But

positions were in great esteem among the best judges. His piety and virtue were not inferior to his learning, and commanded the respect of all impartial persons. shewing himself averse to many of the popish superstitions, and declaring freely for some of Luther's opinions, he incurred the displeasure of the governors of the university, who stripped him of his preferment, and threw him into prison on suspicion of heresy. When he was released from his confinement, he left Oxford; and, some time after, was chosen master of Eton school, which was observed remarkably to flourish under his vigilant and industrious care. In 1537, he commenced doctor in divinity at Cambridge: And on the fourth of December, 1540, was made archdeacon of Ely; as he was also appointed, in 1541, the first prebendary in the first stall of the same cathedral, upon the new founding of it by K. Henry VIII. on the tenth of September, 1541. He was likewise, the third of June, 1542, presented by the same king to the prebend of Sutton with Buckingham, in the church of Lincoln, and installed the eleventh of that month. But this he surrendered up in 1547.

In the year 1543, he supplicated the university of Oxford, that he might take place among the doctors of divinity there, which was unusual, because he was not then incorporated into that university, as doctor in divinity; nor was he so till June, 1545. When a design was formed, of converting the collegiate church of Southwell into a bishopric, Dr Cox was nominated bishop of it. On the eighth of January, 1543-4, he was made the second dean of the new-erected cathedral of Osney near Oxford; and in 1546, when that see was translated to Christ-church, he was also made dean there. These promotions he obtained by the interest of archbishop Cranmer, and bishop Goodrich, to the last of whom he had been chaplain : And, by their recommendation, he was chosen tutor to the young prince Edward, whom he instructed with great care in the true principles of religion, and formed his tender mind to an early sense of his duty, both as a Christian and a king. On that prince's accession to the throne, he became a great favourite at court, and was made a privy-counsellor, and the king's almoner. The twenty-first of May, 1547, he was elected chancellor of the university of Oxford; installed July 16, 1548, canon of Windsor; and, the next year, made dean of Westminster. About the same time he was appointed one of the commissioners to visit the university of Oxford, in which he is accused of having much. abused his commission. In 1550, he was ordered to go

down

down into Sussex, and endeavour, by his learned and affecting sermons, to quiet the minds of the people, who had been disturbed by the factious preaching of Day, bishop of Chichester, a violent Papist. And when the noble design of reforming the canon law was in agitation, he was appointed one of the commissioners. Both in this and the former reign, when an act passed for giving all chantries, colleges, &c. to the king, through Dr Cox's powerful intercession, the colleges in both universities were excepted out of that act.

Soon after Q. Mary's accession to the crown, he was stripped of his preferments; and on the fifteenth of August, 1553, committed to the Marshalsea. He was indeed soon discharged from this confinement; but foreseeing the inhuman persecution likely to ensue, he resolved to quit the realm, and withdraw to some place, where he might enjoy the free exercise of his religion, according to the form established in the reign of Edward. He went first to Strasburg in Germany, where he heard with great concern of the rash proceedings of some of the English exiles in Frankfort, who had thrown aside the English liturgy, and set up a form of their own, framed after the French and Geneva models; of which we have this account, After having perused the English liturgy, it was ' concluded amongst them, that the answering aloud after 'the minister should not be used; the litany, surplice, and many other things, also omitted, because in the Re'formed churches abroad such things would seem more than strange. It was farther agreed upon, that the minister, in the room of the English confession, should < use another, both of more effect, and also framed, ac'cording to the state and time. And the same ended, 'the people to sing a psalm in metre in a plain tune, as was and is accustomed in the French, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, and Scottish churches: That done, the minister to pray for the assistance of GOD's holy Spirit, and so to proceed to the sermon. After the sermon, a ge'neral prayer for all estates, and for England, was also 'devised: At the end of which prayer was joined the "Lord's prayer, and a rehearsal of the articles of the belief; which ended, the people to sing another psalm as afore. Then the minister pronouncing this blessing, The peace of GOD, &c. or some other of like effect, the people to depart. And as touching the ministration ' of the sacraments, sundry things were also by common • consent omitted, as superstitious and superfluous.' On

the

the thirteenth of March, 1555, he came to Frankfort in order to oppose this innovation, and to have the Commonprayer book settled among the English congregation there, which he had the satisfaction to accomplish. Then he returned to Strasburg for the sake of conversing with Peter Martyr, with whom he had contracted an intimate friendship at Oxford, and whom he loved and honoured for his great learning and moderation. After the death of Q. Mary he returned to England; and was one of those divines who were appointed to revise the liturgy. And when a disputation was to be held at Westminster between eight Papists and eight of the Reformed clergy, he was the chief champion on the Protestants side. He preached often before Q. Elizabeth in lent; and, in his sermon at the opening of her first parliament, exhorted them in most affecting terms, to restore religion to its primitive purity, and banish all the popish innovations and corruptions. These excellent discourses, and the great zeal he had shewn in support of the English Liturgy at Frankfort, so effectually recommended him to the queen's esteem, that in June 1559, she nominated him to the bishopric of Norwich; but her mind altering, she preferred him to the see of Ely, in the room of Dr Thirlby, who was deprived. His congé d'elire bore date July 15, 1559. He was elected the twenty-eighth day of the said month, had the royal assent December the eighteenth, was confirmed in the church of St Mary le Bow the twentieth of the same month, consecrated at Lambeth the next day, and received the temporalities the twenty-third of March following. Before his consecration he joined with Dr Parker elect archbishop of Canterbury, and the bishops elect of London, Chichester, and Hereford, in a petition to the queen, against an act lately passed, for the alienating and exchanging the lands and revenues of the bishops: And sent her several arguments from scripture and reason against the lawfulness of it; observing withal, the many evils and inconveniencies both to church and state that would thence arise.

