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 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,
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.
(M29) The first sign by which it pleased God to show the merit and glory
of this His martyr was concerning his relics, which were eagerly sought
for by many Catholics at the very time of his martyrdom. Amongst the which
there was one young man,(511) who(512) stood by the block where the
martyr’s body was cut up, with great desire at least to get some drop of
his holy blood.(513) And whilst he had these thoughts, not daring to take
where he desired for fear he might be espied, it fortuned that the hangman
having cut off the martyr’s head and showed it to the people (as the
custom is), he cast it into a basket standing there of purpose, full of
straw, to hold the head and quarters when they were divided. Out of this
basket did leap a straw, or ear void of corn, in strange manner into the
hand of this young man, which he beholding, and seeing some blood upon it,
kept it with great care, and no little joy that he had obtained his
desire. He carried it away safely and delivered it unto a Catholic
gentlewoman(514) of his acquaintance, who kept it in a reliquary with
great devotion; and after three or four days,(515) a devout Catholic
gentleman coming thither, she showed him the bloody straw, which he was
also glad to see and reverence; but beholding the same more curiously than
the others had done, he saw a perfect face, as if it had been painted,
upon one of the husks of the empty ear, and showed the same unto the
company, which they all did plainly behold, and with no small wonder, but
with much greater joy did acknowledge the mighty hand of God, Who can and
doth often use the meanest creatures to set forth His glory, and is able
both out of stones and straws to raise a sufficient defence for His
faithful servants.
They put up the straw again with great admiration, and kept it now with
much more reverence and devotion than before. This was quickly published
to many of the chiefest Catholics about London, who much desiring to see
this wonder, it was carried unto divers, who all are witnesses of this
truth. At length it came to the Council’s ear, and some of them desiring
much to see it, it was granted, being now in the keeping of a great
person,(516) but with promise to have it safely restored; so that some of
them did see it, and did much admire it, affirming that it must needs be
more than natural. Others after desired to see it and to seize upon it,
because now the fame did grow so great of this image of Father Garnett
drawn by the hand of God, whose image and memory they sought to deface in
all they could, that they feared the evidence of the miracle would plead
against their proceedings and prove him innocent whom they had punished as
guilty. Therefore the Bishop of Canterbury(517) sought to have the
miraculous straw into his hands, but it was denied, and none would
acknowledge where it was to be found. He learned out the party to whom the
keeping of it was first committed, and sent for her(518) husband, who was
a known Catholic and a virtuous man. He examined him strictly how it came
to pass, and where the straw was. The Catholic affirmed the truth of the
thing, and described it unto him in words; but said it was not now in his
keeping, and he knew not where to find it. And when they could get no
other answer of him, they committed him to prison; but afterwards, having
sundry and great friends in the Court, he got out upon bonds to appear
again at certain days’ warning.
In the meantime it happened that two were miraculously cured by
application of the same straw. One was a gentlewoman in great peril of her
life by danger of childbirth, who, when she had sustained long and painful
travail and could not be delivered of her burthen, and now was out of hope
of life, unless she might obtain some help from God, some of her friends
made earnest means to get this holy straw to bring unto her; which being
obtained, and the straw brought and applied with great reverence,
presently she received help, and was delivered by the mighty hand of God
and merits of the martyr, whom no midwife’s skill or endeavours could help
before.
Another was the gentlewoman herself who first had this miraculous relic
delivered her to keep. For she being very much subject to sickness, and
sometimes in such extremity therewith that you would not think she could
be able to live an hour, it happened that in one of her extremest fits,
when she could find no medicine or means that could bring her any ease,
she earnestly desired a special friend to make suit for the straw to be
returned unto her for a small time, which was granted; and as soon as it
came (she receiving it with great devotion and reverence) she presently
found ease, and within half an hour was so perfectly well that she rose
from her bed, and went to entertain some strangers that then were in the
house, and “erat una ex discumbentibus.”(519)
This sudden and strange cure of hers being spoken of by divers Catholics,
it came out to be known unto the Council, who sent again for the husband
of the gentlewoman, and took this new occasion to commit him the second
time to prison.
