Now, for so much as quéene Marie, during all the time of hir reigne,The reigne of quéene Marie how vnpros|perous it was both to hir & hir realme in all respects. was such a vehement aduersarie and persecutor against the sincere professors of Christ Iesus and his gospell: for the which there be manie which doo highlie magnifie and approue hir dooings therein, reputing hir religion to be sound and catho|like, and hir procéedings to be most acceptable and blessed of almightie God: to the intent therfore that all men may vnderstand, how the blessing of the Lord God did not onelie not procéed with hir procee|dings; but contrarie, rather how his manifest dis|pleasure euer wrought against hir, in plaging both hir and hir realme, and in subuerting all hir counsels and attempts, what soeuer she tooke in hand: we will bestow a litle time therein, to perpend and surueie the whole course of hir dooings and cheuances: and consider what successe she had in the same. Which be|ing well considered, we shall find neuer no reigne of anie prince in this land, or anie other, which had euer to shew in it (for the proportion of time) so manie ar|guments of Gods great wrath and displeasure, as was to be séene in the reigne of this queene Marie, EEBO page image 1161 whether we behold the shortnesse of hir time, or the vnfortunate euent of all hir purposes?Quéene Ma|rie neuer had good successe in anie thing she went a|bout. Who séemed neuer to purpose anie thing that came luckilie to passe, neither did anie thing frame to hir purpose, what soeuer she tooke in hand touching hir owne pri|uat affaires.

Of good kings we read in the scripture, in shew|ing moreie and pitie,A good king alwaies ma|keth a florish|ing realme. in seeking Gods will in his word, and subuerting the monuments of idolatrie, how God blessed their waies, increased their honors, and mightilie prospered all their procéedings: as we sée in king Dauid, Salomon, Iosias, Iosaphat, E|zechias, with such others. Manasses made the stréets of Hierusalem to swim with the bloud of his sub|iects, but what came of it the text dooth testifie. Of quéene Elisabeth,Comparison betweene the reigne of Q. Marie and quéene Eli|sabeth. which now reigneth among vs, this we must néeds saie, which we sée, that she in spa|ring the bloud, not onelie of Gods seruants, but also of Gods enimies, hath doubled now the reigne of quéene Marie hir sister, with such aboundance of peace and prosperitie, that it is hard to saie, whether the realme of England felt more of Gods wrath in queene Maries time, or of Gods fauour and mercie in these so blessed and peaceable daies of queene E|lisabeth.

Gamaliell speaking his mind in the councell of the Phariseis concerning Christes religion,Gamaliels reason. Acts. 5. gaue this reason, that if it were of God, it should continue, who soeuer said naie: if it were not, it could not stand. So may it be said of quéene Marie and hir Romish religion, that if it were so perfect and catholike as they pretend, and the contrarie faith of the gospellers were so detestable and hereticall as they make it, how commeth it then, that this so catholike a quéene, such a necessarie piller of his spouse the church conti|nued no longer, till she had vtterlie rooted out of the land this hereticall generation? Yea how chanced it rather, that almightie God, to spare these poore here|tikes, rooted out quéene Marie so soone from hir throne, after she had reigned but onelie fiue yeares and fiue moneths?