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the Commiffioners to vifit the Univerfitv of Ox ford ; in which office his -zeal for reformation wasfo exceffive, that he deftroyed a number of curiousand valuable books, for no better reafon than be-caufe they were written by Roman Catholics .
On the acceffion of Queen Mary, he was ftrip-ped of all his preferments, and committed to theMarlhalfea. He- was foon after releafed, and im-mediately left the kingdom.
Having refided fome time at Stralbtirg, with hisintimate friend Peter Martyr , on the death of QueenMary he returned to England,- and with other Di-vines was appointed to revife the Liturgy . He oftenpreached before the Queen; and, in 1559, was pre-ferred to the See of Ely, which he continued to en-joy upwards of twenty-one years. He died on the22d of July, 1581, aged eighty-one.
He was a man of very confiderable learning, azealous and moll rigid bulwark of the Church of England , and an implacable enemy beth-to Papiftsand Puritans.—Strype, in his Life of ArohbiffiopParker, fays, that in a letter to that Prelate , Coxadvifed him to proceed vigoroully in reclaiming orpunijhing the Puritans, and not to be difeouraged atthe frown of thofe court favourites ■ who protectedthem ; alluring him that he might expect the blef-fing of God on his pious labours, to free the Churchfrom their dangerous attempts, and to eftabliih uni-formity..
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