The Council afterwards understanding that this miraculous picture in the
straw had been showed to divers painters in London, they sent for the
painters, and willed them to make the like portrait to that which they had
seen in a like empty ear of corn; but they all answered it was not
possible for them to do it: neither could the draught of that face, in so
little a room and so loose a groundwork as that empty ear, be otherwise
drawn than by supernatural power. And this testimony they gave of it that
had both skill to judge and no will to favour the Catholic cause (being in
opinion heretics), but only convinced in their understanding by the
evidence of the miracle.(520)
Another marvellous thing which it pleased Almighty God to show for a
public testimony of the glory which blessed Father Garnett now possesseth,
is a visible and apparent circle of red about his head in the form of a
crown, which was and is to be seen about his head, where it is set up, as
the custom is, with the heads of others that died for treason. This hath
had so many witnesses as would go to behold it, which were not a few, and
besides, they did affirm that his face did continue so comely and with so
pleasing a countenance, as it seemed rather the head of a man alive than
separated from the body; and all his quarters also so purely white, that
it was much admired by all that did behold them.
To these I may adjoin the crown of grass which did grow in Mr. Abington
his court, in the house where both blessed Father Garnett and blessed
Father Ouldcorne were taken, which may be taken as a sign of his glory and
crown of immortality as well as Father Ouldcorne’s. And of this I spake
sufficiently in the last chapter but one. I could hereunto add a vision
which both of these blessed Fathers had in the Tower the 7th of March
before their martyrdom, the very night before they were hung upon the
torture. It happened in this manner. Father Ouldcorne in his sleep did
seem to behold a very sumptuous throne set up, with great care and cost
adorned, at which sight when Father Ouldcorne much admired, not knowing to
what end it should be prepared, it seemed unto him that there entered into
the room the most(521) Reverend Father General, and with him some other
ancient Fathers; and that Father Ouldcorne did demand of Father General
what should be the meaning or intention of that throne so much adorned;
and that the Father should answer that both Father Garnett and himself
should presently be professed. To which Father Ouldcorne made answer that
Father Garnett was already professed. Then Father General replied, he
would now have him make a more excellent profession than before. This
vision Father Ouldcorne the next morning told unto his keeper, desiring he
would tell it unto Father Garnett, which he performed; and Father Garnett
assured him the very same thing, in the same manner, had also that night
appeared unto him. But Father Ouldcorne did see it again the next night
after. This was so generally spoken of in the Tower about that time, that
if there had been no other means afterwards to know the truth, that alone
had been sufficient to publish it.
Now, when the other foresaid marvels were seen about his head after his
martyrdom, and that the miraculous image of the straw was visibly seen by
many Catholics, and generally known to all, you may well think that
Catholics were greatly animated, receiving now, in their greatest
distress, such comforts from the merciful hand of God, “qui est Pater
misericordiarum et Deus totius consolationis, qui consolatur nos in omni
tribulatione nostrâ.”(522) And, indeed, the effect of these heavenly
comforts was such in the hearts of poor afflicted Catholics, but
especially the force of the martyr’s blood and the merits of his innocent
death (which now was plainly seen by all well-meaning men, and
acknowledged by many also of his enemies, as before I have related), that
whereas the Catholics did already feel a sharp shower of persecution in
continual searchings and imprisonments and vexations much more than in
former years they had experienced; and whereas they might easily discern a
greater storm coming towards them, seeing, as it were, a thick and dark
cloud coming on apace, carried furiously with the wind in such sort that
it was likely to spread itself over all their hemisphere, intending to
make a destroying deluge, no less universal than violent: though they
might plainly see and hear daily thundered in their ears what cutting and
cruel laws were intended and prepared against the Parliament which then
was at hand: though they were assured beforehand that the penal statutes
which then were to be enacted were so many and so merciless that their
life would be more tedious (and terrible to many minds) than death itself:
though they could find no friends that could or would now oppose
themselves “murum pro domo Dei;”(523) the noblemen that were Catholics or
esteemed friends to Catholics, together with all principal recusants,
being clapt in prison; and all others that before did seem to favour the
cause now being blown away with this storm of persecution, and carried
with the current of the present stream rather to oppose themselves against
Catholics, both in word and action, than any ways to seek the release or
relaxation of their present afflictions or prepared penalties: though all
this, and more than I can in this place commodiously set down, were felt
and feared by the Catholics at this time, yet such was the goodness of God
towards us, such the force of His grace obtained by the merits of these
holy martyrs, that presently, upon the death of blessed Father Garnett,
you might see his innocent blood had warmed all their hearts; you might
see in them a new fervour, expecting persecution with a peaceable and
cheerful mind; you might see them everywhere begin to prepare themselves
neither to resist nor run away, but how to bear the blows of persecution
with Christian patience.
