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to believe in Christ; for it appeared how little regard they had to him, whose image on the cross of Cheapside they had lately so grossly abused. Some of the standers-by asked me, where Christ had commanded in the scriptures the making of his image? I answered, that though this was not expressly commanded in scripture; yet it was agreeable to the law of nature, to which the divine law is no way opposite, to testify our love to a person by the regard we have to his picture or image; and thus both right, reason, and experience show, that the affront offered to the king's image, is to be looked upon as done to himself, and is punished as such. What then must be thought of the affronts you have lately offered to the image of Jesus Christ, the king of kings? Then the sheriff asked me, for what intent I had returned to England? I answered, to bring back my country to the fold of Christ, from which it was gone astray: that I was sent hither to this end. He asked me, who sent me? I answered, I was sent by those who had an authority to do it, delegated to them by the pope. Then the sheriff left me, and I was carried out by a back door into another street, by reason 'of the great concourse of the mob before the house, and conducted to the New Prison.

'On Tuesday morning, I was carried to Westminster, to be examined before a committee of parliament, appointed for that purpose. When I came thither, Wadsworth brought in the vestments and other ornaments which he had taken, and laid them upon the table before the committee; one of them said, they were but mean: they are too good, said I, for those that now have them. The chairman gravely said, as mean as they are, they can serve for an idolatrous worship as well as the best. What idolatrous worship, sir? said I. Why, said he, is it not idolatry to worship bread for God? I replied, we worship not the bread and wine for God, in the tremendous mysteries; but we worship Jesus Christ under the species of bread and wine, as the church of God has always done from the days of the apostles.

Whilst this controversy was in agitation, one of the company in looking over and examining the vestments, uncovered the altarstone, and viewing the crosses upon it, cried out, that he had there discovered the number of the beast. I could scarce forbear laughing at his ignorance: but going up to him, I said, pray, sir, since you are so well acquainted with the beast, be pleased to tell me what is his name. Then the chairman asked me, how I durst presume to disobey the laws of my country? I answered with the apostles, Acts iv.-Judge you, if it be just in the sight of God, to obey you rather than God. Sir William Cawley, formerly my school-fellow, said, You know, Mr. Bullaker, it is written, Fear God, and honour the king. I know it, said I, and I also know that the parliament which made it treason to be a priest, did, also, by law, establish the government of the church by bishops, the common prayer, and ceremonies; all which in this present parliament you oppose. True, said he, but why may we not amend what is ill ordered before? This, said I, is what you attempt; but assure yourself, that a parliament will come, and that the very next parliament that shall sit, in which that religion which you now pretend to establish, (viz: presbytery, will be rejected and

thrown out. He said, I should never see that day. I know, said I, that the time of my dissolution is at hand, but what I have foretold will certainly happen.' "It did so for after the rump was dissolved there was no legal parliament till the restoration, when all their religious ordinances were annulled; this prediction was published in print in the Certamen Seraphicum, p. 51, anno 1649, i. e. eleven years before the

event."

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Upon this they cried out, I was a traitor, and that all their present troubles were owing to the practices of me, and such as me. I would to God! said I, there were not in this kingdom another kind of traitors, from whom the nation has reason to fear far more real and greater dangers for all your pretences of popish plots, I defy you to produce any legal proof of any one single treasonable attempt of any catholic, from the beginning of this parliament, to this present day. Then they asked how long I had been a priest? and how many years I had been in England? I answered, that subducting out of my age, (which was about thirty-eight,) twenty-four years: I had been priest all the rest; and had been about twelve years in England. They asked, How many priests there were of our order in the kingdom? I told them, though I was so free in confessing what related to myself, they were mistaken, if they imagined I would betray my brethren, or bring them into danger; and therefore I should answer nothing upon that head. Here, Wadsworth addressed himself to the committee, said, this man is so obstinate and resolute in his way, that he is not afraid to profess, that if you send him out of the nation by one port, he will return by another; which though they interpreted to be a contempt, I there plainly affirmed. They asked me in fine, amongst many other things, whether the bishop of Chalcedon had given orders whilst he was here in England? I told them no: in conclusion, they sent my name, and my examination, which they had taken down in writing, to the lord chief justice, and sent me to Newgate, in order for my trial and

execution.

