The Dead Yet Speaking, Biography 68
IOHN FOXE.
The Life and Death of John Fo….
JOhn Fox was born a… Bosten in Lincolns…ire Anno 1517. his Parents were neither so rich as by their wealth to be exposed to envy, nor so meane as by want to be lyable to contempt; more enriched they were with the love of their Neighbours, and most of all in having this so towardly and hopefull a Son. These perceiving that nature pointed out their Son (by the rare parts bestowed upon him) to be a Scholar, and therefore following her directions carefully bred him in learning, and sent him to Braz…nnose Colledge in Oxford.
Here he was Chamber-fellow wit Alexander Nowell afterwards Doctor and Dean of Pauls, and friendship betwixt them took so deep an impression in their tender years, advantaged with the simpathy of their natures, that it increased with their Age to be indelible. These communicated their studyes together, and with harmlesse emulation, and loving strife, whilest each endeavoured to out-strip others, both surpassed themselves.
Hence Fox was translated and chosen Fellow of Maudli… Colledge; whereat such as were bred in that foundation counting themselves the proper Heires to all the pr…ferment in the House, were much offended, til his patience an… humanity reconciled them unto him; so that he becam… not onelyonly affected but admired. And as Naturalists… ob…serue that Plants are meliorated by removing, not abatin… their old but acquiring new spirits unto them; so th… Scholar by changing his Soyle to a new Colledge, w… thereby marvelously improved in all manner of learn…ing.
Now King Henry had lately set up a mongrell Religi… in the Land, like the Toes of Nabuchadnezars jmage, partl… Iron, partly Clay; one moity thereof, strong with undeni…able Truth, the other dawbed with untempered morter… in the six Popish Articles still retained. Our young Fello… in the Colledge… sees and sigh… at the sup…rsti…ion, an… retiring …imsel…e to a grove, entertaines the time with So…litarinesse, onelyonly the silent midnight was witnesse to hi… sobs and groanes. He sees what, but not whither to f… but at last resolves hereafter to absent himselfe from t…e Romish Church: Hereupon being accused for a Separatist, and unwilling to over purchase his safety at the price of … lye he is convent…d and expelled the Colledge. But because Theeves must be thanked for giving what they doe not take away, his enemies challenged Commendation due to their courtis…, because they took not Foxes life from him, according to the Severity of the Laws then in force.
By this time his owne Father was dead and his Mother married againe; Fox repair…s to his Father in law for succour, but finds no entertainment. For as when a hunted Deere, ch…sed with the Hounds, taketh sanctuary by flying to the rest of the herd, they out of a Principle of self preservation drive him away, for fear least the Hounds in persuit of him, fall on them; so his Father in law was loath to receive him, and sorbad him the protection of his family, least Persecutors in quest of his Son should bring him and his whole houshold into trouble.
Here it would be tedious for us but to tell (and then how troublesome for him to endure) in how many places this poore man lurked, for fear of informers, those Birds of prey which have as quick sight as sharp Talons, sometimes at Sir Thomas Luceys in Warwickeshire, sometimes… at Boston, most commonly at London, taken covert in that forrest of houses; it being a strange truth, that in such wherein are most eyes, a man is least seene. The Foxes (saith our Saviour) have holes, litterally true of that cunning creature, but ou… Fox, being indeed a sheep, in Innocence and Simplicity, had not where to lay his head, like Christ his Master.
But soone after hapned the death of King Henry, and Edward the sixt succeeded him. This put a period to his frights and flights, and for five years this good man enjoyed peace and prosperity, till the raigne of Queene Mary: Under whom for a while he lived safe in the house of the Duke of Norfolke, once his Pupill, untill Gardner Bishop of Winchester, that cruel Bloud-hoūd scenting him out, designed his destruction. For comming on a visit of respect to the Duke, Fox casually passing by, the Bishop demanded who that was; my Physi…ian answered the Duke: the Bishop replyed, I like well his ingenuous countenance, and when I have need will make use of him. Thus Herod pretended he would worship Christ when he intended to kill him; Winchester ment this Physitian should be his patient, on whom he would practice with fire and faggot, the usuall dosis Prescribed to all those who were accused to be infected with the Protestant Religion.
Now flyes our Fox beyond the Seas, who escaping fire fell into as mercilesse an element of Water. A terrible Tempest overtook him, frighting the prophane Sea-men into their prayers, and melting their hearts, which might seeme made of those Rocks amongst which they sailed. Hereby he was driven back againe to Yarmo…th, but at last by Gods Providence got beyond the Seas, and some months after arrived at Basil. Here he began that famou… worke of Acts and Monuments, which he finished many years after: And here making a Sermon to his fellow Exiles, he plainly told them, that now the Time was come for th…ir returne into England, and that he brought them that newes by co… mandement from God.
These Words were differently censured by severall m…n, some took them to be the evaporations of a melancholly Braine; others as Words shot at random, which if casually hitting the marke, would afterwards be observed, if otherwise would be buried in Oblivion amongst a heap of oth… Expressions. A third condemned them for a presumptiou… intrusion into Gods secrets, prying into the Arke of future con…ingencies which God hath vailed onelyonly for him… But the successe proved them to be Prophe…icall; and thi… Confessour having his body macerated with fasting, and prayer and other afflictions, through the chinks and cle… thereof, stole a glympse of heaven and the knowledge of future things. For the day before his surrender, Queene Mary dyed; and now Fox with the rest of his friends hasteth home, so that if feare gave them feet to runne beyond the Seas, joy gave them win…es to flye home to their nativ… Country.