And although there were some few examples of human frailty, making choice
rather to do against their conscience in going to heretical service than
to adventure the loss of their earthly commodities, yet these were so few
in number, and so followed afterwards with the remorse of conscience and
the justice of God, that their example did rather confirm than weaken the
constancy of other Catholics. I could hear but of three men of any note
then fallen in that sort, whereof one was a knight, of a worthy family,
and himself ever a devout Catholic; his lady also, ever forward but much
affected to those(524) men that would not at the first submit themselves
to [the] Archpriest, whom His Holiness had appointed to be their Superior
in England. This good gentleman, as I heard, having long paid the statute
for his recusancy, which is 20_l._ a month, now upon this increase of
persecution, and the commodity of his recusancy which should accrue unto
the King being given unto a Scottish man, the Catholic gentleman offered
him 2,000_l._ for a fine, and to pay the rent of 20_l._ a month, as he was
wont to do beside; but the Scottish man refusing to take his offer upon
hope to make a greater gain of him, the knight would not endure to be made
a prey to a man of so insatiable a mind, and therefore resolved for the
time to forfeit rather the greater goods, the goods of grace, and said he
would conform himself to the law. He went, therefore, to their heretical
service, and saved the forfeiture of his worldly estate, but with so great
a torment of conscience that, poor gentleman, he fell into such fits of
melancholy and distemper therewith, that it was generally given out that
he was distract of his wits.
There was another knight also, more rich in worldly substance than
furnished with spiritual money to maintain the war against his spiritual
enemies. This man, seeing persecution to come against him with double
forces to the strength of grace which he had provided to resist, “rogavit
ea quæ pacis erant,”(525) and did it in such manner as that “omnes qui
viderunt, inceperunt illudere ei.”(526) For, thinking to give double
satisfaction if he could bring his wife to church with him, he laboured to
overthrow her constancy in that kind, and when he found she would not
yield unto his desires therein, the poor gentleman, out of his too much
desire to seem conformable, went unto the Commissioners and complains of
his wife’s obstinacy in that point, desiring them to help him to reform
his wife, or rather, indeed, to deform her according to his ill example.
But she remained constant, and he, poor knight, was laughed at for his
labour, even by his very enemies, with whom he sought to gain much credit
with that double diligence.
A third example I heard, of a gentleman of good estate, who, preferring
darkness before light, and seeking to make a convention or union between
God and Belial in his soul, offered himself to go to their heretical
conventicles for the saving of his worldly substance; and so he did, and
escaped the punishment of the law: “sed nunquid Deum fallere aut fugere
potuit?”(527) No. “Qui voluit animam suam salvam facere, perdidit
eam.”(528) He went to church: he thought to preserve his goods for the
provision of many years, “et stultus non prævidit quod illâ nocte
repeterent animam suam;”(529) he was stricken with sudden death, leaving
his goods to the fruition(530) of others, and this dreadful example to the
admonition of all.
So merciful hath God been unto us in these times of our greatest needs and
trial, as to encourage us by the worthy example of many that stand, and to
terrify by the example of these few that have fallen; for I have not heard
of any other examples of any men(531) of note; which, if we compare with
that which St. Cyprian recordeth of his times, when great numbers did run
to offer themselves before they felt the force of persecution, upon the
only fame and fear that an edict was to be published against the
Christians, this may give us great hope that God neither is nor will be
wanting with His graces, if we be not wanting to ourselves, but will give
us abundance of spiritual forces answerable to the measure of that trial
He will put us unto, “nec patietur nos tentari ultra(532) id quod
possumus, sed faciet cum tentatione proventum ut possimus sustinere.”(533)
The Parliament presently ensued, against which time the Puritans had
provided two pestilent books, as hath been touched before: the one to
prove all recusants to be traitors, the other that the rules and precepts
of the Catholic doctrine, yea, the very fruit of the whole tree of the
Catholic Roman faith, was to teach men disobedience to Princes, yea, to
deprive Kings of their temporal estates, and, finally, to kill, murder,
and destroy their persons. And all this to the end that both the King
himself and all the Peers of the realm might be so incensed against
Catholics and their religion, as to proceed by laws against the one, as
against traitors proved and convinced so to be, and to seek by all means
possible, not only to cut down the other as a tree bearing in their
opinion such poisoned fruit, but rather wholly to root it out of their
earth of England, that there might be no memory left of the name of a
Catholic in the land. And they prevailed so far with the false reasons set
down in these malicious books, and with their most(534) subtle and
manifold subornations exhibited unto His Majesty and the Peers in the
Parliament House, taking occasion to blow the coals that already were
kindled in dislike taken against Catholics for the late attempt, that they
easily prevailed to get those laws passed which before they were resolved
of, and which in particular were known to be a breeding when those
gentlemen ran so heady a course to prevent so great a deluge of
persecution, which they feared, and we have felt to light upon us.
