Now, therefore, having declared how he finished his holy life,[502] I will here set down so much of his whole course therein as I could learn from some of those that have been very inward with him, that it may the more plainly appear how his religious virtues did prepare and perfect him to this last conflict and conquest over the world.
He was born in the county of Derby. His parents were well esteemed, and well able to maintain the charge of their family. His father was given to learning, insomuch that he made profession thereof, and taught Free School in the next shire-town, which was of Nottingham.[503]
Chapter XVI. Of The State Of Catholics After Father Garnett His Execution: How God Did Comfort Them With Some Miraculous Events, And How Their Zeal Increased, Notwithstanding The Increase Of Persecution.
It was certainly expected by the Puritans and enemies of the Catholic cause that, together with the death of Father Garnett, the hopes also and courage of Catholics would have died, and that, when they should see so chief a man so publicly arraigned and executed under the title of so foul a matter, none would after that adventure to deal with the Society, which was the principal mark at which they aimed, with all their solemnities and unwonted preparation in the foresaid passages both of his trial and death. But the wisdom of God (against which the wit of man doth labour in vain), having determined to conform His elected servants unto His own image, and that as well by pressures and crosses in this world as by rewards and crowns of glory in the next, hath ever used a contrary course to the expectation of His enemies, and doth not permit His Church by persecutions to be dejected, but doth rather dilate the palm-tree when it is suppressed, “et facit cum tentatione proventum ut possimus sustinere, educens nobis aquam de petra, oleumque de saxo durissimo.”[504] And He that doth daily make the most barren and stony mountains to bring forth the sweetest oil for our corporal uses, much more for the good of our souls doth use to make sweet the [pg 299] yoke of persecutions with the oil of His grace and mercy, “computrescere faciens jugum a facie olei.”[505]
Therefore much otherwise than was expected, this holy seed of Father Garnett's slaughtered body falling upon the earth did bring forth great fruit. His mortified and divided parts did quicken and unite the minds of many that were before distracted with fears and uncertain reports, and his innocent blood did water the field of Christ in this country, and brought forth a plentiful harvest; yea, it did mollify the hearts of some that were before very hard to believe well of the Society, touching these imposed crimes. For although very many Catholics were before well satisfied of Father Garnett his innocency, and especially those that had dealings with him could not be ignorant how far he was from any such attempts, that laboured so much to suppress the least disorder in that kind; yet generally the heretics were otherwise persuaded, giving credit to those reports that were everywhere bruited of him. And some friends also stood doubtful how far he might be touched therein, upon the constant asseveration of his guiltiness in the cause, and that also given out by persons of no mean account. But when they heard him clear himself so fully at his arraignment from all concurrence or connivency in the matter, and perceived plainly he could and would have said much more in that place, if he had not been so often interrupted of purpose to put him out, and to disturb both his own memory[506] and the understanding of his hearers. And when at his death they viewed his innocency, patience, and religious manner of suffering, and saw most apparently both by the one and the other that no one of the Society was to be touched with any help or furtherance, or any willing assent unto that conspiracy, nor any one of the Company[507] have had the least knowledge thereof by any means whatsoever, [pg 300] but himself and that one Father from whom he had it, and they restrained by the secret of confession from opening it to others, and dissuading and hindering the same by all lawful means they could use. These things being plainly seen, and to be testified by so many witnesses as were there present both at his judgment and death, did fully satisfy all doubts, and clear the conceits of such as did before suspend their judgments of him. But especially when by his great patience and constancy seen at his death, his rare virtues did more appear, and his lamp, “quæ erat lucerna lucens et ardens,”[508] did show itself so much the more brightly, his earthly vessel being broken, to the confusion of his enemies, and increase of comfort and courage to the faithful soldiers of our true Gideon.
Then, as I related in the last chapter, not only the Catholics and his friends that were beholders were much confirmed, and their tears turned into triumph for the victory which this champion of God had gotten of the slanders of the world and malice of sin and heresy, but many also of his enemies did bear witness of his innocency, “dicentes, Verè hic homo justus erat,”[509] and wished their souls with his. Such force hath truth, that it cannot be conquered, and innocency, that it cannot be confounded. Well may it be oppressed for a time, but it cannot be suppressed; “aporiamur, sed non destituimur, persecutionem patimur sed non derelinquimur, dejicimur sed non perimus.”[510] Yea rather, in the greatest needs our merciful God doth send the greatest comforts, and where His enemies do think most to triumph over Him, there doth He ofttimes manifest the truth, and set forth His own glory and the innocency of His servants with most apparent signs.
And so it happened in this case of Father Garnett: for whereas the Fathers that suffered before in Queen Elizabeth's time were well known to all men to suffer only for their conscience, insomuch that although some matter or other were ever feigned to make it seem that they suffered for treason, yet the fictions were so palpable of matters never intended, nor so much as thought or heard of before the time they were objected, and those that were said to be joint-conspirators ofttimes so mere strangers that they never had seen or heard of one the other before: these apparent contradictions did make so manifest their innocent cause, that there need no divine testimonies to a truth so evident. But in this latter cause of Father Garnett, the case was somewhat different in the opinion of many, though his innocency the same, and the equity of his cause equal with the former. In this, it was very true, there was a real ground upon which the adversaries might raise a pretence of seeming truth in their accusation. There was a great and dangerous conspiracy intended and plotted and proceeded in by those gentlemen of whom I have before discoursed. Divers of these gentlemen were known to Father Garnett, and some of them had often used his help and the help of others of the Society in their spiritual affairs. And this matter also they had at length opened a little before it should have been executed unto two of the Society in the secret of confession, as I have before declared. Therefore in this case Almighty God did think it more needful in His divine providence to give testimony of His servant's innocency than in former times, when the cause itself was so plain, that it could not be contradicted.
Of the miraculous straw.