Here arrived, he continued and finished that worthy Worke formerly begun. For as God preserved one of Iobs s…rvants from fire and …ury of the Caldeans, and Sabeans … to report to Iob the losse of his fellowes; so divine Providence pro…ected this man from Martyrdome intended for him, that he might be the worlds intelligencer to tell the Tidings of the number and m…nner of Gods worthy Saints …nd servants who were destroyed by the cruelty of these Romish adversaries: Which bad newes is very well told in his Unpartiall relation.
For for the maine it is a worthy Worke (wherein the Reader may rather have then lack) presenting it selfe to Beholders, like Aetna, alwayes burning whilst the smoke hath almost put out the eyes of the adverse party, and these Foxes fire-brands have brought much annoyance to the Romish Philistines. But it were a Miracle if in so Voluminous a Worke there were nothing to be justly reproved; so great a Pomgranate not having any rott…n kernell must onelyonly grow in Paradice. And though perchance he held the beame at the best advantage for the Protestant party to weigh downe, yet generally he is a true writer, and never wilfully deceiveth, though he may sometimes be unwillingly deceived. Many yeares after Master Fox lived in England, highly favoured by presons of quality: So that it may seeme strange, considering the heighth of his friends and largenesse of his deserts, that he grew to no place of more honour, and spread to no preferment of greater profit in the Church. But this must be wholly imputed to h…s owne modesty in declining advancement: For although the richest Myter of England would have counted it selfe prefer…'d by being placed upon his head, yet he contented himselfe onelyonly with a Prebend of Salisbury, pleased with his owne obscurity, whilst others of lesse desert make greater show. And whilest prou… people stretch out their Plumes in Ostentation, he used their Vanity for his shelter, more pleased to have worth then to have others take notice of it.
Now how learnedly he wrote, how constantly he preacht, how piously he lived, how cheerefully he dyed, may be fetcht from his life at large, prefixed before his book. O…e passage therein omitted we must here insert, having received it from witnesses beyond exception: In the eighty eight when the Spanish halfe Moone did hope to rule all the motion in our Seas, Master Fox was privately in his Chamber at prayers, battering heaven with his importunity, in behalfe of this sinfull Nation. And we may justly presume that h… devotion was as actually instrumental to the victory, as th… wisdom of our Admirable, valour of his Souldi…rs, …kil and industry of his Sea-men. On a sudden coming downe to his Family, …e cry…d out, They are gone, they are gone; which indeed hapned in the same instant, as by exact Computatio… afterwards did appeare.
His Liberality to the poor… was boundlesse, so powerfull was the holy spell of the name of Jesus unto him, that no poore person ever charmed him therewith, but presen… raised his charitable spirit to bestow an almes upon him… One d…y Master Fox came from the Pallace of Bishop Elmer in London, when a company of poore people (by th… retinue he might ever be tracted) importunately begged o… him; Master Fox having no mony, returned back to the B… shop, desiring to borrow five pound of him, which wa… readily granted, and going forth di…tributed it amongst th… poore. Some mounths after, the Bishop asked Father F…x (for so he was commonly stiled) for the money he ow…d him; I have laid it out (quoth Master Fox) for you, and have payed it where you owed it, to the poore People that lay at your gate. The Bishop was so far from being offended with him, that he thanked him for being so carefull a Steward, such was the marvelous familiarity betwixt them, and great respect the Bishop bore to this Holy man.
But Master Fox (this extraordinary instance excepted) did not offer free offerings of other mens goods, but of hi… owne: So great was his Bounty that it fell under the censure of excesse, the streame being likely to draine the Spring and impaire his Estate. But God whose Providence provideth meet helpe fellows for men, fitted him with such a wife, whose hands as they knew not basely to scrape, so they were skilfull thriftily to keep; and this excellent medley so preserved his Estate, that a competency was left to his children.
He was not nipt in the Bud, nor blasted in the blossome, nor blowne downe when green, nor gathered when ripe; but even fell of his owne accord… when altogether whithered. As for the tim… of his death take it from his owne Epitaph on his Monument, which for the beauty thereof beares better proportion to the outward meanes then to th… inward merit of his person, there entombed in St. Giles Church without Criplegate.
Christo S. S.
Iohanni Foxo Ecclesi… Anglicanae Martyrolg… Fidelissimo, Antiquitat… Historicae Indagatori sugacissimo, Evangellicae veritatis, Propugnatori acerrimo, Tha…maturge admitabili; Qui martyres Marianes, tanquam Phoenices, ex cineribus redivivos praestitit. Patri suo omni pietatis officio inprimis Colendo, Samuel Foxus illius Primogenitus, hoc Mon…mentum posuit, non sine Lac…rymis.
Obiit die 18. mens April, An. Dom. 1587. Iam septuagenarius.
Vita vitae mortalis est, Spes vitae immortalis.
Rare Fox (well …urr'd with patience) liv'd a life
In's youthfull age devoted unto strife;
For the blind Papists of those frantick times,
Esteem'd his vertues as his greatest Crimes;
The hot persuit of their ful-crying hounds
Forc'd him to fly… beyond the lawlesse bounds
Of their hot sented Malice; though their skill
Was great in hunting, yet our Fox was still
Too crafty for them; though they rang'd about
From place, to place, they could not finde him out:
And when they saw their plots could not prevaile
To blesse their noses with his whisking …ayle,
They howl'd out curses, but could not obtain;
Their pre… being fled, their curses prov'd in vaine:
From whence I thinke this Prove…b came at first,
Most thrives the Fox, that most of all is curst.