John Fox

the noted Martyriologist, was born at St. Botolphs town commonly called Boston in Lincolnshire, an. 1517, became a Student of Brasenose Coll. at about 16 years of age under the inspection and patronage of Mr. Joh. Hawarden Fellow thereof. Afterwards he was elected Fellow of Magd. Coll. and proceeded Master of Arts in 1543, which was the highest Degree he attained to in this University, being then esteemed eminent for his learning and knowledge in the three tongues. About that time King Hen. 8. setting up a mongrel Religion in the Land, which our Author did not like by shewing his opinion in several respects, especially by absenting himself from the Chappel, did, with others of the same mind, resign his Fellowship about St. Mary Magd. day in 1545, meerly as ’twas thought to prevent expulsion. Afterwards he was entertain’d for a time in the house of Sir Thom. Lucy in Warwickshire, where, as ’tis said, he took to him a Wife, and then went to Riegate in Surrey to be tutor and teacher to the children of the Duke of Norfolk; where remaining for some time, was the first Man (as ’tis said) that ever preached the Gospel in that place, even when the Roman Catholick Religion was in great strength. But Gardiner Bishop of Winchester having notice of, caused search to be made after, him. Whereupon the said Duke being careful of, sent, him safely into Germany; where, in the City of Basil he became a most painful labourer at his Pen in the house of Operinus a learned Printer. Being then about 30 years of age, he had read over all that either the Greek, or Latin Fathers had left in their writings, the Schoolmen in their disputations, the Councils in their Acts or the Consistory in their Decrees, and acquired no mean skill in the Hebrew tongue. After King Hen. 8. had been dead some time, he returned to Magd. Coll. whence, after a little stay, he went again to his charge at Riegate, and there remaining till after Queen Mary came to the Crown, left England once more, and retired to his old Landlord at Basil, where continuing a severe drudge at his book till Queen Elizabeth was settled in the Throne, he returned to his Country and was received by the said Duke, then living at his mannour place called Christ Church in London, who very bountifully entertain’d him. From that house he travelled weekly every Munday to the house of John Day the Printer to consummate his Acts and Monuments of the Church, and other works in English and Latin. But as for the preferments he then enjoyed, (for he was offer’d to accept in a manner what he pleased) were only the Prebendship of Shipton in the Church of Salisbury (which he obtained on the death of Peter Vannes, in the month of May 1563) and as some say, the Vicaridge of St. Giles near Cripplegate in London, but this last, I suppose, he kept (if he had it at all) but a little while in the beginning of Queen Elizabeth, being always averse to subscribe to the Canons, (tho tendred to him by Parker Archbishop of Canterbury) and to the ceremonies, in some part, of the Church. He was a Person of good natural endowments, a sagacious searcher into historical antiquity, incomparably charitable, of exemplary life and conversation, but a severe Calvinist and a very bitter enemy in his writings (exceeding the rules of charity, as ’tis conceived by some) against the Rom. Catholick party. He hath written,

De Christo triumphante, Comaedia. Lond. 1551. Bas. 1556. oct. &c. Written at Basil in the house of Operinus before-mention’d, translated into English by Rich. Day or D’aiia, Son of John Day the noted Printer in Queen Elizabeths Reign, with this title, Christ Jesus triumphant, wherein is describ’d the glorious triumph and conquest of Christ, over sin, death and the Law, &c. Lond. 1579 and 1607 oct. Which Ric. Day, by the way it must be noted, was bred a Scholar in Kings Coll. in Cambridge, and afterwads exercis’d the place of Minister at Riegate in Surrey, in the room of our Author Fox, but soon after leaving that profession, followed the trade of Printing, and lived several years near to Aldersgate in London where his Father had lived before. In 1672 it was published again at Lond. in oct. and dedicated to all Schoolmasters, to the end that it might be admitted into their respective Schools for the eminent elegance of its style, by T. C. Mast. of Arts of Sydney Coll. in Cambridge.

De censurâ seu excommunicatione ecclesiasticâ, interpellatio ad Archiep. Cantuar. Lond. 1551. oct.

Tables of Grammar. Lond. 1552.

Commentarii rerum in Ecclesia gestarum, maximarumque per totam Europam, persecutionum à Wiclevi temproibus, ad hanc usque aetatem descript. Argent. 1554. oct. in one book. To which the Author added 5 more books; all printed together at Basil 1559. fol.

Articuli, seu Aphorismi aliquot Job. Wiclevi sparsim ex variis illius opusculis excerpti per adversarios Papicolas, ac concilio Constantiensi exhibiti.

Collectanea quaedom ex Reginaldi Pecoki Episc. Cicestrensis opusculis exustis conservata, & ex antiquo psegmate transcripta.

Opistographia ad Oxonienses. These three last are printed with his Commentarii.

Locorum communium Legicalium tituli & ordinationes 150, ad seriem praedicamentorum decem descripti, &c. Bas. 1557. qu.

Probationes & resolutiones de re & materiâ sacramenti Eucharistici. Lond. 1563. or thereabouts.

