RIght reuerend & beloued brother, the great & woor­thy personage, procéeding from the Noble house of Truchces, your auncient & honorable progenitors, as well in aun­cient time, as of fresher memorie, hath left vs sufficient witnes of the worthi­nes thereof, and nobilitie of their blood: whose affection and constancie, hath al­waies béene manifestlie declared to­wardes the catholique faith, but princi­pallie, by Cardinall Augustus, which held the first seate hereof, vnder whose discipline you haue béene most religi­ouslie and holilie brought vp, as it was cōuenient for y ^e holie Church of Rome, in such manner as there was no small hope conceaued of you, trusting that you will shew your selfe a person wor­thy so noble a race, by the like instructi­on: from whence hath growne the fa­therly good will, which hitherto we [Page] haue borne vnto you: which we haue not onely since that time entertained, but also in like manner augmented, by the meanes of the good report of hono­rable personages: which promised vn­to vs all things with you most excellēt & iust. After it came to passe, that you were elected by the charter of Collen▪ to the dignitie & Archbishop sea of this church, and although that election was disturbed by sundrie & manifold diffi­culties, in such sort that it was not on­lie stronglie withstoode, but in a maner vanquished & made vaine. Neuerthe­lesse, we vsed such benignitie towards you, that all impeachmentes reiected, we approued and allowed the iudge­ment and election, made by the same charter for you. Increasing the force and vertue of our Apostolique cōfirma­tion: by reason whereof we are per­suaded, that there is none which ought to beare greater reuerence to the holie seate of Rome, nor that ought to be a greater obseruer of the ecclesiasticall discipline, then you, hoping that we should haue had great helpe, through [Page] your constancie & fidelitie. But it doth greatly displease vs, and merueilously grieue vs, that our hope therein is not onely weakned and made lesse, but al­so vtterly lost. And further, we vnder­stand from day to day, by the letters of many, and the report of diuerse, such thinges of you, so vnworthy the digni­tie & degrée wherein you are, that with­out great shame, we are not able to ex­presse it. And although verilie we haue oftentimes refused to beléeue such vn­worthy reportes, yet the daylie clamor hath constrained vs greatlie to doubte thereof, being afraid of your fall, which now we wil no lōger dissemble, wher­fore we doo admonishe you, that you would haue a regard and a foresight to your honour and saluation (while it is time) and if possible you haue gone any further, then reason required, spéedilie withdraw your selfe, that those things which heretofore hath béen declared of you, may be proued false (which is our onlie desire) & that you will openly ma­nifest your mind & ful intent, inward­lie cōceiued in your hart: to y ^e end, that [Page] your good name, princelie parentage, & the ecclesiasticall order, be not by your means for euer stained, w ^t ignominius reproch, by y ^e aduersaries of our honor.

Againe, consider your duty towards God, which hath raised you to the dig­nitie and degrée of the sea Apostolique, which you should cherish with singuler affection and fauour, and for the same it is that you ought to spend your blood in all christian profession: For by how much the more you are of hie calling, and honourable estate, by so much the more is your fault greater, then any o­thers, when you fall from any parte of your duety. And by so much the more, wil your fault be greater, as you were of honour and dignitie, in the church of God, and in great aucthoritie with the Princes of the Empire. Consider then what troubles and daūgers procéedeth from such new remoouings of thinges, and how héedfull the prudent and god­lie man ought to be, from hazarding so lightly his honour, state, dignitie, and his soule, whereof there hath béen so many straunge and wonderfull ex­amples [Page] in our time, which may make vs to be better aduised in our dealings, but if we haue possible suffered some­what to much in former time, attri­bute the same to our affection towards you, and to the desire we haue had of your honor and dignitie. Neither doo we any thing doubt, but that this our fatherly kindnes, shall be receaued of you with that effect which it ought to be, for many good reasons and iust cau­ses: and that you will not forgette to shew due reuerence towardes this ho­ly seate, that we maye acknowledge you, for our déere and beloued sonne, as heretofore we haue done, which wil be an occasion to vs greatly to reioyce: and because we haue not thought it sufficient to send our letters onely, we haue sent our reuerend Brother, the Archbishop of Treues, to take his iour­ney towardes you, to conferre more at large, of these our affaires, who shall more cléerelye discouer vnto you our will, counsayle, and intent, to whome we are assured that you will giue both faith and credite.

