whilst under this confinement he enjoyed many Divine Suavities and spiritual refreshments in Duties with many gracions returns of Prayer and some prophetick intimations of future Providences As Octob. 2. he praying for opportunities of service c. After the Duty was ended he firmly believed he should be released of this restraint and be no more imprisoned in that place which proved true notwithstanding several attempts to the contrary October 7. being much enlarged in praying for patience and submission to the will of God he grew very confident that shortly God would farther try him So Octob. 23. God seemed sundry ways to intimate to him that some great affliction was near but that he should be delivered from it all of which proved true as it will be shewn Again Octob. 27. being earnest in Prayer for the Nation he was strongly induced to believe that some great judgement was not far off About which time there was oft cast into his thought that Scripture Isa 21.16 Thus saith the Lord unto me within a year according to the years of an hireling and all the glory of Kedar shall fall He oft mentioned to some of his intimate friends the strong Impression this Scripture made on his thoughts much wondring what it should mean but a little before the year expired the Conflagration of London happened which fully interpreted his former Impression Decem. 14. he was delivered out of Prison and upon his return home he kept a day of Thanksgiving and shortly after he did set apart every Tuesday as a Faâ—â—ing or Thanksgiving day which he kept either in private or with his Family or with others more pubâ—ickly Jan. 8th being the Lords day he went to Mabe where he preached both parts of the day without interruption which was attended with this remarkable Providence that whilst he was there the Constable with an Officer from Pendennis Castle came to his house but missed of him Jan. 12. he began a journey towards the East of Cornwal and from thence into Devon The Lords day and the Wednesday after his house was searched In this journey he went forth on the South of Cornwal and returned on the North exercising in all places where he came and receiving great encouragements as to the fruits of his labours At his return Febr. 4th going to preach at Mabe the Constable served him with a Warrant to carry him under the Custody of the Mareschal as a dangerous and seditious person which indeed he was so far from being guilty of that he never so much as medled in his preaching or private Conferences with the present Discipline or Liturgy of the Church much less with matters of State Nay he perswaded others to be obedient to the higher powers and in his daily exercises he did put up many fervent petitions for the King Being under the custody of the Mareschal at Bodmin this imprisonment brought him to the acquaintance of several persons who reaped much benefit by his Ministry The Mareschal was civil to him yet he met with more difficulties then in his former confinement but the Lord honoured him with the conversion of several souls He continued in this prison till about the midst of September 1667. Being at a certain time earnest in Prayer for enlargement a Scripture was presented to his thoughts which made so deep impression on him as that he was filled with a great confidence that if he were delivered it would be by order from the Kings Majesty Not long after whilst he was under various afflictions touching his Family the Mareschal received a special order from the Kings Majesty for his enlargement Feb. 1668. coming to Penryn to preach his Monday-Lecture he fell sick of a Fever which held him all that week On the Lords day morning the sense of his own weakness did somewhat affect him because the people who attended on his Ministry had none to supply his place Whereupon he had that Scripture impressed on his thoughts Esa 40.31 They that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength c. This wrought so much upon him that he resolved to arise All about him were very pressing to divert his resolution knowing how exceeding weak he was but they could not prevail He having got on his cloaths cast himself on the Lords work As he went on strength was gradually given in so that he preached thrice that day choosing that Text before cited Isai 40.31 for his subject and to the great admiration of himself and his auditory was well at night neither did he feel any reliques of his distemper afterward In the beginning of the year 1669 the number of the Auditors was so much augmented as that the rooms they usually met in would not contain them which occasioned the removal of the Meeting into a large Barn until being summoned by the Proprietor of that Barn to quit his hired House he took up his habitation in the Town of Penryn Before his remove a Mittimus came from the Seffions grounded upon as information of the Bishop to send him to the Goal at Lanceston for publick preaching The Constables coming to serve the Warrant one of them more furious then his fellow whilst he reason'd with Mr. Tregosse with the Mittimus in his hand sunk down in the place for the present as it were dead but being by the diligent endeavours of those who were present brought to himself again he departed without executing the Warrant