378 LIVES OF THE PURITANS. learning, they say, 44 That as for Dr. Sampson, after welt considering all the learnedmen in the land, they found none to be compared to him, for singular learning and great piety, having the praise of all men. And that it was very doubtful, whetherthere was abetter man, a greater linguist, a more complete scholar, or a more profound divine.". Afterwards, Dr. Sampson, Dr. Lawrence Humphrey, and Mr. Andrew Kingsmill, all celebrated puritans; were the only protestant preachers in the university of Oxford.+ Dr. Sampson sat in the convocation of 1562, and sub- scribed the Articles of Religion. This being finished, many learned members of the lower house, presented to the house a paper of requests, chiefly relating to matters of discipline, in which they desired an allowance in a number of important particulars. His name is among those who subscribed.t While the convocation was discussing the subject of discipline, the prolocutor, with Dr. Sampson and Dr. Day, presented to the upper house a book called Catechismus pucrorum ; to which all the members of the lower house had unanimously given their consent. They left the book with their lordships ; but there, unfortunately, it remained without any further notice.§ Afterwards, his scruples and objections against the prescribed habits and ceremonies, being known at court, Secretary Cecil urged him to conform, adding, " That lie gave offence by his disobedience, and that obedience was better than sacrifice." To this, Sampson, in a letter to this honourable person, replied, " That in the law, God commanded all idols to be destroyed, with all the ceremonies belonging to them ; prohibiting as much the ceremonies, as the idols themselves. That the godly kings of the Jews dealt with idols, idolatry, and the appurtenances accordingly. That the Lord threatened to punish those who should retain such ceremonies and fashions, in time of reformation. That Christ did not communicate in any traditions devised by the pharisees ; but reproved them, and warned the apostles to take heed of them. Therefore, all ceremonies devised and used by idolatrous papists, ought to be rejected, destroyed, and forbidden. And though men in authority command otherwise, yet he, who thus followeth the mind of God in his word, cloth yield that obedience, which is better Strype's Annals, vol. i. p. 432, 433. 1- Wood's Athena Oxon. vol. i. p. 193. Strype's Annals, vol. i. p. 290, 298. ii. Adden.p. 19. Gliurton's Life of Nowell, p. 96.
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