LEst this my departing, suddaine and vnexpected of all others, but to my selfe, by a long and more than ten yeeres aduising resolued vpon, and by exquisite deliberation brought to ripe­nesse, should cause wondring among these of our Profession, and should produce some badde effectes, through my default, in these who are ignorant of the proceeding: I thought it neces­sarie by a timous praeoccupation, to expound the reasons of this my not-hastie, but well-aduised departing.

For surely I doe foresee, there shall not be lacking many tradu­cers, who according to the custome will take occasion of this my departing, to reuile, and burden me with calumnies: Which thing I confesse before GOD, doeth not much trouble mee: For with the Apostle PAVL I count little to be judged of men: Let me bee a [Page 8]Foole for CHRISTS cause: let me bee vyle, buffetted, rayled vpon, persecuted, blasphemed, and counted the off-scouring of the worlde: yea, and accursed, so that I may satisfie the LORD IESVS CHRIST, and profite my brethren in the Ministerie of CHRIST, I should contemne all these thinges. For ont glorie is the testi­monie of a good conscience, that in simplicitie of heart, and sin­ceritie of GOD, and not in fleshly wisedome: but by the grace of GOD I haue changed my place. It is my parte indeed as the Mini­ster of GOD, to shewe my selfe in much patience, in tribulation, in necessities, in straites, in laboures, through glorie and shame, through infamie and good fame: for I seeke not my selfe, nor mine owne, but those things which are IESVS CHRISTS, That ra­ther doeth grieue me, if I doe not obviate calumnies, it may easily come to passe, that in the mindes of the Godly a great fruite of aedification shall bee stayed, which they might take of my coun­sell, and that many ignorant of the reasons of my departing, in place of aedification shall vnwittingly offende at me, by vnjust ca­lumnies which they will heare. To these I will open the reasons of my departing, and make them manifest to all men, that I may profite them.

That this my change of place is of GOD, and not of man, nei­ther may I, neither ought I to call in question: I knowe wee should not easily trust euery Spirit, but should trye them, if they bee of GOD, as we are well admonished by IOHN the beloued Disciple of CHRIST. Therefore in these tryalls, beside the often accesse to the Father of Lightes, which I learued of CHRIST, in these ten yeeres before named: it is most certaine (as GOD and my Conscience beareth me recorde) that no mans perswasion of whatsoeuer sort came to my eares: in this purpose I had none to stirre me vp, none to perswade me: I had vse of no mans counsell, nor did cōmunicat it to any creature: Neither yet let any suspect, that I did drawe my reasons ont of the Bookes (of Protestants) which are contrary to the doctrine of ROME: for GOD is my witnesse, I did vehemently abhorre those Bookes discharged by ROMANE Inquisition: which indeed if any Praelate addicted to the Court of ROME did detest, I did it out of measure, beeing possessed from my childhood with [Page 9]foolish feares: and since now I am not a childe, but neare vnto threescore yeeres of age, let any, who listeth, assay whereinto he can perswade me, without weightie reasons. I did euer sway the in­clinations & thoughts of my heart after the rules which the Holie Spirit in Sacred Scripture did praescribe to the whole Church: & by whose direction the holie and reuerende Fathers euer much esteemed by the Catholicke Church, did instruct the Faithfull: which holie Fathers also, beside the inward motions of the Holie Spirit, were the onlie and chiefe authors of this my purpose. Why then should I suspect this worke to bee of an euill spirit? From which suspicion that also maketh me free, that before GOD, who tryeth the heart and reynes, I know that in my deliberation I did neuer direct my minde to humane or worldlie respectes: not vnto Ecclesiasticall dignities, which might beseeme mine estate, for I was alreadie a Bishop, and that not of the basest sort, but the chiefest in my natiue Prouince, to wit, The Archbishop of Spalato, the Primate of two Kingdomes, Dalmatia and Croatia, of as great aestima­tion in our Churches & Prouinces (I am not ashamed to confesse the trueth) as anie other. And if the dignities of Rome had beene pleasant to me, I had euer an easie accesse to them. But the man­ners of the Court of Rome, which I euer disliked, made me euer to abhorre it: Yet not the lesse, in great and publicke affaires, the Sea of Rome did vse my labours to the Emperour and Archdukes, as is manifest by the Popes Brieues, and the Letters of the Emperour and Archdukes, which I yet keepe My well-deseruing also at the hand of the State of Venice, my natiue Soueraigne, did procure vnto me their great fauour: whereby I might both hope for, and expect the benefite of a better fortune, if the desire of greater Grandour had possessed me. I looked not to worldlie commodi­ties, which I had in that aboundance as might more than suffice a moderate spirit, such as I euer had, which I doe ascribe to the grace of GOD. In this change of my place I doe gladlie embrace the losse of all my dignities and riches, because (as I haue said) I seeke not mine, but the thinges of IESVS CHRIST: Therefore nei­ther the counsels of men, nor the vndaunted affection, nor worldlie necessitie, nor euent: neither anie miserable accident, [Page 10]which vseth to ranuerse men, and their estate, moued mee to de­part: but whence it was, I will ingeniously declare, without fai­ning or dissimulation.

