The Marrow of Ecclesiastical History, John Foxe
I. FOX
The Life of John Fox, who dyed Ano Christi 1587.
JOhn Fox was born at Boston in Lincolnshire, His Birth.Anno Christi 1517. His Father died when he was young, and his Mother married again: Yet his Father in Law and Mother seeing his towardliness and aptness to Learning, brought him up at School,His Education. and afterwards sent him to Brasen-Nose Colledge in Oxford, where he was Chamber-fellow with Doctor Nowell, and being of a sharp wit, and very indu…trious withall, hee profited so much, that in a short time hee gat the admiration of all,He is chose… Fellow. and the love of many, whereupon he was chosen Fellow of Magdalen Colledge. Hee much affected Poetry, and wrote some Latine Comedies of the Histories of the Bible in a copious and gracefull stile in his youth. But afterwards betook himself more seriously to the study of Divinity, and discovered himself to favour the Reformation then in hand, when King Henry the eighth abolished the Popes Supremacie. The first thing that caused him to question the popish Religion, was the contradictions in it, divers things, in their own natures most repugnant, being thrust upon men at one time, both of them to be beleeved: Hereupon he set himself to study the ancient and moderne History of the Church, which he performed with such diligence,He studies the Church history that before he was thirty years old, he had read over all that either the Greek or Latine Fathers had written of it: As also the Schoolmens Disputation; the Councils Acts, and the Consistories Decrees; and acquired no mean skil in the Hebrew tongue: Besides his dayes study,He is very studious. he bestowed all, or a great part of the night in these labours, and many times in the dead of the night he chose a solitary Grove near the Colledge to walk in for his Meditationss; and in them he suffered many combats and wrestlings, yea many heavy sighs, with teares, and prayers he poured out to Almighty God in them: But hereupon grew suspition of him that hee beganne to dislike the Popish Religion,Snares laid for him. and snares were layd for him; and at last being examined, he was by the Colledge convicted, condemned for an Heretick,He is expelled the Colledge. and expelled the house. His Fatherin-law also took this occasion to manifest his dislikes against him, that he might the better cheat him of his estate which of right belongad to … from his own Father. Being thus left destitute of all humane help and comfort, God tooke care for him,Gods: …. being sent for into Warwick shine by Sir Thomas I…ucie to live in his house, and teach his children: Where also he married a Wife, and continued till: the feare of the Popish inquisitors drove him thence.His marriage. His case was now more hard again, having a Wife to provide for, and whither to goe hee knew not: At last hee resolved to goe to her Father, who was a Citizen of Coventrie, and in the mean time by: Letters to try whether his Father-in-law, that married his mother, would receive him, or not: Whose answer was, That if he would alter his opinion (being condemned for a capital offence) he should be welcome, An harsh Father in Law.otherwise it would be dangerous for him to entertain him long: But his Mother under-hand wrote to him to come; and so it pleased God that hee found better entertainment and security in both places then hee exspected; for being sometimes with his Wives father, and sometimes with his Father in law, he deceiv'd their diligence who enquired after him, and neither of his Fathers grew weary of his company.
