WE Gebhart by the grace of god elected, and accep­ted Archbyshop of Culleyn, Archchauncellour of the holye Empire through all Italie, and Elector: Duke of Westphalen and Ingrene. &c: do let and giue [Page] to witte and vnderstande vnto all and singuler Archdeacons of our Iurisdiction, Countrey states, E­arles, Knights, States and other persons, subiectes vnto vs: and to all others that shall haue occa­sion to vse our grace and fauour, and to euery of them, ioyntly and seuerallie. That since we recey­ued the state & place of our Arch­bishopricke and Prince Electours Gouernment, wherin the Almightie God, by free and lawfull ele­ction hath placed vs, wee haue al­wayes acknowledged and at this present doe acknowledge that we are bounde to doe our duety and endeuoure, to maintayne and de­fende all such as by God are com­mytted to our Princely Election and Archbyshopricke, and lyke­wise our common natiue Coun­trey [Page] of the Dutch Nation: & most speciallye and aboue all other re­spectes to aduance & set before our eyes the honour of God before all other matters, wherunto with al diligence and hartie affection wee are inclined.

For asmuch as most earnest, o­bediēt & hartie petition & request hath been lately made vnto vs by our Nobilitie & knights, & other Prouinces & coūtreies in no smal nūber, & also by the letters of some great personages of high estate & calling, w ^tin the sacred & holy Em­pyre, to suff [...]r, admit & allow vnto thē in al places of our Iurisdiction & auctorytie, the publike & opē ex­ercise of y ^e preaching of y ^e holy Gospell, and vse & administration of the holy Sacraments, accordyng to the sacred worde and Scrip­tures [Page] of God, and the Confession of Auspurghe, grounded vppon the same holy Scriptures. And theruppon, consideryng the euer­lastyng & vnchangeable wyll of God, that it is our duties to heare his Sonne, and earnestlye to do his wyll. And that all Princes and Gouernours of the worlde, ought too cause the Gates to bee sette wide open, for the Kyng of Glory, and to let all people to en­ter in vnto him. Wherunto wee haue speciall Commaundement from God in our vocation, and do feele in our conscience, how gree­uously in the day of iudgment, we shall yeeld accompt and make an­swer before God for all our acti­ons, and shuttyng vp the waye of saluation to our leage people.

And acknowledgyng and confes­syng [Page] our selues to bee bounde to feare God, from the bottom of our heartes, and obedientlie to follow his Commaundements, and that hee is a mightie and iuste Iudge, and consuming fire, whose feare wee oughte continuallie to set be­fore our eyes. And for that wee being Christian superior, thought it our duetie before God, no lon­ger to refuse to accomplishe the earneste and humble petition and suite, of our Nobilitie and Sub­iectes. Wee therefore by the aduise of our Lordes and frendes, and af­ter mature consultation therupon had and taken, doe graunte and permit vnto all persons, of what estate, degree, or callinge [...]oeuer they bee, eyther subiecte vnto our Aucthority, or [...]rends, and bearing good wil to our Archbishopprick, [Page] the Christian lybertie of their consciences, by Gods worde allowed. And do wyll, consent, graunt and confirme vnto them by vertue of these Presentes, that if any of the Subiectes or Inhabitauntes of any Cytie, Towne or place of our Iurisdiction, shall by any of our Officers, Commissioners, Mage­strates or ministers, whatsoeuer, in or about maters of faith, religiō or conscience, be imprisoned, dam­nified, mollested or troubled either in Honour, dignitie, Fame, Repu­tation, bodie or goodds, for Gods woorde, or follow [...]ng the confessi­on of Auspurghe. That then eue­rie of them shal bee freely cleared, set at liberty, and discharged from all imprisonment, losse, molestatiō & trouble whatsoeuer, growinge for anie such respect.

Also wee doe license, graunte and confirme herewithall vnto our Prelates, Earles, Lordes, In­habitantes, Estates, Commons, Townes, and other Congre­gations of people, of our prince­ly Election and Archbyshopricke, that they maye and shall, by war­rante hereof, haue full power and Authoritie, to exercise and put in vre, the free and open Exercise of the preachynge of the Gospell, and the Administratyon and vse of the holye Sacramentes, accordynge to the holye Scryptures of the Prophetes and Apostles, and a­greable to the Contentes and vse of the confession of Aurpurghe, therevppon grounded, without molestation of our Cōmissioners, Iustyces and Offycers, or anye [Page] eyther of our Iurisdiction, whome wee doe meane to defende & assist with the helpe of the Almightie God: trusting also vpō the mighty power of God, that he will merci­fullie assist and fauour vs in our so godly an enterprise and meaning, and be our defence agaynst all the Gates of Hell, to the maintenance of his glorie and holie worde.

Moreouer, wee doe hereby de­clare and proteste before the Al­mightie God, who is the chiefe truth, and a knower of the secrets of all mens heartes, that wee are not mooued and ledde to this our christian intentiō, through world­ly wisedome, desire of Honour, or anie other wordly respect: neyther herein do seeke the profit, honour, dignitie, or estimation of our selfe, [Page] but onelye doe seeke to aduaunce the honour and glorie of our Re­deemer, and to set foorth his holye woorde. And our intent and mea­ning herein, is chiefly to seeke the prosperitye and Saluation of our Subiectes, whome God hath committed to our charge.

