The last examination of Roger Holland.
* 1.1THe last examination of Roger Holland, was when he with his fellow prisoners were brought into the con∣sistorie, & there excommunicated all sauing Roger, & redy to haue their sentēce of iudgement, geuen wt many threat∣ning words to feare them withall: the Lord Strange, syr Tho. Iarret, M. Eagleston Esquier, and diuers other of worship, both of Cheshire & Lankeshire, that were Rog. Hollands kinsmē and friends, being there present: which had beene earnest suters to the Bishop in hys fauour, ho∣ping of his safetie of life. Nowe the Bishop hoping yet to winne him with his faire and flattering woordes, began after this maner.
Rog. I haue diuers times called thee before, home to my house, and haue conferred with thee, and being not learned in the latine toung, it doth appeare vnto me thou art of a good memorie & of a very sensible talke, but some∣thing ouerhastie: which is a naturall disease to some men. And surely they are not the worst natured men. For I my selfe shall now and then be hastie, but mine anger is soone past. So Roger, surely I haue a good opinion of you, that you wil not with these lewd fellowes cast your selfe head∣long from the church of your parents & your frendes that are here, very good catholikes (as it is reported vnto me.) And as I meane thee good,* 1.2 so Roger play the wisemans part, and come home with the lost sonne and say: I haue runne into the church of schismatikes and heretikes, from the catholicke church of Rome, and you shall, I warrante you, not only finde fauor at Gods hands, but the Church that hath authoritie, shall absolue you and put newe gar∣ments vppon you, and kill the fatling to make thee good cheare withall: That is, in so doing, as meate doth refresh and chearish the minde, so shalt thou finde as much quiet∣nesse of conscience in comming home to the church, as dyd the hungry sonne that had ben fed afore with the hogs, as you haue done with these heretikes that seuer them selues from the church. I giue them a homely name, but they be worse (putting his hand to his cap for reuerēce sake) then hogs: For they know the church and will not followe it. If I shoulde saye thus muche to a Turke, hee woulde (I thinke) beleue me. But Roger, if I did not beare thee and thy friendes good will, I woulde not haue sayde so muche as I haue done, but I would haue let mine Ordinarie a∣lone with you.
At these wordes his frendes that were there, gaue the Bishop thankes for his good will and paines that he had taken in his and theyr behalfe.
Wel Roger, how say you nowe? Do you not be∣leeue that after the Priest hath spoken the words of conse∣cration, there remaineth the body of Christ really & corpo∣rally vnder the formes of bread and wine: I meane yt selfe same body that was borne of the virgine Mary, that was crucified vpon the crosse, that rose againe the third day.
Your Lordship sayth, the same body which was borne of the virgin Marie, which was crucified vpon the Crosse, which rose againe the third day: but you leaue out which ascended into heauen:* 1.3 and the Scripture sayeth, he shall there remaine vntil he come to iudge the quicke and the deade. Then he is not contained vnder the formes of bread and wine, by Hoc est corpus meum. &c.
Roger, I perceiue my paines and good will, will not preuaile, and if I shoulde argue with thee, thou art so wil••ul (as all thy fellowes be, standing in thine owne sin∣gularitie & foolish conceit) that thou wouldest still talke to no purpose this 7. yere, if thou mightest be suffered. Aun∣swer whether thou wilt confesse the reall & corporall pre∣sence of Christes body in the Sacrament, or wilt not.
My Lord, although that God by his sufferaunce hath nere placed you to set forth his truth and glory in vs his faithful seruantes: notwithstanding your meaning is farre from the zeale of Christ, and for all your words, you haue the same zeal that Annas and Caiphas had, trusting to their authoritie, traditions and ceremonies, more then to the woorde of God.
If I should suffer hym, he would fall from reaso∣ning to railing, as a franticke heretike.
Roger (sayth the Lord Straunge) I per∣ceiue my Lorde woulde haue you to tell him whether you will submit your selfe vnto him or no.
