MarginaliaAn. 1558. Iune. Iuly.perceaue my Lord would haue you to tell him whether you will submit your selfe vnto him or no.

Boner. Yea, sayth Boner, and confesse this presence that I haue spoken of.

With this Roger turnyng him to the Lord Straunge and the rest of his kynsmen and frendes, very cherefully kneled downe vpon his knees and sayd: God by the mouth of his seruaūt S. Paul hath sayd: Let euery soule submit him selfe vnto the higher powers, and he that resisteth receiueth his owne damnation: and as you are a Magistrate appoynted by the will of God, so do I submit my selfe vnto you, and to all such as are appointed for Magistrates.

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Boner. That is well sayd: I see you are no Anabaptist. MarginaliaThe presence in the Sacrament.How say you then to the presence of Christes body and bloud in the Sacrament of the altar?

Holland. I say, and I besech you all to marke & beare witnes with me (for so you shall do before the iudgemēt seat of God) what I speake: for here is the conclusion: And ye my deare frendes (turnyng him to his kinsmē) I pray you shew my father what I do say, that he may vnderstand I am a Christian mā: I say & beleue & am therin fully persuaded by the Scriptures, that the Sacrament of the Supper of our Lord ministred in the holy Communion accordyng to Christes institution, I beyng penitent and sory for my sinnes, and myndyng to amend and lead a new life, and so commyng worthely vnto Gods board in perfect loue & charitie, do there receiue by fayth, the body and bloud of Christ. And though Christ in his humane person sit at the right hād of his father, yet (by faith I say) his death, his Passion, his merites are myne: and by fayth I dwell in him and he in me. And as for the Masse, transubstantiation, and the worshippyng of the Sacrament, they are mere impiety and horrible idolatry.

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Boner. I thought so much sayth Boner (sufferyng hym to speake no more) how he would proue a very blasphemous hereticke as euer I heard. How vnreuerently doth he speake of the blessed Masse? MarginaliaSentence red agaynst Rog. Holland.and so read his bloudy sentence of condemnation, adiudgyng hym to be burned.

All this while Roger was very patient and quiet, and when he should departe, he said: my Lord, I besech you suffer me to speake ij. wordes. The Byshop would not heare hym but bad hym away. Notwithstandyng, beyng requested by one of his frendes, he sayd: speake, what hast thou to say?

Holland. Euen now I told you that your authoritie was from God and by his sufferance, and now I tell you, God hath heard the prayer of his seruaūtes which haue bene poured forth with teares for his afflicted Saintes, which daily you persecute, as now you do vs. But this I dare be bold in God to speake (which by his spirite I am moued to say) MarginaliaRog. Holland prophesieth of shortening the tyme of B. Boners crueltie.that God will shorten your hand of cruelty, that for a tyme you shall not molest his Church. And this shall you in short tyme well perceaue, my deare brethrē, to be most true. For after this day, in this place shall there not be any by him put to the triall of fire and Fagot: MarginaliaThe last that suffered in Smithfield.And after this day there was neuer none that suffered in Smithfield for the testimonie of the Gospell, God be thanked.

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After these wordes spokē, sayth Boner: Roger, thou art I perceiue as madde in these thy heresies as euer was Ioane Bocher.  

In anger and fume thou wouldest became a rayling Prophet. Though thou and all þ^e sort of you would see me hanged, yet I shall lyue to burne, yea I will burne all the sort of you that come in my handes, that will not worship the blessed Sacrament of the altar, for all thy pratlyng, and so went his way.

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Then Roger Holland began to exhort his frendes to repentance, and to thinke well of them that suffered for þ^e testimony of þ^e Gospell, and with that the Bishop came backe, chargyng the keeper that no man should speake to thē without his licence, and if they did, they should be committed to prison. In the meane season

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H. Pond and Roger spake still vnto the people, exhorting them to stand in the truth: adding moreouer, MarginaliaCruell daies shortened for the elect sake.that God would shorten those cruell and euill dayes for his electe sake.

MarginaliaThe Martyrdome of Roger Holland with sixe other in Smithfield.The day they suffred, a proclamation was made, that none should be so bold to speake or talke any word vnto them, or receiue any thing of thē, or to touch thē, vpon payne of imprisonment, without either bale or mainprice: with diuers other cruell threatning words, contayned in the same proclamation. Notwithstāding the people cryed out, desiring God to strengthen them:  

and they likewise still prayed for the people, and the restoring of his word. At the length Roger embracing the stake, and the reedes, sayd these wordes:

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Lord I most humbly thancke thy maiesty, that thou hast called me from the state of death, vnto the light of thy heauenly woorde, and now vnto the fellowshippe of thy Saintes, that I may sing and say: Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hostes. And Lord into thy handes I cōmit my spirite. Lord blesse these thy people, and saue them from Idolatry. and so ended hys life, looking vp into heauen, praying, and praysing God, with the rest of his fellow Sainctes. For whose ioyfull constancie the Lorde be praysed.

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MarginaliaIuly. 14.
Vj. Martyrs burne at Brainford.NOt Long after the death of the fore named vij. godly Martyrs that suffred in Smithfield, were vj. other faythfull witnesses of the Lordes true testament, Martyred at Brayneford, vij. miles from London,  

the xiiij. day of Iuly. 1558. which sayd vj. were of that company þ^t were apprehended in a close hard by Islington (as is aboue specified) & sent to prison. Whose names and articles proponed to them, with their answers vnto the same, hereafter followeth.MarginaliaMartyrs.

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Robert Mylles. Stephen Cotton.   Commentary     Close See Stephen Cotton's letter to his brother (1563, p. 1688; 1570, p. 2264; 1576, pp. 1954-55 and 1583, p. 2061). Robert Dynes. Stephen Wight.

Iohn Slade. William Pikes, or Pikers, a Tāner.

These vj. fore named Martyrs (gentle reader) had their articles ministred to them by Thomas Darbishere Boners Chancellor, at sundry times, as Robert Milles the xx. day of Iune, Stephen Wight the xxj. day of the sayd moneth, Ste. Cotton and Iohn Slade the xxij. day, and Robert Dines and William Pikes the 23. day. At which sayd times, though they were seuerally examined, yet had they all one maner of articles ministred to them, yea and the selfe same articles that were ministred to Iohn Holiday, Henry Pond, and theyr company afore sayd. Which sayd articles I leaue the reader to looke for in pag. 2235. & thinke it not necessary any more to rehearse them, but onely to procede with theyr aunswers to the same, which briefely and in summe hereafter followeth.

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Marginalia1.MarginaliaThe aunsweres of the vj. former Martyrs to the articles.TO the fyrst article they al graunted the same, and added therto for going to church, that Robert Mylles and Stephen Wight came not there for iij. quarters of a yeare before, and Iohn Slade and William Pikes not since the Queenes reigne, Stephen Cotton not for a tweluemoneth before, & Robert Dynes not for. ij. yeares before.

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Marginalia2. 3. 4. 5. 6.To the. 2. 3. 4. 5. and. 6. Articles they all aunswered in effect, as the forenamed Iohn Holyday, Henry Pond & their company did, pag. 2236. sauyng they added, that as theyr rites, customes, and ceremonies are agaynst the word of God, so will they obserue and keepe no part of the same. Stephen Wight added further that he receiued not theyr Sacrament of the altar for two yeares before, nor Iohn Slade and William Pikes since Queene Maries reigne, nor Steuen Cotton for a tweluemoneth before, nor Robert

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