COX, RICHARD, a learned prelate, and principal
pillar of the Reformation, was born at Whaddon in
Buckinghamshire, of low parentage, in the year 1499.
From Eaton school he obtained a scholarship in King's
college in Cambridge, of which he became a fellow in
1519: he was thence invited to Oxford by Cardinal
Wolsey, and was there made one of the junior canons
of Cardinal college. In 1525 he was incorporated
bachelor; and the following year took the degree of
master of arts in the same university. In this situa-
tion he became remarkable for his learning and poeti-
cal abilities; but his attachment to the opinions of
Luther rendered him hateful to his superiors, who strip-
ped him of his preferment, and threw him into prison
on a suspicion of heresy. Being, however, soon re-
leased, he was chosen master of Eton school, which
flourished remarkably under his care. In 1537 he
commenced doctor of divinity at Cambridge; in 1540
was made archdeacon of Ely; and the following year
prebendary of that cathedral, on its being new found-
ed by King Henry VIII. In 1546 he was made dean
of Christ-church, Oxford. By the recommendation
of Archbishop Cranmer and Bishop Goodrich, to the
latter of whom he had been chaplain, he not only ob-
tained the above preferments, but was chosen precep-
tor to Prince Edward, on whose accession to the throne
he became a favourite at court, was sworn of the privy
council, and made king's almoner. In 1547 he was
elected chancellor of Oxford; in 1548 canon of Wind-
sor; and the next year dean of Westminster. About
this time he was appointed one of the commissioners
to visit the university of Oxford; in which office his
zeal for reformation was so excessive, that he destroyed
a number of curious and valuable books, for no better
reason than because they were written by Roman Ca-
tholics. On the accession of Queen Mary he was strip-
ped of all his preferments and committed to the Mar-
shallage. He was, however, soon released, and imme-
diately left the kingdom. Having resided some time
at Strasburg with his intimate friend Peter Martyr,
on the death of Queen Mary he returned to England,
and, with other divines, was appointed to revise the
liturgy. He often preached before the queen; and in
1559 was preferred to the see of Ely, which he con-
tinued to enjoy upwards of 21 years. He was, how-
ever, no favourite with the queen: the reason assigned
for which was, his zealous opposition to her retaining
the crucifix and wax-candles on the altar of the royal
chapel; also his strenuous defence of the marriage of
the clergy, which her majesty always disapproved.
He died on the 22d of July 1581, aged 81. He
was a man of considerable learning, a zealous and ri-
gid bulwark of the church of England, and an im-
placable enemy both to Papists and Puritans. In a
letter to Archbishop Parker, he advises him to proceed
vigorously in reclaiming or punishing the Puritans, and
not to be discouraged at the frown of those court-fav-
ourites 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. This zealous reformer we find
had not totally lost sight of the Popish text, compel them
to come in; but a stronger proof of his implacability
and self-importance appears in his letter to the lord
treasurer Burleigh, in which he warmly expostulates
with the council for interposing in behalf of the Pu-
ritans, or meddling in affairs of the church, admonish-
ing them to keep their own sphere. Such language
from a bishop would make a modern privy council stare.
His works are, 1. Two Latin Orations on the Dispute
between Dr Trellham and Peter Martyr, Lond. 1549,
4to. 2. Liturgy of the Church of England; in comp-
iling, and afterwards correcting which, he was prin-
cipally concerned. 3. The Lord's Prayer in verse,
commonly printed at the end of David's Psalms by
Sternhold and Hopkins. 4. Translation of the four
Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, and the Epistle
to the Romans, in the new translation of the Bible
in the reign of Queen Elizabeth. 5. Resolutions of
some Questions concerning the Sacrament in the Col-
lection of Records at the end of Burnet's History of
the Reformation. 6. Several Letters to the Queen
and others, published in Strype's Annals of the Re-
formation. He is also said to have been concerned in
the declaration concerning the divine institution of bi-
shops, and to have assisted Lyle in his Grammar.