MarginaliaAnno. 1556. Marche.with manifest lyes and fables, as this one is of Turners comming home in such a triumph as they craftely and falsely had deuised? It is easely to be espied what they meane and go about, that the Prince being a lyue dare take in hand so vncurteously to abuse both the gentle nature of the Prince, and his godly Preacher, the adua?cer and extoller of his iust authoritie. What thinke your worships they would attempt, if his maiesty were at Gods mercy (as God forfend that euer any of vs should see that day, without better reformati?) that can thus dally with his hyghnes, blyndyng his eyes with mistes, whylest he lyueth and raygneth amongst vs in most prosperitie? As for my Lord of Canterbury dare nothing do for the poore mans delyuery, he hath done so much for him already. And his Grace hath told me playnly that it is put into the kinges head, that he is the maynteyner and supporter of all the heretickes with in the Realme, nor will not permit me nor my neighbors to resort vnto the Co?saile for his purgati? whilest he was at Chartham, sauing onely I haue obtained this at his hand, that I may become a suter in writing to my frendes and good Masters in the court for his deliuery.

And therfore it is (right worshipfull) that I haue now taken pen in hand, thus to discourse and open our miserie vnto you concernyng the extreme handling of this honest poore man M. Turner, that if it may possibly bee brought to passe by your godly wisedomes, that the poore man may be released and discharged of his recantation, you c? not do to God & your Prince a more acceptable seruice, in my poore opinion. For otherwise if he should bee driuen to recant (as I am sure hee will sooner dye) both Gods cause and the kynges shal suffer no small detriment amongest his poore louyng subiectes here. For if there be no better stay for the maynteinaunce of these godly Preachers, the kynges authoritie concernyng hys supremacie, shal lye post alone hidden in the Act of Parlament, and not in the hartes of his subiectes. If they can bring to passe, that Turner may recant, to the defacyng of his good doctrine preached here, then haue they that for which they haue thus long trauailed. And yet in effect shall not Turner recant, but kyng Henry the viii. in Turners person shall most odiously recant to the woundyng of all mens consciences here. If the kynges Maiestie do not esteme his authoritie giuen to his highnes by Gods word and his Parlam?t, it were well done, that the Preachers had good warnyng to talke no more to the people thereof, then thus to be tossed and tormoiled for doyng their duties, by the members of Antichrist.

And now to the intent that they might effectually for euer sclaunder Turners doctrine here, they haue indited him for offendyng against the vj. Articles, this last Sessions, by the witnes of ij. Papistes of the Parish of Chartham his vtter enemies, MarginaliaSander, and Browne, twoo persecuting Papistes.Sander and Browne by name, for a Serm? preached at Chartham on passi? Sunday, which chaunced on S. Gregories euen, they both being absent that day at Wye faire, as it is wel proued, namely for that he should preach agaynst the Masse, saying that our Sauiour Christ was the only soule Priest which song Masse on the aultar of the Crosse, there sacrificing for the sinnes of the world once for euer, and that all other Masses were but remembraunces and thankes giuyng for that one sacrifice, or such wordes in effect.

Wherfore, to conclude (right worshypfull) knowyng your godly zeales, aswel towardes the preferment of sincere Religion, as your no lesse affection towardes the kyng his Maiesties person and his godly procedynges, I most humbly besech you in the bowels of our Sauiour Christ, so to ponder the weighty consideration of the premisses, as by your trauailes vnto the kings Maiestie or to the honorable Counsaile, we here in Kent, that haue now of late our hartes bent towardes the obseruation of the law of God & the Prince, thorough Turners godly persuasions, may receyue from your worships some comfortable worde of his deliueraunce, or els certeinly many an honest and simple man lately embracing the truth, may perhaps fall awaye desperatly from the same, not without daunger of their soules. In accomplishyng wherof your worshyps shall not onely do vnto almighty God and the Prince most true and acceptable seruice, but also bind the said M. Turner, with al other to whom this cause doth apperteine, both dayly to pray for your prosperities, and also bee at your commaundementes duryng their liues. From Canterbury the 2. daye of Nouember.

Your worships euermore at com-
maundement, R. M.