For the most part, from my childhood, I was brought vp a­mong the Iesuits, in holy study, according to the common doctrine of the Schoole-men, and the receiued opinions of the Church of Rome: for which opinions, proper to Rome imprinted and fixed in my mind, more by authoritie than by reason: with the miserable captiuing of my vnderstanding, I was, for a long space, most resol­ued to die: for I counted it execrable about these opinions to ad­mit the smallest doubt or ambiguitie of mind or thought, let be of speaches: and being bound vp in this cōmon reuerence of them, if at any time any thought had crept in against them, or my studies had suggested any doubt, I resolued to vse violence against mine owne reason (as the custome is in matters of Faith) and to turne my minde and thoughts another way, rather than I should admit the least doubt against these articles of Faith, which I tooke for certaine, and were set out to vs by our teachers, to bee moste cer­taine. I confesse I did feele continually some sparks of the inward Spirit, which neuerthelesse I resisted, yet I could neuer freely ac­quiesc, neither free my selfe of a great suspicion, which held me in perplexitie, after I had made some progresse in the studies of Di­uinitie: Which suspicion was greatly augmented in mee by so ex­act, so rigorous, and intestine businesse of Rome: whereby I percei­ued they did moste narrowly take heede, that no booke, written against our doctrine, should bee helde or read by any of vs: for I supposed, that these bookes were justly discharged the common sort, lest the people, who are destitute of judgement and discre­tion, shold be exposed by reading of them, to the danger of drin­king in of Haeresie. But in that they were altogether discharged Students, and men of great learning, and well affected to the Ca­tholicke Religion, I did euer judge (as reason will teach euery man) that matter was greatly to bee suspected: especially seeing the Court of Rome suffered vs not to haue any vse of these bookes: euen after wee had compleet our course in the studie of Diuinitie, and taken degrees therein: yea, and after our promotion to Bis­shoprickes. [Page 11]This suspicion did yet more increase, where I sawe our Masters and Professors in their publicke handling of the con­trouersies, by word or writ, claime this authoritie to themselues, to bee trusted in all that they sayde: that those wordes and sen­tences which they did repeate, were the wordes and sentences of the aduersaries: and in the meane time, the hearers were dischar­ged, vnder the fearefull paine of Excommunication, to reade the vvritinges of the Aduersaries: In ryding, suppressing, and destroying vvhereof, they make so great businesse, as justlie it is to bee suspected, some thing lurketh in them which our do­ctrine is not able to confute.

From the first yeeres wherein I rendered my selfe to be a Cler­gie man, I fostered an in-borne desire to see the vnion of all the Churches of Christ: & could neuer patiently thinke vpon the divi­sion of the Westerne & Easterne Churches, the South & North in mat­ters of faith. I desired earnestly to know the causes of so many and so great Schismes: and to search, if possibly any way could be found out to bind vp again all the Churches of Christ in the true & an­cient vnion. I was also tormented with heauy dolour which I con­ceiued at the dissentions of Professors of Christian Religion, and the coate of Christ so miserably rent asunder: which dolour and too great heauinesse did wonderfully afflict mee, and yet more and more vexeth me daylie.

Thereafter, now some twenty yeeres agoe, I was promoued to the gouernement of the Church, and made Bishop of Segnat which thing my Fathers, the Jesuits, tooke heauily, because they knew by experience, that I was not ydle, not improfitable for their socie­tie (but that their account I doe not much regard, for I contemne all humane aestimation, vnlesse it make some furtherance to di­uine obedience) they had found me (I say) profitable for them: for in the time of my tryall, when I was but young, they praeferred mee to a publicke profession of HVMANITIE in the Colleges of VERONA. And before I was a Priest, they placed mee in the Publicke Chaire, for the profession of the MATHEMATICKES at PADVA, vvith great concourse of hearers. They made mee Professor of RHETORICKE first, and then of the LOGICKE [Page 12]and PHILOSOPHIE, in the Publicke Schooles of BRESCIA, and often on the Festuall dayes would needes haue mee making Ser­mon in their Churches: They enjoyned mee the dispatch both of priuate and weightie Affaires: And in all the seruices of their so­cietie, they found my diligence: Why then should they not haue taken heauily my promouing to a Bishoprick? which was vnto me the first occasion to come downe to the earth, from the subtill and airie, or improfitable disputations of the Schoolmen, and to turne my contemplation in wholesome practise of the cure of soules, and of the Church. And because I did acknowledge the proper taske of a Bishop was to preach the Word, I set my selfe to reade Sermons, and such Bookes as are appointed for Lent: which did soone beget in mee a loathing and detestation: for I sawe in them, and that easilie, a filthie abuse of Scripture, while it is throwne to vaine, improfitable, impertinent, yea, and a pernicious sense: I saw Examples and Miracles propounded, either false and fained, or at least ridiculous, and not worthie of credite: I sawe the people miserablie deceiued, and the inuentions of auarice and ambition superstitiouslie forced vpon them, vnder colour of ar­ticles of Faith. These thinges I was astonished to consider: and therefore I resolued to leaue these troubled Streames, and to take my selfe to the Fountaines of the Fathers: in reading of whose works I beganne to delyte, for Sermons and holy Canons, and Church Gouernement.

