Marginalia1556. March.MarginaliaPriuy talke betwene the Archbyshop and his suffragan, and Doctor Barbar.D. Barbar, saying: come your wayes with me, for I must haue your aduise in a matter. When they were with him in his study all togethers, he said to them, you twayne be men in whom I haue had much confidence and trust: you must now giue me some good counsaile, for I am shamefully abused with one or twayne to whō I haue shewed all my secretes from tyme to tyme, and did trust them as my selfe. The matter is so now fallen out that they not onely haue disclosed my secretes, but also haue taken vpon them to accuse me of heresie and are become witnes against me. I require you therfore of your good aduices how I shall behaue my selfe towardes them. You are both my frendes, and such as I alwayes haue vsed when I needed counsell. What say you to the matter, quoth the Archbishop?
[Back to Top]MarginaliaThe Suffragan and Ciuilian geue iudgement against themselues.Mary, quoth Doct. Barbar, such vilens and knaues, (sauing your honour) were worthy to be hanged out of hand without any other law. Hanging were to good, quoth the Suffragan, and if there lacked one to do execution, I would be hangman my selfe.
[Back to Top]At these wordes, the Archbishop cast vp his handes to heauen and sayd: Oh Lord most merciful god, whom may a man trust now adayes? It is most true which is sayd: Maledictus qui confidit in homine, et ponit carnem brachium suum.
Maledictus qui confidit in homine, et ponit carnem brachium suum. Not translated. Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm. maledictus homo qui confidit in homine et ponit carnem brachium suum. [Accurate citation. N.B. Removal of the unnecessaryhomofrom the text in Foxe.]
Now, when all those letters and accusations were found, they were put into a Cheste, the kynges Maiestie mindyng to haue perused some of them and to haue partly punished the principals of it. The Chest and writynges were brought to Lābeth. At what time began the Parlament, MarginaliaPractice to get pardon for malefactours.Lorde what adoe there was, to procure the kyng a subsidie, to the intent that therupon might ensue a pardon, which in dede folowed, and so no thing was done, other then their falsehode knowen. This was the last push of the pike that was inferred agaynst the sayd Archbishop in kyng Henry the viij. his dayes: for neuer after durst any man moue matter against him in his tyme.
[Back to Top]And thus haue ye both the working and disclosing of this Popish conspiracy agaynst this worthy Archbishop and Martyr of CHRIST Tho. Cranmer. In the which conspiracie for somuch as complaint was also made vnto the kyng of his Chaplaines, and good preachers in Kent, it shall not be out of the story something likewise to touch therof, MarginaliaRichard Turner a faythfull preacher in Kent.especially of Rich. Turner thē Preacher the same tyme in this Archbishops Dioces and Curate to M. Moryce the Archbishops Secretary, in the Towne of Chartham, by whose diligent
[Back to Top]preachyng a great part of his hartburnyng of the Papistes tooke his first kyndlyng agaynst the Archbyshop.MarginaliaPapistes set agaynst the Archbishop by occasion of Turners preaching. Touchyng the descriptiō of which story, because by me nothing shalbe said either more or lesse, thē is the truth, ye shall heare the very certeinty therof truly compiled in a letter sent the same time to Doct. Buttes and Sir Anth. Deny, to be shewed vnto the king, and so it was, written by the foresaid M. Moryce Secretary then to the Archb. farmour of the same benefice of Chartham, and patrone
This is the same Ralph Morrice whose autobiographical sketch of Cranmer was the source for much of Foxe's account of Cranmer. For background on Turner's relationship with both Morrice and Cranmer see MacCulloch, Cranmer, pp. 302-03.
Actually the letter dates from 1543; see MacCulloch, Cranmer, pp. 302-04.
THe letter first beginning in these wordes: I am certeine right worshipfull, that it is not vnknowen to your discret wisedomes. &c. And after a few lynes, comming to the matter, thus the sayd letter procedeth:
MarginaliaThe troubles of Richard Turner minister at Chartham.As your worships well knowe, It was my chaunce to be brought vp vnder my Lord of Canterbury my master, in writing of þe Ecclesiasticall affaires of this realme, aswell touching the reformation of corrupt religion, as concerning þe aduauncement of þe pure and sincere religiō receiued by the doctrine of the Gospell, which I take to be so substātially handled and buylded vpon the doctrine of the Prophetes and Apostels, that hell gates shall neuer preuayle against it. The consideration wherof compelled me, being a Farmour of the Parsonage of Chartham in Kent, to retayne with me one named M. Richard Turner, a mā not onely learned in the scriptures of God, but also in conuersation of life towardes the world, irreprehensible, whom for discharging of my conscience I placed at Chartham aforesayd to bee Curate there.MarginaliaM. Raph Morris patrone of Richard Turner preacher. This man because hee was a straunger in the countrey there, and so thereby voyde of grudge or displeasure of any old rancour in the coūtrey, I thought it had bene a meane to haue gotten hym the better credite in his doctrine: but where malice once taketh fyre agaynst truth, no policie I see is able to quench it. Well, thys man as hee knew what appertayned vnto hys office, so hee spared not weekely both Sundayes and holydaies to open the Gospell and Epistell vnto hys audience, after such a sort (when occasion serued) that aswell by hys vehement inueying against the Bishop of Romes vsurped power & authoritie, as in the earnest setting forth and aduauncing of the kinges Maiesties supremacie, innumerable of the people of the coūtrey resorting vnto hys sermons, chaūged their opinions, and fauoured effectually the religion receiued. MarginaliaThe great concourse of people to M. Turners preaching.The confluence of the people so dayly encreased that the church beyng a fayre, ample, & large church, was not now and then able to receyue the number. The fame of this new instruction of the people was so blasted abroad, that the popish Priestes were wonderfully amased and displeased, to see their Pope so to be defaced, and their Prince so highly aduaunced.
[Back to Top]Now thought they, it is hygh tyme for vs to worke, or els al wil here be vtterly lost by this mans preaching. Some then went with Capons, some with Hens, some with Chickens, some with one thing, some wyth an other vnto the Iustices, such as then fauoured their cause & faction, & such as are no small fooles, MarginaliaSyr Iohn Baker, Syr Christopher Hales, Syr Thomas Moyle, Iustices, with the Prebendaries of Canterbury, persecuters of Gods people.as Syr Iohn Baker, Syr Christofer Hales, Syr Thomas Moyle Knightes, wyth other Iustices. The Prebendaries of CHRISTES Church in Canterbury were made priuy hereof, gyuing their succour and ayd thereunto: So that in conclusion poore Turner and other Preachers were greuously complayned of vnto the kings Maiesty. Whereupon my L. of Canterbury and certaine other Commissioners were appoynted to Lambeth to sit vpon the examination of these seditious Preachers. Howbeit before Turner went vp to hys examination, I obtayned of Syr Tho. Moyle that he in Easter weeke was content to heare Turner preach a rehearsall sermon in hys parish church at Westwell, MarginaliaSyr. Thomas Moyle hearing Turner could finde no fault with his doctrine.of all the doctrine of hys sermons preached at hys cure in Chartham, which hee most gently graunting, heard Turner both before noone and after noone on the Wedensday in Easter weeke last past, and (as it seemed) tooke al thinges in good part, remitting Turner home to hys sayd cure with gentle and fauorable wordes. I supposed by this meanes to haue stayed Master Turner at home from farther examination, hoping that Syr Tho-
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