The two young men were preparing for entrance at the Exeter academy, under Joseph Hallet II.
In May 1708, he entered the academy, where he soon quarrelled with Harding, and formed an intimacy with his tutor's son, Joseph Hallet III, who put doubts into his mind respecting the Trinity.
His reluctance to comply with the Toleration Act, by subscribing the doctrinal articles, produced a coolness with his father.
After some months, Isaac Gilling, minister at Newton Abbot, Devonshire, came to Plymouth in disguise; a process was out against him for illegally keeping a Latin school.
At Salisbury Fox was introduced to Sir Peter King, then recorder of London, an old friend of Gilling.
He was not favourably impressed with John Shower, the only London minister he met, and spent his time in getting glimpses of great people and visiting the theatres.
He lodged with four young ministers in Austin Friars; it is probable that he attended the classes of John Eames He became intimate with Thomas Secker and Samuel Chandler (who lived in Calamy's house); to both of whom, and especially to Secker (who kept up a correspondence with him till 1718), he ascribes his progress in freedom of opinion.
His friend Jeremy Burroughs (a young minister who afterwards became collector of the customs at Bristol) came to his relief, by advising him simply to take the oath of allegiance, as if he had been licensed.
After some manœuvring between parties in the assembly, he got what he wanted, dealt cleverly with the test questions, and was licensed on 17 October 1717.
In the assembly of May 1719 he threw in his lot with James Peirce, the leader of the heterodox party, and the result was that he got no preaching engagements except to 'the poor remains of a few broken congregations.'
Aspland thought of reprinting the papers, and promised to deposit the originals in Dr. Williams's Library; unfortunately neither intention was carried out.