And thus much c?teineth the letter sent (as is said) by M. Morice to Doct. Buttes and Sir Anth. Deny. Now, what successe and spede this letter had, it foloweth to be declared. For Doct. Buttes the kinges Phisition aforesaid, after the receite of these letters, consideryng the weyghtie contentes of the same, as he was euer a foreward friende in the Gospels cause, so hee thought not to forslacke this matter to the vttermost of his diligence, and so spying his tyme, when the kyng was in trymmyng and in washyng (as his maner was at certeine times to call for his Barbar) Doct. Buttes (whose maner was at such times euer to bee present, and with some pleasant conceites to refresh and solace the kynges mynde) brought with him in his hand this letter. MarginaliaThe kinges fauour rec?ciled agayne to M. Turner.The kyng askyng what newes, Doct. Buttes pleasauntly and merely begynneth to insinuate vnto the king the effect of the matter, and so at the kynges commaundement read out the letter: which when the king had heard, and paused a litle with him selfe vpon the same, comma?ded agayne the letter to be read vnto him. The hearyng and consideration wherof so altered the kynges mynde, that whereas before hee commaunded the sayd Turner to bee whypped out of the countrey, he now commaunded him to be reteined as a faithfull subiect. And here of that matter an end. Let vs now returne to the Archbishop agayne.

Who although he was compassed about (as is said) with mighty enemies, and by many crafty traynes impugned, yet through Gods more mighty prouidence, workyng in the kynges hart so to fauour him, hee rubbed out all king Henries time without blemish or foile by meanes of the kynges supportation, who not onely defended the sayd Archbishop agaynst all hys conspired aduersaries, but also extended such speciall fauour vnto him in such sort, that he beyng not ignor?t of his wife, MarginaliaThis Archb. maryed his second wife at Noremberge.whom hee had maryed before at Noremberge  

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Cranmer had married his (second) wife back in 1532, while he was on embassy to Charles V.

Then after the death of kyng Henry, immediatly succeded his sonne K. Edward, vnder whose gouernement and protecti? the state of this Archbishop, being hys Godfather, was nothyng appaired, but rather more aduaunced.  

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In the Rerum (p. 712) and in the 1563 edition, passages followed here extolling the duke of Somerset. They were deleted from the 1570 edition, undoubtedly in deference to Ambrose and Robert Dudley, patrons of both Foxe and Day, and sons of Somerset's arch-rival the duke of Northumberland.

Duryng all this meane time of kyng Henry aforesaid, vntil the entryng of king Edward, it seemeth that Cranmer was scarsely yet throughly persuaded in the right knowledge of the Sacrament, or at least, was not yet fully rypened in the same: wherein shortly after he beyng more groundly confirmed by conference with B. Ridley, in processe of tyme did so profite in more ryper knowledge, that at the last hee tooke vpon him the defence of that whole doctrine, that is, to refute and throw downe first the corporall presence: secondly the phantasticall transubstantiation: thirdly the Idolatrous adoration: fourthly the false errour of the Papistes, that wicked men doe eate the naturall body of Christ: & lastly the blasphemous sacrifice of the masse. MarginaliaThe true and godly doctrine of the Sacram?t in 5. bokes set forth by the Archb. of Cant.Wherupon in conclusion he wrote fiue bookes  

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Foxe's wording here is a little obscure, but it is clear in the next paragraph that he is referring to Cranmer's A defence of the true and catholike doctrine of the sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ (London: 1550), STC 6000, which was divided into five books.

Agaynst these fiue bookes of the Archbishop, Steuen Gardiner, the Archenemy to Christ and his Gospell, beyng then in the Tower, slubbereth vp a certein aunswere such as it was, which he in open Court exhibited vp at L?beth beyng there examined by the Archbishop aforesaid and other the kynges C?missioners in kyng Edwardes dayes, which booke was intituled: MarginaliaAn explication of Steu? Gardiner agaynst Cranmer Archbishop of Cant.An Explication and assertion of the true Catholicke fayth, touchyng the blessed Sacrament of the aultar, with a confutation of a booke written agaynst the same.  

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STC 11592.

Against this Explication, or rather a cauilling Sophistication of Steuen Gardiner Doctour of law, the Archbyshop of Caunterbury learnedly and copiously repleyng againe, MarginaliaThe aunswere of Doct. Cranmer Archb. of Canterbury, agaynst Steph? Gardiner.maketh aunswere, which also he published abroad to the eyes and iudgements of all men in print. All which writynges and bookes, as well of the one part as of the other, our present story woulde require here to bee inferred: but because to prosecute the whole matter at length will not bee comprehended in a small rowne, and may make to long tariaunce in our story, it shall therfore be best to put of the same vnto the place of the Appendix folowyng, wherein (the Lord willyng) we intende to close vp both these, and o-