That which makes this the more remarkable is that this Constable was a strong man and never fainted in all his life before And though they câ—me again some days after to execute their Warrant yet had they not power to carry him to Prison For which as it was said the other Constable was fined the next Sessions At Lammas Assize 1669. Mr Tregosse having some affairs which called him to â—anceston he was invited to visit some part of the North-west of Devon whence for preaching at a private house in the Parison of great Torrington he was sent to Exeter Goal with several others of that Town and Bideford who being all Bailed had for that time no other trouble then to traverse a Bill for Riot preferred against them In his return from Exon he spent some few dayes at Crediton where he contracted an intimate friendship with a person who was providentially cast there at the same time to whom he unbosomed many of the choicest accidents of his life and secrets of his heart And albeit they never saw each other afterward yet this friendship was preserved inviolable and improved by Paper-conversation till death made a dis-union or rather a present suspension This trouble which befell Mr. Tregosse in Devon was the occasion of much good to many souls in those parts for it opened a door to many hundreds in Devon who resorted to him in his Travels and so became partakers of his Ministerial gifts which were very effectual through the concurrence of Divine Grace This made him lay out himself day
THE LIFE AND DEATH OF THOMAS TREGOSSE Late Minister of the Gospel At Milar and Mabe in Cornwal With his Character and some Letters of his not long before his Death LONDON Printed in the Year MDCLXXI THE LIFE and DEATH OF THOMAS TREGOS c. SECT I. Mr. Tregosse's Life unto the time of his Conversion THe Lives of Virtuous and Heroick Spirits have been in all ages esteemed of great use and efficacy for the promoting of the like dispositions in those who are of more awakened and raised Souls For Man of all Creatures being most under the power of Imitation he is usually more moved by Examples than Precepts Examples are Lessons to the Eye and Table◠wherein the Theory is demonstrated in the Practice Things Intelligible which are more obscure in the Idea and notion are rendred as it were sensible and so more familiar and practicable by examples which give a kind of Body Life and Motion to general Doctrines and Instructions As the beams of the Sun gain force by Reflection so do Doctrines and Precepts reflected from the examples of holy men Notions and Precepts give us only a general Idea of what we ought to do But the Lives of holy men tell us what by grace we may do and withal they offer unto us efficacious Motives for the provoking of us by an holy emulation to our duty Thence the poor Pagan adviseth us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Stob. Sec. 3. de prud To set before us the fairest Copy of Virtue and then to imitate the same These with some other private considerations have induced me to commend to the world the ensuing story of Thomas Tregosse late Minister of the Gospel who was born at St. Ives near the Lands-end in Cornwal The Family of Tregosse whereof he was a branch was not without noble blood lodged in its veins Some conceive it to be more ancient than the Norman conquest a relique of the old Britains seated in those parts though the title seem to be of French notation Our English History acquaints us that William the Conqueror created John Tregosse a Baron who though he died without issue yet Henry Tregosse sate as a Baron in the Parliament held An. 35. of Edw. the I. And Robert de Tregosse was one of those Lords that sided with Simon Monfort Earl of Leicester against K. Henry the third As for the ruines of this Family the principal cause thereof deserves a particular remarque One Mr. Roscadden going in Pilgrimage his Wife had in his absence a child or more whereupon at his return John Tregosse advised him to settle his Estate on some Friend for the use of his Wife and Children lest after his death the Heir at Common Law should turn his Wife and Children out of doors Mr. Roscadden embracing his advice desired him to accept of this trust which accordingly he did but instead of a Deed in trust he made it absolute to himself and his Heirs As soon as Mr. Roscadden wad dead the said John Tregosse entred on the Lands and turned his Wife and children out of doors who for some time lay in a Hogstie and every morning went forth on the dunghil there on their knees imprecating the vengeance of God on Tregosse and his Heirs After this time the Judgements of God signally appeared against this Family Walter his Son falling from his horse in a fair way broke his neck others of his issue came to an untimely death and a curse hath remained on the estate ever since This Mr. Thomas Tregosse whose Life we now relate was so greatly sensible of as that it cost him many Prayers for the removing of this curse as he himself assured me Notwithstanding the Judgements of God on this Family yet the Parents of Mr. Thomas Tregosse were godly and reputed among the number of the old Puritans This was much seen in the pious education they gave this their Son whose tender years they took care to have seasoned