We, with the consent of the hereditary Burgers, and in the full conviction that the toleration of religion, as far as it is suitable with the nature of every state, is as well consistent with the spirit of true christianity, as it is useful to the welfare of the commonwealth, have concluded, that all those who profess the Roman Catholic or the Evangelic Reformed Religion, shall enjoy the free and uninterrupted exercice thereof, under the following conditions, viz.

1. The right of public exercise of religion, as also the rights of the dominant church remain solely reserveded to those who profess the evangelic Lutheran religion; also especially in civilibus, and namely for the faculty of places of honour in this place, burgers, collegiis, officiis, services of the town, and what else may be in this way; to which end, all former recesses which concern this point, and especially the one of 1603, are herewith confirmed anew.

2. On the otherhand, all Roman catholics and evangelic reformed, who are here at present, or which may still come this way, shall enjoy in future under our protection, within the walls of the city, a free private exercise of their religion, and shall uninterruptedly perform the divine service, through a clergyman of their religion, and have the sacrament administered according to their usances.

3. To which end we herewith accord to them, that they may at their expence build within the walls of the city particular oratories, or arrange already standing buildings to the use of their divine service, on giving us previous notice to have our constitutional approbation thereto; but such buildings dare neither have steeples, bells, nor other outward appearing signs of a public church.

4. That it also may come to their knowledge where they have to apply to in matters of the church; in the first instance, we have ordered a deputation consisting of two men amidst of us, and two members of the Collegii of the Sixty, at which they must notice all choices of their priests, candidates, etc. and before which, all in each

congregation arising accidents and discords, which are not of a nature to be adjusted be the juridic and policy authorities, must be stated in the first instance, and decided by, according to each party's religious doctrines and usances; where also the yearly accounts of each congregation must be presented by their intendant, in the presence of some deputies. Him that is not pleased with the decision of this deputation, has the only way open to him for a decision non-juridical but constitutional, in the usual manner, without that a provocation to the court of justice or other expedient of right can take piace.

5. To each of the two before-mentioned worships, the choice of their priests, as also the appointment of their necessary candidates, schoolmasters, organists, and other persons requisite for the keeping of their divine service, is entirely left to themselves; but on the other hand, those that are chosen must be designed to the deputation of church matters for foreign religious relations, and through the same we must be applied to for the confirmation and vocation of the priests, which we will without great cause never refuse. But with respect to the Roman catholics, all clergyman, and so named clerici regulares, are now already totally excluded.

6. The chosen ecclesiastics must have the reputation of a virtuous life and peaceable temper; and if it should be required, they must even before their confirmation, be able to show such testimonies of persons meriting confidence; they must forbear all controversies and poignancies, especially against the evangelie Lutheran religion and their professors, in sermons or writings, and to abstain from all zeal of conversion, to keep quiet and peaceable, to have the proper regard for our reverend ministerium, never to affect any where any ministerial rights, and when they are out of their oratories to wear civil clothes; they may, in case it should happen, appear in black with a eloak.

7. All before-mentioned persons, priests, canditates, schoolmasters, etc. are according to our in our territory belonging, jurisdictionis ecclasiasticaé, and the juris dioecesani, solely subjected to our jurisdiction. They must become bound to the town, they must pay without refusal the same taxes which are borne by the members of our reverend ministerium and servants of the town churches; those among them who carry on a burger's trade, have to contribute like other burgers of the town. All taxes laid on the immobilis, and on the oratories of the foreign religion relations, for the present and in future, must also be paid without refusal.

8. It remains at the option of each religious party to solemnize his holidays of his church silently in his oratory, and shall not be therein interrupted by anybody. Processions and obsequies ofany kind whatsoever beyond the walls of the oratories, as also the public carriage of hosties to the sick, and in general all marks of a publik exercice of religion, which are solemnities that after all do not form the essential part of divine service, are not allowed.

9. The present existing ordinary, or in future extraordinary appointed fast or thanksgiving days, must also be solemnized by the foreign religion relations; the usual prayer for the senate, the burgery, and for all the town at the meetings for divine service, is to be formed after the model of our common prayer. The ordinances and notifications, which are to be published in the town churches, and which not concern the conscience or the religion must upon our request also be published in their oratories from their pulpits, in order to be brought to their knowledge, and to be attended to.

10. The usual ordinary collections at their meetings for divine service remains totally, and which is no more than proper, to the edelst and intendants of each congregation, at their pleasing distribution amongst their poor. But extraordinary collections for particular purposes, which

are ordered to be held in the town churches, must also be held in their oratories, and the collected monies must be faithfully delivered to the authority.

11. All marriage proclamations, without exception, must take place in the town churches in the bride's parish, or when one party to be married is in a foreign country, it must take place in the parish of the other party present. In the meantime, it remains at the option of the catholics as well as the reformed, likewise to proclaim themselves in their oratories. The marriage and consecration by a priests, when one party of the betrothed is of the Lutheran religion, must be done by a Lutheran priests of the church wherein the proclamation is made; but if both parties are of another religion, then they may be married by their clergyman. But in all cases the usual permission notes must be called for at the wedde ') on paying the usual fees.

12. With respect to the acts of baptism, it is entirely left to the choice of the parents to let their children be baptized by a Lutheran priests of the parish wherein they dwell, or to take the clergyman of their religion; and they shall be at all events at liberty, for the stronger proof of future legitimations which might afterwards be required, to have their children, whether baptized by a catholic or reformed clergyman, registered in the church book of the parish wherein they live, in the same manner as is stipulated amongst other matters in the new decree of 1782, with regard to the construction of the church book.

13. What regards the fee of one daller current, payable jura stolae, besides the usual proclamation fee, it is stipulated, that for the act of copulation or baptism, whether executed by the evangelic Lutheran parsons, or

1) A Collegium composed of four Senatores, and which take care of the public morality, and of the tranquillity of the commonwealth. Remark of the translator.

by the clergyman of the foreign religion relations, a specie dollar isto be paid for every copulation act, and for every act of baptism, one mark current to the evangelic Lutheran parsons, and if dene by the foreign religion clergyman, the payment must be made before the act is executed; and in the manner that for marriage, the money is to be sent to the parson of the parish; and for that of baptisms, to the deacons for their further distribution. (Wealthy persons will, as is reasonable and usual, not refuse to send somewhat more.) To this effect, the edelst and intendant of every oratory are obliged to deliver to the deputation in matters of the church for foreign religion relations, quarterly, an accurate list of the baptized and marriages.

14. Every congregation has the full liberty to choose out of the midst, intendants and eldest for the inspection of the oratory, and also for the keeping and distribution of the collected alms and ordinary collection monier; and further, for the superintendence of their common property, capitals, and what further belongs thereto, and to appoint others in the stead of those resigned; of which choice, they have to give notice of to the deputation in matters of the church for foreign religion relations, and shall these persons in their officiis be by us protected in every manner. But they dare not assume any other authority, and especially none which relates to the rights of our ecclesiastical jurisdiction, which is solely reserved to us.

15. As we, for the rest, at the sametime doherewith cancel and annul totally all former ordinances, usances, and connections which may in some way stand in opposition of this concession, we on other hand expect that all the foreign religion relations for the present, as well as for the future, content themselves with the therein-contained privileges, that they will not assume any further rights as which are here spontaneously accorded to them; that they will not undertake to encroach on the rights of the evan