Anno Domini <1617/8> he was admitted at Magdalen-hall, in Oxon. Anno <1621>, A.B.; Anno <1624>, A.M. He read to pupills, and was tutor there to John Wilkins, afterwards bishop of Chester. He was a great master of the Greeke tongue, and the Hebrue he understood well. He alwaies carried a little Greeke Testament about with him; he had <it> almost memoriter. He was an admirable disputant; I remember he was wont to say, that to be a good disputant, 'tis requisite for one to be a good grammarian, as well as logician. I have forgott if he was pupill to the learned Mr. <William> Pemble; but his favourite he was. He was soon taken notice of for his curious searching, piercing witt: he preached somewhere eastwards from Oxon, and had a company[1081] followed him; and 'twas predicted he would doe a great deale of mischiefe to the Church of England, reflecting upon what ... sayes, that the greatest witts have donne the most mischiefe to the Church, introducing new opinions, etc. Anno ... he was vicar of a market-towne[1082] in Herefordshire, where he was very well beloved by his parish, and Sir ... Croftes, eldest brother to the now bishop of Hereford, built a house in Leominster, to live there, to heare him preach. Anno ... he writt ..., 8vo, dedicated to John Scudamore, viscount Slego, baron of ... drum[1083]. Anno 1645, 1646, he was master of the Temple at London, i.e. minister. In 1647 he was supplanted there by parson Johnson. Then he went into his owne country, to Beaudley (a market-towne), at which time Mr. Baxter (his antagonist) preacht at Kitterminster, the next market-towne, two miles distant. They preacht against one another's doctrines, and printed against each other. Mr. Tombes was the Coryphæus of the Anabaptists: both had great[1084] audience; they went severall miles on foot to each doctor. Once (I thinke oftner), they disputed face to face, anno ...; and the followers were like two armies, about 1500 of a party; and truly, at last they fell by the eares, hurt was donne, and the civill magistrate had much adoe to quiet them. About anno 1664 he came to the Act at Oxford (quaere), and did there in vesperiis sett up a challenge to maintaine contra omnes gentes the Anabaptisticall doctrine; but not a man would grapple with him. Now, though primâ facie this might seeme very bold to challenge a whole University, 'twas not so very strange neither, for he came throughly prepared, after 30 yeares' study and thoughts, and most of them surprised.
Scripsit....
Dr. <Robert> Sanderson, lord bishop of Lincolne, and he, had a greate esteeme for each other, so also had Dr. <Thomas> Barlowe (now bishop there). Putting aside his Anabaptisticall positions, he was comformable enough to the Church of England. About 1658 or 9, he maried the widowe of ... Dove, of Salisbury, and went to hear the Common Prayer there, and recieved the Sacraments; and sometimes wayted on bishop Ward, who respected him for his learning. He was thought to be as great a divine as most we had after bishop Sanderson dyed. I remember he never, or seldome, was wont to say Our Saviour Christ, but My Lord Christ. He seemed to be a very pious and zealous Christian. I have heard him say (though he was much opposite to the Romish religion) that truly, for his part, should he see a poor zealous friar goeing to preach, he should pay[1085] him respect. He was but a little man, neat limbed, a little quick searching eie, sad, gray. He dyed at Salisbury, May 22, and was buried 25th, in St. Edmund's church-yard, anno Domini 1676, opposite to the steeple, a good distance on the north side. His daughter dyed 7 yeares before him, and haz a grave-stone on her, with an inscription. He lyes there, and in the same stone is since engraven an inscription to the purpose already written of Mr. John Tombes.
According to your desire I have sent you (although long, for it), my cozen Gore and my cozen Gastrell's nativityes; also your brother William who is now in this countrey desired mee to send you up Mr. Francis Potter's place of interment in the church at Killmanton, and the inscriptions on Mr. Tombs' and his daughter's tombston.
I have enquired of Mr. Kent; and hee sayth that Mr. Potter is buryed in Killmanton church, but in what part of the church hee knoweth not.
The inscription on Mr. Tombes his tomb is first:—
'Here lyeth the body of Elizabeth the wife of Mr. Wolston Abbott,'
and under itt this inscription on the same stone:—
'Here <lyeth> the body of Mr. John Tombes, Batchelour in Divinity, a constant preacher of God's word, who deceased the 22d of May 1676, aged 73.'