Robert Gouge, Coggeshall

From the annals of Coggeshall

Robert Gouge became pastor of the church in Coggeshall after the death of Mr Sames. During the interval Mr Lowry preached. Mr Gouge was born at Chelmsford and sent by Lord Fitzwalter to Christ's College, Cambridge, where he had for his tutor the celebrated Henry More. On leaving the University he went to Maldon, where he preached and taught a school. From thence he removed to Ipswich, where he is spoken of as pastor of a congregational church, August 17, 1658.* He was silenced in 1662 and came to Coggeshall about the year 1674.

"1675, May 26.—The notes of ye sermon preached at the funerall of old Mr William Cox by Mr. Gouge."

Text - Gen. v. 24. ... I hope our dear friend whom God hath taken away in these respects did walk with God. He was, but is not. God hath taken him. Alas ! you lament the death of the man; will you desire to live the life of the man? an humble, mortified, friendly, fruitful life as he did? I see a treasure withdrawn, and the stock is lessened. Did not I see a corner-stone falling out of the building? You children of a good father, take heed how you carry it, take heed of taking your liberty. Methinks there is a gap made now: I pray God, let his spirit fall down and make up the breach; for the family, the town, the church, have a great loss, I am a stranger among you, and in part a stranger to you. God hath taken away many candles, many lights from us. I am afraid God is provoked by us. Remember pride does not eat out the heart of religion and the love of your souls to God, and therefore think of it, and the Lord grant we may make a good use of this solemn stroke of God, superadded to the strokes of former days."  "1675, July 17.—Funeral Sermon of Nicholas Merrills, by Mr. Gouge."**

"1676, May 16.—Funeral Sermon, John Bowyer's second wife."

"1678, Oct. 29. Old Widow Sach."

"1679, Nov. 12. Old Nurse Newton."

"1679, Nov. 6. Wife of Thomas Brewster. "

"1680, Jan. 27. Daughter of Mr Samuel Richardson, servant of Mrs. Cox."

The old church book contains the following allusion to Mr Gouge; but it was not written till the year 1775:

"Mr Sammes shared the same fate as the 2000. By this very solemn providence the people became scattered as sheep without a shepherd: for many of them could not sit down to his successor as he maintained both another faith and another order. But the Lord, who is the watchful keeper of his people, sent them a gatherer of the dispersed remnant, in the person of the Rev R Gouge. As now they were cast out of and become dissenters from the established church, and so could not meet where they formerly did, they hired a barn in East Street, which they converted into a meeting-house."

This house, situated on the north side of the street, now belongs to Mr F Hills. It was then the property of Isaac Hubbard, who was a deacon of the congregational church.*** This good man died in 1687. Mr Gouge shortly afterwards published a little volume entitled "The Faith of Dying Jacob, or God's Presence with his Church notwithstanding the Death of his Eminent Servants: being several sermons from Gen. xlviii. 21, occasioned by the death of Mr Isaac Hubbard, with the memorials of his life and death, and advice to his eon. London. 1688."

"Epistle Dedicatoby to the Church of Christ at Great Cogshall in Essex."

"You are a people whom the Lord hath honoured with many successive able Pastors, Mr Obadiah Sedgwick, Dr Owen, Mr Sams: All which Lights the Lord hath taken up into his upper Chamber, after their shine upon Earth to shine in Heaven; after their Labours with men, to take their rest in the Bosom of their God and Saviour. You are a people whom the Lord hath preserved marvellously in the stormy, cloudy and dark daies that scattered many others. You have had but a few drops of those tempestuous showers that drowned others. A garden inclosed, a spring shut up, a fountain sealed have you been: Your bow yet abideth in strength, though I am well aware how the Archers of Hell and Earth have shot at you. You have seen the goings of God in your Sanctuary, and every one of you may speak of his glory. The Lord hath much thinned your glory and comfort, by the decease of many Principal Members, though after the fall of the leaf, you have had sweet after-springs and budding stems, that you remain as green Olive-trees in the house of your God: So let his spiritual glory remain fresh upon you. You have continued in a close adherence to the Lord, and his Worship, not mixing with the world, and thereby have lost little: in your keeping the word of his patience, he hath kept you from the hour of temptation that hath tryed the Earth, when greater damage hath attached others in their neutral, treacherous compliances. The Pillar of Cloud and fire, hath given you a safe conduct to this present break-day of the Glory of God, and the Jubile of rest and liberty, universally extended in this Nation from its Bondage, and where is the fury of the Oppressor? The Lord cause this springing glory to shine to a perfect day, and prevent new darkening Clouds. For above the space of fourteen years, the Lord hath placed me, unworthy me, among you: And to the praise of his glorious name, you have seen the workings of his blessed Spirit in your confirmation, and others conversion: In 'which years, through the various tryals Divine Providence hath exercised me with, and the many personal infirmities that have attended me, you have born up in your Christian ingenuous respects to me, as also in your assistance, according to your abilities, to my civil expences, wherein I have yearly spent the whole revenue of my little Own that I had in this world, which had not been, but for the failure of some other hand, of what was at first proffered at my coming to you; though the disturbing exigences of late times, conduced much to that failure. This indeed in some fits of exigence, hath proved some little uneasie temptation to me, to think of some other supply: Which at present I wave in duty to God, and true love to you. The last blow the Lord gave us, was that deep oue, by the decease of our dear and honoured Brother Mr. Hubbard, which becomes the occasion of this small book. He was a good Copy, I hope many will write after him, and not let that goodly picture drop out of their hearts or lives: He gave you good conduct in all your affairs, and prospered, for the Lord was 'with him: 'Twas amongst his very last words, the Lord hath the residue of Spirits, let us pray that that living, flowing, renewing Spirit may flourish among us, with the encrease of Gifts and Grace. By reason of my many occasions, some months are pass'd since this Christian deceased; but I remember Vespasian's Motto on his coin, sat cito si sat bene. 'Tis soon enough, if well enough. I design not many words to you, 'twill be better, that what concerns the Glory of God and our mutual comfort, be expressed in our continued fellowship."