I Haue vnderstood by your letter, your fatherlie af­fection, and worthinesse of such a Prelate, but in this principally, that you will not lightlie giue place, to vntrue tales, neither faith to the euill reports spread abroad of my actions and déeds. For if it were sufficient to accuse, who should be in these corrupted dayes ex­cused, wherein the most godliest men, are assailed with enuie [...] and what is he that can defend himselfe against the conspiracies of euil willers, I acknow­ledge you as a good father, exhorting me to perseuere in the faith, integrete good discipline, and obedience vnto the Chatholique, Apostolique, and true be­léeuing Church. Giuing me aduertise­ment [Page] of the great and manifold daun­gers, falling on those, which are desi­rous of nouelties, which folowing their disordinate lustes and affections, are drawne from the company of the Apo­stolique church. Wherefore my duty is to accept of your charitable & holie ad­monitions, knowing that which is said by Salomon, that he which refuseth dis­cipline, hath no regarde of his owne soule: but he that harkeneth to correc­tion, shall obtaine knowledge. I must néedes confesse, that I haue béene ouer slacke and negligent in thinges apper­taining to the saluatiō of my soule, the rest of my conscience, and the duetie I owe to the glorie of God, and the dig­nitie of the Church.

But your letters hath serued me as a spurre, pricking me forward, & greatly prouoking me, y ^t all dissimulation laid aside, & all superstition by me reiected, I am minded openly to declare (euen as you haue admonished me) y ^t which I haue conceaued in my heart, & conside­ring the faith I owe vnto GOD, that hath called me to this his degrée, that [Page] which I owe to the church Apostolique to my countrey, & the publique wealth thereof, and also to my selfe, knowing the saying of that great and holie man Augustine to be true, and worthy to be had in memory, that there is none that doth more harme to the flocke of Christ then such as coūterfetteth the lambe in the roome and office of the ministerie, the same is cited 83. distinction, the se­cond cannon. For as much then I am come to the age, wherein I am able without the aduice of others to gouern my selfe, and by the onely will of our Lord Iesus Christe, which hath vouch­saued to call me to the great charge of an Archbishop: and as it is a thing pro­per to the nature of a christian man, to inquire and followe after the trueth, I am setled in the furtheraunce of this good worke, without musing at all, on any custome or humaine authority: fin­ding by the holie scriptures, and amōg the ecclesiasticall histories, y ^t this which we haue commaunded to be done, be­cōmeth him which is the child of God: and which is also required in the office [Page] himself hath already established, y ^t is to say, Iesus Christ, which is y ^e only way, the trueth, and the life, in whose name, as also with the Father and the holie Ghost we are baptised: to whome ap­pertaineth y ^e catholique church, hauing redéemed y ^e same by his precious blood. Upon this foundation is the church su­stained, being also beautified and inri­ched with most excellent tytles, which he hath giuen by S. Paule in the first to Timothy, the third chapter: calling her the house of y ^e liuing God, the fortitude & strength of the trueth. Then the Ro­mane church which was in the time of S. Paule, and certaine yéeres after, was of great renoume and estimation, for the faith they had in Iesus Christ, and at that time taught through the whole world: the which faith was her onelie ornament, insomuch that the Priests & Elders of the same Romane Church, plainly cōfessed, writing to S. Ciprian in his 7. epistle of his 2. booke, in these words, That letting the honor & praise decay, which S. Paule gaue to the Ro­manes, was a great & grieuous crime, [Page] and y ^t it had béene lesse shame, neuer to haue had those prayses spoke of, or prea­ched abroade, then after the publishing thereof, to lose the honour of