From this course now and then some beames of new light did shine vnto me, as yet vnwilling and repining: for on the one part I did obserue the sayinges of the Fathers in verie manie thinges, contrarie to the common Doctrine which I had learned in the Schooles: and I did perceiue, that they were either passed by in silence by my Masters, or not faithfully alledged, or not sufficient­lie, or which is worse, sinistrously expounded: On the other part, I did see, and that not without great wondring, that the Rule of Church Discipline, and Spirituall Gouernement, of our time, was exceeding farre different from the ancient practise whereby my forenamed suspicions were greatly augmented: and I percei­ued, a farre off, that we did not faithfully handle the Doctrine and [Page 13]Affaires of CHRIST and his Church, but sluffed our THEOLOGIE rather with the quicke inuentions of humane speculations and Philosophie, than with the wholsome wordes of holy Scripture, exactly considered and expounded, whereof there is a grosse ig­norance amongst vs.

From a Bishoprick I was aduanced to an Archbishoprick, wherby a new and more vrgent occasion grew vnto me, to renew my stu­dies, and to labour in them more earnestly: for whereas the troubles of the Suffragane Bishops of my Prouince, but much more the excessiue power of the Court of Rome, encroching vpon my Metropolitane Iurisdiction, began to injure mee, I proponed to my selfe to search out, and throughly to knowe the Root and Fountaine of Church degrees, Iurisdictions, callings, offices, and dignities; and chiefely of the Papall greatnesse. A little after the State of VENICE was by the Pope put vnder Interdiction: and scoffing Pamphlets, sent dayly from Rome, ceased not to oppresse, vexe, and slander all of vs, who were Bishops of the SEIGNORIE of VENICE, as Beastes, Dolts, Ignorantes, and men of euill Con­science. Whereof, for the better instructing our lawfull defences, and for the better knowledge of the quaestion debated betwixt the Venetians and the Pope, new occasions were giuen to mee of a new and more earnest studie. The holy ancient Canons, the Or­thodox Councels, the Discipline of the Fathers, and the ancient customes of the Church were often and againe turned ouer by me. Whereto shall I say more? I found aboundantly in these only all that I sought, and a great deale more than I sought. Then it was easie with opened eyes to obserue that the doctrine of these Reformed Churches, which in great numbers Rome maketh ene­mies to her selfe, and which are bitterly reproued and impugned by our THEOLOGS, did in little, or nothing at all, differ from the true and ancient doctrine of the pure Church. I did also perceiue that their doctrine, both at Rome and among vs, is abhorred and repelled, rather than lawfully impugned: not for that it is indeede Haereticall and false: but only because it is contrary to the corrupt sense and manners of the Court of Rome, and to her fleshly plottes and inuentions, which is nowe turned into a temporall estate. I [Page 14]saw also, & perceiued most clearly, that at Rome, without any law­full ground, yea, by extreame violence, innumerable new articles of faith were daily coined, & forced vpon vs: & that in such things as not only appertaine nothing to diuine faith, but also containe in themselues manifest falsehood: Which articles that corrupt Court will neither suffer to be discussed by any, nor be brought in a due consultation of the Church: but pursueth euen to the death all those who dare whisper against them. They haue now for a long time smoothered the sacred Councels, and so haue put out the eyes of the Church of CHRIST, that nowe vnhappie shee, as an­other Sampson, made blinde, and depriued of her owne strength, captiued and made vyle, is able only to groane. It was sometimes an article of Faith, that the vniuersall Church, dispersed through­out the whole worlde, is that Catholicke Church of CHRIST, whereunto CHRIST himselfe doeth promise his perpetuall as­sistance, which PAVL calleth the Pillar and ground of Veritie. But now our Romanistes haue drawne this article of Faith in lesser bounds, That the Catholicke Church now is to be taken for none other than the Court of Rome: & it is propounded to be beleeued by a firme Faith, that in it only, yea, & in the Pope alone, the whole Spirit of CHRIST maketh residence: and whatsoeuer of old time hath bene said for the honour of y ^e vniuersall Church of CHRIST, with great injury to the Church, is wholly applyed to the Court of Rome: & many things are reduced to the articles of Faith, wher­of we neuer had any institution of CHRIST: wherby the soules of the Faithfull are miserably deceiued: and so the Blinde with their blind leaders rush headlongs in y ^e gulfe of perdition. These things among many other, haue grieued me exceedingly, & doe yet stir vp in my spirit an incredible dolour.

