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Free Exercife of Religion in their Territories, the Dukes of Liegnitz and Brieg (who were of the Reformed Religion) are named before others, and accordingly the faid Reformed Dukes, with their Subjects, have, by vertue of the faid Treaty of Weftphalia, always enjoy'd the fame Liberty of Confcience and Religion, as the Lutherans did. And altho' it is true, that the Reformed were not poffefs'd of fo many Churches as the Lutherans, yet the faid Reform'd have been equally confider'd and regarded in this Refpect, as the others; and therefore be their Number never fo fmall, they have had always an equal Liberty of Confcience and Religion with them; becaufe, in thofe Places where the Lutherans had the Free Exercife of Religion, by vertue of the Treaty of Weftphalia, the Reformed Inhabitants there, had an equal Right with them, according to the faid Treaty: And where the Privilege of publickly exercifing the Divine Worship, was not allow'd, the faid Re'formed, as well as the Lutherans, had an equal Liberty, privately to exercife the fame in their Houfes, and keep Tutors for inftructing their Children in Spiritual and Temporal Matters.

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"It is very well known befides, that the Reformed were permitted, for feveral Years after the conclufion of the Treaty of Weftphalia, to exercife the Divine Worship, without any Moleftation, in Carolath, a Town in Lower Silefia, and at Ratimor, a Place in Upper Silefia, in the Dutchy of Tefchen: They had alfo in their Poffeffion, the Church at Brieg, until the Death of the Duke of that Name: "The Reformed Worfhip was likewife perform'd in the Ducal Chapel of Liegnitz, Woblau, Oblau, and Sachwitz; and the fame Liberty was obtained by divers Noblemen in the faid Country, whofe 'Names it would be unneceffary to mention. But

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after the Death of the aforefaid Duke of Brieg, the 'Reformed were not only depriv'd of the Church they had in that Place, but alfo of all the others. To have a Colour to deprive them of the former, it was pretended, that it was but a Chappel belonging to the Duke, aforefaid; tho' the Reform'd prov'd fufficiently then, that it was not a Ducal Chappel, but a Parish Church, as having a Bury

ing-Place, and feveral Houses incorporated thereinto, whereof the Inhabitants were obliged to 'make use of the Minifter of that Church, and to have all their Buryings, Christenings and Marriages performed by him, or otherwife to obtain a "Licenfe from him to perfom thofe Spiritual 'Functions in other Churches; all which, are undifputable Marks of a Parish-Church, and not of a Chappel.

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"What has been faid, is fufficient to fhew, that 'the Reform'd are not only in exprefs Words comprehended in the Treaty of Ofnabrugh, but also 'that by vertue of the Recefs for the Execution of the fame, they were put into actual poffeffion of all thofe Rights and Privileges, which they claim again upon an undoubted Title. There are, perhaps fome People, who prefering vain Evations and Difficulties to a plain and honest Explanation of Treaties, will not be afhamed to give out, that the Liberty of Confcience enjoy'd by the Re'form'd in Silefia, according to the Treaty of Weftphalia, extended it felf only to the Princes of the faid Religion, and therefore continued no longer 'than they lived, and ceafed by their Death; but thofe Doubts and Difficulties, have been long ago removed by fome Refcripts, which your Imperial Majefty's Father and Grand-Father, both of ever glorious Memory, have caufed to be publish'd about this Subject, in which Refcripts, thofe Moft Serene Princes exprefly fay, That it was neither 'their Refolution nor Intention,to limit and abridge, in any wife, the Liberty of Conscience, and Free Exercife of Religion granted to the Silefians, of the "Confeffion of Augsburgh, as well Reformed as Lutherans, by the Treaty of Westphalia; or to put fuch a Senfe and Conftruction upon the faid Treaty, as if what was promised therein, and Ra'tified on all Sides, was only to be understood of the Perfons of the Princes named therein; but that their Intention was, that the faid Princes and their Subjects, should enjoy the Exercife of Religion, granted to them; and his late Imperial Majefty Leopald, of ever bleffed Memory, fully and plainly expreffed his Intention on this Subject, after the Deceafe of the Duke of Brieg. If it be

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granted, as it was exprefly acknowledged in the m Execution of the Treaty of Alt-Randftat, that the Lutherans, after the Death of the aforementioned Reformed Princes, retained and preferved their former Rights and Privileges; with what Colour " of Juftice can it be pretended on the other Side, that the Reformed loft by the Decease of the aforefaid Princes, their Rights and Liberties, when the fame are comprehended in the very fame Treaty on which thofe of the Lutherans are grounded? If it 'be pretended, that the Reformed Dukes procured a greater Liberty to their Lutheran Subjects, than · to thofe of their own Perfuafion, that is, the Re'formed; this is certainly the greatest Abfurdity that any Man can be guilty of; and therefore it neceffarily follows, that the (Pacta) Conventions, which were made by the fo often mention'dDukes, 'must be of the fame Force and Effect for the Reformed, as they are for the Lutherans, that is, that they should be allowed to use the fame Liberty of • Confcience, and the fame Rights in Religious • Cafes.

