SAMPSON. 383 " sultation. Bishops areno meet men. They are toopartial ; "and the university-men will never yield in disputation. " Pray for reformation by the power oftheword preached. "* In the above year, Dr. Sampson was concerned in pre- senting 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 Par- liament." 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 corn- plaints 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 ofpastors, 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, wewould not complain. But they are so far from providing aremedy, 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 feedhis people with knowledge andunderstanding. Such did our Saviour send forth. Such did his apostles require; that, by sound doctrine, they might convince the gain- sayers, 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 cere- monies which men have devised. We most humbly beseech 4. Baker's MS. Collec. vol. p. 433. Str,pe's Annals, vol. iii. Appen. p. 6S--S1.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=