But I wil cease now particularly to recount the innumerable no­uelties of the Court of Rome, and these moste pernicious erroures whereby a Boucherie of soules is wrought: the vigour of Church Discipline is broken: the propagation and purging of Religion is hindered, and innumerable offences are brought in the Church: the ciuill peace of Christians is troubled, & bloody warres stirred vp amongst them, kingdoms are ouerthrown, & horrible schismes [Page 15]are made in the Churches, and most grieuous calameties do arise (which all I haue exactly obserued) I will cease now (I say) to re­count them, because I haue fully treated of all these matters in my large worke, Of the Ecclesiasticke Republicke, which I haue in rea­dinesse, and shall giue to bee Printed in Germanie, as first commo­dioufly occurreth to mee in this my journey: all that worke Of the Ecclesiasticke Republicke, I comprehende in ten Bookes: In the first whereof I search out the forme of this Republicke: and doe deter­mine, that the Church vnder CHRIST appertaineth to a most per­fect Monarchie: and that not the lesse the Ministers of CHRIST on earth, by CHRISTS own institution, are most farre from an earthly Monarchie, & do gouerne y ^e Church with an Aristocratie or choise gouernment: not without some mixture of a democratie or popular gouernment: and consequently I shew that the Primacie of Peter is contrary to the Euangel & institution of Christ. In the second booke I consider the gouerners & Ministers of the Ecclesiasticke Republick, who they are, & what succession can be giuen to the holy Apostles: what is the institution of Bishops: wherein they differ from Presby­ters: who are the inferiour Ministers, and what force holie Order haue in this Republicke. In the thirde I doe expound what is the Hierarchie to bee found among the Bishops and Gouernoures of this Republick: and I do teach, that there is no praeheminence nor subjection among Bishops, by diuine right, but that degrees of pla­ces among them are distinguished by the constitutions of the Church only. And consequently I doe treat of the Election, Confir­mation, Consecration or Ordination of Bishops, and of the power of Metropolitanes, Primates, and Patriarches. In the fourth I exa­mine the Priuiledges of the Church of ROME: and doe proue, that neither in her selfe, nor in her Bishop nor Clergie, shee hath anie praeheminence giuen her of CHRIST aboue other Churches: but if anie shee hath had, or nowe hath, shee hath taken it from the helpes and furtherances of men. In the fifth I doe vndertake to search out the proper power of the CHVRCH: and doe prooue, that it is meerelie Spirituall: and so I remooue, farre from the CHVRCH, all (Earthlie) IVRISDICTION: And then conse­quently [Page 16]I dispute of the force and operation of Sacramentes, and of Ecclesiasticall Censures. In the sixth I compare the power of the Laitie, and of the Church; that the difference betwixt the Ec­clesiasticke and Temporall Republicke may appeare; and I doe shewe that Christian temporall Princes may doe many thinges in the Church: but the Church in temporall thinges, and especially towards Kings, may doe nothing at all. I treat also of the tempo­rall Kingdome of CHRIST, of the power of the Laitie whence it is, and of how large extent: of the Immunities of the Church and Church-men: of Inuestitures, of the Monarchie of SICILL, and such like. In the seuenth I consider the inward direction of the Ecclesiasticke Republicke, which is by faith: and I inquire for the true rule of faith: and so I dispute of the Word of GOD, of the authoritie of the Church, and of the Pope ouer it: of Councels, of Haeresie, of Schisme, and such like. In the eight I consider the externall gouernement of the Church, by Lawes, Canons, and Iudicatories. Thereafter I discusse howe farre Canons doe oblish: of dispensations, of commandes, enjoyning fasting, prayer, and such like. In the ninth I come to the temporall goods of the Church, and I expound at length how sparing the sustentation of the Ministers should bee: whence it should bee taken: and howe Church goods should be guided. I treat also of Tithes, of Benefi­ces, of dominion ouer Church-goods: of the vse and abuse of Church-rents: of Pensions, of Commendas, and Testaments of the Clergie. In the tenth and last I vndertake to expound the liber­tie of the Church, that wee may see what way this Republicke is free. And consequently I treat of Priuiledges, and persons priui­ledged: of the abuse of priuiledges: of exemptions, and persons exempted: of the subjection of Moncks, and such like. This was the fruit of my painfull studies: for while vpon the occasions be­fore named I did griedily reade holy Scripture, the Orthodox Fathers, the holy Canons, and Volumes of Councels, mine eyes being opened, and I inflamed with a zeale to explaine the trueth to others, and to my selfe, I could not but write those thinges I obserued: and this my much writing hath begotten this worke, the summe whereof I haue rehearsed. I saw therefore plainly, and [Page 17]did perceiue, that in our Churches wee had gone farre astray from the right path both in Doctrine and Discipline.

