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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
cause_n	authority_n	church_n	great_a	2,167	5	3.1621	3	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A71133	Some remarkable passages in the holy life and death of the late Reverend Mr. Edmund Trench most of them drawn out of his own diary.	Trench, Edmund, 1643-1689.; Boyse, J. (Joseph), 1660-1728.	1693 (1693)	Wing T2109; ESTC R7785	40,931	132

to undertake so awful a Trust as to watch over the Souls of others who are diligently careful to observe and regulate their own In him there was a rare mixture of the Graces that should adorn both the contemplative and active part of a Minister's life And few have I known to whom that Character of Ministers which he us'd to draw from their being call'd Angels did more exactly agree For his time was truly divided betwixt beholding the Face of his Father in Heaven and ministring to the Heirs of Salvation on Earth There was no colour for taxing him with those faults that are of late become the common reproach of too many of the Clergy Ambition and Avarice He was so far from aspiring to great Preferments that he would thankfully have accepted of the meanest Cure wherein he might have had the opportunity of doing good to Souls in a publick Station which his strong Inclinations to peace made him perhaps too earnestly desirous of Indeed if ever Humility inclin'd to a culpable excess it was in him For to that we must impute it that so eminent a Light was for so many Years confin'd to a dark Corner which was fitter to shed its diffusive Beams in a far larger Orb. And so far was he from prostituting his Profession to serve a secular Interest that having enough of his own to subsist on h● never receiv'd one Farthing on the score of his unwearied Labours but on th● contrary laid out a considerable Sum yearly in good Books and other ways of Charity among the People he Preach'd to and contributed liberally out of his own Purse t● such young Ministers as had but a scanty and discouraging Allowance I confess A● are not capable of imitating him herein ●● but methinks such Examples should upbraid those Clergy-men that not only see● Ecclesiastical Dignities with the sam● mean and sordid Arts that others do Secular ones but so often by Pluraliti●● enrich themselves at no less cost than th● neglected betrayed Souls of the People An abuse too foul for any specious colour to hide the deformity of it and so gro● that it could not escape the Complaints 〈◊〉 the packt Council of Trent and 't is ● shame that our Convocations have never done any thing to reform it He on the contrary was as liberal of his Purse as 〈◊〉 his Pains to promote that Interest of his blessed Master which was far dearer to him than any that he could call his own And indeed the admirable Success which both his and worthy Mr. Brand's Ministry who was for some Years his Neighbour in those parts of Kent met with as endear'd by their large and generous Cha●●ty has often made me wish that more ●●ous Gentlemen would devote their Sons to that Sacred Function who are able to give 'em such Estates as shall free them from the necessity of dependance on their People and capacitate them to recommend their Insiructions by their Alms. As ●ur Saviour's Miracles of Mercy in healing men's diseased Bodies prepar'd 'em to receive him as the compassionate Physician of Souls So when his Ministers are capable to relieve the Necessities of others their Charity insinuates into the ●earts of their People that affectionate Veneration for them as gives all their holy ●ounsels the greater Authority and Efficacy There is but one thing more I shall take notice of concerning him and that is ●is great Temper and Moderation in re●erence to those modern Controversies that ●ive made so great a noise in the Reformed Churches And I do it the rather be cause the Reader may wonder to find litt●● or no mention of 'em in the following Breviate of his life But tho' few perhaps d● more throughly understand 'em yet no●● that ever I converst with spake more sparingly of them He lookt on that violet Zeal which the most express about 'em as feavourish preternatural heat that on●● prey'd on the vital fervour of practice Religion But when he declar'd his Judgment to his Friends that desir'd it profest his concurrence with such as ende●vour'd to reconcile the contending Parti● by avoiding the harsh extreams of either and particularly his great esteem of the p●cisick Writings of that eminent Ligh of his age Mr. Baxter to whom he own himself more indebted for solid and use●●● knowledge than any other whatsoever th●● he had read the most celebrated of t●● French as well as English Divines an● had a particular value for the Writings Monsieur Daille and Dr. Isaac Barrow And now I shall no longer detain the Re●der from the perusal of his Life than 〈◊〉 desire he may read it with a serious desig● to transcribe into his own whatever he sh●● find in it worthy of his imitation Edmund Trench March 10. 