Tillams Account Examined, Letter – Introduction
Worthy and endeared Friend;
I Having at laſt met with Mr. Tillam's Pamphlet, falſly intitled, A Chriſtian Account, I thought good in the firſt place to give you an account of him, and then of thoſe paſſages in his Pamphlet which relate to me. This Tillam, who is not aſhamed to call the Cenſures which the Church & People of God have paſſed upon him, The Trials of his grace, was for a ſhort time an Aporthecary, but fince having aſſumed to be an Anabaptiſtical Miniſter, by reaſon of his fasticuſneſs, pride, and turbulency of Spirit, hath been like a ball of Wild-fire toſſed from one end of the Nation to another; ſcattering his peſlilent errours with very great impudence and boldneſs in every place where he hath come. Now though I had heard in Lancaſhire, and other places (before my removal from Dedham) of the dangerous conditions of this man, and what diſturbance he had made in ſeveral places, in venting and propagating his Errours, yet now I am more fully certified of the truth of thoſe things which there I heard.
For brevity ſake I ſhall only give you an account of Mr. Samuel Eaton's, who is Paſtor of the Church of Duckenfield in Cheſhire, before whom one of Mr. Tillam's cauſes was examined, and by whom Mr. Tillam's Excommunication out of the Church at Wrexam was declared juſt and regular: Mr. Sam. Eaton's words are theſe, Mr. Tillam was excommunicated firſt by the Church at Wrexam, and afterwards his Excommunication was found and declared juſt by the Church at Duckenfield, The cauſes of his Excommunication were ſeveral; among others were theſe; The proof of ſeveral untruths told by him, intollerable pride, together with a viſible deſign to divide the Church, &c. but that he withdrew himſelf, and that his withdrawing (as Mr. Tillam excuſes the matter) was the cauſe of his Excommunication, is utterly falſe, and a meer evaſion; fir they were fully reſolved to caſt him out before he did withdraw himſelf, and he withdrew himſelf purpoſely to evade the ſentence: And many that were his Diſciples, and Rebaptized by him, when they heard things laid open, were ſatisfied to the juſtneſſe of the ſentence pronounced againſt him.
Thus far Mr. Sam. Eaton gave me an account of him: Now whether a man ſo eminent as Mr. Sam. Eaton (in a buſineſs where he can have no by-reſpects) is to be believed, or Mr. Tillam (one cauſe of whoſe Excommunication was lying) let all men judge.
As for that Church of Anabaptiſts in Cheſhire which he ſo much magnifies in his book, I ſhall not meddle with them, only this I ſhall ſay, that ſome of them, though under the Ordinance (as their expreſſion is) for which Mr. Tillam hath, and doth ſhew ſo much zeal, and therefore more likely to favour Mr. Tillam's cauſe; Yet (I ſay) ſome of them doe diſown him, as not fit to be communicated withall; and others have told me, that he is diſowned by their whole Church; yea ſome of that ſweet ſociety (as Mr. Tillam calls them) do ſuſpect him to be a Jeſuit; and ſeveral grounds they have of their ſuſpition, as themſelves have related to me.
Firſt, becauſe he hath acknowledged that once he was a Papiſt; and again he hath confeſſed (as ſome of them have told me) that he hath been at Rome.
Secondly, they have obſerved him to deliver doctrines in favour of Juſtification by Works: And truly though he ſo ſlightly paſs over that which Mr. Prin charges him withall, yet, I think, he ought, there being ſo much ground of ſuſpition, to have laboured more for his vindication in that particular, than meerly to ſay, It is a groſs ſlander.
Now as for thoſe paſſages in his Pamphlet which relate to me; Though I have underſtood by ſeveral perſons, that he hath not only a falſe tongue, but alſo a brazen face, yet I conceive he would never have been ſo impudent as to have uttered ſuch a reproach without the leaſt ground, but that he hoped it would never have come to my knowledge, I being now ſo far remote. But I have now at laſt providentially obtained a ſight of his Pamphlet, and for my own vidication, I ſhall give an account of all that paſſed betwixt him and me, whence he hath taken an hint to forg all thoſe reproaches he caſleth upon me.
I being occaſionally with Mr. Malyn, Secretary to the Lord Protector, and with Mr. Wakering, and ſome other Gentlemen at Whitehall, there was mention made of this ſame Tillam, and the Inſtrument whereby he was authorized to preach in any vacant place, which Mr. Malyn hearing of, ſaid, He was very confident he never had any ſuch Inſtrument granted him by the Protector: And that there never was any granted him, he told me, and ſome Gentlemen there, after that he had been with his Highneſs the Lord Protector to enquire about it. Yea he added further, that an Order ſhould iſſue out to apprehend him. What I then heard, I related to ſome particular perſons, whom I occaſionally had ſome diſcourſe withal concerning Mr. Tillam.
