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?

Now furthermore, how God blessed hir waies and indeuors in the meane time,Quéene Ma|rie prospered so long as she went not a|gainst the Lord. while she thus persecu|ted the true seruants of God, remaineth to be discus|sed. Where first this is to be noted, that when she first began to stand for the title of the crowne, and yet had wrought no resistance against Christ and his gospell, but had promised hir faith to the Suffolke men, to mainteine the religion left by king Edward hir bro|ther,Q. Maries p [...]omise to the gospellers broken. so long God went with hir, aduanced hir, and by the means of the gospellers brought hir to the pos|session of the realme. But after that she breaking hir promise with God and man, began to take part with Stephan Gardiner, and had giuen ouer hir supre|masie vnto the pope, by and by Gods blessing le [...]t hir, neither did anie thing well thriue with hir after|ward during the whole time of hir regiment. For first incontinentlie the fairest and greatest ship she had,The ship cal|led the great Harrie bur|ned. called great Harrie, was burned: such a vessell as in all these parts of all Europe was not to be matched.