A Cloud of Witnesses, Part H · Section 15
Holland.
A Friend of Mr Roger Holland's thanking the Bishop for his good will to his Kinsman,Fox, Vol. 3. pag. 875. and beseeching God that he might have grace to follow his Council; Sir (said Mr. Holland) You crave of God you know not what, I beseech God to open your eyes to see the light of his Word. Roger (said his Kinsman) hold your peace, lest you fare the worse at my Lords hands. No (said he) I shall fare as it pleaseth God, for man can do no more then God doth permit him.
The Register asking him, Whether he would submit himself to the Bishop, before he was entred into the Book of contempt. I never meant (said he) but to submit my self to the Magistrate, as I learn of St. Paul, Rom. 13. yet I mean not to be a Papist; they will not submit themselves to any other Prince or Magistrate, then those that must first be sworn to maintain them and their doings. B…nner telling him, Roger, I perceive thou wilt be ruled by no good counsel, &c. He answered, I may say to you my Lord, as Paul said to Felix, and to the Iews, Acts 22. 1 Cor. 15. It is not unknown to my Master, whose Apprentice I was, that I was of this your blind Religion, &c. having that liberty under your auricular Confession, that I made no conscience of sin, but trusted in the Priests absolution, &c. So that Lechery, Swearing, and all othervices I accounted no offence of danger, so long as I could for money have them absolved.Pag. 876. — And thus I continued, till of late God hath opened the Light of his Word, and called me by his grace to repentance of my former idolatry and wicked life. — The antiquity of our Church is not from Pope Nicholas or Pope Ione, but our Church is from the beginning, even from the time that God said to Adam, That the seed of the woman should break the Serpents head, &c. All that believed this promise were of the Church, though the number were oftentimes but few and small, as in Elias dayes, when he thought there was none but he that had not bowed the knee to Baal, &c. Moreover of our Church have been the Apostles and Evangelists, the Martyrs and Confessors that have in all Ages been persecuted for the testimony of the Word of God. —
Pag. 877.After Sentence was read against him, he said, Even now I told you that your authority was of God and by his sufferance, and now I tell you, God hath heard the prayer of his Servants, which hath been poured forth with tears for his afflicted Saints, which daily you persecute. This I dare be bold in God to speak (which by his Spirit I am moved to say) that God will shorten your hand of cruelty, that for a time you shall not molest his Church. And this shall you in short time perceive, my dear Brethren, to be the most true; for after this day, in this place, shall there not be any by him put to the trial of Fire and Fagot. Which accordingly came to pass. He was the last burnt in Smithfield.
Then he began to exhort his Friends to repentance,Pag. 878. and to think well of them that suffered for the testimony of the Gospel.
The day that Mr. Holland and the rest suffered, a Proclamation was made, that none should be so bold as to speak to them, or receive any thing of them upon pain of imprisonment. Notwithstanding the people cried out, desiring God to strengthen them; and they prayed for the people and the restoring of his Word.
At length Mr. Holland embracing the Stake and the Reeds, said, Lord I most humbly thank thy Majesty, that thou hast called me from the stake 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. Lord into thy hands I commit my spirit. Lord, bless these thy people, and save them from idolatry.