forgot himself. Upon his death-bed, he confessed and lamented his infirmity. In his writings, adds our author, the impartial reader will find as much light thrown upon the scriptures, especially the most difficult passages, as can be found in any other author what- ever; and they carry in them so, happy a fascination, that the serious reader is constrained, by a sort ofholy violence, to search the sacred scriptures.t This learned divine has been reproached with great It Clark's Lives, p. 6, 7. + This wasexemplified in the following anecdote.-While Mr. Broughtoit was at Mentz in Germany, a young man of the name of Morton, from England, came to him continually, asking him questions, and receiving instructions. When the young pupil understoodnot his answers, but desired: further explanation, Mr. Broughton would be angry, and call him dull and unlearned. Upon this, when Morton asked him any question be used pleasantly to say, " I pray you, whatsoever dolts or dullards I am to be called, call me to before we begin, that your discourse and mine attention be not interrupted:" which, it is said, Mr. Broughton took as pleasantly from him. This person, it is added, was afterwards the famous Dr. Morton, bishop of Durham. p. 6. t Ibid. p. 7, 8.
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