370 LIVES OF THE PURITANS. arm of ecclesiastical power could not obscure the lustre of his talents. Such were the pathos and enchanting elod quence of his ministry, that the people could not be denied the benefit of his instructions. " He was unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice, and can play well on an instrument." The people obtained liberty for him, to preach a lecture on one part of the sabbath, and on the other to aid an aged minister, who stood in need of assistance. They supported him by their own voluntary subscription; and such was his reputation, that, while it was safe, all the conformist ministers in the town invited him into their pulpits. He also preached to another congregation in the church at Belgrave, a village near Leicester. His labours and usefulness were thus expanded. This, indeed, was through the connivance of the generous and worthy Bishop Williams of Lincoln ;n and continued till Laud became bishop of London, when he determined to extirpate all nonconformists. As it often happens in other cases, so it did in this; while one part of the community was delighted and encouraged in the practice of religion, another part, feeling themselves rebuked and condemned by his preaching, because more violent opposers, and more cruel persecutors. Mr. Hig- ginson openly avowed his opinion, that ignorant and immoral people ought not to be admitted to the Lord's table.. Accordingly, having preached a sermon from this text, " Give not that which is holy to dogs ;" and being about to administer the sacrament, he saw a known swearer and drunkard before him, to whom he publicly said, " he was not willing to give the Lord's supper to him, until he professed his repentance to the satisfaction of the brethren, and desired him to withdraw." The man went out in a rage against Mr. Higginson, and, with horror in his con- science was immediately taken sick, and soon after expired, crying out, " I am damned." Another profane personbeing .offended with his wife for attending upon Mr. Higginson's This very learned, and religious prelate was a constant friend to the persecuted puritans, many of whom, as will appear from the present 'work, be protected from the intolerant proceedings of the ecclesiastical 'courts. We have given a particular account in the introduction, of the barbarous persecution he endured from Archbishop Laud and his associates. Ile was greatly admired for his deep penetration, solid judgment, and his wonderful memory, which was deemed almost a miracle. His parts were very extraordinary ; and his constitution still more extraordinary than his parts; for, notwithstanding his hard study, and a multiplicity of business, he never.required more than three hours sleep.-Le Neve's Lives, vol. i. part ii. p. l54,-Granger's Biog. (list. vol. i. p. 355.
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