THE Ordinance and Edict, upon the fact of the execution of both the Religions, Statuted by the Bailiefes, Schepens, of both the Benches, and both the Wardens of the City of Ghaunt, by advisement of my Lord the Prince of Orange, and sight of the three Members of the same City of Ghaunt. Published the 27. day of December. 1578. Translated out of Dutch. Imprinted at London, by Thomas Dawson, dwelling at the three Cranes in the Vinetree 1579. blazon or coat of arms THE ΒΆ Ordinance and Edict upon the fact of the execution of both the Religions, Statuted by the Bailiffs Schepens of both the Benches, and both the Wardens of the City of Ghaunt, by advisement of my Lord, the Prince of Orange, and sight of the three Members of the same City, The 27. of December 1578. WHereas from my Lord the archduke Mathias, Governor general of these low Countries, likewise, my Lord the Prince of Orange his Lieutenant General, The Council of the states, and the General States, at divers times have proposed and have been advised by divers means for to void all the diffidence & mistrusting, which are daily perceived and found to grow and augment among the people, especially because of the diversity of Religion, and therefore showed unto them of all the Provinces certain ordinances of peaceable Religion, which (through subtle abusing) could not be concluded & resolved in this City of Ghaunt, as the quietness of this City did well require: So it is, that by the mouth of the Excellency of my aforesaid Lord the Prince of Orange, the good intention of his highness, by my Lords of the Counsel of state General, being well understanded, is for to set the common burgesses and inhabitants of the said city of Ghaunt in good and sure peace, unity, & quietness, and them therein to maintain: Also for to avoid and cut off all discords, quarrels and variances between the said Burgesses, during the which no City or Province is able to take a fast and sure standing. My Lords, bailiffs & Schepens of both the Benches, & both the Wardens of the aforesaid city of Ghaunt, by advisement, deliberation, and communication kept with the aforesaid Lord the Prince of Orange, also by sight, consent, and true resolution & conclusion of communication of the three members of the same City, being thereupon orderly assembled, have statuted & ordained these points & articles following. First, that within this city of Ghaunt shallbe admitted the liber and free exercise of both the Religions, aswell of the Reform as of the Catholic Romish, and that following the same, they of the reformed Religion to and for the exercise & using of their said Religion, shall keep, and shall by these presents to them be granted the Churches & Temples, whereas the aforesaid religion presently is exercised, to wit, the Churches of S. john's, S. Salvator's, & our Lady's church, & likewise the Temples of the Dominicans, Carmelits, Fulling house, and weavers Chapel, where shall continued the liberty and freedom of their said Religion. And likewise, on the other part to give full contentment to them of the Catholic Romish religion, shallbe granted and admitted the churches hereafter specified, to wit, S. Michaels. S. Pharahilden, Saint james, S. Katherine's chapel upon the sand, for the exercising of the same religion, after the old custom: well understood, by day, & with reasonable ringing of Bells, without any processions to go without the church: neither also to go and carry their sacraments openly and pompeously about the streets. And if need be, there shallbe assigned unto them of the Catholic Romish Religion one of the other Churches or Temples, whereas presently is no Religion exercised. And as concerning the Chapels not before mentioned, standing in divers distinct places of the City, they shall (for divers considerations) be kept locked & shut up, without any service or exercising of the reformed Religion, or of the Romish Religion therein to be done, except it were by ordinance of the Magistrates. As concerning the closed Cloisters, as well of men as women, they may keep themselves all together assembled in their respective Cloisters or Covents, and there continued, maintaining their religion and order with closed doors, and without ringing at nights, and nothing else. But they of the unclosed, or open Cloisters, as well of the Friars upon the Walls, as the black nuns, Baginnes, and all other, shall or may not exercise the romish Religion in the same their open Cloisters and Covents, but they shall thereunto use the Parish churches unto the Catholics here before resigned & appointed as other pastors. Well understanding nevertheless, that all those that will departed out of the said Cloisters, & leave their habits and orders, or give themselves to another state, that then shallbe given to them reasonable & compent maintenance to the discretion & ordinance of the Magistrates, after that they shall found and have knowledge of the matter: without that herein shallbe comprehended any of the begging orders, as well men as women, which do remain without the City, for the lesser charges and sublevation of the poor commonalty. Item, there is agreed, that they of the reformed Religion, for the maintaining of their public schools, shall have & keep the Cloisters of the Augustine's, Templehouse and friars. As likewise on the otherside, they of the Catholic and Romish Religion, if they likewise desire any Schools, shall have and enjoy for the maintaining of their schools, the Cloister of the grey Sisters by S. james church, likewise the Cloister of the grey sisters by the dominicans and Merhem. Item, for to assure sufficiently all the said statutes, as well for them of the one as for the other Religion, the one is straightly bound to the other for doing any hurt, let, trouble, hindrance, slander or harm, neither to the services and execution of them, aswell by the Catholics Romish, as by the reformed Religion in any wise. Moreover, it is likewise defended, for the diversity of the religion, for any man to hurt, hinder, trouble, or molest by words or works, in body or goods: neither to cell, set forth, or cause to be sold and set forth any envious or spiteful pictures, songs, ballads, proses or books, neither wear any marks or tokens, wherewith they might provoke one another to anger, differences, or questions. Item, every man shall keep himself