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.



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