with the Principles of Religion and good Literature At first his capacity seemed dull till about the age of seven years or after his diligence gave some notices of a quick apprehension and tenacious memory Indeed he had from his youth a natural inclination to the work of the Ministry and would oft when but a child mount up a stool or bench and there in his manner preach to his companions When he had attained a competent measure of Grammar Learning he was sent to Oxford and placed in Exeter Colledge under the Tuition of Mr. Francis Howel then Fellow of the said Colledge who perceived in him an awakened Spirit full of Vivacity and Intention insomuch that he made good the character which Aristotle gives of a young man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to act vigorously in what ever exercises he was engaged in He did not as too many abuse the expectations of his Friends by squandring away those precious opportunities and encouragements vouchsafed him for the elevating his natural capacity by the acquirement of Liberal Arts and Philosophick Sciences wherein he made a good progress Neither was he without a good interest in the esteem of pious persons as it appears by the admittance which Reverend Dr. Conant gave him as a Member into his Church Also whiles he continued in Oxon he began to feel some wounds of Conscience One day hearing Dr. Conant on Hos 6.4 O Ephraim what shall I do to thee c. Some passages of that Sermon made so deep impression on him as that his conscience was filled with no small terrour when he went to his bed he was not without fears he should never see day when in his study that he should never come out alive So long as these awakening terrours of Conscience and sick nights for sin continued he could not endure to hear a vain word or to behold what had but the appearance of sin But these lights and heats of Conscience did by degrees die away Neither did they at that time determine in a thorow Conversion as it will hereafter appear Sect. 2. Having spent some time in the University he returned to S. Ives the place of his Nativity where having made some tryal of his Ministerial gifts the Inhabitants invited him to be their Minister This he at first modestly refus'd but being at last overcome by their importunity he agreed to spend some time among them Whereupon he was Aug. 17. 1657 in that Church set apart for the work of the Ministry He continued there two years a close Student all the week and constant Preacher twice every Lords day Before his departure from this place he took to him for Wife Margaret Sparnan who proved a gracious meek humble affectionate and meet help to him Whilst he continued in this Town there were two accidents which deserve a particular remarque The first was this The Summer after his sitting down among them much of the fishing season was expired and no Pilchards appeared the sence whereof greatly afflicted their Spirits
and night to the utmost allowing his body no more then extreme necessity required that so he might follow all advantages for the advance of his Masters service The Bill preferred against him at Exeter necessitated him to attend the two following Assizes where he was at last freed by Proclamation but mean while his return into those parts was of no small advantage for the propagation of the Gospel Some of those persons who discovered their malice against Mr. Tregosse for preaching at Torrington were shortly taken away by unnatural deaths not without signal marks of Gods displeasure against them as it appears by his following Letter Sept. 16. 1670. Not long before his death he was strangely he knew not how taken up in conversing with the state of departed Saints martyred for the Testimony of Jesus as he himself acquaints you in his following Letter to his friend Octob. 7th 1670. Which indeed was a prophetick intimation of the nearness of his Dissolution and entrance on that life which he was immediately more fully to partake of Which brings to my remembrance an old observation which I had from a great * Padre Paul Histor Trent Master of Wisdom That it is natural for men near their grave from some intrinsick cause unknown to themselves to be distasted with humane affairs c. What this wise man observed of men in general I think is most true of many holy Christians who a little before their dissolution are frequently called off and seperated from humane affairs to a fiducial converse with coming Glories and the Life of just men made perfect which was the frame of Mr. Tregosse's Spirit not long before his death though he himself was not apprehensive that his change was so near SECT IV. Mr Tregosse's last Tryals and dying Speech to his Friends AFter Mr. Tregoss came to reside at Penryn he hired a House for a Meeting on the Lords day in the Parish of Mabe where he exercised without interruption from Midsomer 1669 to the 10th of May 1670. After which day there were two debauch'd persons turned Informers hoping thereby to get fuel for their lusts who having obtained a Warrant required the Officers to attend them every Lords-day and made oath against Mr. Tregosse and others for a breach of the Statute then in force against Conventicles This sacred away most of his Hearers especially those who had any