Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Tuke, Thomas
TUKE, THOMAS (d. 1657), royalist divine, was educated at Christ's College, Cambridge, where he proceeded B.A. in 1599 and commenced M.A. in 1603. He was ‘minister of God's word’ at St. Giles's-in-the-Fields, London, in 1616. On 19 July 1617 he was presented by James I to the vicarage of St. Olave Jewry, and he held that living till 16 March 1642–3, when he was sequestered, plundered, and imprisoned for his adherence to the royalist cause (Mercurius Rusticus, p. 256). In 1651 he was preaching at Tattershall, Lincolnshire. Richard Smyth, in his ‘Obituary’ (p. 45), notes that on 13 Sept. 1657 ‘old Mr. Thomas Tuke, once minister at St. Olave's in the Old Jury, was buried at ye new chapell by the new markett place in Lincoln's Inn Fields.’ His wife Mary was buried at St. Olave's on 17 June 1654.
Subjoined is a list of his principal works, most of which are extremely rare: 1. A translation made in collaboration with Francis Cacot of William Perkins's ‘Christian and Plaine Treatise of … Predestination,’ London, 1606, 8vo. 2. ‘The Trve Trial and Turning of a Sinner,’ London, 1607, 8vo. 3. ‘The Treasvre of Trve Love. Or a lively description of the loue of Christ vnto his Spouse,’ London, 1608, 12mo. 4. ‘The Highway to Heauen; or the doctrine of Election, effectuall Vocation, Iustification, Sanctification, and eternall Life,’ London, 1609, 8vo. A Dutch translation by H. Hexham was published at Dordrecht, 1611, 4to. 5. ‘The Pictvre of a true Protestant; or, Gods House and Husbandry: wherein is declared the duty and dignitie of all Gods children, both Ministers and People,’ London, 1609, 8vo. 6. ‘A very Christian, learned and briefe Discourse, concerning the true, ancient, and Catholicke Faith,’ London, 1611, 12mo, translated from the Latin of St. Vincent de Lerins. 7. ‘A Discovrse of Death, bodily, ghostly, and eternall: nor vnfit for Sovldiers warring, Seamen sayling, Strangers trauelling, Women bearing, nor any other liuing that thinkes of Dying,’ London, 1613, 4to. 8. ‘The Practice of the Faithful; containing many godly praiers,’ London, 1613, 8vo. 9. ‘New Essayes: Meditations and Vowes: including in them the Chiefe Duties of a Christian both for Faith and Manners,’ London, 1614, 12mo. 10. ‘The Christians Looking-Glass,’ London, 1615, 8vo. 11. ‘A Treatise against paint[i]ng and tinctvring of Men and Women: against Murther and Poysoning: against Pride and Ambition: against Adulterie and Witchcraft, and the roote of all these, Disobedience to the Ministrie of the Word. Whereunto is added the Pictvre of a Pictvre, or the Character of a Painted Woman,’ London, 1616, 4to. The ‘Picture of a Picture’ was originally printed as a broadside, of which a copy is in the Douce collection at the Bodleian Library. Mr. Grosart says this treatise ‘is of the raciest in its style, drollest in its illustrations, most plain-speaking and fiery in its invectives.’ 12. ‘Index Fidei et Religionis, sive Dilucidatio primi & secundi capitis Epistolæ Catholicæ Divi Jacobi,’ London [1617], 4to. 13. ‘A Theological Discourse of the gracious and blessed conjunction of Christ and a sincere Christian,’ London, 1617, 8vo. 14. ‘Concerning the Holy Eucharist, and the Popish Breaden-God, to the men of Rome, as well laiqves as cleriqves’ [in verse, London], 1625, 4to; 2nd edit. 1636, 4to; reprinted for private circulation in the ‘Miscellanies of the Fuller Worthies' Library,’ 1872, with an introduction and notes by the Rev. Alexander B. Grosart. 15. ‘The Israelites Promise or Profession made to Joshua,’ London, 1651, 8vo. [Works in Brit. Mus. Libr.; Addit. MS. 5882, f. 35; Bodleian Cat.; Hazlitt's Handbook and Collections; Cat. of the Huth Library; Newcourt's Repertorium, i. 115; Notes and Queries, 2nd ser. xii. 521; Walker's Sufferings of the Clergy, ii. 178.]