Holland Even Now I Told You That Your Authority Was From God And By
his sufferance: and now I tell you God hath heard the voice of his
servants, which hath been poured forth with tears for his afflicted
saints, whom you daily persecute, as now you do us. But this I dare be
bold in God to say, (by whose Spirit I am moved,) that God will shorten
your hand of cruelty, that for a time you shall not molest his church.
And this you shall in a short time well perceive, my dear brethren, to
be
most true. For after this day, in this place, there shall not be
any by him put to the trial of fire and fagot;" and after that day there
were none that suffered in Smithfield for the truth of the gospel.
In reply, Bonner said, "Roger, thou art, I perceive, as mad in these thy
heresies as ever was Joan Butcher. In anger and fume thou would become a
railing prophet. Though thou and all the rest of you would see me
hanged, yet I shall live to burn, yea, and I will burn all the sort
of you that come into my hands, that will not worship the blessed
sacrament of the altar, for all thy prattling;" and so he went his way.
Then Holland began to exhort his friends to repentance, and to think
well of them that suffered for the testimony of the gospel, upon which
the bishop came back, charging the keeper that no man should speak to
them without his license; if they did, they should be committed to
prison. In the mean time, Henry Pond and Holland spake to the people,
exhorting them to stand firm in the truth; adding, that God would
shorten these cruel and evil days for his elect's sake.
The day they suffered, a proclamation was made, prohibiting every one
from speaking or talking to, or receiving any thing from them, or
touching them, upon pain of imprisonment without either bail or
mainprize. Notwithstanding, the people cried out, "God strengthen them!"
They also prayed for the people, and the restoration of his word.
Embracing the stake and the reeds, Holland said these words:
"Lord, I most humbly thank thy Majesty, that thou hast called me from
the state of death unto the light of thy heavenly word, and now unto the
fellowship of thy saints, that I may sing and say, Holy, holy, holy,
Lord God of Hosts! And, Lord, into thy hands I commit my spirit! Lord,
bless these, thy people, and save them from idolatry." Thus he ended his
life, looking towards heaven, praying to, and praising God, with the
rest of his fellow saints. These seven martyrs were consumed, June 27,
1558.
The names of the six martyrs taken in company with those who were
apprehended in the close, near Islington, were R. Mills, S. Cotton, R.
Dynes, S. Wright, J. Slade, and W. Pikes, tanner. They were condemned by
Bonner's chancellor in one day, and the next day a writ was sent to
Brentford for their execution, which took place, July 14, 1558.