BROWNING. 303 Dr. Browning himself, after his release from prison, ap- peared before the chancellor, subscribed a submission with his own hand, and was so far acquitted that he was sent back to the university, and the vice-chancellor and heads were urged to re-admit him to his former office and prefer ment. But this will best appear in, Burleigh's own words, addressed to the vice-chancellor and heads, which were as follows :-" Having received fromyou a declaration of two errors committed by this bearer, John Browning, in his sermons, one of them containing matter of heresy, and the other tending to sedition, I have caused him to be further examined hereupon, in the presence of Sir Thomas Smith, her majesty's principal secretary ; and finding as well by the relation of Mr. Secretary, as by his own confession subscribed with his hand, .that he utterly abhorreth them both, and affirmeth that he hath been much mistaken in the same, I thought it best, for preserving the university's reputation, and for the reverence of the church of God, wherein he is a minister, to suppress the memory and notice of the said errors, especially that which may be drawn to an interpretation that he should be justly thought seditious and offensive. Therefore, my advice is, that you should receive him again into his place ; and if he shall willingly acknowledge before you the same doctrine, and misliking of the foresaid errors, whereof mean to send you his confessionunder his hand, and then lie may con- tinue quietly among you. "* Though he returned tohis office in the college, and to his publicministerial exercise,his troubles werenot over. Having takenhis doctor's degree at Oxford, two years earlier than he ought to have done, brought upon him many fresh trials. For this singular offence, which some' deemed a mere trifle, and others accounted a very grievous crime, he was deprived of his fellowship, and in effect expelled front the university. This oppressive sentence was inflicted upon him in a most clandestine and illegal manner by Dr. Still, and even above four years after taking his degree at Oxford. This was done a long time after Dr. Still had signified his approbation of his taking the degree, by allowing him to deliver public lectures in the chapel, according to the statute of the university, and by allowing him to be incor- porated in the same degree at Cambridge. He also con- firmed to Dr., Browning his fellowship and place in the 4, faker's MS. Collec. vol. xxix. p. 868.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=