by the physician of philanthrophy, whose heart never felt for the distress of another, without wishing to relieve it, was short but expressive, "I will then make thee happy." We are assured, that the assistance given upon this occasion amounted to 1000 guineas. FOX, (JOHN) An English Divine and Church Historian, was born in 1517, the very year that Luther began to oppose the doctrines of the Church of Rome. He discovered in his younger years a genius for poetry, and wrote in an elegant style, several Latin comedies, the subjects of which was taken from the scriptures. He afterwards applied himself to divinity, and discovered himself in favor of the reformation then in hand, before he was known to those who maintained the cause, or who were of ability to protect the maintainers of it. Gardiner, Bishop of Winchester, determined to have him seized, and laid many snares and stratagems for him; nevertheless he at length escaped, and got to Basil, in Germany, where numbers of English subjects resorted in those times of persecution. He maintained himself and family in this city by correcting the press, and it was here that he laid the plan of his famous work, entitled "The history of the Acts and Monuments of these bitter and perilous days, touching matters of the church, &c," or as it is commonly called, "Fox's Book of Martyrs." Archbishop Whitgift styles Fox a" worthy man," says that he had read over his Acts and Monuments from the one end to the other, and declares, that he hath very diligently and faithfully laboured in this matter, and searched out the truth of it, as learnedly as any man has done. The Catholics, however, were in the mean time much displeased at the publication of this history, which they called "Fox's Golden Legend," and represented as a huge collection of notorious falsehoods. After Queen Elizabeth was settled on the throne, and the Protestant religion well established, be returned to his native country, where the queen confer red upon him a prebend of the church of Salisbury, though Fox himself would have declined accepting it, and though he had several powerful friends, who would have raised him to considerable preferments, yet he declined them, being always unwilling to subscribe the canons and disliking some ceremonies of the church. In 1575, he wrote a letter to the queen, dissuading her from putting to death two Baptists who had been condemned to be burnt for their opinions; but though the queen in general paid great deference to Mr. Fox, yet she could by no means be prevailed on to save their lives, unless they recanted. This they would not do: they were, therefore, burnt in Smithfield to the great disgrace of Queen Elizabeth's reign. Besides what we have already mentioned Mr. Fox wrote a number of books, principally levelled against the catholics, the titles of which it will be unnecessary for us to mention. He died in 1575. FOX, (GEORGE) the founder of the sect of English Quakers was born at Fenny Drayton, a village in Leicestershire, about the year 1625. He was brought up a shoe-maker and for a long time followed his trade at Nottingham. He was a man of a very serious disposition, and while engaged at his work, was generally employed in meditating upon the sacred scriptures. He, at length, in the year 1649, commenced preacher, and was the founder of a sect, which, in the discharge of all the great duties of morality, are entitled to the highest commendation. In giving an account of the circumstances, which led to the origin of this new sect, it will be best to use their own words "The beginning of the seventeenth century is known to have been a time of great dissention in England respecting religion. Many pious persons had been dissatisfied with the settlement of the church of England in the reign of Queen Elizabeth. Various societies of dissenters had accordingly. arisen, some of whom evinced their sincerity by grievous sufferings under the intolerance of those, who governed church affairs. But these societies, notwithstanding their honest zeal, seemed to have stopped short in their progress towards a complete reformationt; and, degenerating into formality, to have left their most enlightened members to lament the want of something more instructive and consolatory to the soul, than the most rigorous observance of their ordinances had ever produced. Thus dissatisfied and disconsolate, they were ready to follow any teacher, who seemed able to direct them to that light and peace of which they felt in need. Many such in succession engaged their attention; until finding the insufficiency of them all, they withdrew from the communion of every visible church, and dwelt retired, and attentive to the inward state of their own minds: often deeply distressed for the want of that true knowledge of God, which they saw to be necessary for salvation, and for which, according to their ability, they fervently prayed. These sincere breathings of spirit being answered by the extension of some degree of heavenly consolation, they became convinced, that as the heart of man is the scene of the tempter's attacks, it must also be that of the redeemer's victory. With reverend fervency, therefore, they sought his appearance in their minds, and thus being renewedly furnished with his saving light and help, they not only became instructed in the things pertaining to their own salvation, but they discovered many practices in the world, which have a shew of religion, to be nevertheless, the unsubjected will of man, and inconsistent with the genuine simplicity of the truth." Mr. Besse, in his sufferings of the people called Quakers, says, "George Fox was one of the first of † Penn, Vol. 5, Page 211, 212. Ed. 1782. VOL. II. No, 15. C 3 our friends, who was imprisoned. He was confined at Nottingham in the year 1649, for having publicly opposed a preacher, who had asserted that the more sure word of prophecy, mentioned 2 Pet. 1, 19, was the scriptures, George Fox declaring, that it was the Holy Spirit; and in the following year, being brought before two justices in Derbyshire, one of them scoffing at George Fox, for having bidden him and those about him, tremble at the word of the Lord, gave to our predecessors the name of Quakers, an appellation which soon became and hath remained our most usual denomination, but they themselves adopted and have transmitted to us, the endearing appellation of Friends." Mr. Fox proposed but few articles of fath, insisting chiefly on moral virtues, mutual charity, the love of God and a deep attention to the inward motions and secret operations of the spirit: he required a plain, simple worship and a religion without ceremonies, making it a principal point to wait in profound silence the directions of the Holy Spirit. He met with much rough treatment for his zeal, was often imprisoned, and several times in danger of being knocked on the head; but, notwithstanding all discouragements, his sect prevailed much, and many considerable men were drawn over to them among whom were the celebrated Robert Barclay and William Penn. We shall conclude our account of George Fox, by observing, that though it has too long been the custom of some to ridicule, what they call, the inflated feelings, the starched affectation and unaccommodating manners of his followers; yet their general purity of manners, and universal philanthrophy; their abhorrence of the destructive practice of war, the infamous traffic of slaves and religious persecution; their quiet, inoffensive deportment, and conscientious discharge of the duties of private life, have not failed to conciliate the good will of the sober part of the community. Mr. Fox died in the year 1681. |