William Gouge
Encyclopedia
William Gouge was an English clergyman and author. He was a minister and preacher at St Ann Blackfriars
for 45 years, from 1608, and a member of the Westminster Assembly
from 1643.
, and baptised on 6 November 1575. He was educated at Felsted
, St. Paul's School, Eton College
, and King's College, Cambridge
. He graduated B.A. in 1598 and M.A. in 1601.
Before moving to London, he was a Fellow and lecturer at Cambridge. He caused a near-riot by his advocacy of Ramism
over the traditional methods of Aristotle
. (This story on Gouge, who lectured on logic, is related in Wilbur Samuel Howell's Logic and Rhetoric in England 1500-1700 (1956) as an account from Samuel Clarke
, and is not reliably dated.)
At Blackfriars, he was initially assistant to Stephen Egerton (c.1554-1622), taking over as lecturer.
He proposed an early dispensational scheme. He took an interest in Sir Henry Finch's Calling of the Jews, and published it under his own name; this led to a spell of imprisonment in 1621, since the publication displeased James I of England
.
Although he was already nearly 70 years old, he attended the Westminster Assembly regularly, and was made chairman in 1644 of the committee set up to draft the Westminster Confession. The other original members of the committee were John Arrowsmith
, Cornelius Burges
, Jeremiah Burroughs
, Thomas Gataker
, Thomas Goodwin
, Joshua Hoyle
, Thomas Temple, and Richard Vines
He also acted as an Assessor.
of its period, running to later editions.
Gouge himself was father to 13 children. His wife Elizabeth, nee Calton and an orphan, died shortly after the birth of her thirteenth child. They had married in the early 17th century, in effect by arrangement, when Gouge was put under pressure by his family. Elizabeth had been brought up by the wife of an Essex minister, John Huckle, and was eulogised after her death.
His teaching on female submission was resisted even by his own congregation. He considered adultery
equally bad in both genders, and encouraged love matches.
, to "immanent faith" in a succeeding generation of Puritan writers.
In God's Three Arrows: Plague, Famine, Sword (1625 and 1631), he mentioned the idea that plague finds victims in poorer people, because they are more easily spared. They should not be allowed to flee affected areas, and nor should magistrates and the aged; but others may properly do so.
He supported the idea of holy war
, in common with other Protestant theologians of the time.
A massive Commentary on the Whole Epistle to the Hebrews appeared in 1655 in three volumes, replete with detail and sermon outlines. It was seen into print by Thomas Gouge
(c.1605-1681), his eldest son. It was later reprinted by James Nichol of Edinburgh, in 1866.
and William Whitaker
married sisters of his mother, while Nathaniel, Samuel and Ezekiel Culverwell were her brothers. His cousin, Mary Culverwell, married Ezekiel Cheever
.
St Ann Blackfriars
St Ann Blackfriars was a London church of the seventeenth century, situated in the ward of Farringdon Within in Church Entry, Carter Lane. It was near the Blackfriars Theatre, a fact which displeased its congregation...
for 45 years, from 1608, and a member of the Westminster Assembly
Westminster Assembly
The Westminster Assembly of Divines was appointed by the Long Parliament to restructure the Church of England. It also included representatives of religious leaders from Scotland...
from 1643.
Life
He was born in Stratford-le-Bow, MiddlesexMiddlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
, and baptised on 6 November 1575. He was educated at Felsted
Felsted School
Felsted School, an English co-educational day and boarding independent school, situated in Felsted, Essex. It is in the British Public School tradition, and was founded in 1564 by Richard Rich, 1st Baron Rich who, as Lord Chancellor and Chancellor of the Court of Augmentations, acquired...
, St. Paul's School, Eton College
Eton College
Eton College, often referred to simply as Eton, is a British independent school for boys aged 13 to 18. It was founded in 1440 by King Henry VI as "The King's College of Our Lady of Eton besides Wyndsor"....
, and King's College, Cambridge
King's College, Cambridge
King's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge, England. The college's full name is "The King's College of our Lady and Saint Nicholas in Cambridge", but it is usually referred to simply as "King's" within the University....
. He graduated B.A. in 1598 and M.A. in 1601.
Before moving to London, he was a Fellow and lecturer at Cambridge. He caused a near-riot by his advocacy of Ramism
Ramism
Ramism was a collection of theories on rhetoric, logic and pedagogy based on the teachings of Petrus Ramus, a French academic, philosopher and Huguenot convert who was murdered in 1572.According to Jonathan Israel, Ramism-Development:...
over the traditional methods of Aristotle
Aristotle
Aristotle was a Greek philosopher and polymath, a student of Plato and teacher of Alexander the Great. His writings cover many subjects, including physics, metaphysics, poetry, theater, music, logic, rhetoric, linguistics, politics, government, ethics, biology, and zoology...
. (This story on Gouge, who lectured on logic, is related in Wilbur Samuel Howell's Logic and Rhetoric in England 1500-1700 (1956) as an account from Samuel Clarke
Samuel Clarke (minister)
Samuel Clarke was an English clergyman and significant Puritan biographer.-Life:He was born 10 October 1599 at Wolston, Warwickshire, the son of Hugh Clarke , who was vicar of Wolston for forty years. Clarke was educated by his father till he was thirteen; then at the free school in Coventry; and...
, and is not reliably dated.)
At Blackfriars, he was initially assistant to Stephen Egerton (c.1554-1622), taking over as lecturer.
He proposed an early dispensational scheme. He took an interest in Sir Henry Finch's Calling of the Jews, and published it under his own name; this led to a spell of imprisonment in 1621, since the publication displeased James I of England
James I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
.