For although they now intitle this new increase of persecution to be
occasioned by that temerarious conspiracy, which is disliked by us as much
as by themselves, yet certain it is (as I have showed before) that these
laws were intended and prepared before either they or we knew anything of
this intention of conspiracy. And many of the Puritans themselves, “ex
abundantiâ cordis,”(535) could not choose but utter how fully they were
resolved in that Parliament to seek the utter extirpation of the
Catholics, and what things in particular they would procure and were
prepared to be enacted against them. And truly the laws which they then
intended, and which they afterwards in the Parliament procured to pass
against us, were very sufficient in the likelihood of human reason to work
the effect which they most wished, and to root out Catholic religion and
all that professed the same out of the land, if God did not stand in
defence of His servants,(536) against Whom neither wit nor force of man,
“imo nec portæ inferi prævalebunt.”(537) How cruel and afflictive the laws
are in themselves, and how grievous and intolerable it is for Catholics to
live where they are put in execution, I will leave to the judgment of the
prudent reader, meaning in the next chapter to set down a catalogue of
them, that he may see in one place collected together a sum of those
afflictions unto which we are continually subject, that he may not
hereafter permit himself to be deceived with such false reports, as are of
purpose given out by the politics of England, that forsooth the
persecution is not great and that none are there punished, especially not
with death, but for matter of State and treason against the Prince; which
to be most untrue his own eyes shall be judge, when he reads the very
words of the statutes enacted, which I will truly but briefly set down as
they lie in the statute-book, which is printed and in every man’s hands
through England, so well known that it cannot be contradicted.
And now, after the Parliament in which all these laws were passed against
us, to add unto the weight of our heavy burthen, two other new afflictions
were devised, not specified in the laws: the one to punish the bodies of
Priests, the other to afflict and wound the minds of all sorts of
Catholics.
The first was a proclamation of banishment to all Priests, that by such a
day, which was there limited within a short compass in the edict, all
should depart the realm; if not, to expect no mercy but present death upon
their taking. By which banishment, as they pretended, on the one side, to
do it in show of favour (as though they sought not their deaths, but
rather wished they would draw themselves out of danger by their voluntary
departure). And, indeed, it is true they do not so much seek their deaths
as their departure, knowing on the one side, by experience, what force the
blood of martyrs is of, both for the confirmation of Catholics and
conversion of heretics; and withal that there is no means so effectual to
scatter St. Peter’s sheep, and to make them a prey unto the wolf, as to
take their Pastors from them: for, as St. Bernard wisely saith, “Væ illis
qui assumuntur ad opera fortium, et non aluntur cibo fortium.”(538) So
that with this counsel, this seeming favour, but indeed a slow consuming
fire of persecution was put in practice, and many Priests that were in
prison in several places of England were, according to the same edict, put
into ships and banished the realm by the day prefixed. Knowing withal what
misery and want they were like to suffer in foreign countries, where they
were not capable of benefices or cure of souls for want of language, and
where their wants must needs be exceeding great, having no friends nor
acquaintance nor means to furnish themselves even with necessaries, unless
it please Almighty God to move the hearts of Princes to impart some
temporal relief unto them, that they may be partakers of their spiritual
riches and the merits of their sufferings. And this was hoped by the
heretics would not be very plentiful, in respect of the seminaries and the
wants of other afflicted Catholics in those parts, who have also continual
need of their charitable helps. And hitherto, as I understand, their wants
are very great and the provision very small which is made for them, and
the hopes and desires of the heretics too much followed. But God will
raise them friends, I trust, and send them provision in due season, “qui
recordatus est Danielis in lacu leonum et pascit etiam pullos corvorum
invocantes eum;”(539) and though sometimes He will try His servants far,
yet doth never forget the least of them, “quorum etiam capilli numerati
sunt.”(540)
The other more universal affliction, and the same so much more grievous as
it was more internal and piercing even to the very souls of those that did
accept it, was a new oath devised for the distinction, as was pretended,
between faithful and faithless subjects to their Prince, but indeed to
distinguish the true subjects of the See Apostolic from those that would
renounce the power thereof for the pleasing of their Prince.(541)