1684. My Father's Motto and my own 2 Cor. 1.12 In Simplicity and Godly Sincerity Phil. 1.21 To me to Live is Christ and to Die is Gain Phil. 3.8 I count all things but dung that I may win Christ Rarius de dogmatibus Christus disseruit saepiùs immo vero ubique semper de vivendi sinceritate Vivere bis vitâ posse priore frui Ampliat aetatis spatium sibi vir bonus THE Title of Angel sometime given to Ministers shou'd mind 'em of imitating those Glorious Spirits as far as may consist with the Frailties of flesh and blood dividing their time betwixt beholding the Face of their Father in Heaven and Ministring to the Heirs of Salvation About 15 Years ago I wrote some Passages of my former Life and have since occasionally added more Present Afflictions occasion many and frequent Reflections on what I am and what I have been my Papers afford me some help and may be more useful laid together therefore I design the Sum of what I have written and what further shall occur fit to be remembred The Ends I aim at as I formerly noted 'em are The Glory of God's free Grace in and through Jesus Christ my dearest Lord and Saviour the sole Foundation of my Hope and Comfort The Shaming and Humbling my self that have so often and do so heinously offend so good a God and so merciful a Redeemer The prevention of future Relapses by the remembrance of God's great Favours so undeservedly multiplyed The promoting of perseverance and growth in all manner of holy Conversation and Godliness by the Meditation of my past Follies and the review of my thoughts and resolves about my own Duty and Happiness in times of great affliction and the approaches of Death to others and seemingly to my self also The furthering of Hope and Peace and Comfort and Joy in such Seasons as they may be most necessary and useful All through the Assistance of the Spirit of Grace which I most humbly and earnestly implore Some Things of those from whom I descended for my Imitation and Encouragement MY Grand-Father was Edmund Trench a younger Son of John a Norfolk Gentleman Converted about the 16th Year of his Age to the Faithful Service of

'em of another World their Spirits sinking and Remedies proving less effectual In all his Practice he was generously free from Covetousness not using any Tricks to encrease it nor unworthily seeking to or humouring his Patients weary of numerous though profitable Visits and industriously speeding their Recovery prescribing no more than he judg'd needful and frequently refusing Fees which even his Patients thought he might as well have taken He was still the same sincere plain-hearted Man free and open without Deceits and Tricks in his Calling and all other Affairs And sure he was the more Blessed of God otherwise considering he was no Politician apt to believe the best and trust as if others were as far from dissembling as himself he cou'd not have liv'd and brought up his Children as he did nor his Losses consider'd left such a Competence to his Widow and them He constantly persever'd in those good ways into which he was entred by his Parents and when they grew old and very infirm he made it more his business 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that even when grey Heirs grew upon himself and his own Distempers increast the dissiculty of complying with others About 50 he was troubled with the Stone from which God's Blessing on his own Endeavours reliev'd him But then about 8 Years before his Death he fell into an incurable Jaundise accompanied for a while with a Scirrbus in his Liver frequent troublesome Itchings Aguish Shiverings of long continuance little and disturbed sleep violent Fits of the Colick great Appetite with ill Digestion and other very troublesome Symptoms He bare all with exemplary Patience and Contentment never that we cou'd perceive repining at such severe Dispensations nor ever praying for their removal nor yielding though importun'd to have one Day set apart to seek on his behalf When we wish'd him a good Night in his Fits he wou'd reply It should be good because it pleased God He wou'd rarely let any stay a Night by him affirming He was not alone but the Father was with him And with the Father he sometimes enjoy'd more Heavenly Communion which yet was not constant and long as his Peace and Hope were they hardly admitted any