 |
Law-ref.org | TREATY OF WESTPHALIA |
Site search
Sister sites
private [Global Index]
... That those of the Confession of Augsburg, and
particularly the Inhabitants of Oppenheim, shall be put in possession again
of their Churches, and Ecclesiastical Estates, as they were in the Year
1624. as also that all others of the said Confession of Augsburg, who shall
demand it, shall have the free Exercise of their Religion, as well in publick
Churches at the appointed Hours, as in private in their own Houses, or
in others chosen for this purpose by their Ministers, or by those of their
Neighbours, preaching the Word of God. ...
... As for the rest, Law and Justice shall be administer’d
in Bohemia, and in all the other Hereditary Provinces of the Emperor, without
any respect; as to the Catholicks, so also to the Subjects, Creditors,
Heirs, or private Persons, who shall be of the Confession of Augsburg,
if they have any Pretensions, and enter or prosecute any Actions to obtain
Justice. ...
... But from this general Restitution shall be exempted
things which cannot be restor’d, as Things movable and moving, Fruits gather’d,
Things alienated by the Authority of the Chiefs of the Party, Things destroy’d,
ruin’d, and converted to other uses for the publick Security, as publick
and particular Buildings, whether sacred or profane, publick or private
Gages, which have been, by surprize of the Enemys, pillag’d, confiscated,
lawfully sold, or voluntarily bestow’d. ...
... That as well as general as particular Diets, the
free Towns, and other States of the Empire, shall have decisive Votes;
they shall, without molestation, keep their Regales, Customs, annual Revenues,
Libertys, Privileges to confiscate, to raise Taxes, and other Rights, lawfully
obtain’d from the Emperor and Empire, or enjoy’d long before these Commotions,
with a full Jurisdiction within the inclosure of their Walls, and their
Territorys: making void at the same time, annulling and for the future
prohibiting all Things, which by Reprisals, Arrests, stopping of Passages,
and other prejudicial Acts, either during the War, under what pretext soever
they have been done and attempted hitherto by private Authority, or may
hereafter without any preceding formality of Right be enterpris’d. As for
the rest, all laudable Customs of the sacred Roman Empire, the fundamental
Constitutions and Laws, shall for the future be strictly observ’d, all
the Confusions which time of War have, or could introduce, being remov’d
and laid aside. ...
... And since it much concerns the Publick, that upon
the Conclusion of the Peace, Commerce be re-establish’d, for that end it
has been agreed, that the Tolls, Customs, as also the Abuses of the Bull
of Brabant, and the Reprisals and Arrests, which proceeded from thence,
together with foreign Certifications, Exactions, Detensions; Item, The
immoderate Expences and Charges of Posts, and other Obstacles to Commerce
and Navigation introduc’d to its Prejudice, contrary to the Publick Benefit
here and there, in the Empire on occasion of the War, and of late by a
private Authority against its Rights and Privileges, without the Emperor’s
and Princes of the Empire’s consent, shall be fully remov’d; and the antient
Security, Jurisdiction and Custom, such as have been long before these
Wars in use, shall be re-establish’d and inviolably maintain’d in the Provinces,
Ports and Rivers. ...
... Finally, That all and every one either States,
Commonaltys, or private Men, either Ecclesiastical or Secular, who by virtue
of this Transaction and its general Articles, or by the express and special
Disposition of any of them, are oblig’d to restore, transfer, give, do,
or execute any thing, shall be bound forthwith after the Publication of
the Emperor’s Edicts, and after Notification given, to restore, transfer,
give, do, or execute the same, without any Delay or Exception, or evading
Clause either general or particular, contain’d in the precedent Amnesty,
and without any Exception and Fraud as to what they are oblig’d unto. ...