such high commendations. Therfore as often as it comes in question, to speake of the pure, true, Apostolique, and vniuersall church: reason requireth, and all wise men giueth counsaile, that we ought to discerne betwéene that, which is groū ­ded vpon the head corner stone, Christ, vpon the holy Gospell (the honour and name wherof shal endure euerlasting­ly:) and that which is y ^e bastard church, going against the trueth▪ worshippeth God in vaine, following after the com­maūdements & traditions of men. And therfore y ^e goldē rule of Tertullian, hath euer pleased al good and vertuous men, saying, that the first hath béen alwayes the truth, & that which came afterward corrupted, and that is it which hindeth mee to the othe which I haue made, which othe dooth cōmaund, that I must acknowledge the sayde Apostolique church, which holdes the ancient beléefe of the Romane church, agréeing to the [Page] beléefe of Nice, and of Constantinople, which dooth acknowledge and beléeue one baptisme for remission of sinnes, by y ^e blood of our Lord Iesus Christ: which is our onely purgatorie that cleanseth vs of all our sinnes, which receaueth no other traditions then this only, that are appointed by the Apostles, leauing & deliuering faithfully, that which they receiued from our Lord Iesus Christ. After whose example I am bounde by my othe, to take the holy scriptures, in­terpreting and vnderstāding the same, not after the sence or interpretation of any Bishop or Councell, whatsoeuer, but after the vnderstanding and expo­sition of the true, Apostolique, and holy mother Church, that (I say) which hath followed the steps of the holy Apostles. Whervnto the auncient Fathers hath from time to time consented, so that without any blemish to the othe which I haue made, I am addressed after this rule, & bound to this foūdation, neither will I receyue or beléeue any thing, which is not brought from the same, wheresoeuer it was writtē, whether at [Page] Rome, or at Trent, being reasonable to prefer these aunciēt things with new, the truth with falsehood, & the traditiōs of the Apostles, with y ^e cōmaūdements of men. For our lawes as it dooth eui­dently appeare in the 15. distinctiō of y ^e third canon: doth not alowe these aun­cient and most renoumed Councelles the like aucthority, as they do to the ho­lie Scriptures & Apostles, which sayth thus: The holy church of Rome, after the writinges of the old and new Te­stament, which we receiue for certaine rules, doth not forbid but that we may receiue the Councell of Nice, of Con­stantinople, Ephesus, and of Chalcedonae. Thus haue I hytherto shewed, what was the band and foundation of y ^t othe which I lent, vpō the which I protest, that (by the grace of God) I will not starte nor turne, from the true faith in Iesus Christe, nor seperate my selfe from the holy and Apostolique church, to the which I do owe all reuerence, as I wil doo all my life: in remembrance of that which I did vowe in baptisme to God, and promised to the Church. [Page] For the rest, it is out of doubt betwéene all good and learned men, that whatso­euer we haue promised or sworne, if it be wrong & contrarie to our first faith, receyued in baptisme, that it bindeth vs not at all, this (I saye) is to be seene by the rule of the right cannon Lawe, that is to say, that an oth taken against good and godlie workes, bindeth not: and following the right cannon, the othes that are made against good déeds, drawes vs vnto sinne. Wherevpon the Maister of Sentences hath wiselie sayd, in the 39. Distinction after Saint Hierome, that an othe hath three pro­per companiens, veritie, iudgement, and iustice, and if any of these lacke, it is not a true othe, but a false othe: But Gratiā giueth these aduertisemēts vpō the déede of an oth, Euil promises (saith he) breakes faith, chaunge therfore the the ordinaunce of euill and dishonest thinges, and do not that, which thou hast vnwiselie promised, for that pro­mise is against God, which is accom­plished with wickednesse.

