learning, exemplary piety, and an excellent preacher; and the benefice being very small, it reflects not a little upon the severity of this prelate. In March this year, Dr. Sampson sent a letter, written by another person, to the Lord Treasurer Burleigh, signifying, that God had been pleased to take from him the use of half his limbs, though not his senses; which was the occasion of his using the hand of another. And though this disease was to him as the messenger of death, he thanked God, that he was ready to depart in peace. He was, indeed, constrained, before his heavenly father called him home, to trouble his lordship once more. He, therefore, earnestly solicited him to use his utmost endeavours to promote the necessary reformation of the church, and herein recommended the directions in Bucer's book on the Kingdom of Christ. "My lord," says he, "though the doctrine of the gospel is preached in the church of England, the govern ment of the church, as appointed in the gospel, is still wanting. The doctrine, and the government, as appointed by Christ, are both good; and are to be joined together, and not separated. It is a deformity to see a church, professing the gospel of Christ, governed by those canons and customs, by which antichrist ruleth his synagogue. Martin Bucer wrote a book to King Edward, upon this subject, entitled De Regno Christi. There you will see what is wanting of the kingdom of Christ, in the church of England. My lord, I beseech you to read this faithful and brief epitome of the book, which I have sent you; and I beseech you to lay it to heart. It is the cause of Jesus Christ and his church, and very much concerneth the souls of men. Use your utmost endeavours, that, as Christ teacheth us in the church of England, he may also rule and govern us, even by the laws of his kingdom. Help, my lord, in this good work of the Lord your God. By so doing, you will serve him who is King of kings, and he will acknowledge your good service, when all kings and lords shall appear before him. My good lord, use your authority for the glory of Christ, and the peace and welfare of his church. You cannot employ your authority in a better cause." To this advice, the treasurer returned a christian reply, saying, " that he very much approved of what was urged, but was unable to do all that he recommended." Dr. Sampson, also, returned him a very appro * Strype's Annals, vol. ii. p. 365–367. priate answer, reminding him how much he did at the commencement of the reformation; that his will and his power were not lessened, but increased; and that, seeing others sought a reformation by stopping both preaching and government, the state of the church stood now as much in need of his assistance as ever.* The following year he wrote to Grindal, formerly his companion in exile, but now advanced to the high dignity of Archbishop of York. Several letters passed betwixt them. Dr. Sampson reminded him of his former low condition, and cautioned him against being too much exalted with his present high title. Grindal, who was certainly different from many of the other dignitaries, told him, he did not value the title of lord, but was chiefly concerned to discharge the duties of his function faithfully, until the great day of the Lord Jesus. To this, Sampson replied, "You say, you are not lordly, nor value your lordly estate, in which, I hope, you say true. Yet I must further observe, that if you whom worldly policy hath made a lord, be not lordly, but keep an humble and a loving brother, and minister of Christ, shall I say you are a phoenix? I will say that you are by the special grace of God, most happily preserved. Yet your state, your port, your train of waiting-men in the streets, your gentleman-usher going before you with bare head, your family full of idle servingmen, and the rest of your worldly appendages, look very lordly. Perhaps the same policy which makes you a lord, also charges you with this lordly state. But doth the Lord Jesus, whose minister you rejoice to be, charge you with it? Such a number of idle serving-men is unprofitable and unsuitable to the minister of Christ; and, surely, such persons ought not to be maintained by the patrimony of the church. If policy have, therefore, charged you with them, it is very desirable that policy should discharge you; and that the patrimony of Christ may be employed in the support of labourers in the Lord's harvest, and the poor members of his church. But if you take this lordly state upon you, without the charge of policy, your fault is the greater: This is one of the great evils which popery hath left in the church of England." As the archbishop had pitied his poverty and lameness, he further adds, "I do not remember that I ever complained of the one or the other. If I did of the first, I was *Strype's Parker, Appen. p. 177, 178. to blame; for I must have complained before I suffered want. Touching my lameness, I am so far from complaining, that I humbly thank God for it. It is the Lord's hand which hath touched me. He might have smitten or destroyed me: but of his most rich favour and mercy through Jesus Christ, as a loving father, he hath dealt thus tenderly with me. I bless and praise his name for it. If he see that my poor labour will be of any further service in his church, he will heal me: but if he have determined by this lameness, to lead me to my grave, the Lord give me grace to say with Eli, It is the Lord, let him do what seemeth him good.' I shall labour, as well as I am able, till I drop into the grave. Though I am in bonds, those bonds are from the Lord; and if it were put to my choice, I would rather carry them to my grave, than be freed from them, and be cumbered with a bishopric." Dr. Sampson having been presented to the mastership of the hospital at Leicester, upon his being seized with the palsy, he retired to this situation, where he spent the remainder of his