Afterwards he went to London towards the end of King Henry the eights reign;His poverty. but having quickly spent there what his friends had bestowed on him, and what he had acquired by his own diligence, he beganne to bee in want again. But behold Gods providence.A speciall providence. As he one day sate in Pauls Church, spent with long fasting, his countenance thinne, and his eyes hollow, after the gastfull manner of dying men, every one shunning a spectacle of so much horrour, there came one to him whom he had never seen before, and thrust an untold sum of money into his hand, bidding him be of good chear, and to accept that small gift in good part from his Countryman, which common courtesie had enforced him to offer; and that he should goe and make much of himself; for that within a few daies new hopes were at hand, and a more certaine condition of livelihood. Master Fox could never learn who this was, but three daies after the Dutchesse of Richmond sent for him to live in her house,He is sent for by the Dutchess of Richmond. and to be Tutor to the Earl of Surrey's children now under her care; and the two young Lords profited so much under him, that afterwards the elder [Thomas] seemed to deserve more then the Kingdom could give him; and the younger [Henry] was able to measure his fortunes, not by the opinion of others, but by his own satiety: And the young Lady Jane profited so much both in Greek and Latine, that she might well stand in competition with the most Learned men of that age. In that family he continued the remainder of King Henries reign, and all King Edwards, Persecution in Qu. Maries daies.till the beginning of Queen Maries: when a storme of persecution arising, Master Fox was sheltered from it by the Duke his Scholar. But when he saw all sorts of men troubled for Religions sake, so that there was nothing but flight, slaughter, and gibbets, and that Gardiner Bishop of Winchester was his enemy, hee beganne to thinke of some speedy way for his departure thence; which so soon as the Duke knew, he disswaded him from it, affirming that it was neither agreeable to honour, nor modesty for him to suffer his Tutor, so well deserving at his hands, to bee taken from him. He told him that in flying, no kind of misery would be wanting; Banishment, Poverty, Contempt, &c. and that though these were lesse evils then death, yet was it not come to such extremity, neither would hee suffer that it should, saying,A notable resolution. That hee had yet wealth, and favour, and friends, and the fortune of his House; and if the mischance prevailed further, that himselfe would partake of the danger, and make the destruction common: That he remembred with what instructions he had fortified his younger years, neither had he with more attention hearkened thereto, then he would with constancy put them in practise: Yet when the Duke afterward perceived that he could no longer shelter him from the malice of Winchester, Stephen Gardiner.he provided all things necessary for his departure, sending to Ipswich to hire a Bark, and whilst all things were making ready, hee sent him to a Farm-house of one of his servants, with his Wife,Flight in persecu…ion. the companion of his travels, then great with child, who yet would not be perswaded to stay behind him. He had in this bark scarce weighed Anchor, when suddenly a rough wind troubled the Sea with so great violence,A great storm. that the stoutest Mariners beganne to tremble; then followed a dark night, with such hail, and raine, that hindred the seamens work, and tooke away all possibility of steering any longer by the Compass: Yet the next day towards evening with much difficulty they arrived again in the same Haven from whence they set forth. In the meane time a Pursivant with a warrant from the Bishop of Winchester, God providence.had searched the Farm, and pursued him to Ipswitch, but finding the Bark already gone, was returned towards London. This Master Fox being informed of as soon as he came to shoare, he presently took horse as if he would have left the towne, but the same night returning, he bargained with the Master of the Ship with the first winde to set sayle againe, and the Pilot loosed in the nights silence, as soon as the tide turned, though the Sea was rough, and the winds blustring, and two daies after (through the mercy of God) landed him safely at Newport Haven & after some few daies refreshing himself at Newport, He arrives at Newport.and those that were with him, they went to Antwerp, and from thence to Basil, He goes to Basil.which was a common refuge to many English in those times, most of which maintained themselves by over-seeing the Presse, and correcting faults therein. To these Master Fox joyned himself, and having in his youth been accustomed to hardship, he was able to suffer want, sit up late, and to fare hardly: And during his abode there, notwithstanding he was so full of imployment, yet he began his History of the Acts and Monuments of the Church, which afterward he compleated in his own country: First hee wrote it in Latine, and sent it to Basil to be printed, where it was much esteemed; and afterwards wrote it in English,A prophesie. to gratifie the unlearned. Not long after Queen Mary dyed, about which time Master Fox, preaching to comfort the English Exiles, did with confidence tell them, that now was the time come for their returne into England; and that hee brought that news by command from God: For which words the graver Divines did sharply reprove him for the present; but afterwards excused him by the event, when it appeared that Queen Mary died but the day before he so spake to them.His return into England.
Master Fox, understanding happy news in England, that Queen Elizabeth reigned, Religion was altered, and so like to continue, in the end of that year he returned into England with his wife,His humility. and two children which were born there; and instead of seeking preferment by his great friends, and own deserts, he lived retiredly in his study, prosecuting his work begun at Basil of writing the Acts and Monuments. The Papists foreseeing how much this worke would tend to their disparagement, and disadvantage, charged the Author with falshood, and feigned some cavils against him, to lessen his credit & authority; which he, by heaping together testimonies for the confirmation of what hee had writ, endeavoured to take away. This elaborate work, with infinite pains, he finished in 11 years, never using the help of any other man but wrote, & searched all the Records himself:His Indfatigable pains. But by these excessive pains leaving no time free from study, nor affording to himselfe seasonably, what nature required, hee was brought to that passe,His body weakned thereby. that his natural vigour being spent, neither his friends nor kindred could by sight remember, or know him. Yea it caused in him withered leannesse of body, yet would he by no means be perswaded to lessen his accustomed labours.