When I was brought to the court to be tried, I first made the sign of the cross upon my forehead, mouth, and breast, saying aloud, Per signum crucis de inimicis nostris libera nos deus noster; and then humbly begged the blessing of the most sacred trinity. The clerk of the sessions ordered me to hold up my hand, and my indictment being read, he asked if I was guilty, or not guilty. I answered, if by guilty you mean a criminal, as if by taking orders I was guilty of any crime or fault, I am not guilty but a priest I am, and that I will never deny. Then, said they, thou art a traitor. Had the kingdom, said I, no other kind of traitors, it would be in a far better condition, than it is at present. At the e words the court was silent for a while, and then they éried out, I was a seducer. Now, said 1, you give me occasion to rejoice, because you treat me with the same tide as the Jews did my Saviour, whom they called a seducer. I added, that he that first taught the law of Christ to the English nation, (viz: St. Augustine,) was a priest like me, and was in like manner sent hither by the pope, viz: St. Gregory the great.

"They asked again if I were guilty or not guilty? I answered, VOL II.

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I am not guilty of any treason, or any other capital crime; but I confess I am a priest, and that I was taken at mass; nor will ever deny my priesthood, though I were to die a thousand deaths for it: but to say I am guilty in being a priest, as if there were any guilt in the matter, whereas, nothing can be more honourable, that I will never do. Here they made a great outcry, as if I had said, I was not guilty of any sin: I told them they did not take me right, for I acknowledged myself the greatest sinner upon earth; but what I meant was, that my being a priest or saying mass, was no guilt or sin. Then the recorder said, Mr. Bullaker, you have here confessed over and over again, that you are a priest, plead therefore to your indictment directly, guilty or not guilty. I answered as before, I am not guilty of any treason, but a priest I am. He urged, your being a priest makes you guilty of treason, by your transgressing the laws of the land. I answered, that those laws were not to be regarded which were repugnant to the law of God: that the heathens of old, and the Mahometans at present had laws, by which it was death to preach to them the law of Christ, but that the transgression of such laws as these could be no treason. I added, that the parliament which had made that law, by which priests were declared traitors, was certainly not infallible in making laws, a privilege which they would not allow even to the universal church of God, which St. Paul calls, The pillar and ground work of the truth.' So far, we have abridged the confessor's own account of himself.

The recorder directed the jury to bring him in guilty of the indictment and though, as my author says, they boggled at it, and were for having the case referred to the parliament, he proceeded to pronounce sentence upon him, in the usual form. F. Bullaker could not contain his joy upon this occasion, but falling down on his knees, with hands and eyes lifted up towards heaven, sung the Te Deum in thanksgiving to God; then rising, made a profound reverence to the court, thanking them for the great favour they had done him and so with a remarkable cheerfulness and serenity in his countenance, was conducted back to Newgate, where he employed the short time that remained of his mortal life in private devotions, and spiritual conferences with such of the faithful, as applied to him about the concerns of their souls.

On Wednesday, the 12th of October, 1642, he was brought out of prison, and laid on the sledge, and so drawn to Tyburn, showing all the way a wonderful cheerfulness in his countenance. At the place of execution, he spoke to the people upon the text, Thou art a priest for ever according to the order of Melchisedech, Psal. cix. He offered to speak of the real presence of the body and blood of Christ in the blessed sacrament, but was interrupted by the ministers; and after a little time was ordered by the officer to make an end; he readily obeyed, giving them hearty thanks for bringing him thither to die for the defence of his faith; a happiness which he said he had always aspired after, though he acknowledged himself unworthy of it. He received absolution from one of his brethren, upon giving the sign agreed upon before and then, he employed a short time in silent

prayer, standing, as it were, in contemplation, till the cart was drawn away. He was cut down before he was fully dead, dismembered, bowelled, and quartered. His heart was saved from the flames by a priest of the same order, whom we just now mentioned his head was set up on London bridge, and his quarters, upon the gates of the city. He suffered in the thirty-eighth year of his age, the nineteenth of his religious profession, the fourteenth of his priesthood, and the twelfth of his mission.