He enjoyed the episcopal dignity about twenty-one years and seven months, reckoning from the time of his consecration; and was, all that time, one of the chief pillars and ornaments of the church of England. Both to archbishop Parker, and his successor Grindal, he was very serviceable; and by his prudence and industry, contributed to the restitution of our church in the same beauty and good order, it had enjoyed in king Edward's reign. He was indeed no great favourite of the queen; but that

is to be imputed to his zealous opposition to her retaining the crucifix and light on the altar of the royal chapel, and his strenuous defence of the lawfulness of the marriage of the clergy, against which the queen had contracted a most inveterate and unaccountable prejudice, He scrupled for a great while to officiate there upon that account; and when he did it, it was with a trembling conscience, as he said. To excuse himself, and to give his humble advice to the queen, he wrote to her a most submissive letter; wherein he sets down certain considerations, why he could not yield to have images set up in churches. And concludes in these words, "yet my "meaning is not hereby to enter into consideration of "such as are otherwise minded, much less of your ma"jesty, (GOD forbid,) who I believe meaneth not to "use the thing to any evil end.- -Bear with me, most "gracious sovereign; for the tender mercy of GOD, "force not my conscience so sore." He was a great patron to all learned men, whom he found well affected to the church; and shewed a singular esteem for Dr Whitgift, afterwards archbishop of Canterbury, whom he made his chaplain, and to whom he gave the rectory of Teversham in Cambridgeshire, and a pretend of Ely. He did his utmost to get a body of ecclesiastical laws (which was drawn up by archbishop Cranmer, and other learned divines, of whom himself was one, in the latter end of K. Edward's reign) established by authority of parliament; but through the unreasonable opposition of some of the chief courtiers, this noble design miscarried a third time.

As he had, in his exile at Frankfort, been the chief champion against innovations, so he now continued, with the same vigour and resolution, to oppose all attempts against the discipline and ceremonies of the established church. At first he tried to reclaim, or win them over, by gentle means: But finding, that, instead of behaving themselves with due moderation, they only grew more audacious, and reviled both church and bishops in scurrilous libels, he thought timely severities necessary. Therefore he wrote to archbishop Parker, to go on vigorously in reclaiming or punishing them, and not be disheartened at the frowns of those court favourites who protected them; assuring him, that he might expect the blessing of GOD on his pious labours, to free the church from their dangerous attempts, and to establish uniformity. And when the privy-council interposed in favour of the Puritans, and endeavoured to screen them from punishment, he wrote a

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bold letter to the lord treasurer Burleigh; wherein he warmly expostulated with the council, for meddling with the affairs of the church, which, as he said, ought to be left to the determination of the bishops; admonished them to keep within their own sphere; and told them he would appeal to the queen, if they continued to interpose in matters not belonging to them.

He is blamed by some for giving up several manors and other estates belonging to his see; but he rather, in some respects, deserves commendation, for his great firmness in resolving to part with no more, and for being proof against the strongest solicitations, and most violent attacks. Several he had to encounter, even from those which were most in favour at court, and were backed by royal command and authority. In the years 1574 and 1575, Sir Christopher Hatton, a noted favourite of the queen, endeavoured to wrest Ely-house in Holborn from him; so that, in order to preserve it to his see, he was forced to have a long and chargeable suit in chancery, which was not determined in 1579. The lord North also attempted, in 1575, to oblige him to part with the manor of Somersham, in Huntingdonshire, one of the best belonging to his bishopric; and with Downham Park: Which he refusing to yield, that lord endeavoured to stir up the queen's indignation against him, and do his utmost to have him deprived. For that purpose, North, and some others of the courtiers, examined and ransacked his whole conduct since his first coming to his see, and drew up a large body of articles against him, which he was to give answers to before the privy-council. But the bishop, in his replies, so fully vindicated himself from all aspersions, and so clearly confuted the groundless and malicious calumnies of his enemies, that the queen was forced to acknowledge his innocence; though the lord North boasted, he had found five pramunire's against him. However, vexed and wearied with the implacable malice of the lord North, and other his adversaries, he desired, in 1577, leave to resign his bishopric, but the queen put him off. North, though disappointed in his former attempt, yet not discouraged thereby, brings three actions against the poor old bishop for felling of wood; whereupon the bishop offered 'again, in 1579, to resign; provided he had a yearly pension of two hundred pounds out of his see, and Donnington, (the least of five country houses belonging to Ely bishopric) for his residence during life. The lord treasurer Burleigh, at the bishop's earnest desire, obtained leave of the queen for him to resign; and