1675. life and character unexceptionable; but who had undertak- early imbibed other sentiments than those which ing, and the Mr. Bull had published, and thence had read both tations from the Scriptures and the ancient church writers with

high expec

him.

quite another view: and, besides, he being beneficed in the church, for the doctrines of which, against all innovations and innovators, he expressed an extraordinary zeal; and governor at the same time of an house in the university, which was by his diligence and exact discipline made to flourish; and chaplain also in ordinary to the king: all this could not but make it to look somewhat more like a battery from the side of the Church of England, as it was intended, than any that had yet been; and there would thus want one objection at least against him in Mr. Bull's favour, which was too obvious not to have been taken notice of, in the case of one, if not both of Mr. Bull's former adversaries. An answer therefore was accordingly undertaken by this learned doctor, with no small confidence of success.

Some nevertheless of his friends would feign have modest men dissuaded him from engaging in this matter, being of opinion, that he would but hereby create himself an unnecessary labour, without serving the church, contentions. according as he purposed : and they plainly told him, that the point disputed was not of all that consequence which he took it to be; and that therefore it would be more advisable to drop the controversy, for the sake of the church's peace, than by this means to revive and keep it up; especially considering, that probably in the end this would turn to a mere strife about terms. They who gave him this advice, whosoever they were, had not hitherto declared themselves on either side, as it appears, but expressed themselves with much candour and mo- 1675. deration towards both: and would gladly have allayed the heats of one against the other, and amicably have composed their differences. But Dr. Tully was not able to bear this their lukewarmness and indifferency, as it appeared to him to be: and so far was their sober admonition from working upon him, that this did but the more raise his zeal, and quicken him to persist the more steadfastly in his " resolution, of defending what he looked on, as the very palladium of the reformation. And so deep was this notion imprinted on his mind, that he was amazed any one should think otherwise: nor could he tell how to pardon them, who charitably advised him not to intermeddle in this cause, which bishop Sanderson x declined, because he was not for entering into a controversy, whereof he could never expect to see an end. Yea, the more he was convinced that these were wise and learned men, and lovers of the truth, his admiration grew the greater; and he could not forbear breaking out into the highest astonishment, that such as these should be so far carried away with the gallionism of the age, as to consider the most noble and momentous of all controversies (in his opinion) as little better than a squabble about words. Thus there were several endeavours used to quash that intestine strife in the church. But nothing it seems was able to divert the doctor's purpose of engaging Mr. Bull, when he was once resolved of the matter, and so he pursued his design, being borne up with an immoderate as

1675. surance of the goodness of his cause, even so far as to fancy the light or evidence thereof to be clearer than the sun himself.

What Mr. Bull did when he

heard Dr.

Tully was

writing against him.

XXXIX. A great while before it went to the press, the book, which Dr. Tully had been set to write, for the reasons already suggested, was discoursed of at Oxford: and thus coming to the knowledge of the worthy person, against whom it was principally directed, he thought it his duty to consult, as much as in him lay, the peace of the church; that so the adversaries thereof might have no occasion to triumph. And therefore he resolved to offer the doctor all reasonable satisfaction in the first place, entreating him, for that end, the favour of a friendly conference betwixt them: that so, before he should publish what he was preparing against him for the press, they might come rightly to understand each other, and not lose in the combat what they were both equally contending for. Whence he pressed him much, that the truth might be so amicably and candidly examined by them, as became Christians and divines, that no cause of scandal might remain; but that on the contrary, every offence might be removed so far as was possible. And if any had been justly given, by his Dissertations upon Justification, or by either of them, or any error or mistake by him therein committed, he said, it should freely be owned and confessed by him, so soon as ever it could be made to appear; this however was denied him, of which he afterwards complained; and it was thought he had reason so to do. For,

While this treatise of Dr. Tully was yet, accord

a

ing to his own expression, sticking in the birth, 1675. there was brought about a meeting of him and Mr. What passBull, for this very end. At which, Mr. Bull telling ed at isit him how he heard that he was writing against him, to Dr.Tully. did very earnestly beseech him, “above all things to " consider well the peace of God's church, and to "take diligent heed, lest by public dissension be"tween two divines of the same communion, the " enemies of our church might take occasion of up" braiding and reproaching her; or, besides the " schismatics, some even of her own weak members " might happen to be offended hereby also. And " did therefore entreat him, that he would for pre"venting this evil be pleased, as a friend, to com"municate to him his papers; upon this condition, "that if by these he could make it out, that he " had written any thing against sound doctrine, he " would not refuse publicly to retract his error." This proposal appeared then so very reasonable, that Dr. Tully seemed to agree to it, and answered, "That he might in a very little while "send him perhaps a copy of those his papers." But after this, Mr. Bull never once heard from him; nor had any reason given him for the alteration of his mind.

publishes

At length, about the beginning of the year 1674, Dr. Tully there was published at Oxford, after much expecta-his answer tion, permissu superiorum, according as the title to Mr. Bull. page expresseth it, a Latin treatise; which was inscribed, Justificatio Paulina sine operibus, ex mente Ecclesiæ Anglicanæ, omniumque reliquarum quæ Reformatæ audiunt asserta et illustrata contra

[Apol. pro Harım. sect. ii. 4.]

1675. nuperos NOVATORES: Authore Tho. Tullio, S.T. P. &c. that is, Justification, as delivered by St. Paul, without works, asserted and illustrated according to the sense of the Church of England, and of all the rest of the reformed churches, against the late innovators: by Thomas Tully, D. D. and Principal of Edmund hall in Oxford, &c. with the permission of superiors; in 4to. To this was also added another short tract at the end, in answer more particularly to the ninth chapter of Mr. Bull's second dissertation of his Harmonia, without ever mentioning his name, under the title of Dissertatiuncula de Sententia Paulina, Rom. vii. a com. 14; in qua ostenditur Paulum de se loqui regenito, non autem in persona hominis nondum regeniti. i. e. A short Dissertation, concerning the meaning of St. Paul in the viith to the Romans, from the 14th verse; wherein is shewn, that St. Paul speaketh not in the person of a man unregenerate, but of himself as regenerate. Now notwithstanding that the author was encouraged to the publication of this book by bishop Morley 2; * who read it over in manuscript, not without some shew of approbation, (the Appendix aforesaid only excepted, which we are told was revised and approved by another learned prelate of our church, whose name is not indeed expressed; but whom I suppose to have been the then bishop of Lincoln, even his good friend Dr. Barlow, latelyb advanced to that see ;) it is yet said, he met with no small obstructions in the bringing it forth, and was forced at last to

a