What then should I doe more in the mids of a wicked & froward nation? If (as reason craueth) I would haue gouerned mine owne Church according to the ancient discipline of y ^e Catholick Church, and propone true and Catholick doctrine, I should by that meanes hasten vpon mine head great stormes & horrible tempests frō Rome: for euē already at Rome great hatred was hatched & fostered against mee, because they had vnder-smelled my labours in writing against their opinions: for which I was often admonished & rebuked by the Popes Nuncio, lying at Venice: it was therfore much better to take the wings of a doue, & to withdraw my selfe, & fly away to the wildernes, where I might wait vpon him who will deliuer me from the weak­nes of spirit, & from the tempest: rather than remaining among the blind, willingly blinding my selfe, I should leade the blind to perdi­tion. What are the Bishops vnder the Romane Popedome? In tempo­rall things indeed, where the benefices are fat, they shine in wordly dignitie, they are great, & conspicuous, & Princes: but Bishops they are not, but by aequiuocation: all their Bishoply administration is perished: for the gouernment of all Churches is drawn to Rome, and the Bishops themselues are scarsely Vicars and seruants to the Lord Pope: they are vile, cōtemptible, oppressed, & troden vnder foot mi­serably: subjected not to the Pope only, but to Cardinals & to so ma­ny Cōgregations as are institute at Rome against them: Legates from his Holines side, Apostolick Nunces, Inquisitors, Visitors, & in end to innu­merable Orders of Regulars, and their brethren, who now by their Apostolicke priuiledges are uot onely aequalled to Bishops, but also ouermatcheth them, & stayeth their proceedinges in their gouern­ment, swallowing vp their power. The Church vnder the Bishop of Rome is no more a Church, but a certaine humane Commonwealth, all of it vnder the Popes temporall Monarchie: It is a Vineyard only to make Noe drunke: it is a Flock, which the Shepheards do sheare and clip euen to the blood: yea, to excoriate and flaye them. Why then should I not flee, lest I should see these euils any longer, & lest I should be a fellow-worker of such thinges, & a partaker with them. CHRIST hath set mee as a dogge among his flocke: I should not bee dumbe anie longer, as nowe all the other Bishops vnder the [Page 18] Romane pope are dumb dogs: who on the one part allured with large [...]pes, and on the other terrified with great feare, are altogether si­lent: and choose by base flattery to hasten to perdition with their Chiftane. And because (according to the Prouerbe) Flattery begetteth friends, and trueth begetteth hatred: seeing I neither could, nor ought to desert the trueth, I behoued of necessitie to flee noisome hatred, and poyson, and daggers, the ordinary effects of hatred among vs: for in these our times matters are come to this poinct, that at Rome, or els­where by commission from Rome, the defence of Controuersies of Religion is not committed to Theologs or Councels, but to Tortu­rers, Burrios, Cut-throates, and bloodie Murtherers.

