Tract 3.
CERTAIN MINERAL AND METAPHYSICAL SCHOOLPOINTS
20 February 1589
Note: This tract is in two columns on one side of a single sheet, approx 25 × 32 cms. The title and final paragraphs cover both columns, with line endings indicated by a dot. Missing fragments of the original are indicated by square brackets.
Certain Mineral, and Metaphysical Schoolpoints [ ] the reverend [ ] of my clergy masters of the Convocation house, agai[nst t]he reformed Churches [ ] where- in is laid open, the very quintessence of all Catercorner d[ prev]enting of the Cavils of these wra[ ] persons by whom, and the places where these mysteries [ ]ned, are for the most part plainly set down[ ] to the view of all men, and that to the [ ] most reverend fathers.
1 That the Puritans may as well deny the son of God to be Homoouseos1, that is, Consubstantial with God the father, as they may deny the superiority of Archbishops and Bishops to be lawful. The defendant in this point, is father John of Fulham, in his preface before Barnardeus de Loque's book of the Church, published in English.
2 That a Lord Bishop may safely have two wives in esse2 at once: the defendant in this point, is father Marmaduke, Bishop of St Davids, who has two now living: the one, Elizabeth Gigge, the other Alice Pryme. Proved against him before the high commission.
3 That our Saviour Christ, in soul descended into hell: the defendant in this point, is father John of Lambeth, T.C., page 44. But you must not take this T.C. of mine for Thomas Cartwright, this is profane T.C.
4 That our Saviour Christ in his sermons, usually swore by his faith. For he said Amen, Amen, which is as much to say, as by my faith: the defendant in this point, is father Thomas of Winchester, alias profane T.C., page 62.
5 That Moses, in giving a bill of divorcement, Deut. 24, broke the moral law of God: the defendant in this point, is Thomas of Winchester, alias profane T.C., page 111.
6 That papistry is better than the sincere profession of the gospel, which falsely men call puritanism: the defendant in this point, is father Edmond of Worcester.
7 That the public fasts and the prayers of the puritans were the cause of the invasion of the Spaniards, and of all other troubles and turmoils within the land: the defendant in this point, is father William of Litchfield and Coventry, alias Parson of Solihull.
8 That the long prayers of the Puritans, before and after their sermons, are nothing else but beeble babble, beeble, babble: the defendant in this point, is father John of Fulham, in Mr3. Cawdry's examination.
9 That there is no other way of trial before the high commission but by apeaching4 and accusing a man's self, and that no State can stand without such answering and swearing: the defendants in this point, are Thom. Cooper, John Canterbury and some others, at the examination of Mr.Wigginton, at Lambeth, in December last, 1588.
10 That it is as lawful for our Lord Bishops to make bad ministers, as it was for the Disciples of our Saviour to pluck the ears of corn on the Sabbath to slake their hunger: the defendant in this point, is father Thomas of Winchester, alias profane T.C.
11 That reading is preaching: the defendant in this point, is father John a Bridges, page 564,565.
12 That the magistrate may lawfully maim and deform the body of Christ, to wit, the Church: the defendants in this point, are all the 24 orders of Bishops, and especially father Canterbury.
13 That more good may be wrought by our ordinary service than by preaching, the defendant in this point, is father John a Bridges, page 652.
14 That the cross in baptism, and organs in cathedral churches, are as necessary as a preaching ministry: the defendant in this point, is father Goodman of Westminster.
15 That our Lord Bishops in England, are the bishops of the devil: the defendant in this point (I thank him) is father John of Sarum, page 339, 340.
16 That true baptism may be out of the Church: the defendant in this point, is father Robert Some, page 158 of his book against I.P.
17 That it is no more unlawful for a minister to have many benefices, than for a temporal man to have many Lordships: the defendant in this point, is father Richard Cosins.
18 That one priest or elder may have a lawful superior authority over the universal body of the Church: the defendant in this point, is father John a Bridges, page 448, line 3.
19 That S.Paul erred very grossly, I.Cor.1:21, Rom.10:14, in holding the preaching of the word to be the only ordinary means of salvation. The defendants in this point, are all the clergy masters of the Convocation house.
20 That the people ought to have as much to do in matters of State, as in the election of their ministers: the defendant in this point, is father Thomas of Winchester, alias profane T.C., page 43.
21 That our common book of prayer is without all suspicion of [ : the] defendant is, father John of Sarum in his preface, and page 652.
22 That the surplice is her Majesty's badge and cognisance: the defendant in this point, is father John Mar-elm5, in Mr.Cawdry's examination.
23 That the bishops gather up sums of money beforehand, against the time of the necessary service of their country: the defendant in this point, is father Thomas of Winchester, profane T.C., page 148.