considerable Estates Though there were divers Fines laid on him which amounted to 220 l. yet the Lord so ordered things as nothing he had was seized upon This Meeting being thus broken he resolved to drive the nail that would go and to preach the oftner unto a Statute number herein his labours were so many and great as if his body were of Steel he could not hold out long He preached five times every Lords-day and in the evening made repetition of some part He also continued the Tuesday and Thursday duties besides other Exercises He was often advised by his friends to favour himself and moderate his pains but the great zeal he had for the keeping on and advancing the work of God did stop his ears against all dissusives of this kind Having at last worn out himself and exhausted his Spirits he fell into a griping of the Bowels occasioned by a Flatus hypochondriacus as his Physician affirmed which brought him so weak as his friends suspected him to be past recovery and he himself expressed a longing desire to be dissolved But the Lord was pleased to reprieve him a little longer and put him once more upon his feet though he took not the air As soon as he perceived a small recruit of strength he began to fall upon his work again this continued but a very short time till a Fever seized on him and in a few days did set and end to all his Labours and troubles His his deportment during both his sicknesses was like his life very sweet and heavenly Upon the 18th of January observing the hour of his dissolution at hand he took his farewell of his friends in a long speech whereof you have a part as followeth I though I should have had some more turns with my Lord in his Gallery but he hoth turned his back and is gone and calls me to come after him Indeed though I had some distemper of Body yet I did not think death was so nigh till putting my hand on my brow I felt the tokens thereof Think think not therefore 't is a foolish phantasie that moves me to speak for I know it to be right reason And seeing the Lord hath left with me a few mouthfuls of breath Let me who am your faithful Pastor at the taking my farewell of you drop a few words among you before he calls away this breath of mine and say breath no more through that body but lay it in the dust O my friends my friends you know that I have often warned you of an evil day and now I must once more tell you that there is a dead day a dark day coming O! what will this poor people do O my Friends did we think that after so many Fasting and Humiliation days after so many Thanksgiving days after so many Sacrament days we should see such a day as this O but it may be you will ask me this question Do you really believe that you shall dye Indeed friends there is nothing but Omnipotence can bear me up And if you ask me what I think of my self Truly friends I can say that I have walked among you by the pure copy of the Holy Scriptures and Life of Christ and through the Grace of God in Christ Jesus I shall be presented spotless to the Father Indeed when I was young I had my youthful vanities but in the year 1664 upon a New-years day the Lord was pleased to meet with me and then even then did he set all my sins in order before me And theose very sins which were small to me before were by the Spirit of the Lord in that Rod made as bitter as death it self My sleight childhood-sins my slender youthful sins were to me very hainous and abominable Wherefore my friends I charge you to make a conscience of those sins yea of the least of them which I have warned you of Some may think me passionate and some may think me severe and uncharitable but now I repent that I had not dealt more plainly with you However in the truth of the Lord according to mine ability I have walked among you and I hope you will not think it tedious if I drop a few words upon my grave before I dy Then the Physician steeping to him with an intent to desire him to leave off speaking lest he should spend his spirits too much M. Tregosse said Give me leave to speak for I am upon the borders of eternity and I think you all look upon me as a dying man therefore may suffer me to speak as much as I can Then he
proceeded I am going to my great God to my dear Father to my best Friend to him in whom I have believed His face I hope to see in his bosom I hope to lye down this day Oh! what unspeakable glory is it to see the glory of mine everlasting God O my Friends I must tell you the truth though sometimes there have been upon my phantasie strange black clouds which made me to speak somewhat inconsistent and were suddenly blown off again yet little doth any one know the reviving in-comes I had then even then from my God And the last Lords day at night the Lord gave me sweet turns with himself Oh! it was a pleasant night with me I was up with God and God was down with me Oh! it was to me as the going up to Paradice Oh! how sweet was it to me And now my friends I must tell you that through many tribulations you must enter into the Kingdom of God Some of you have told me your thoughts concerning me that I have walked in all good Conscience towards God and Mâ—â— Oh friends whatsoever things ye have seen in me that were honest whatsoever things were just whatsoever things were pure whatsoever