Acts and Monuments of matters most special and memorable, hapning in the Church, with an universal historie of the same. Wherein is set forth at large the whole race and course from the primitive age to these later times of ours, &c.—Lond. 1583. in two vol. in fol. the 4th edition. There again 1596, &c. Printed also in 3. Volumes 1632, &c. In the Year 1684 the said book came out again in 3 volumes with copper cuts, the former editions having only wooden. The undertakers of which impression had in a manner obtained a promise from King Charles 2. to revive the order in Queen Elizabeths time of placing the said book of Acts and Monuments in the common Halls of Archbishops, Bishops, Deans, Archdeacons, Heads of Colleges, &c. according to the Canons of Dr. Matthew Parker Archbishop of Canterbury, an. 1571, to the end that they might not be losers by the said impression, &c. As our Author Fox hath taken a great deal of pains in the said volumes and shew’d sometimes much judgment in his labours, so hath he committed many errours therein, by trusting to the relations of poor simple People, and in making such Martyrs that were living after the first edition of his book came forth, tho afterwards by him excused and omitted. Nay Father Parsons, if he may be believ’d, tells us of his wilful corruptions and falsifications of Authors, particularly Ven. Bede, of his tergiversation, impertinent and ignorant arguments, contempt of antiquity, his rejection of our ancient Historiographers and I know not what. But these matters being beyond my Province to mention, I shall only refer the reader to the two parts of conversions in the first volume of those three called, A treatise of three conversions of England, &c. where he may not only find much discourse concerning the said book, or volumes of Acts and Mon. but also of the Author of them, as the index at the latter end will direct him. See also the said Parsons his Relation of a trial held in France about religion—Printed 1604. p. 59. 60.

De Christo crucifixo: Concio in die Paracev. in 2. Cor. cap 5. ver. 20. 21. Lond. 1571. qu. Printed also in English—Lond. 1609. oct.

De Olivâ Evangelica: Concio in baptismo Judaei habita Londini 1. Apr. cum narratione capitis XI. D. Pauli ad Romanos. Lond. 1578. Translated into English by Jam. Bell. To which Latin Sermon is an appendix De Christo triumphante, which is the same I have mentioned before.

Concerning mans election to salvation. Lond. 1581. oct.

Certain notes of election, added to Beza his treatise of predestination. Lond. 1581. oct.

De Christo gratis justificante, contra Jesuitus Lond. 1583. oct.

Disputatio contra Jesuitas & eorum argumenta, quibus inhaeren [••] n justitiam ex Aristotile confirmant. Rupell. 1585. oct

Eicasmi, seu meditation [•] s in Apocal. S. Johannis Apostoli & Evangelistae. Lond. 1587. fol. Genev. 1596. oct.

Papa consutatus: vel sacra & Apostolica Ecclesia papam confutans. Translated into English by James Bell a great admirer of Joh. Fox—pr. at Lond. in qu.

Brief exhortation, fruitful and meet to be read in the time of Gods visitation, where Ministers do lack, or otherwise cannot be present to comfort them. Lond. in oct. He translated also from English into Latin. Concio funebris in obitum Augustae memoriae Ferdinandi Caesaris recens defuncti, in Eccles. Cath. S. Pauli habitae 3. Oct. 1564. Also from Latin into English. (1) A Sermon of Joh. Oecolampadius to young Men and Maidens. Lond. in tw. (2) An instruction of Christian Faith, how to lay hold upon the promise of God and not to doubt of our salvation. Or otherwise thus. Necessary instructions of faith and hope for Christians to hold fast, and not to doubt, &c. Lond. 1579. sec. edit. in oct. Written by Urbanus Regius. He finished also and compleated An answer Apologetical to Hierome Osorius his slanderous invective. Lond. 1577, and 1581. qu. (began in Latin by Walt. Haddon LL D.) and published, The four Evangelists in the old Saxon tongue, with the English thereunto adjoyned. Lond. 1571. qu. What else he wrot and translated you may see in (*)(*) In lib. De script. Maj. Britan. cent. 9. num. 92. Baleus; but the reader is to understand that several of those books that he mentions, were never printed. At length after our Author had spent 70 years or more in this vain and transitory world, he yielded to nature on the 18. Apr. in Fifteen hundred eighty and seven, and was buried in the Chancel of the Church of St. Giles without Cripplegate before-mention’d. 1587 Over his grave is set up an inscription to his memory on the South wall, a copy of which you may see in Hist. & Antiq. Univ. Oxon. lib. 2 p. 195. but not one word of him (which is a wonder to me) is mention’d in the Annalls of Q. Elizab. written by Will. Camden, or by any Epigrammatist of his time, only Joh. Parkhurst, who was his acquaintance in this University. He left behind him a Son named Samuel, born in the City of Norwych, made Demie of Magd. Coll. 1576. aged 15, afterwards Fellow of that House and Master of Arts, who about 1610 wrot The life of his Father Joh. Fox, which is set in Latin and English before the second Volume of Acts and Monuments, printed at Lond. 1641. I find one Joh. Fox to be Author of Time and the end of time, in 2 discourses, printed at Lond. in 12o, but that Joh. Fox was later in time than the former. While Joh. Fox the Martyriologist was Prebendary of Sarum, he settled the Corps belonging thereunto (which is the impropriation of Shipton Underwood near Burford in Oxfordshire) on his Son: whose Grand-daughter named Anne, Heir to her Father Tho. Fox, was married to Sir Ric. Willis of Ditton in Essex Knight and Baronet, sometimes Colonel-general of the Counties of Linc. Nott. and Rutland, and Governour of the Town and Castle of Newark, who, or at least his Son Tho. Fox Willis, enjoyeth it to this day. an. 1690.