ROCKREY. 30 firiement a long time : for towards the close of the year 1571, he was again several times brought before the vice- chancellor and heads of colleges; when " Dr. Whitgift willedhim to acknowledge and confess his fault, andopenly to revoke his rashness in the same place, and before the same company, where he had given the offence ;" and in the conclusion, he was required to make the following public recantation : " For as much as on Sunday, being the 26th of No- "vember, in this place before you, I disorderly stood up, "(after that Dr. Chadderton, having commandment from " the vice-chancellor, had given warning that we should " not speak against such statutesas the queen's majesty had " sent to the university,) and, spoke words tending to the a complaining of such things as were then by our master " spoken, to tLe discrediting of some about the queen's " majesty ; saying, that godly princes might be deceived by " hypocrites and flatterers, as David was by Shebna, or " such like ; and to the derogation of the said statutes, and " condemnation of some of them, saying, that they tended " to the impairing of the liberty and privileges of the " university, and that some of them were directly against " God's word. I therefore acknowledge my rashness and " indiscreetness in sodoing, and am heartily sorry forthem, " desiring you to think as it becometh dutiful subjects to " think of the queen'smajesty,her counsellors and laws, and 4c reverently obey the same, as I for my part intend to do, " God willing, to the uttermost of my power. Inwitness " whereof, I have subscribed this confession with my own " hand, and deliver the same here in your presence, to " our master, to be by him also delivered to Mr. Vice- " chancellor."* Fxom the above, we see the crimes with which Mr. Rockrey was charged, together with the proceedings of these ruling ecclesiastics. He seems to have refused making this recantation. He would not defile his conscience, by subscribing that which appeared to him contrary to truth, as well as a tyrannical invasion of christian liberty. Though he was several times summoned before his superiors, it is probable, our author adds, that he still continued in the same mind.t Mr. Rockrey scrupled wearing the habits, for which, during the above troubles, he was deprived ofhis fellowship, * Baker's MS. Colic, vol. iii. , sse, SS& + Ibid. p. 984.
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