Yea, sayeth Boner, and confesse this presence that I haue spoken of.
With this, Roger turning him to the Lorde Strange and the rest of his kinsmen and frendes, very chearefully kneled downe vpon his knees and said: God by ye mouth of his seruant S. Paul hath said: Let euery soule submit him selfe vnto the higher powers, and he that resisteth receiueth hys owne damnation: and as you are •• Magistrate appoynted by the will of God, so do I submit my selfe vnto you, and to all such as are appoynted for Magistrates.
That is well sayde: I see you are no Anabaptist. Howe saye you then to the presence of Chr••stes bodye and bloud in the Sacrament of the altare?
I say, and I beseeche you all to marke and beare witnes with me (for so you shal doe before the iudgement seate of God) what I speake: for heere is the Conclusion:* 1.4 And ye my deare frendes (turning him to his kinsmen) I pray you shew my father what I doe say, that he may vn∣derstand I am a christian man: I say and beleeue, and am therein fully persuaded by the scriptures, that the Sacra∣ment of the Supper of oure Lorde ministred in the holye Communion according to Christes institution, I beinge penitent & sorie for my sinnes, and minding to amend and lead a new life, and so cōming worthely vnto Gods bord in perfect loue & charity, do there receiue by faith, the body & bloud of Christ. And though Christ in his humane per∣son sitte at the right hand of his father, yet (by saith I say) his death, his passion, his merites are mine, and by faithe I dwell in him and he in me. And as for the Masse, tran∣substantiation, & the worshipping of the Sacrament, they are meere impietie and horrible idolatrie.
I thought so much, sayth Boner (suffering him to speake no more) how he wold proue a very blasphemous hereticke as euer I heard. Howe vnreuerently doeth hee speake of the blessed Masse?* 1.5 and so read his bloudy sentēce of condemnation, adiudging him to be burned.
All this while Roger was verye patient & quiet, and when he should depart. he sayd: my lord, I besech you suf∣fer me to speake 2. words. The B. wold not hear him, but bad him away. Notwtstanding, being requested by one of his frendes, he sayd: speake, what hast thou to say.
Euen now I told you that your authority was from God, and by his sufferance, and now I tel you, God hath heard the praier of his seruāts which hath ben pow∣red forth with feares for his afflicted sainctes,* 1.6 which daily you persecute, as now you do vs. But this I dare be bold in God to speake (which by his spirit I am moued to say) that God will shorten your hand of cruelty, that for a time you shal not molest his church: And this shal you in short time well perceiue, my deare brethrē, to be most true. For after this day, in this place shall there not be anye by hym put to the triall of fire and fagot: And after this daye there was neuer none that suffered in Smithfielde for the testi∣monie of the gospell, God be thanked.
After these woordes spoken, saith Boner: Roger,* 1.7 thou art I perceiue as madde in these thy heresies as euer was Ioan Butcher. In anger and fume thou woldest become a railing Prophet. Thoughe thou and all the sorte of you would see me hanged, yet I shall liue to burne, yea I wil burne all the sort of you that come in my handes, that wil not worship the blessed sacrament of the altare, for all thy pratling, and so he went his way.
Then Roger Holland began to exhort his frendes to repentance, and to thinke wel of them that suffered for the testimonie of the Gospel, and with that the B. came back, charging the keeper that no man shoulde speake to them without his licence, and if they did, they should be cōmit∣ted to prison. In the meane season H. Pond and Roger spake stil vnto the people,* 1.8 exhorting them to stande in the truthe: adding moreouer, that God woulde shorten those cruel and euil daies for his elect sake.
The day they suffred, a proclamation was made, yt none should be so bold to speake or talke any word vnto them, or receiue any thing of them,* 1.9 or to touche them vpō payne of imprisonment, without either bale or mainprise: wyth diuers other cruell threatninge woordes, contained in the same Proclamation. Notwithstanding the people cryed out, desiring God to strengthen them: and they likewyse still praied for the people, and the restoring of his woorde.