In the seuenth cannon of our lawe, [Page] we haue a rule giuen, which we ought straitlie to obserue, not onely for the re­gard of othes, but in all the actions of our life (that is to say) that if by the sut­teltie of our craftie enimie, we are fal­ling into any faulte, we must séeke to escape it, by that meanes which we sée is least hurtfull and daungerous: thus you sée, that the olde and auncient Fa­thers hath generally concluded, that all vndiscrete and vnlawfull othes, ought not to be obserued and kept: and that it is more tollerable for to breake an othe, then to perseuere in the sinne of fornication. The same is also learned by the aucthority of S. Augustine that if faith be not obserued, to the intent to returne to the right waye, it cannot be called y ^e violating of faith, for as much that the same is not true faith, which is requisite to commit sinne. It is easie to shew by many learned men, and also by the holie scriptures, and by the aun­cient Doctors, that partly the slacknes and slouthfulnes: and partly by the co­uetousnes and malice of many Popes, sundrie things hath crept in y ^e Romane [Page] church, as Platinus (though otherwise greatly affectionated to y ^e Roman seat) certifieth that those things do not agree to the Apostolique & catholique church, but they are notably iniurious against Iesus Christ, which is established for to be the redéemer of peace, by the faith in his blood, & also most idolatrous, which whosoeuer should followe of a trueth, should sinne greeuouslie against God: and yet as Arnobius sayeth in his se­uenth booke against the Gentiles, that▪ we ought to forgiue liberally and frée­ly, though it were against the Church, and against our owne conscience. For these thinges then, I am not drawne through any cause by you, (as many o­ther great & woorthy personages hath taken occasiō, to withdraw themselues) not from the catholique church, but frō the corruption & abuses, which turneth vpside downe the foundation thereof. I wil not for this time enter into long disputation, but I would rather come to the crime, wherein I fell my selfe by you most accused. I sée, I sée, or at the least, I féele a certaine smell, that can­not [Page] be lesse then a sinnefull thing, the peine whereof, craueth the losse of my life, or of my charge and dignitie: for the which I am accused among you, which maketh me most odious, & ma­keth the world to thinke, that I reiect all discipline, all duety, and all honour, but the shame thereof (falselie accusing me) maketh your selues almoste to blush. Which is, because I am purpo­sed to marie, which S. Paule neuerthe­lesse affirmeth, to be honourable amōg all men: and which is also sette in the Romane church, among the number of the Sacramentes. But whensoeuer I am minded to accomplishe this thing, what shall I doo, or enterprise against the examples of the holy Apostles, and their rules and decrees? What doo I against the aduise of Clement, Alexan­drian? or against our owne Lawes, in the .28. Distinction, the .11. and 12. Chap­ters, where mention is made of the wiues of Priests, and Deacons, being aboundantly contained in the .17. can­non, as it was decreed by the Councell of Gangar, that, If any reiect a maried [Page] Priest, being of opinion that he ought not to offer, because he is maried, and for that cause will not come to his ser­uice, let him be accurst.

Moreouer, those words spoken with great grauitie by Paphuntius, in the Councell of Nice, are cōmended in the second parte of their decrée, which did not feare to call mariage the second de­gree of chastitie. Wherefore is it then that the aucthoritie of Siricius or Pela­gious, should be of greater waight a­mong vs, then that of the Apostles? Of generall Counselles? Of auncient Fa­thers before mentioned? Or of GOD himselfe? Which plainly pronounced, that it was not good for man to be a­lone. What follie, or what madnesse I praye you is it then, to endure rather adulterers, fornicators, and Sodomiti­call liuers, in the ministerie and church of Christ, then those which hath true & lawfull wiues, following the cōmaun­dements of God? From what spring, or from whose mouth came the same doctrine, which forbiddeth and condem­neth mariage? It appeareth by the ele­uenth [Page] chapter of Daniel, vers. 36. 37. and the first of Timothy, the fowrth chapt. ver. 1. 2. 3. Aeneus Silueus, in his discrip­tion of Germany, witnesseth that the holy bishoppe Vldricus, strongly with­stoode the lawes of Celebat, against the Popes of his time, writing an Epistle vnto Pope Nicholas, wherin he great­ly cōplained that the chiefest Prelates, and Priests (namelie of Italy,) were so much giuen to lust and lecherie, that they would not abstaine from deflow­ring, maid, wife, or any other, nor spare theyr owne kindred, but commit sinne against nature, with y ^e masquelin sort, & also with very brute beasts: and there he declareth an historie worthy the no­ting, that Pope Gregorie the first, be­ing he, that did first forbid ecclesiastical persons to marie, sending afterwarde, certaine fishers to fishe in a mote, hard adioyning to a Nunrie, they founde more then six thousand childrens heads that had béene throwne therein, which when Gregorie sawe, and