Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Hoard, Samuel
HOARD, SAMUEL (1599–1658), divine, born in London in 1599, became either clerk or chorister of All Souls' College, Oxford, in 1614, was matriculated on 10 Oct. 1617, and migrated to St Mary Hall, where he graduated B.A. 20 April 1618, and commenced M.A. in 1621. He was incorporated in the latter degree at Cambridge in 1622. He became chaplain to Robert, earl of Warwick, who presented him in 1626 to the rectory of Moreton, near Ongar, Essex. On 15 June 1630 he was admitted B.D. at Oxford, and in 1632 he was incorporated in that degree at Cambridge. In 1637 he was collated to the prebend of Willesden in the church of St Paul. He died on 15 Feb. 1657-8, and was buried in the chancel of Moreton Church. Wood says he was 'well read in the fathers and schoolmen, was a good disputant and preacher, a zealous Calvinist in the beginning, but a greater Arminian afterwards' (Athenae Oxon. ed. Bliss, iii. 449).
His works are: 1. ‘Gods Love to Mankind manifested by disproving His absolute Decree for their Damnation’ (anon.), Lond. 1633 4to, 1658 12mo, 1673 8vo. It is thought that Henry Mason had a share in this work, which was answered by William Twisse and John Davenant, bishop of Salisbury. Morant remarks that Hoard had the courage to publish the book ‘at a time when it was accounted a greater crime than treason to boggle at the doctrine of absolute predestination, with all its blasphemous consequences’ (Hist. of Essex, i. 146). 2. ‘The Soules Miserie and Recoverie: or, the Grieving of the Spirit, how it is caused, and how redressed. Wherein is shewed, among other things, the nature of presumptuous sins, with preservatives against them, and remedies for them,’ London, 1636, 8vo, dedicated to Robert, earl of Warwick. Reprinted, with many additions, Lond. 1658, 8vo. 3. ‘The Churches Authority asserted; in a sermon [on 1 Cor. xiv. 4] preached at Chelmsford, at the metropolitical visitation of William [Laud], archbishop of Canterbury … March 1, 1636,’ Lond. 1637, 4to. Reprinted in ‘Bibliotheca Scriptorum Ecclesiæ Anglicanæ,’ 1709, i. 190–246.
[Authorities quoted; Addit. MS. 5872, f. 67; Newcourt's Repertorium, i. 230, ii. 424; Le Neve's Fasti (Hardy), ii. 452; Oxford Univ. Reg. (Oxf. Hist. Soc.), vol. ii. pt. ii. p. 362, pt. iii. p. 363.]