The Life and Death of Thomas Tregosse, Section 1
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,foreign. 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, foreign, 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; that Town depending much upon the Pilchard trade. Mr. Tregoſse adviſed them to joyn in a day of Prayer and Humiliation: which being performed, the next day appeared a great ſhole of Fiſh, whereof a conſiderable quantity of them were taken. The other accident which deſerves a particular remarque was this; the next Summer, the Fiſher-men, taking a great number of Pilchards on a Saturday, all that night was ſpent in ſaving of them; and the Seamen were very intent in drying their Nets the Lords day. This Mr. Tregroſſe rebuked them for; withal, giving them to underſtand, that they provoked the Lord deſervedly to withdraw his bleſſings from them, which happened accordingly: For from that time, to the end of the Fiſhing ſeaſon, they had not another opportunity of imploying their Nets.
He removed hence, Octob. 1659. to the Vicarage of Milar and Mabe; where he continued his conſtant courſe of ſtudy, and preaching; till he was ſilenced by the Act of Uniformity, Aug. 24. 1662. Being prohibited the publick place of preaching, he ceaſed not to preach in his own Family twice every Lords day. Which being known in the neighbourhood, divers, who had taſted of his Miniſtry in publick, could not but deſire to partake thereof in private. This being divulg'd, notice was given thereof to the Lord Lieutenant; who, upon his refuſal to take the Oath appointed for the Militia, committed him to the cuſtody of the Mareſchal, where he continued obout three Months ſpace; not ceaſing to preach to his fellow priſoners, beſides others who came to hear him: but at laſt he was releaſed by order from the Deputy Lieutenants.