things were lovely whatsoever things were of good report pursue those things Rely not upon the world for the world will leave you could and helpless And now friends I must go to see the Lord and this Body of mine must be laid in the dust and never arise more till the Resurrection-day And must many of you go from this place and come naked before the face of God though I hope better of some of you Oh friends if there be any hope if there be any love if there be any consolation in you think on these things You know I have When I came to this town some may think my design in coming was to fill an empty bagg and to get a livelihood amongst this people but God is my witness I had not this in my eye I sought not yours but you And now friends flesh and bloud will say It is hard to part with dear friends to part with a dear Wife to part with dear Children But as the Lord hath given them to me so I now leave them with the Lord. And I call you to witness that I leave this dear Wife of mine with the Lord and my dear Children with the Lord to be protected by him to be maintained by him to be kept blameless to the day of his appearance Though Men may prove unkind to them as I suppose they will yet I know the Lord will not I must into Eternity the Prophets cannot live for ever neither can they Prophesie for ever I have been but a young branch and you see the Lord is cutting me down this morning O blessed Lord God shall there not be a meeting in Paradice shall not thy servant see thee and love thee ond be embraced by thee O Lord give a good evidence to thy servant that he may know that he belongeth to thee Lord thou hast given him the working of an holy faith and of an heart-purifying spirit And are not these tokens of thy free grace and of thine eternal love in Christ Jesâ—s And now Lord God thy servant must away and be about other work thy servant must away to holy Angels and to the spirits of just men made perfect He must away to serve his Lord in the upper Chambers He must away Lord and never look on these earthy things more And now O friends one thing I tell you I shall come again with my Lord in most excellent Glory and you then must come before him But I fear I fear that some of you will be found then to be in a very low and poor and miserable condition Well I commend you to the love and grace of God the Eternal Father in Jesus Christ And I pray you to get your hearts full of love to God and of the grace of God and full of the holy Ghost And now think on these things that I have delivered to you in the name of the Lord. I must go and deliver up my accounts to God And on that I might deliver them up freely that I may be able to say I have run my race I have finished my course I have fought the good fight I have kept the faith and what remains but that I receive the Crown that the Lord Jesus the righteous Judge hath prepared for me And now I commit my self to the Lord and my Wife and Children to the Lord I commit my spirit to thee O Father of spirits I commit my soul to thee O dearest Lord Keep these that do believe on thee These words he spake with a more audible and plain voice than he was wont to do in his ordinary Preaching And about an hour and half after he had ended his speech he departed this life Jan. 18. An. 1670. SECT V. Mr. Tregosse's Character HAving given some story of Mr. Tregosse's Life and Death it may be not a little Useful to give some Character of his Person Spirit and Conversation Mr. Tregosse was of a middle stature his Hair black his Face palish not perfectly round His Natural capacity nor long His Spirit was Masculine Generous and Great agreeable to the condition of his Ancestors There was a sparkling Vivacity apparent in most of his intense Actions His natural humour was not moross but affable yet was he not without a tincture of darke melancholy which yet his grace improved to a great measure of seriousness He had also some sparks of choller which being spirited by warm affections for God brake forth into a pure flame of Divine zeal His natural Judgment seemed deep and solid his will firm and fixed his memory tenacious and faithful his Affections tender and active And the whole capacity of his soul fit for great exploits But the most Illustrious and bright part of his Character regardeth his gracious capacity and dispositions His universal Holiness His personal holiness was remarkable even unto great visibility And I think few in this age have for so short standing made a larger proficience in the School and service of Christ After Jan. 1664. from whence he dated his conversion he banisht from his heart and life many vanities he had been formerly adicted unto Neither did he gain his godliness at so cheap a rate as most professors do No his heart was first deeply wounded for sin and thence delivered from it He was for some while under many extremities from a Spirit of Bondage and these made way for a Spirit of Adoption He was soundly convinced of his spiritual death by sin and that opened to him a door of life by Christ And the entire change of his heart much appeared in the change of his life and last end Neither had some particular graces only a place in him but a combination and complexion of many amiable graces seemingly opposite seemed visible in him