Although he was already nearly 70 years old, he attended the Westminster Assembly regularly, and was made chairman in 1644 of the committee set up to draft the Westminster Confession. The other original members of the committee were John Arrowsmith
John Arrowsmith (scholar)
John Arrowsmith was an English theologian and academic.-Life:He was born near Gateshead and entered St John's College, Cambridge in 1616. In 1623 he entered the fellowship of St Catherine Hall, Cambridge....
, Cornelius Burges
Cornelius Burges
Cornelius Burges or Burgess, D.D. , was an English minister. He was active in religious controversy prior to and around the time of the Commonwealth of England and The Protectorate, following the English Civil War...
, Jeremiah Burroughs
Jeremiah Burroughs
Jeremiah Burroughs was an English Congregationalist and a well-known Puritan preacher.-Biography:...
, Thomas Gataker
Thomas Gataker
Thomas Gataker was an English clergyman and theologian.-Life:He was born in London and educated at St John's College, Cambridge. From 1601 to 1611 he held the appointment of preacher to the society of Lincoln's Inn, which he resigned on accepting the rectory of Rotherhithe...
, Thomas Goodwin
Thomas Goodwin
Thomas Goodwin , known as 'the Elder', was an English Puritan theologian and preacher, and an important leader of religious Independents. He served as chaplain to Oliver Cromwell, and was imposed by Parliament as President of Magdalen College, Oxford in 1650...
, Joshua Hoyle
Joshua Hoyle
Joshua Hoyle was a Professor of Divinity at Trinity College, Dublin and Master of University College, Oxford during the Commonwealth of England.-Life:...
, Thomas Temple, and Richard Vines
Richard Vines
Richard Vines was an English clergyman, one of the Presbyterian leaders of the Westminster Assembly. He became Master of Pembroke Hall, Cambridge, from 1644 to 1650.-Life:...
He also acted as an Assessor.
Of Domesticall Duties and the family
Of Domesticall Duties (1622) was a popular and thorough text of its time discussing family life. It argued that husband and wife should be partners in marriage, and was an important conduct bookConduct book
Conduct books are a genre of books that attempt to educate the reader on social norms. As a genre, they began in the mid-to-late Middle Ages, although antecedents such as The Maxims of Ptahhotep are among the earliest surviving works...
of its period, running to later editions.
Gouge himself was father to 13 children. His wife Elizabeth, nee Calton and an orphan, died shortly after the birth of her thirteenth child. They had married in the early 17th century, in effect by arrangement, when Gouge was put under pressure by his family. Elizabeth had been brought up by the wife of an Essex minister, John Huckle, and was eulogised after her death.
His teaching on female submission was resisted even by his own congregation. He considered adultery
Adultery
Adultery is sexual infidelity to one's spouse, and is a form of extramarital sex. It originally referred only to sex between a woman who was married and a person other than her spouse. Even in cases of separation from one's spouse, an extramarital affair is still considered adultery.Adultery is...
equally bad in both genders, and encouraged love matches.
Other writings
According to Ann Thompson, The Whole Armor of God (1615) illustrates the shift from "transcendent faith" in William Perkins and Samuel WardSamuel Ward (scholar)
Samuel Ward was an English academic and a master at the University of Cambridge.-Life:He was born at Bishop Middleham, county Durham. He was a scholar of Christ's College, Cambridge, where in 1592 he was admitted B.A. In 1595 he was elected to a fellowship at Emmanuel, and in the following year...
, to "immanent faith" in a succeeding generation of Puritan writers.
In God's Three Arrows: Plague, Famine, Sword (1625 and 1631), he mentioned the idea that plague finds victims in poorer people, because they are more easily spared. They should not be allowed to flee affected areas, and nor should magistrates and the aged; but others may properly do so.
He supported the idea of holy war
Religious war
A religious war; Latin: bellum sacrum; is a war caused by, or justified by, religious differences. It can involve one state with an established religion against another state with a different religion or a different sect within the same religion, or a religiously motivated group attempting to...
, in common with other Protestant theologians of the time.
A massive Commentary on the Whole Epistle to the Hebrews appeared in 1655 in three volumes, replete with detail and sermon outlines. It was seen into print by Thomas Gouge
Thomas Gouge
Thomas Gouge was an English Presbyterian clergyman, a contemporary of Samuel Pepys, associated with the Puritan movement....
(c.1605-1681), his eldest son. It was later reprinted by James Nichol of Edinburgh, in 1866.
Works
- The Whole Armor of God (1615)
- Of Domestical Duties (1622)
- The dignitie of chiualrie (1626) sermon to the Artillery Company of London
- A Short Catechism (1635)
- A Recovery from Apostacy (1639)
- The Sabbath's Sanctification (1641)
- The Saint's Support (1642) fast sermon in Parliament
- The Progress of Divine Providence (1645)
- Commentary on Hebrews (1655)
Family
Five of his uncles were noted Puritans: Laurence ChadertonLaurence Chaderton
Laurence Chaderton was an English Puritan divine, and one of the translators of the King James Version of the Bible.-Life:...
and William Whitaker
William Whitaker (theologian)
William Whitaker was a prominent Anglican theologian. He was Master of St. John's College, Cambridge, and a leading divine in the university in the latter half of the sixteenth century.-Early life and education:...
married sisters of his mother, while Nathaniel, Samuel and Ezekiel Culverwell were her brothers. His cousin, Mary Culverwell, married Ezekiel Cheever
Ezekiel Cheever
Ezekiel Cheever was a schoolmaster, and the author of "probably the earliest American school book", Accidence, A Short Introduction to the Latin Tongue...
.