Page:History of England (Froude) Vol 9.djvu/390

 376 REIGN OF ELIZABETH. [CH. 55. he appealed with effect to Bishop Jewel, who had limited Christians ' to prayers and tears ' when their princes tyrannized over them. The fine talk did not affect Morton. He, with his life and fortune at stake, fell back upon the facts. The government of Scotland, he said, was established in the person of the young King. The change of the son for the mother had been made for adequate reasons ; and if the Queen of England forsook him, they could them- selves find means to support him and to force submission on the disobedient. Remembering the complaints and entreaties for assistance with which she had so long been besieged, Elizabeth fired up at these last words, which, if they Jehu's, which were not to be taken as examples, he said that Scripture always enjoined obedience to the Sovereign, even though ' he might be a terrible tyrant.' ' David him- self, whom God always called a man after God's own heart, committed both murder and adultery, and yet his subjects, the Jews, rose not against him. But God not only con- tinued his estate but also his son Solomon, gotten upon Bathsheba, enjoyed his chair and sceptre after him.' ' When God,' he continued, ' was minded to trouble the Kings of J urlah for their sins, he punished them, not by the Jews, but by the Babylonians and Assyrians. He punished Saul, not by David, but by the Philistines.' ' So it was in the time of shadows.' In the time of grace and truth ' the rule was made more clear. ' Nero was an impure beast,' yet God nevertheless declared that he was to be obeyed, not only for fear of vengeance, but also for conscience' sake. No one had con- demned more distinctly ' all wicked detestable rebels that went about under colour of rebellion to banish their natural Sovereign,' than Bishop Jewel. Bishop Jewel had proved that whatever the crime of the So- vereign, the arms of the Christian ' were but prayers and tears ; ' and Peter Martyr had said that ' if it were lawful for the people to put down their princes that reigned un- justly, no prince should at any time be in safety.' Memorial presented by the Bishop of Ross, March 4: MSS. Scotland.