interruption but he generally long'd to be Dissolv'd and to be with his God and Saviour and spake thereof often with delight In the Year 65. when the Plague began to rage the Weekly Account amounting to about 3000 the importunity of Friends drew him with us to Dr. Drake's in Burnham 2 Miles short of Maiden-head where yet he was more in Reading Meditation and Prayer He exprest a still greater sense of the Love of God in Christ and of his truth and goodness in afflicting him He profest his Soul more establish't thereby with a powerful Conviction of all Creatures Vanity and rais'd to more vigorous actings of a realizing Faith in holy Heavenly Meditations That the sweetness and prosit thereof in his Retirements were such that he fear'd the return of his usual Employment and shou'd be afraid of losing his wearisom affliction without great assurance that Health should be as spiritually advantagious as Sickness professing his constant Judgment that the least Progress in Grace and Holiness was greater matter of Joy than the greatest Affliction of Sorrow He judg'd it very unbecoming a Christian for Sense so far to prevail against Reason and Faith as to raise any considerable Averseness from drinking of that Cup which his Sovereign Lord and tender Father most wisely prepar'd for his good Accordingly he desir'd his Friends to shew their Love in praying for a progressive sanctify'd Improvement of his Sufferings and not for their Removal and wish't 'em comfortably to believe there was no such harm in affliction as we are apt to imagine The Fire of London remov'd him first to an House near Stepncy and soon after to another in Crouched-Friars where he chearfully expected his deliverance by Death 1669. he grew consident of its approach Aug. 14. being his Wedding-day he rejoyc'd with some Invited Friends affirming it the last he should live on Edrth. October he spake of his sensible Decays as Tokens of his near desired Rest About the middle of December he caus'd his Will to be new drawn ordering particularly that Clause to be inserted That he commended his Soul on good Evidence into the hands of God adding that he left us much less than the World imagin'd but he hop'd God's Blessing with it having never wrong'd any Man of a Penny A Day after 14 before he died when I was discoursing of his dissolution he said He cou'd appeal to God through his infinite goodness that since his Youth he had walk't before him with an upright heart never wasting his Conscience with any gross sin that he comfortably believ'd his Regeneration by the Holy Spirit and saving Interest in his dearest Saviour and had accordingly enjoy'd a constant Tranquillity of Mind not without some short and seldom more ravishing Joys He then renew'd his oft repeated Charge of loving and serving God being dutiful to our Mother and helpful to our little Sister which yet he said he did not doubt of and to our great comfort Blessed my self and Brother blessing God also for us Perceiving his Distempers and sore Mouth to encrease he took a solemn leave of my Mother telling her with Joy he was going to his God and her God and that ' ere long they should meet to part no more After which he bid us not expect to hear much from him but believe his mind still the same Accordingly he persisted bearing patiently his grievous pains yet saying little tho' enough to signific his uninterrupted hope and joy till Friday 31. ●●●●mb 1669. when after some imperfect Words but 2 hours before of ●●ath and Christ and Pardon his Spirit return'd to his Heavenly Father and instead of a New-Year on Earth caused a glorious Eternity in Heaven 〈◊〉 lives still in the honourable Re●●●●rance of such as knew him ne●●● mention'd to my knowledge with reproach oft with Elogies of his Piety Sincerity Ability and Faithsulness as a Man a Friend and a Physician Some I doubt bad themselves commended his Goodness acknowledging the common though I think unjust reproach of his Calling cou'd not be fasten'd on him O may I by the help and to the Glory of Divine Grace imitate such excellent Examples and not degenerate from 'em but serve God with all my might according to my Father's Symbol In Simplicity and godly Sincerity My Grandsather was a Pattern of Humility and Meckness and yet of Resolution when there was a Cause of great Charitableness in Word and Deed especially to his Relations who had great Summs from him which yet his Children did not want He was likewise an eminent Instance that Doubts and Fears and horrid Suggestions may infest the truly yea the excellently Good and that great Losses and Crosses in Estate and Kindred may consist with God's especial Favour My Father set me a bright Example