From this time he was much spoken of for a good Historian; but shortly after his other excellent endowments began to appear.His excellent endow…e…ts. He was very charitable, and had an excellent ability in comforting afflicted consciences, so that there resorted to him Noblemen, Strangers, Citizens, and others also, seeking salves to their wounded consciences. He preached often abroad, and went to visit such as could not come to him, and what spare time he had, he bestowed in prayer, and study;His fe…v…ncy in prayer. and for his vehement prayers mingled with groanes, he made use of the nights silence for the greater secre…ie. There was in him a deliberate, and resolved contempt of all earthly things, especially of pleasures, and for this end hee declined the friendship of Illustrious and Noble persons:His Charity. The money which rich men sometimes offered him, hee accepted,His Prophesies but returned it back to the poor: Many things did he foretell by occasion of comforting the afflicted, or terrifying those that were stubborn. The Lady Anne Henage lying sick of a violent Feaver, and the Physitians deeming it mortall, Master Fox was sent for to be present at her ending, and after by prayer and instructions hee had prepared her for death, he told her that she had done well in sitting her selfe for death, but that yet she should not dye of that sicknesse. A Knight, her son in law, being by, told him in private, that he had not done well to disquiet her minde with hopes of life, when the Physitians had given her up for dead; to whom he answered, That he said no more then was commanded him, for it seemed good to God that she should recover; which also came to passe. Also Mistris Honiwood, who had lain sick of a Consumption almost twenty years through Melancholy,Mrs. Honywood. to whom many excellent Physitians, and grave Divines had resorted to cure her body, & comfort her mind, but all in vain At last M. Fox being sent for, when he came into her chamber, found a most sad house all about her sitting like Statues of mourning in humane likenesse: But after he had prayed with her, and therein endeavoured both to comfort her, and those about her, he told her that she should not onelyonly recover of her disease,A Prophesie. but also live to an exceeding great age: At which words, earnestly beholding him, she said, You might as well have said, that if I should throw this glass against the wall, A Miracle.I might beleeve it would not break to pieces: And having a Glasse in her hand, she threw it forth, the Glasse falling first on a chest, and then on the ground, yet neither brake, nor crackt: And the event fell out accordingly; for the Gentlewoman being then sixty years of age, lived in much felicitie till she was above ninetie years old, and could reckon above three hundrd and sixtie of her children, and childrens children.
Also,Another observable story. one day going to see the Earl of Arundel, sonne to the Duke of Norfolk, at his house in the Straud, when he was going away from him, the Earl walked with him to the end of his Garden, where he was to take boat; but the River being very boysterous, the Earl counselled him not to trust himself in so great atempest; to whom Master Fox answered. So (my Lord) let these water deal with me, as I have in truth and sincerity delivered unto you all that I have spoken: And therewithall entering into the boat, before they could put off from the Bridge, the wind ceased, and the river ran with a smooth stream.
He had many great friends to whom he was very dear,His many friends. and of whose bounty he tasted liberally, whereby he was enabled to be so bountiful to the poor: He had much familiarity with many Learned, and Godly men.
At length having in such actions and such behaviours spent his time,Dea…h foreseen. being now full of years, he foresaw his own end, and would not suffer his sonnes to be present at his death, though he entirely loved them; but sending them from home,His Death. ere their return he quietly resigned up his spirit to God, An. Christi 1587, and of his age seventie.
He never denyed to give to any one tha asked for Jesus sake.His Charity. And one asking him whither he knew a certain poor man whom he used to relieve; Yea (said he) I remember him well, and I tell you, I forget Lords and Ladies to remember such.
As he was going along London streets, a woman of his acquaintance met him, and as they discoursed together, shee pulled out a Bible, telling him she was going to hear a Sermon; whereupon he said to her, if you will be advised by me, go home again: Vain glory reproved.But (said she) when shall I then go to Church? To whom he answered, When you tell no body of it. One of his sonnes had a great mind to travel beyond Sea, which his Father could by no means disswade him from: after some years travell he returned back in an out-landish habit; and coming to his Father, the old man asked him who hee was? To whom he answered, Sir, I am your sonne Samuel: Whereupon hee replyed,He reproves his son. Oh my sonne, who hath taught thee to make thy self so ridiculous, by coming home in so strange and uncoth an habit?