Let no man therefore imagine or thinke, that wee are inclined to nouelties or troubles. For oure intente and desyre is, to see good Christian orders maynteined and kepte with peace and quyetnes, in Churches and Schooles of mens heartes.

And so wee are minded by the aduyse & counsayle of the States of our Countreys, and other our Lordes and frendes, to publishe & [Page] set foorthe Christyan Orders to bee obserued and followed in all Churches and Schooles of oure Archbishopricke.

In the meane tyme wee are aduysed, to geue warnynge to all suche as intende to lyue after the woorde of GOD, and the Con­fession of Auspurghe, to vse and be­haue them selues with all reason and affectyon, as good Christians oughte to doe. And wee requyre and praye them moste hartilye, that no man mollest, trouble, defy, blaspheme or vexe one an other by woorde or deede. But that e­uerye of them behaue themselues one towards an other peaceably and quyetlye in their conuersati­on and dealynges. And to lyue and continue accordynge to the [Page] Eontentes of this oure presente Edict.

And as touchynge oure owne Person in this case. Whereas ac, cordynge to the Counsayle and appoyntmente of Almighty God, wee haue entered into the Holye State of Marryage, and that publiquelye, wherein no man is able iustlie to accuse vs to haue doone the same agaynste the ac­customed Order, or that wee haue anye meanynge to seeke our pryuate aduauntage, or anye o­other thynge preiudyciall to oure Archbyshopricke, and Prynce E­lectorshyppe, or to appropryate the same in Successyon and In­he [...]ytaunce to oure Heyres: Wee therefore, doe make oppen and [Page] plaine Testimonie and Declara­tion by these presents, by the highest trueth: (which is God Almigh­tie himselfe) and hereby do protest that we haue no meaning or will, nor are in anie wyse inclyned or bent, to bringe our Byshoppricke, to the propryetie or possessyon of our Heyres, neyther to bringe in anie Noueltie or Alteration, ten­dynge to oure pryuate pro [...]ytte or aduauncement. But doe hereby openlye publishe and declare, that a [...]ter our Decease, our Honoura­ble Chapyter of oure Cathedrall Churche of Culleyn, shall haue their free Libertye and Election lefte vnto them, and shall remaine in all respects, as in their auncient former estate.

Also we are content, and giue [Page] our Commaundement touchinge the premisses to all and singuler Inhabitantes and Subiectes of our Archbysshopryke and Prince Electorship: that an orderly choice and free election may be made of a future supreme head, to gouerne them after our decease or free re­signation: yet neuerthelesse, our meanynge is, that, whosoeuer shall be in election to come to that succession by an orderly choice & free election, shall be no other but such a one as is bounde vnto our saide Chapiter of our saide Ca­thedrall Church, and a Lorde ca­pable, by th'ordinaunces of the same to come to that degree, and a man of our iurisdiction, both o­bedient and fytte, and worthye in all respectes for the place when it shal fall vnto him: and otherwise, [Page] not to bee elected to suche prefer­ment by any meanes. And what­soeuer, such person as shall be by suche orderly proceedinge, choice and free election of our worthye Chapiter of our said Cathedrall Church, chosen and elected to suc­ceede after our sayd decease or re­signation. They shall acknow­ledge him for their future Lorde, any Lawe, Statute, Act, Ordi­naunce, Edict, or Proclamation, made, ordained, or prouided, either by vs, or any other whatsoeuer he be, to the contrary of this our publyke declaration, in any wise not­withstandyng: for we, all such do now, & alwayes wyl cancel, ad­nichilate and make of none effect.

All the same premises, we wish to be done in the cheefest and best [Page] manner and forme that may bee, to thende the same may continue of the better force and effect: wher­vnto, we will be obedient and lay to our helping hande, and therein wyll agree and consent with our said Chapiter & inhabitants and confyrme the aforesaid conditions with assurance therof, in such sort that no man shall haue iust cause to mistrust or conceaue any feare of vs, or of our Heyres or Succes­sours.

Wherefore, wee wyll and com­maunde all our Baylyffes, Iusti­ces, Offycers, Lieutennauntes, Gouernours, Customers, Bur­roughmaisters, Cytizens, Com­mon people, Ministers and Sub­iectes and whatsoeuer, vpon this our publique Edict and Procla­mation, [Page] with all their endeuour, to obserue and performe the same: and to cause the same Edict and Proclamaiion to bee obeyed and maintayned from point to point:

And also contrarye to the true meanynge thereof, not to encom­ber or trouble, or suffer to bee en­cumbred or troubled, any person or perfons of any degree, vocati­on, or calling whatsoeuer, vppon paine of our high displeasure and indignation, & greeuous punish­ment to be inflicted withall vpon the offenders, breakers or repug­ners of this our present Edict and Proclamation: for such is our ear­nest and finall intent and wyll.

In witnesse wherof, we haue caused this our Proclamation to be openly printed and confirmed [Page] with our Seale, and that through al our Archbishoprick and Prince Electorship, to thend, y ^t euery man should haue knowledge thereof.

Giuen in our Citie of BON, the .xvi. Day of Ianu­arie, in the yeare of the Computa­tion of the byrth of our Lorde Ie­sus Christ, 1583.