Some weeks after Mr. Tillam came to me, charging me that I ſhould ſay hisInſtrument was conterfeited: To whom I anſwered it was not ſo: But nevertheleſs what I had heard, and from whom I heard it, as I had told others, ſo now alſo I would acquaint him, and all that is above-mentioned touching the diſcourſe with Mr. Malyn concerning him and his Inſtrument, I related to him; and added, that if any wrong were done him, he muſt ſeek to Mr. Malyn, Secretary to the Lord Protector, for reparations. Yet I further told him, if he would produce his Inſtrument, and if upon the ſight of it I ſhould be convinced that it was a reality, upon a Chriſtian Account I would tell thoſe perſons who heard the former relation from me, that I had ſince ſeen his Inſtrument, and that it was a real thing. Now that this is the truth and the ſubſtance of all that which was ſaid by me, thoſe two eminent Miniſters that Mr. Tillam ſpeaks of in his Pamphlet (viz. Mr. Hudſon of Capel, and Mr. Walker of Aſsington) wil atteſt. And if this be the truth, and thoſe fore-named Miniſters wil give teſtimony to it (as they ſay they wil) then either both I and they are lyars, and ſtirred up by Satan, the Father of lyes (as Mr. Tillam expreſſes it) or elſe Mr. Tillam (who for lying, among other things, was Excommunicate, and ſo given up to the Father of lyes) hath not yet repented of, nor is delivered from that ſin, but ſeems now rather to have habituated himſelfe unto it, as I ſhall make appear by a paſſage or two in his book, which ſavours much of that lying ſpirit.
Not to ſtand to ſhew how little ground Mr. Tillam had, upon my relating of what I heard, to bottom thoſe expreſſions of his upon, (viz. That I calumniated him, that I falſly accuſed him, that I confidently affirmed, that his Inſtrument was conterfeited) little untruths are not worthy to be taken notice of, when they come from Mr. Tillam's either Tongue or Pen.
But ſuch a Forchead of braſſe, and ſuch a Conſcience of brawn has he, that he is not afraid, nor aſhamed to ſay, after my falſhood was diſcovered.
But when was this diſcovery made? in what place? and before what witneſſes? He that helped him to make that (I mean his Father of lyes) muſt either help him with another, or elſe this will appear to be, as it is, a loud one.
But Mr. Tillam ſaith, That I (with two eminent Miniſters) laboured for peace.
To labour for peace I know is a Chriſtian duty, yet not with an Excommunicate perſon. And how I and the aboveſaid Miniſters laboured for peace with Mr. Tillam, you ſhall judge by that which follows.
Firſt, I ſhall ask Mr. Tillam, whether I went from Dedham to him at Colcheſter, or he came from Colcheſter to me at Dedham? If he came to me, hitherto Mr. Tillam (and not I) laboured and took the pains.
Secondly, when Mr. Tillam was at Dedham, whether I ſought after, and went to him, or he to me? If he to me, then hitherto alſo Mr. Tillam, and not I, laboured and took the pains.
Thirdly, after Mr. Tillam was at my houſe, whether I laboured any further, or took any more pains with him, than ſpeaking the words rehearſed before? Indeed this I did, having heard that Mr. Tillam had been convicted of, and excommunicated for lying, among other things (though then I had not certain proof of it, as now I have) I deſired thoſe two fore-named Miniſters, being then at my houſe, to hear what ſhould paſs in diſcourſe betwixt us, leſt Mr. Tillam ſhould afterwards (according to his manner) beſpatter me, as he had done ſome others with groſs untruths, and his Pamphlet may evidence I had good reaſon ſo to do.
But that I laboured for peace myſelfe, further than is expreſſed before, or that I ever deſired either of thoſe eminent Miniſters to labour for peace on my behalf, is falſe, and it comes from Mr. Tillam's Father of lyes.
In the third page of his book he mentions a project of mine, what it is I know not, unleſs it be this honeſt one, That an Impoſtor who grows worſe and worſe, deceiving, and being deceived, may be diſcovered. But what ever project I had, this I diſcern to be one in Mr. Tillam, who that he may breed prejudices in his Diſciples againſt the Teſtimony of thoſe that bear witneſs againſt him, uſeth to ſay, they are his enemies; as if all thoſe perſons, that in ſeveral parts of this Nation, have teſtified againſt Mr. Tillam and his waies (whereof ſome are eminent for learning and religion) were acted from a principle of envy and malice againſt him, and not from zeal to God and his truth.
But that that Great untruth (viz. an eminent diſcovery of my Falſhood) may not be thought a ſlip of his Pen, but a deliberate birth, formed by the Father of lyes, he repeats it, and puts an emphaſis upon it, page 3. (not dictating any falſhood, ſo eminently diſcovered) all that I ſhall ſay to this, is onelyonly thus much; That I never had any diſcourſe with Mr. Tillam in all my life, but that which was mentioned before in my own houſe at Dedham, when thoſe two Miniſters with ſome others were there; And if thoſe two Reverend Miniſters (Mr. Hudſon, and Mr. Walker) will not teſtifie that it is eminently falſe, that there was any falſhood diſcovered in me at that time, then let not onelyonly this, but all the reſt that Mr. Tillam is charged withall, be ſaid at my door.
But I ſhall not any further trouble my ſelf with him; God (I hope) will in ſhort time lay him open, what he is, that he may proceed no further inſeducing ſimple and unwary ſoules.
Your affectionate Friend Robert Eaton.
The following ſheets were done by another hand; in the Vindication of Mr. Hammond: when you ſhall find a ſatisfactory Anſwer to the Reminder of Mr. Tillam's abuſive Pamphlet.