perceyued the wicked fruit of his Celebat, sorow­ing [Page] to heare the same, he brake that de­cree, alledging the sentence of S. Paul, that, It is better to marie then to burne: Adding also, that it is farre bet­ter to suffer mariage, then to be the cause of murder. The Abbot Vspergus also in his Chronicle, maketh mention of an epistle in the most renoumed coū ­cell of the ecclesiasticall states at Bresse Nore, made against Heldebrand, wher­in among other things, was a cōplaint made, y ^t he deuorsed spyrituall persons from theyr wiues, & vnder this detesta­ble Pope, the Churches were in great daunger, & also he declared y ^t they were not bound in any promise to the Pope, for it is a greater thing to make a vow to obey God, and the catholique church, then to submitte our selues to the will and pleasure of any Pope, whatsoeuer. For these reasons, I that knoweth my duetie towarde Iesus Christe, and his Church, I am determined to take the lawfull way and remedy, permitted to all manner of men (without exception) against euill and disordinate lustes, as [Page] it becommeth a true bishop, and a man of noble race to doo: to the ende, that I may keepe my soule chaste, and arme the same against all allurements of the flesh. Therefore am I determined to enter into mariage, not being mooued by any light or disobedient minde: but after long tryall made of my selfe, I haue knowne that it is not good for me to liue vnmaried. Which gifte is not permitted to all, nor for euer, (that is to say, to make so long a triall of them­selues:) I am resolued, following the lawes of the church aboue mentioned, to leaue that vndiscrete vow of the Ce­lebat, which is not in my power to per­forme, estéeming that this is lawful for me, for the auoiding of a greater euill, and for the better obseruing & accom­plishing the vowe of chastitie, which I made vnto Iesus Christ: and in so doo­ing I haue framed my selfe according to the commaūdement of God, submit­ting to his prouidence, and staying to his protection, not caring what euill men may iudge, nor for y ^e threatnings, [Page] daungers, or any other thing whatso­euer, hauing in memorie that which Theodorus hath written in his fourth booke, the tenth chapter, of the auncient Christians. Whiche dyd knowe no greater griefe then the renouncing of pietie: and although the tyrants went about raging and running vpon them, as stormes, or tempestes, yet could they not be shaken or put backe from pietie and godlines. Therefore, in all extre­mities, I haue recourse to the iudge­ment of those which hath right intelli­gence and knowledge. Unto whome I doo appeale and submit my selfe, af­ter the example of Iustinus Martyr, in his Apolligie for the Christiās. In this submission most rightfull and iust, that by those which religiously feareth God the trueth alone is reuerenced, and to the same, all and euerie thing must be agréeing.

Nowe I addresse my selfe to you Pope Gregorie, to the ende I may ob­taine of you this my purpose, (being most chaste and according to the disci­pline [Page] of the true and auncient Catho­lique Church) some protection and de­fence. Therefore I doo earnestlie pray and beseech you, that of the same affec­tion which it hath pleased you to ad­monish me, that you will take my part in my most iust enterprise, remem­bring that those which smothlie flat­ters you, (a sort of bribe takers, which dooth but lightlie and softlie touch the moste daungerous woundes) bee not those that dooth most honour, and reue­rence vnto you and the Church: but well are they, which Plutarch speakes of, in his Trentes of the difference be­tweene the flatterer and the friend: which boldlie and lyberallie speaketh, admonishing, and rebuking, not accor­ding to theyr owne appetie and desire. What am I then that should speake or brall against the Popes? if they take all that they say out of the word, lawes and commaundementes of God, and out of the writings of the Apostles and Prophetes, vppon which doctrine, the Church and the Popes, ought to be [Page] founded and builded; by GOD which hath the sufferaintie ouer Kinges and Popes. Oh that it were the good will and pleasure of him, that I might see the daye, that you would not take the care to oppresse me, and all other men, louers and followers of the doctrine and life of the Apostles: but rather that you should earnestlie vndertake to cast farre away from you, so many vanities, so many idolatries, simonies, and sacrileges, and cut off these effemi­nates, fornicators, and adulterers, drunkardes, and idle personnes, which our owne lawes dooth excommunicate, to the ende that the Romane church, might recouer her auncient dignitie, and that peare and tranquilitie might come againe, among all Christians. that many grieued and wounded con­sciences might finde rest and consolati­on. Nowe as it is commonlie sayde, that of a poore gardener, or a simple man, something may be heard of rea­sonable sence: so I hope that you will not take this my small admonition, o­therwise, [Page] then with a fatherlie, religi­ous, and equitable hart: which is made vnto you by one of your Brothers in Iesus Christ, and an Almayn, which could neuer dissemble, wherevp­pon, I praye God to kéepe you in his protection.