THOMAS HOLLAND, PRIEST, S. J.*

THOMAS HOLLAND was born in Lancashire in the year 1600, and was sent over very young to the English college of St. Omer's, where he employed six years in his studies, giving so great edification to his fellow students, that he was more than once chosen by their votes prefect of the sodality of our blessed lady and was remarkable for his talent in exhorting and encouraging his companions to piety and devotion. When he had finished his rhetoric, he was sent into Spain, to the English seminary of Valladolid, in August 1621, where he went through the course of his philosophy. Whilst he was here, Charles, Prince of Wales, arrived at Madrid, on occasion of the match then proposed with the Infanta Maria; and it was thought proper, that the English seminaries in that kingdom, should make their compliments to their prince upon his safe arrival: Mr. Holland was made choice of for this office, by the seminary of Valladolid, and performed his part, by a Latin ora tion, pronounced before the prince, which is said to have given great satisfaction to his royal highness and his attendants.

After three years, Mr. Holland returned to Flanders, and entering into the society of Jesus, made his noviceship at Watten; and studied his divinity at Liege, where also he was made priest. From Liege, he was sent to St. Omer's, where he was confessor to the scholars, and deservedly gained the esteem and love of all, by his prudence, sweetness, and dexterity in the management of youth, and imprinting in their tender minds the fear and love of God. From St. Omer's he passed to. Ghent, where he was for some time, minister of the house. He made his last vows, May 28, 1634; and the following year, was sent upon the English mission, in hopes of recovering his health, which at that time was in a very bad state.

The change of air brought no advantage to his health; for the pursuivants being very busy in those days, in making strict search after priests; he was forced to lie concealed in the day, (London being the seat of his mission,) under so close a confinement, that he scarce durst, for months together, walk out so much as into the garden of the house where he was harboured; by which means, after some time, he in a manner, quite lost all appetite, and had even a loathing for his food. Yet, notwithstanding these disadvantages, F. Holland found means, es

* From his life, published in Latin at Antwerp, anno 1645; from the testimony of eye-witnesses, and persons most worthy of credit.

pecially for the two last years of his mission, when the times were the worst, to be very serviceable to the souls of many, by making frequent excursions amongst the poor, under the favour of the darkness of the night, or early in the morning, and under various disguises, necessary in those evil days, in which he succeeded so well, that sometimes, his most intimate friends could not know him in his borrowed dress.

At length, he was apprehended on suspicion, October 4, 1642, and committed to the New prison, where he was detained for about two months, till his trial coming on, he was removed to Newgate. His behaviour in prison, was such as very much edified all that came near him, and it was, in particular noted, that he seldom went into bed, but spent a great part of the night in prayer. Yet he was very cautious to give his adversaries no advantage or opportunity of gathering from his carriage or behaviour, that he was a priest; so that when he was brought to the bar, December the 7th, to take his trial at the Old Baily, though four witnesses appeared against him, they could alledge no substantial proofs of his priesthood, but only bare suspicions and presumptions. However, upon these presumptions, and his refusing to swear that he was not a priest, the jury, to the surprise of the lord mayor, and others in the court, brought him in guilty; and on the tenth of the same month, the recorder pronounced sentence of death against him in the usual form. At the hearing of which, F. Holland calmly said, Deo gratias, thanks be to God and being sent back to prison, invited some other catholics there, to join with him, in reciting the hymn of thanksgiving, Te Deum laudamus.

He had now but a short time to live, being to suffer on Monday, the 12th of December; and for this short time, the prison was thronged with people of all conditions, as well English, as foreigners, that came to visit him. He received them all with a religious modesty, joined with a remarkable cheerfulness and courage; spoke handsomely to them with a smiling countenance, in their respective languages, (for he was a perfect master of the French, Spanish, and Dutch,) and his words made a strong impression upon them. The duke of Vendosme, who was then at London, offered him his service, to endeavour to put a stop to the execution but F. Holland humbly thanked his grace, and desired he would put himself to no trouble about him: as he had some time before, when he was first apprehended, earnestly entreated his superiors by letter, that they would put themselves to no charges on his account, nor make any interest to save his life.

After F. Holland had allowed a great part of the Saturday to receiving of these visits, he then desired to be alone for the remainder of the evening and on the Sunday morning, having heard the confessions of many, he celebrated mass, and administered the blessed sacrament to his penitents; after which, he spent some time by himself, in recollection, and the rest of the day in offices of charity to the souls of his neighbours. On this day, the Spanish ambassador sent a gentleman to him, recommending the king and kingdom of Spain to his prayers; and letting him know that he had ordered prayers in his chapel for his happy conflict. The father returned thanks for all favours conferred on him and his, by his excellence and the king his master, and pro

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