MarginaliaAnno. 1558. Iuly.Churche: And this shall you in short tyme well perceaue, my deare brethren, to be most true. For after this day, in this place shall there not be any by hym 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 spoken, saith Boner: Roger, thou art I perceiue as madde in these thy heresies as euer was Ioan Bocher.  

In anger and fume thou wouldest became a railyng Prophet. Though thou & all the sort of you would see me hanged, yet I shall liue 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 waie.

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Then Roger Holland began to exhort his frendes to repentance, and to thinke well of them that suffered for the testimony of the Gospell, and with that the Bishoppe came backe, chargyng the keeper that no man should speake to them without his licence, and if they did, they should be committed to Prison. In the meane season H. Pond and Roger spake stil vnto the people, exhorting them to stand in the truth: adding moreouer, MarginaliaThe cruell daies shortened for the elect sake.that GOD would shorten those cruell and euill dayes for his elect sake.

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MarginaliaThe Martyrdome of Roger Holland with sixe other in Smithfield.The day they suffered, a Proclamation was made, þ^t none should bee so bold to speake or talke any word vnto them, or receiue any thyng of them, or to touche them, vpon payne of imprisonment, without either bale or mainprice: with diuers other cruell threatning wordes, contained in the same Proclamation. Notwithstandyng the people cryed out, desiryng God to strengthen them:  

and they likewise still praied for the people, and the restoryng of his woorde. At length Roger embracing the stake, and the reedes, said these wordes:

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Lord I most humbly thanke thy maiesty, that thou hast called mee from the state of death, vnto the light of thy heauenly word, and now vnto the fellowship 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 his life, lookyng vp into heauen, praying, and praysing God, with the reste of his fellowe Sainctes. For whose ioyfull constancie the Lord be praised.

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MarginaliaIuly. 14.MarginaliaSixe Martyrs burnt at Brainford.NOt long after the death of the fore named vij. godly Martyrs that suffred in Smithfield, were vi. other faithfull witnesses of the Lordes true Testament, Martyred at Braynford, vij. miles from London,  

the xiiij. day of Iuly. 1558. which sayd vi. were of that company that weee apprehended in a close hard by Islington (as is aboue specified) and sent to Prison. Whose names and articles proponed to them, with their aunsweres 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 Tanner.

These vi. forenamed 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 xxi. day of the sayd moneth, Ste. Cotton and Ioh Slade the xxij. day, and Robert Dines and william Pikes the 23. day. At which said 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 their company afore sayd. Which sayd articles I leaue the reader to looke for in pag. 1930. and thinke it not necessary any more to rehearse them, but onely to proceede with their aunswers to the same, which briefely and in summe hereafter followeth.

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Marginalia1.TO the first Article they all graunted the same, and added thereto for goyng 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 twelue-

MarginaliaThe aūsweres of the sixe former Martyrs to the Articles.moneth before, and Rob. Dynes not for. ii. yeares before.

Marginalia2. 3. 4. 5. 6.The. 2. 3. 4. 5. and. 6. Articles they all aunswered in effect, as the forenamed Iohn Holyday, Henry Pond and their company did, pag. 1931. sauyng they added, that as their rites, customes, and ceremonies are against the worde 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 Aultar for two yeares before, nor Iohn Slade and William Pikes since Queenes Maries reigne, nor Stephen Cotton for a tweluemoneth before, nor Robert Dynes for three yeres before.

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Marginalia7.To the vij. article, they all graunted the same in euery part like vnto the afore named Henry Pond and his company, pag. 1931. sauyng Robert Dines added that it was no part of his beliefe.

Marginalia8.To the eight article they all graunted the same in euery part as the forenamed William Holliday and his company. pag. 1931. but Robert Milles added thereto that hee wil not come to church, nor allow their religion, so long as the crosse is crept to and worshipped, and Images are in the Churche. Iohn Slade affirmed in effect as Robert Milles did, addyng further that there bee not vij. Sacramentes, but two Sacramentes, which is Baptisme and the Supper of the Lorde. Stephen Cotton would no further allowe the Popishe religion, then it agreeth with Gods word: and Robert Dines affirmed in effect the like to Stephen Cotton also.

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Marginalia9. 10.To the ninth and tenth articles Robert Milles, Iohn Slade and Steuen Cotton aunswered that they do not allow the popish seruice then set forth, because it is against the truth, and in a straunge language which the commō people vnderstand not. Robert Dines and william Pikes, wil neither allow nor disallow the latine seruice, because they vnderstand it not. And Steuen Wight would make no direct aunswere to the articles at all, and to the 11. 12. 13. and 14. articles we finde no aunsweres recorded of the sayd Steuen Wight, but of the reste of his fellow prisoners we finde aunsweres to those articles, whiche hereafter follow.

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Marginalia11.To the xj. article, Robert Milles, Iohn Slade and Steuen Cotton aunswered, that concerning the bookes, faith, and religion specified in this article, they doe allow them so farre forth as they agree with Gods woorde. &c. Robert Dynes woulde make no aunswere thereto, because hee thought hymselfe vnmeete to iudge thereof: and William Pikes doth not remēber that he hath misliked the seruice, and the fayth, and religion set forth in king Edward the sixt his tyme.

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Marginalia12.To the xij. they graunt, that if they might receaue the sacrament as they did in king Edward the sixt dayes, they would with all their hart so do.

Marginalia13. 14.To the 13. and 14. articles, they confesse and graunt the contentes of them to be true in euery part.

When at the dayes before specified, these good men were produced before Boners Chauncellor Thomas Darbishire, and had the foresayd articles ministred vnto them, and they (as ye haue heard) had made aunswere vnto the same, in the end the Chauncellour commaunded them to appeare before them agayne the xi. day of Iuly after in the sayd place at Paules. MarginaliaThe sixe Martyrs brought againe before Darbishire.Where when they came, hee required of them, whether they would tourne from their opinions to the mother holy churche: and if not, that then, whether there were any cause to the contrary but that they might proceede with the sentence of condemnation. Whereunto they all answered, that they would not go from the truthe, nor relent from any part of the same while they liued. Then he charged them to appeare before him againe the next day in the afternoone, betwene one & two of the clocke, to heare the definitiue sentence red againste them, accordyng to the Ecclesiasticall Lawes then in force. At which time, he sittyng in iudgement, talking with these godly and vertuous men, at the last came into the sayd place MarginaliaSyr Edward Hastinges and Syr Thomas Cornwales at the condemnation of these Martyrs.syr Edward Hastinges and syr Thomas Cornwales knightes, ij. of Queene Maries officers of her house, and beeyng there, they sat them downe ouer against the Chauncellour, in whose presence the sayde Chauncellor condemned those good poore lambes, and deliuered them ouer to the secular power, who receaued and caried them to Prison immediatly, and there kept them in safetie till the day of their death.

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In the meane tyme this naughty Chauncellor slept not, I warrāt you, but that day in which they were cōdemned, hee made certificate into the Lord Chauncellors office, from whence the next daye after was sent a writ to burne them at Brainford afore sayd, which ac-