from the places whereas his religion is not exercised, except he keep himself there quietly & honestly, keeping himself from scandal, & rule himself according to the order of the church or temples where he goeth in. Item, that as well the Ministers & Consistorians as they of the Catholic Romish religion, shallbe bound for to keep and behave themselves in all modesty, quietness, faithfulness and obedience, in all politic matters, without meddling themselves in any wise, in any matters of jurisdiction, or any matters concerning the authority of the Magistrates, directly or indirectly. Defending the aforesaid Preachers, Ministers, & Consistorians, & likewise them of the Catholic Romish religion, openly or secretly to speak, preach, or otherways use any words or talkings tending to commotion, strife, discord, or sedition. But that every one of them keep himself modestly & mannerly, saying, preaching nor teaching any thing, but that which is good and convenient to the instruction of the commonalty, and maintaining of the peaceable union, concord and tranquillity of the City and Country, which they and every one of them severally do so promise', & shall affirm by oath so to do, & likewise to maintain & observe: upon pain to them which shall transgress therein, to forfeit & be defended of their preachings, and further to be corrected and punished to the example of others. Item, that no man shall or may work, nor open his shops upon these holy days following, to wit, All the Sundays, two Christmas days, New years day, the second Easter day, the second Whitsunday, our Lady dayin mid August, S. Mathias day in Febru. S. john's day in Midsummer, S. Peter & Paul in june, Saint james day in juli, S. Bartholomew day in August, S. Andrew's day in Novemb. And as concerning the selling of flesh in the Butcher's hall, the old custom & common use of this City shallbe observed. And those of both the said Religions are bound to show to the Magistrates and Superiority of the City, all dew obedience and reverence: them also to assist as well in apprehending and punishing of all manner of seditious persons, & other offenders (being thereunto required:) & especially of the offenders and transgressors of this ordinance, as perturbatours of the common quietness & peace, & otherways. Item, no man of whatsoever religion he be, shall advance himself to attempt any thing or practise directly or indirectly against the common quietness, welfare, and peace of the city, but contrariwise shall every one with their body & goods, help to keep & observe in such state the said city, as by this ordinance, and Edict is written aswell against them, as also against strangers, or others which would enter, invade, overthrow, or do hinder in any wise thereto. And if it did come to pass, (which God forbidden) that any do enterprise or attempt any such like matters to the hindrance of the same city, so shall every man (having the knowledge thereof) be bound to give it to understand to the Magistrates, upon pain to be punished as forsworn, or other ways, according to the fact: And to the contrary, they that shall give knowledge thereof orderly, though they were culpable of the matter, shall not be punished or corrected. For to assure all this above written, shall be ordained by the Schepens of both the benches, & both the Wardens of this City eight notable, honest & quiet men, uz. four of the own, and four of the other Religion, the which shallbe authorized for to 'cause this ordinance to be observed & kept: Likewise, to hear all the differences, questions, complaints on both sides, and to take order and moderate them, or if need be, to report the same to the Bailiefes, Schepens, or Council of the City. For the true and sure observation of all which points, & full assurance thereof to all men, shall the Bailiefes, Schepens and Council, and the aforesaid eight deputed Gentlemen appointed as Commissioners for the sure fortification thereof, Likewise the Colonelles, Captains, & all other officers having commission, & do now serve, or hereafter shallbe constituted into service, take & receive in their true safeguard, protection, defence and custody, aswell the one as the other Religion: Promising well and expressly upon faith and oath, them to defend against all them of whatsoever religion or condition they be, that would resist, attempt or claim the one another's right, or hinder them, or offer them injury in body or goods, by any means whatsoever. Promising further upon like faith and oath, that the transgressors of this Ordinance, or of any point thereof, shall straghtlie be caused to be punished and corrected as commotioners and perturbatours of the common quietness and prosperity of the City, or Country, or otherways according to the matter, shallbe punished without favour, to the example of others. For the observation of all which ordinances, shall also assist the said eight commissioners, all they of the City, the common Wardens and sworn of the occupations, of the Weavers. Likewise the Preachers, Ministers, and assistants of the said reformed Religion, which respectively every one in his degree, shallbe bound to that intent, and to the effectual observation & performing of this ordinance, and every point thereof, shallbe sworn by their oaths in the hands of the denominated Magistrates: as likewise shallbe sworn all Spiritual persons, Capittels, Colleges & Covents of the Catholic Romish religion, with all the other Schepens of both the benches, and both the Wardens, as it shallbe most convenient for the observation thereof: All being to the end of good peace & quietness of this City, and also for the assurance of the one Religion against the other. And consequently, to a true defence and rooting out of all doubtfulness, mistrusting, fear and and diffidence, being the spoil and ruin of all Cities. Thus ordained by form of Edict statuted by the bailiffs, Scepens of both benches, and both the Wardens of the City of Ghaunt, The xxvii. of December, 1578. Subsigned Hembyze. Published at the Thuyne of the Town or Schepenhouse of the Keure, these being present, Master Charles of Pottelsberghe, bailiff, Mons. Anthony Blomme, and Peter Heylinck, Schepens of the Keure, Mons. Lievin Tayaert, and Bauduwin Mattheus, Schepens of Ghedeele of this City of Ghaunt, The xxvii. day of December 1578. I being present HEMBYZE.