Hepieíkeia: or, a treatise of Christian equity and moderation. Delivered publicly in lecturesHepieíkeia: or, a treatise of Christian equitie and moderation. Deliuered publikely in lectures

But if ever year deserve to be famous in English Chronicles, it is this year, I cannot tell whether I should say 1602, or 1603: wherein, whether Gods anger was more, in taking from us such a Queen (as for ought I read) the world never had: or his mercy, in giving us such a King, as England never had, I leave it to better heads to be determined. How is the name of our God to be magnified, by whose mercy so great a loss is made no loss, but a gain unto us? for who seeth not, that all her Princely virtues, do not only live in him, but are also in him (being a man) more perfect and accomplished. She is dead, but her Heroical zeal and love to Religion is alive; she bequeathed it with her kingdom to his Highness, who doubtless will make both her Religion, and her Kingdom, to flourish as much more, as a man doth excel a woman. And who knoweth not, that the enemies of our Religion, and our peace, (notwithstanding all their politic dissembled brags to the contrary) do find his Majesty so little for their purpose, that now they would sing a thousand Masses to have her alive again, against whom they thundered ⟨image 3⟩out^b so many Curses and Excommunications, and after whose blood they so thirsted whilst she lived: what straights are they driven into? who would wish her alive again, at whose hands (though a woman) they never gained, nor got one inch of ground in 44 years;² though nine or ten Popes, and 10000 of their slaves, wrestled with her all the while, with all the power, and policy, craft, and treachery, which the Devil could lend them. Nay, her end was as glorious as her beginning, and her last Proclamation against them, was more to their shame, and less to their comfort, then ever any, in her life before: and so far was she, from allowing them a Toleration, of their intolerable religion, in her old, and therefore weakest age, as that it never entered into her royal heart: nor ever thought she it worthy to be made a question, whether it should be or no. No, she halted not betwixt two religions: but to her Baal was Belial:³ & therefore she banished him; and God was the Lord, and therefore she served him. She was resolved that Dagon must down,⁴