The B. of Sarisburie.
Here is an other greate Vntruthe emonge the reste. For M. Hardinge right wel knoweth, that wée neuer armed the people, nor taught them to rebel for Reli∣gion against the Prince. If any thinge haue at any time happened otherwise, it was either some wilful rage, or some fatal furie: It was not our Counsel: it was not our Doctrine. Wée teache the people, as S. Paule doothe, to be subiecte to the higher powers,* 1.1 not onely for feare, but also for conscience. Wée teache them, that who so striketh with the Swerde by Priuate authoritie, shal perish with ye Swerd. Yf the Prince happen to be wicked, or cruel, or burthenous, wée teache them to saye, with S. Ambrose, Arma nostra sunt Preces, & Lachrymae: Teares, and Praiers be our Weapons.* 1.2 Notwithstandinge, what Rebellion hathe benne moued in En∣glande by some of your side, in the late Raignes of Kinge Henrie the eight, & Kinge Edward the sixte in defence of your Religion, ye maie wel remember.
The displacinge of the Emperour of Constantinople, and the placinge of Charlemaigne the Frenche Kinge, serueth M. Hardinge to smal purpose: on∣lesse it be to disclose the Popes conspiracie against the Emperour. Certainely, as any man maye sensibly see, it was the aduauncinge of the Pope, the strengthe∣ninge of the Saracenes, and after of the Turkes, and the Diuision, and dissolution of the state of Christendome.* 1.3 Platyna saithe, Ab hoc tempore perijt & potestas Im∣peratorum, & virtus Pontificum: After this time the power of the Emperours, and the Holinesse of the Popes were bothe loste.
Touchinge the Quéene of Scotland, I wil saye nothinge: The Kingedomes, and states of the Worlde haue sundrie agreementes, and compositions. The No∣bles, and Commons there neither drewe the Swerde, nor attempted force against the Prince. They sought onely the continuance of Goddes vndoubted Truthe, and the Defence of theire owne liues against your Barbarous & cruel inuasions. They remembred,* 1.4 bisides al other warninges, your late dealinge at Vassei, where as great numbers of theire Brethren were suddainely murthered, beinge togeather at theire Praiers in the Churche, & holdinge vp theire Innocente handes to Heauen, & callinge vpon the name of God. Achab saide sometime to the Prophete Elia, Thou arte he,* 1.5 that troublest the whole Countrie of Israel. But Elias made him answeare, It is not I, that trouble the Countrie: It is thou, and thy Fathers house, whiche houe foresaken the commeundementes of the Lorde, and houe folowed after Baalim.
The Subiecte is bounde to obey his Prince: how be it not in al thinges with∣out exception: but so far as Goddes glorie is not touched. These Nobles had lear∣ned of S. Peter,* 1.6 It is better to obey God, then man: And of the Prophete Dauid, Better it is to truste to God, then to truste in Princes. For they are mortal, and shal die: theire Sprite shalbe taken from them, & then shal they returne into the Earthe. Neither maye a godly Prince take it as any dishonour to his estate, to sée God obeied before him.* 1.7 For he is not God, but the Minister of God. Leo saithe, Christus quae Dei sunt, Deo, quae Caesaris sunt, Caesari reddenda constituit, &c. Hoc est verè nō impugnare Caesarem, sed iuuare: Christe commaunded, that is dewe vnto God, to b••••euen to God: that is dewe vnto Caesor, to be geuen to Caesar. Verily this is not to rebel against, but to helpe Caesar. Likewise S. Ambrose, beinge him selfe in manner a Capitaine vnto the people in Goddes quarrel against Valentinian the Emperour:* 1.8 Quid praesentius dici potuit à Christianis viris, quàm id, quod hodie in nobis Spiritus Sanctus Ioquutus est? Rogamus, Auguste, non pugnamus: Non timemus, sed Rogamus: What could be more boldly spokē of Christian menne, then that the holy Ghoste spake in you this daye? (Thus ye saide) Wee be∣seeche thee, Noble Emperour, wee fight not. Wèe feare thee not, but wee beseeche thee.