days. Here he was of great service to the hospital, in restoring its privileges and endowments. An account of this is related at some length, to the great honour of his character. He was intimate with all the leading puritans, with whom he held a friendly correspondence. Among these was the venerable Mr. Gilby of Ashby. His letters to this celebrated divine are now before me, one of which, dated Leicester, March 8, 1584, was as follows: "My constant salutation in the Lord. "I do hereby thank you for your loving letter which you "sent me last. I have well advised upon your godly "counsel; but I am not so forward in the matter as you do "think. I do not take upon me to set down a platform of "reformation. I do only desire that meet men may be called "by authority, to consult thereupon. In which assembly "I could find in mine heart to be a door-keeper, though it "were only to keep out dogs. I have a mind to proceed "in that which I proposed. The Lord direct me by his grace to do that which is good in his sight. Thus "praying you to pray for me, I commit you to God. "Yours in Christ, "THO. SAMPSON. "PS. Until ambition and proud Pope xxiii. be pulled "down, there is no hope for any good to be done in con * Strype's Parker, Appen. 278–280. + Strype's Annals, vol. ii. p. 381, 382. "sultation. Bishops are no meet men. They are too partial; "and the university-men will never yield in disputation. "Pray for reformation by the power of the word preached."* In the above year, Dr. Sampson was concerned in presenting a supplication to the queen, the council, and the parliament, for a further reformation of the church. It was entitled "A Supplication to be exhibited to our sovereign lady, Queen Elizabeth, to the honourable Lords of her most honourable Privy Council, and to the High Court of Parliament." This supplication, consisting of thirty-four articles at considerable length, enumerates many grievances still retained in the church, and, upon very powerful grounds, humbly solicits a peaceable and speedy redress; but is too long for our insertion.+ To this supplication, Dr. Sampson prefixed an address, in which many complaints are enumerated; among which are the following: "We have not vigilant, able, and painful preaching pastors resident among us, to teach us the word of God, by preaching and catechising. We have some kind of pastors, but many of them do not reside on their benefices. Some of them are licensed to two, and some to three benefices. If our bishops provided -a remedy for this evil, we would not complain. But they are so far from providing a remedy, that they increase the evil daily. They are constantly making ministers, who will only read out of a printed book, what they are compelled to read; and, with this, the bishops are sufficiently satisfied. Though they want the gift of teaching, they boldly seek to obtain the place of teachers. And, seeing that pastors are commanded to feed the flock of God, over which the Holy Ghost makes them overseers, surely it is very preposterous and presumptuous, to ordain those men to be pastors who cannot feed the flock. The pastors whom the Lord allows and esteems, are such as feed his people with knowledge and understanding. Such did our Saviour send forth. Such did his apostles require; that, by sound doctrine, they might convince the gainsayers, apt to teach, rightly dividing the word of truth. "We might," says he, "greatly increase our complaint. For the good and useful teachers among us, are much discouraged. Some of them are displaced and silenced, not because they do not teach us plainly and faithfully, but because of their nonconformity to the unprofitable ceremonies which men have devised. We most humbly beseech * Baker's MS. Collec. vol. xxxii. p. 433. your highness and honours, to call to your remembrance, that they who do well may receive that praise and comfort which they deserve. This hard treatment of our pastors, brings us into great distress. We are sure, that when the bishops deprive our preaching and laborious pastors of their livings, and stop their mouths, so that they cannot teach us the will of our God; they undertake to do that for which they must give an account, in the great day of the Lord. We have great need of such pastors as can and will teach us the way of the Lord. We have no need at all of idle ceremonies, which do not in the least edify in true godliness. Silencing our preaching pastors, who would feed our souls with the provision of God's word; and imposing upon us mere readers, furnished with unprofitable ceremonies, is taking from us the bread of life, which God hath prepared for us, and feeding us with the unprofitable devices of men." The supplication was sent to the treasurer, followed by two letters from Sampson, entreating his lordship to do every thing in his power to forward the business; but all proved ineffectual.+ The ruling prelates, with Archbishop Whitgift at their head, remained inflexible. Dr. Sampson was a divine highly celebrated for learning, piety, and zeal in the protestant cause, and was greatly esteemed in all parts of the kingdom. Upon his retiring to Leicester, he employed the remainder of his days chiefly in the government of his hospital, and his beloved work of preaching. And having spent his life in much labour, and many troubles, he died in great tranquillity, and comfort in his nonconformity, April 9, 1589, aged seventy-two years. His mortal part was interred in the chapel belonging to his hospital, where was a monumental inscription erected to his memory, of which the following is a translation :§ To the MEMORY and honour of THOMAS SAMPSON, but a most constant advocate of gospel truth. he was the faithful Keeper of this Hospital. to the high esteem of the Christian world, * Strype's Annals, vol. iii, Appen. p. 222–227. + Strype's Whitgift, p. 184. Wood's Athenæ, vol. i. p. 193. Wood's Hist. et Antiq. lib. ii. p. 254. |