24 That he may be a lawful and good minister of the gospel, which is not fit to teach: the defendant, is father Thomas of Winchester, T.C., page 109, 110.
25 That the Archbishop of Canterbury etc., in holding baptism administered by women to be the seal of God's covenant, is an absurd heretic: the defendant in this point, is father Robert Some, in his table of Mr.Penry's errors, page 3.
26 That the Archbishop of Canterbury is a giddy head and to be bridled, because he allowed the defacing of the Apocrypha by Mr.Dr.Whitaker, in his readings against Bellarmina6: the defendant is father Thomas of Winchester, profane T.C., page 49.
27 That without two benefices, a minister cannot well furnish himself of books: the defendant in this point, is father Bullen of Litchfield.
28 That all reformed churches are to be condemned, and the popish church only to be embraced in these three points, viz. first in the descending of Christ's soul into hell, secondly in the superiority of ministers over their fellow brethren, thirdly in attributing the name priest unto the ministers of the New Testament: the defendant in this point against all men, is father John of Lambeth, cum privilegio, profane T.C., page 44,45.
29 That the state of England at this present is so disordered, that whatsoever an ecclesiastical officer may do by authority, the same a private subject thinks he may do at his own will and pleasure: the defendant in this point, is Mistress Cooper's husband, alias profane T.C., page 94.
30 That it is the general disease of Englishmen to have in admiration the persons and states of other countries, and to loath their own: the defendant in this point, is father Thomas of East Meon7, alias profane T.C., page 105.
31 That her Majesty and our governors cannot take away Bishop's livings from them, unless they be entrapped by the devil's sophistry to suffer him to work mischief in the Church, and to trouble the commonwealth: the defendant is the Tubtrimmer of Winchester, profane T.C., page 155.
32 That the doctrine of our Saviour Christ concerning the equality of ministers, Luke 22:25; and the doctrine of S.Paul concerning the perpetuity of the Church government by pastors, doctors, elders and deacons, Rom.12:6,7,8, Ephes.4:13, I.Tim.6:13,14, is too great a bridle unto Christian liberty: the defendant in this point, is father Thomas of Winchester, alias profane T.C., page 135, and all the terrible priests.
33 That Christ Jesus the son of God, was not so faithful in the government of his own house as Moses was, for Moses ordained a government that might not be changed by man, so did not Christ: the defendants in this point, are all the 24 orders of Bishops,8 and all the clergy masters.
34 That the Creed of the Apostles and of Athanasius, the Nicene, etc. contain many palpable lies in them, for the Apocrypha (which has many outrageous lies in it, as in 2.Esdra.14:21, Judith 11:5,18, Tob.5:12) is in authority, next to the canonical scriptures: the defendant in this point, is father Thomas of Winchester, profane T.C., page 49.
35 That it is not lawful for her Majesty to bestow the Bishop's livings upon laymen: the defendant in this point, is father Thomas Winchester, profane T.C., page 252.
36 That it may be accounted for one of our Bishops' great faults, that they have not hitherto by excommunication, constrained our prince and magistrates to do that which by persuasion they would [not] do: the defendant in this point, is father Thomas of Winchester, profane T.C., page 137.
37 That the State of England cannot possibly stand without Lord Bishops. And so, that the Crown of England cannot stand without the Crown of Canterbury. The defendant in this point, is father Thomas of Winchester, profane T.C., page 78, and all the 24 orders of Bishops. Upon whom I bestow this odd point.
Good Reader, if you know of any that dare argue or dispute, against any of the former points: that is, if you know any that d[are] defend Christ Jesus and his prerogative, the truth of his word, the credit of St. Paul, the verity of the Apostle’s Creed, her Majesty and her pre[rogative, and] stand to the received truth in the reformed churches and gainsay popish errors. Briefly, if you know of any that dare defend the state of Eng[land, at this present] be so disordered, as before is set down, Article 29, and dare withstand the public, general dishonour and slander of the whole English nation [ .] Let him set up his name and we will send a pursuivant for him. Whosoever he be, the matters shall be according unto order, quietly tried out b[ ] and the bare walls in the Gatehouse, or some other prison.
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1. Grk: Homoousios, 'of the same substance'.
2. Lat: esse: being. or existence.
3. Master, as in 'master of arts'
4. impeaching
5. John Mar-elm, ie John Elmar, Bp of London.
6. Robert Cardinal Belarmine S.J. (1542-1621).
7. The Bp of Winchester’s palace was at East Meon.
8. There were 24 dioceses in England and Wales at the time.
This HTML edition and modernised spellings © John D. Lewis, 2000.
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