And albeit all these things did euer and earnestly perswade me to flee yet I doe confesse I fonnd the handmaide Agar, with her childe Jsmael, for a long time troublesom to me: I mean I heard my flesh re­belling against my spirit, and reasoning after this manner: And whi­ther, I pray thee, wilt thou goe? Thou art come to great dignities, & wealth, vnder the Bishop of Rome, with hope also to attaine further. These things thou doest possesse: these are certain, but thou knowest not what shall befall thee in other places. Shall it bee euen so, that thou wilt leaue thy Countrey, & Consignes, & Alliance, & friends, neuer any more to see them againe? Wherfore makest thou thy selfe wiser than innumerable other Bishops, who comporteth vvith all things, tolerateh & excuseth them? why wilt not thou in like man­ner comport with, tolerate & excuse them? Art thou only the wise man among such an innumerable multitude? Are all the rest foo­lish? Doest thou not know, that immediatly after thy departing, first at Rome, and then euery where, thou shalt bee burdened with great reproaches, and noted with the infamous name of an Haereticke? These and more such like speaches my fleshly Agar did often whisper in mine eares, not without a great combate betwixt her & mine in­warde spirit, and my Conscience nowe already ouercome with the trueth: But that diuine Spirit, with a more vehement force, suffered me not any longer to make delayes, but with an effectuall voyce he called me to himselfe, as he did Abraham, saying Come out of thy Coun­trey, and from thy kinred, and from thy Fathers house, and come vnto the Land which I will shew vnto thee. And he forced mee to put in execution that notable saying of the wise men, FOLLOW GOD: euen as blessed [Page 19] Abraham indeed obeyed it, according to the consideration of holie Ambrose (de Abraham. lib. 1. cap. 2.) Which fact of the holy Patriarch after a wonderfull sort, augmented both my courage and strength, while I perceiued, that GOD did first rewarde his ready obedience, by keeping disgrace and infamie farre from him: for hee praeserued the chastity of his beautiful wife Sara, whē it was in liazard by a licen­tious Tyrant. Ambrose also did much comfort mee in this case, while he saith, Because Abraham contemned all things for GODS calling, therfore he receiueth al things again abundantly multiplied: & first of all hee gaue him the safety of Saras chastity, which hee knew was deare to the husband. That same holy Father addeth moreouer, Whosoeuer followeth the LORD is euer in surety: & therefore (saith he) we should not bee called backe from the obedience of heauenlie commandements, neither for respect to our countrey, or parents, or children, or wife, because GOD giueth all these gifts to vs, & is able to preserue them all. These things giue mee full assurance, that for this my following of his calling, though it bee somewhat too late, GOD will giue me this remuneration, euen the praeseruation of my fame and aestimation: that of whatsoeuer account it be, it shall suffer no disgrace amongst Barbarians, but shall be kept found and vndefi­led for the aedification of some, and auoyding of offences. Beeing therefore encouraged with this confidence, and moued with this holy calling and admonished by these dangers, I haue most cheare­fully vndertaken this my flight.

But yet the loue of CHRIST constraineth me, for I might be coun­ted of a vile & base spirit, if laying aside all lawfull striuing, I should rot in sluggish idlenesse in some corner, and so flee for mine owne ease. The cause of CHRIST is in hand, which calleth me to it selfe, & I heare that voyce continually thundering in mine eares [CRYE] and admonishing mee to goe vp to some high mountaine, to the ende that my voyce, joyned with their voyce, who haue not bowed their knee to Baal, may bee better heard in preaching the Gospel to Sion. That voyce now I follow, and I goe into some mountain, where the Catholick Church hath lifted vp her head in a free profession, from whence, according to the oblishment of my calling, so farre as in me lieth, I may proclaime the trueth to the worlde: and may open and shew the wayes for taking away all diuisions, and binding vp again [Page 20]of peace in the Church. The Church shall shortly heare my cries, & I will speake to the heart of Hierusalem, and call vnto her: For I can­not in any case bee lacking to my calling, because I am a Bishop in the Church of CHRIST. & to euery Bishop his own particular Church is so committed, that hee must in the meane time vnderstand, where there is any necessity of his helpe, the vniuersall Church is recom­mended to him by IESVS CHRIST. To all of vs who are Bishops the Apostle Paul hath said, Take heed to your selues, & to the whole flocke ouer which the Spirit of God hath made you ouer-sieers, to rule the Church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. These words also are giuen out in the name of Eleutherius an ancient Bishop of Rome, writing vn­to other Bishops, For this cause Christ hath committed vnto you the vniuer­sall Church, that ye labour for all men: and neglect not to helpe all, according to necessity. Cyprian also affirmeth (epist. 13. lib. 3) that joyntly with Stepha­nus, Bishop of Rome, he did hold the leuell of gouerning the Church. And then he addeth, The body of the Priesthood is exceeding large, and is coupled together with the glew of mutuall concord, and the band of vnity: ther­fore if any of our fellowship shall prasume to forge an haeresie, or to rent & destroy the Church of Christ, let all the rest make conuenient helpe. And that same Cyprian in very deede often helped troubled Churches: euen such as were without the bounds of Africke: yea and the Church of Rome it selfe. So Polycarpus, Irenaeus, Osius of Corduba, Athanasius, Basilius, the two Eusebii, one of Samosata, & the other of Vercels, Lucifer of Calarie, Hilarie of Poitiers, Theophilus and Cyrillus of Alexandria, Aurelius of Carthage, and many other Bishops, did painfully labour, by vertue of their Episcopall office, to helpe y ^e necssities of the vniuersal Church: and leauing, for a space, their own Churches, well appointed, recō ­mending them to the ouersight of others, they went vnto other af­flicted & troubled Churches. Therefore it is most proper to my cal­ling, & not without the compasse of it, with all my might, as Cyprian exhorteth, to helpe the Court of Rome, which factionously maketh a Sect, and deuiding it selfe frō the Church, renteth & destroyeth the Church of CHRIST: and yet mine helpe must not be by approching to it, because that is not sure: but by a bodily departing from it. I would indeed most gladly haue retained mine own Church of Spa­late as Osius, Basilius, the two Eusebii, Hilarius, & others aboue named, retained their own Churches, & returned vnto them after they had [Page 21]ended the publicke businesse of the vniuersall Church. But because that my Church, with many others, groaneth vnder the tyrannie of the Pope, who hateth & abhorreth Reformatiō; and by all his power and the forces of his adhaerent Princes, maketh impediment to it: And hauing power of life & death ouer these who suit & vrge refor­mation, suffereth none of them aliue. Therefore, I could not choose, but leaue my Church, that I my selfe, hauing cast off these bands, & set at liberty, might be the more ready to proclaime the trueth, and with greater safety might deplore y ^e desolation of the holy Church, which she suffereth of the Court of Rome.

