Francis Fox (divine) facts for kids

Francis Fox (born 1675, died 1738) was an important English clergyman. He was known as a "divine," which means a religious scholar or leader. He later became the vicar of Reading, a town in England.

Early Life and Education

Francis Fox was born in 1675 in a place called Brentford. His father was also named Francis Fox. In April 1698, he started studying at St Edmund Hall, Oxford University. He earned his first degree (B.A.) in 1701. He then completed his master's degree (M.A.) in 1704.

A Career in the Church

In 1705, Francis Fox became a chaplain. He worked for the Lord Mayor of London, Sir Owen Buckingham. Around this time, people often called him 'Father Fox'.

A church leader named Bishop Burnet gave him an important job. In 1708, Fox became the rector of Boscombe, Wiltshire. Later, in 1711, he was promoted to be the vicar of Potterne. He also served as a chaplain to Lord Cadogan. From 1713 until he died, he was a prebendary of Salisbury. This meant he held a special position in Salisbury Cathedral.

In 1726, he was given the role of vicar at St Mary's Church in Reading. He continued his work there until he passed away in July 1738.

His Political Views

For most of his life, Francis Fox was a strong supporter of the Whig party. The Whigs were a major political group in Britain at that time. In 1727, he gave a sermon in Reading. A sermon is a speech given in church, usually about religious or moral topics.

This sermon caused some disagreement among other church leaders. It was later published as a book called Judgment, Mercy, and Fidelity, the Weightier Matters or Duties of the Law. Some people thought his sermon did not value the church's sacraments enough. Sacraments are important religious ceremonies, like baptism. They also felt he did not speak enough against people who disagreed with the main church teachings.

This led to a debate between Fox and another clergyman, Reverend Joseph Slade. They exchanged angry letters about the sermon. Reverend Slade even published his own sermon to respond to Fox's ideas.