"So, finally Brethren, Farewell, be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, Live in Peace, and the God of love and peace shall be with you.

"Yours to serve in the Gospel of Christ,

"R. Gouge."

Of Mr. Hubbard he says:— "He was never so unchristian as to make all anti-christian who differed from him, as if none could get to heaven but went in his congregational path. God's eternal truth was dearer to him than liberty or life. His card, pole-star, canon he walked by, was the word of God. Wheresoever he separated from others it was because they first separated from truth. His conversation was in Heaven. The solitudes and arbours of holy retreated meditations he found to be gates that let in the inward world, Heaven's suburbs and sunlight. At home his conversation was pious and profitable. In the church: he cared for the things thereof with singular prudence and exemplariness, as a sound, able Christian, and almost a Divine. He was eyes to the blind, and feet to the lame. He was charitable and tender-hearted. He was contented, meek and humble. Death met him nigh at home, whose imperious necessity he had prevented by the daily resignation of himself to Heaven's commission. In the last year of his life he was much solacing his soul in the foreviews of future glory, much reading that piece of his ancient reverend Pastor, Dr Owen, about the Glory of Christ. Thus having finished his course upon earth, having oft fetched his God down to him, he was taken up to his God."

Mr Gouge resided at the upper end of Stoneham Street. He had some relatives here, one of whom was named Samuel Gouge, a lawyer. He had also a son, named Thomas Gouge, who was born at Ipswich in 1662, and became pastor at Amsterdam: on returning to England, was pastor of the Independent Church at the Three Cranes, near Thames Street, and died 8th January, 1700.

Dr Watts says that the three greatest preachers in his younger time, were Mr John Howe, Mr Stennet and Mr Thomas Gouge, whose strength lay in the illustration of scripture; and dedicates one of his Lyric poems to his memory. Mr Gouge outlived his son, and died in a ripe old age at Coggeshall, where he was buried October 16, 1705.****

* Letter from Samuel Petts, of Sandcroft, to Slater, at St. Katherine, near Tower Hill. Peck's Desid. cur. ii. 505.

** 1704, Dec. 28.—Died Mrs. Merrills, formerly wife of the worthy Mr Dodd - Bufton.

*** The Manor Rental shows that Mr Hubbard owned this place. He lived on the site of the Mechanics' Institute, Church Street. An old manuscript, including a statement of Mr Hubbard's effects, and of the subsequent building of the present Chapel, has - "Gave Mr Gouge a pair of spectacles with silver bands" and "There were some old boards that came from the old meeting-house that were carried to the new meeting-house."

"1681, Oct. 18 Mr Isaac Hubbard brought home his third wife."

"1684, Oct. 30 - Old Mrs Smith, Mr Hubbard's sister, was buried. "

"1687, Dec. 6.—Mr. Isaac Hubbard was buried."—Bufton.

**** "1680 Apl 27 Mr Thomas Gouge was married to a rich gentlewoman of Chelmsford

1689 Oct 31 Mr Thomas Gouge brought home his second wife from London

1689 May 19 Mr Samuel Gouge a lawyer was buried Bufton

1693 June 6 Child of Mr Thomas Gouge Reg Bap

1709 May 18 Mrs Gouge Reg Bur