True it is, the majesty of an earthly king is dreadfull, because (as Tertullian saith) he is next vnto God, & lesser than God only: aboue whom (as Optatus Milevitanus saith) there is none saue God alone. Therefore when k. Dauid was to be reproued for his adultery & murther, neither the high Priest, nor any other of the Priesthood, nor any Leuit, or friend or familiar durst praesume to take that charge vpon him: but God vsed his own proper & peculiar messenger, & appointed the Prophet Na­than to rebuke him. But there is not now such necessity: neither need we expect, that God will raise vp extraordinary Prophets, & appoint peculiar messengers to deal with y ^e Bishop of Rome, who is now trou­bling, scandalizing, spoyling, & oppressing the whole Church. The majesty of our Rom. Pope is not so great as to affray vs, that his tem­porall & hauty majesty is fained, vsurped, & is none at all, he is but our Brother & Collegue, & a Bishop with vs, & a Fellow-seruant in y ^e work: and a brother who is holpen of a brother, is as a fenced city, as Salo­mon saith in the Prouerbs. Wherfore then doe we snort? wherfore doe we sleep? a Brother perisheth, & draweth the Churches away with him to perdition, & we his Brethren neglect the danger & doe not occur. Let all be silent, let all be quiet, & contemn as they will, yet I y ^e least Whelpe among them all, with such barking as I can, shall wakē those great mastius, who are asleep, & made drowsie by a wōderful policy of the Popedome: that according to their charge they may hold back the Wolues, & saue the flock of Iesus Christ. I shall not vse mine own voyce, but the voyce of God, in wakening the good Dogs: and I shall double vpon them the Cry of holy Fathers, & Councels, & holy Ca­tholick Church. As for these ten Bookes, Of the Ecclesiastick Republick, which I am shortly to put to light, I shall specially endeuour, that [Page 22]the errours of the Church of Rome may be detected, the trueth and wholsomnes of the Catholick doctrine & discipline may be opened, & these many (reformed) Churches, which by our Romane Church are proudly casten off & diuorced, may be retained in a Catholik sense, and that the way of vnion of all the Churches, if not clearly demon­strat, may be at least pointed out: if by any means we can be broght to that estate, all of vs to thinke one thing, & to say one thing: that Schismes may be remedied, and all occasions taken away from Chri­stian Princes, of plotting the ouerthrow one of another, & of trou­bling the common peace of Christian people, with vntimous & vn­godly warres, & that vnder the praetence of Faith & Religion: but ra­ther that all their forces may be so directed, as the Catholik Church of Christ, groaning vnder the tyrannie of those who are Infideles in­deed, may be restored to her ancient libertie.

This my departing from my Countrey, or rather my going out & flight from Babel, I will that it want all suspicion of Schisme: for I flee from errours, I flee from abuses, & that lest I be partaker of Ba­bels sinnes, and receiue of her plagues: yet will I neuer seuer my selfe from the loue which I owe to the holy Catholick Church, and to all and euery one who communicate with her: but so far as in me lieth, I shall euer bee ready to communicate with them all, so long as wee agree in the essentiall articles of our Faith, and the Creedes of the ancient Church of Christ, if in the meane time we derest & abhorre all new articles of Faith, which are contrary to holy Scripture, or re­pugnant to the forenamed Creedes: and that we admit not, in anie case, articles indifferent in thēselues, as articles of Faith, which haue neuer bene sufficiently discussed, established and determined by the Church, except first they be fully determined, or bee showne to haue bene determined of before: neither yet that we condemne those ar­ticles as haereticall, vnlesse we haue sufficient notice that they haue bene condemned by the Church. In things therefore indifferent, let liberty of opinion and action be permitted to euery Church: and let euery of them abound in their own judgement, vntill the Church it selfe, instructed & gouerned by the Spirit of Christ, shall put an ende to controuersies, and seuer the Chaffe from the true Corne.