Seeing therefore that the Rights of the Reformed Silefians can be undeniably demonftrated from the Treaty of Ofnabrugh, and the Receffes for the execution of the fame, it appears as evidently, that 'the fame are included in the Treaty of Alt-Randftat, its Intention and Contents, which were, that the Treaty of Weftphalia fhould be fully and entirely restored in all its Parts, and not violated in this or that manner. The firft Article of the faid Treaty of Alt-Randftat, comprehends in fhort, 'what is contained more at large, and with more Circumftances in the other, as if the fame had 'been inferted and repeated Verbatim; and it would be highly injurious to the King of Sweden, to believe that it was his Intention to exclude the Reformed by the Treaty of Alt-Randftat of those Rights and Privileges, which they might juftly claim by the Treaty of Weftphalia, of which the "Crown of Sweden is one of the Guarantees.

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'Moreover, Her Majefty of Great Britain affures herself, that your Imperial Majefty, and the King of Sweden, entertain a more advantageous Opinion of her Justice and Sincerity, than to have defired

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'her to take upon her the Guaranty of the Treaty of Alt-Randftat, if the fame had been contrary to "other Treaties, dangerous to the Liberties of Germany, and fo fatal to thofe who profess one and 6 the fame Faith with her Majefty. Your Imperial Majefty knows very well, that the only Reason which induc'd her Majefty of Great Britain to take upon her the Guaranty of Alt-Randftat, was, that a good Harmony and Friendship might be preferv'd between your Imperial Majefty and Sweden; and therefore fhe hopes that your Imperial Majefty will not fuffer, that fhe fhould hereafter Repent the Zeal she had for your Imperial Majefty, as fhe fhould, if it fhould happen, that those of the fame Perfuafion with her, were depriv'd of all the Advantages they may claim by Treaties,' of which fhe has taken the Guaranty, and be not only excluded from the Benefits accruing thereby, 'but reduced to a Condition far worfe than what they were in before. As Her Majefty makes it her Care and Endeavour to execute all and every one of the Treaties fhe's concern'd in, fo fhe has the greateft Satisfaction therein, whenever the fees others honourably and faithfully perform thofe Treaties and Conventions, whereof Her Majefty 'is Guaranty, without violating the fame against the true Intent thereof, and without doing any Injury to any Body. Her Majefty does therefore defire of your Imperial Majefty, that you will be pleafed to give Orders, that the Demands of the 'Reformed may be examined without any further Delay; being perfuaded, that when their Grie. vances are known to, and not concealed from your Majefty, they will be immediately redreffed; and the rather, because the Rights of the faid People are fo plain and confpicuous, and your Imperial Majefty's Juftice and Clemency always 'ready to relieve thofe who are burthened and oppreffed by Injuftice. Your Imperial Majefty has been pleafed to comply fo far with the late Interceffions of the King of Sweden, as to grant Liberty to the Lutherans to build 6 new Churches, be'fides above 100 more which belonged to them, and of which they were formerly poffeffed; and fhould it be faid that the Interceffion of Her Ma,

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jefty of Great Britain, and other Reformed Powers in Alliance with the Imperial House, has been fo little regarded, that they could not obtain the Reftitution of 3 or 4 Churches, with other Privileges, which have been so unjustly taken from the Reformed Silefians, nor even the bare Examination of their juft Pretenfions?

"Therefore the underwritten Envoy, moft hum'bly and earnestly intreats Your Imperial Majefty, to be pleafed to confider what all Europe would think on this Matter. All their Eyes are fix'd upon your Imperial Majefty, and wait with a particular Attention what Event this Affair will have, how much Juftice will be observed therein, and how far your Majefty will be prevailed upon by the Interceffions of your hearty Allies, who in this prefent War expofe the Treafure and Blood of their Subjects for the Good and Support of the Houfe of Auftria, and whofe Zeal the Almighty has fo profper'd, that it may be hoped. that the faid Houfe of Auftria will be restored to her former Luftre, which Grandeur that your Imperial Majefty may tranfmit to Pofterity, is the 'Wish, with the utmost Devotion, of

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