Tully, Thomas

, a learned English divine and controversial writer, was born in St. Martin’s parish in the city of Carlisle, July 22, 1620, and was educated partly at the free-school there, and afterwards at Barton-kirk in Westmoreland. He was entered of Queen’s college, Oxford, in 1634, where Gerard Langbaine was his tutor, and attained a fellowship. In 1642 he was created M. A. and became master of the grammar-school at Tetbury in Gloucestershire; but this he seems to have accepted rather as a retreat, while Oxford was garrisoned during the rebellion, for after the surrender of the garrison, he returned to his college, and became a noted tutor and preacher, and in 1657 was admitted bachelor of divinity. He was soon after made principal of Edmund-hall, which he found almost empty, but raised it, as Wood informs us, to a state as flourishing as that of any hall in Oxford. After the restoration, he was created D. D. and was made chaplain to his majesty. He was also presented to the rectory of Griggleton, or Grittleton, near Malmsbury in Wiltshire, by Thomas Gore of Alderton, esq. who had been one of his pupils, and in 1675 | the king conferred upon him the deanery of Rippon, which he did not long enjoy, as he died on January 14 following, 1675-6, at the parsonage house at Griggleton, and was interred in the chancel of that church.

Wood says, Dr. Tully “was a pious man, and many ways very learned, chiefly read in the more ancient writers, yet not so wholly addicted to the perusal of them, but that at some times-he took delight to converse with later authors. He was a person of severe morals, puritanically inclined, and a strict Calvinist,” which Wood thinks was some hindrance to him in the way of promotion, but his promotions were certainly not inconsiderable. His principal works are, 1. “Logica Apodeictica, sive Tractatus brevis et dilucidus de demonstratione; cum dissertatiuncula Gassendi eodem pertinente,” Oxon. 1662, 8vo. 2. “A Letter to a friend in Wilts (his patron Mr. Gore) upon occasion of a late ridiculous pamphlet, wherein was inserted a pretended prophecy of Thomas Becket,” Lond. 1666, 4to. 3. “Enchiridion didacticum, cum appendice de coena Domini, expositione Symboli apostolici et orationis Dominica;,” London, 1673. According to Wood, some of the contents of this volume had been published separately. 4. “Justificatio Paulina sine Operibus, cum dissertat. ad Rom. vii. 14.” Oxon. 1674, 4to. This was levelled chiefly at Bull’s “Harinonia Apostolica,” (See Bull, vol. VII. p. 267), and Baxter’s “Aphorisms on Justification;” and both replied to Dr. Tully, Bull in his “Apology for the Harmony,” and Baxter in a “Treatise on Justifying Righteousness, &c.” To the latter Dr. Tully rejoined in “A Letter to Mr. Richard Baxter, &c.” Oxon. 1675, 4to. He also translated from French into English “A brief relation of the present troubles in England,” Oxon. 1645, 4to.

There was another of this name, George Tully, son of Isaac Tully of Carlisle, who, we conjecture, was a nephew of the above Dr. Tully. He was educated at Queen’s college, Oxford, and was beneficed in Yorkshire. He died rector of Gateside near Newcastle, subdean of York, &c. in 1697. He was a zealous writer against popery, and was suspended for a sermon he preached and published in 1686, against the worship of images, and had the honour, as he terms it himself, to be the first clergyman in England who suffered in the reign of James II. “in defence of our religion against popish superstition and idolatry.” He was one of the translators of “Plutarch’s Morals,” “Cornelius Nepos,” and | “Suetonius,” all which were, according to the phrase in use, “done into English by several hands.” Thomas Tully, author of the funeral sermon on the death of bishop Rainbow, which is appended to Banks’s Life of that prelate, was, we presume, of the same family as the preceding. He died chancellor of Carlisle about 1727. ¹