In the meane time, let vs remember that notable saying of wor­thie Cyprian, which hee vsed in the Councill of Carthage, Wee judge no [Page 23]man (saith he) neither debar we any man from the Communion, albeit he haue an opinion diuerse from vs: for none of vs all hath made himselfe Bishop of Bis­shops, or compelleth his collegues, by a tyrannicall force, to the necessitie of obe­dience: because euery Bishop, according to liberty and power, hath his own arbi­triment: as though hee might not bee judged by others, neither hee himselfe may judge another: but let vs all await vpō the judgement of our Lord Iesus Christ, who one, and alone, hath power to prafer vs to the gouernment of his Church, and to take an account of all our proceedings. At that time Cyprian disassen­ted from the Church of Rome, & almost from the vniuersal Church, about the Baptisme of Haeretickes: and being confirmed in his own opinion, hee judged Stephanus, Bishop of Rome, who mightily resisted him therein, and all other, to bee in a manifest errour: yet hee neuer suffered the band of vnion & Ecclesiastick Charity betwixt them, to be brokē, lest a Schisme, the most noysome pest of the Church, should atise among them. And in this, Cypr. to his great cōmendation, did ouercome the not-all-wise-discrete zeale of Stephanus: for while as Steph. by his excōmunications, did rush headlongs to the inconue­nience of a Schisme, Cyprian by his patience and charity, & excellent wisdome, eschewed a separation. Therfore S. Augustine did oftē com­mend Cyprian, and propounded his actions as a rule and examplar of Imitation to all the Churches.

And among other thinges which Augustine considereth of this proceeding & strife betwixt Cyprian & Stephanus, hee saith (in his fifth booke against the Donatists, chap. 25.) Yet the peace of Christ did so prae­uaile in their hearts, that in such a quaestion no Schisme did arise betwixt them: for Cyprian had surely concluded with himselfe, that Steph. did grosly erre, while he receiued poenitent Haereticks, returning to y ^e Church, without rebaptizing: yet hee choosed to cōmunicate not only with Stephanus himselfe, who thought and did contrary to him: but also with those whom he judged to be altogether vncleane: and that on­ly because Steph. had receiued them to the Communion, rather than to rent the Church with a Schisme. And this example Augustine propoundeth to the Donatists, and vs all, to be followed.

Therefore, most holy Father, & you Fathers & Brethren, and holy Collegues, let vs imitate Cyprian, & follow the counsell of Augustine, that aboue all things, Schismes be remoued: for (as August. obserueth) Cyprian replenished, with the bowels of charity aestimed, that euen [Page 24]they who haue diuerse opinions, should abide in vnitie. Let vs also among vs haue diuerse opinions, of thinges not as yet determined, till they be fully determined: And in the meane time let vs abide in vnity: for albeit that you thinke otherwise, yet (as th'Apostle admo­nisheth) God will reueale that to you. Make not greater diuisions than are already. Take heed also that with Stephanus ye break not the band of charity, by vntimous excommunications, lest by such con­tentions, that great ill of diuision arise, which August. did fore-es­chew: Restore peace and charity to all the Churches of CHRIST, who according to the Tenor of the ancient Creedes doe professe IESƲS CHRIST, and bee assured of this, that Schisme in the Church is a farre more grieuous euill than Haeresie. Haue your Com­munion ready for all, without praejudice of the liberty of opinions: remouing in the meane time all falsehoods in doctrine. Leaue the examinations of the Trueth to those lawfull & accustomed formes of the holy Church: for so I hope, through the assisting grace of CHRIST, who vseth not to denie himselfe to them who seeke him sincerely, that full peace and concord, and a necessary vnion of the holy Churches shall follow, that we all think one thing, & abide all in one rule. Let vt not stirre vp amongst vs the fire of hatred and secret grudges, but of Religion and Catholicke instruction. Let the Word of GOD bee a Lanterne to our feete, and let vs followe the foot-steps of our holy Ancestors, who haue beene excellent Lightes in the Church of CHRIST. Let vs breake asunder, without pertina­cie, the darknesse of errour and falsehood, by the light of the trueth of the Gospel: and let vs depart farre from Nouelties, which haue almost quite exstinguished the Doctrine and Discipline of the holie Church: that the Church of CHRIST on earth may bee one coupled together with the glew of concorde: wherein to let vs all with one spirit and one mouth prayse our GOD, and the Father of our LORD IESƲS CHRIST, AMEN,

Giuen at VENICE, the xv, of September. ANNO 1616.