The Present State of Germany. Samuel Pufendorf
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are placed]a above the Temporal Nobility: For since the Fortune of the Churchmen in these latter Ages has [been so vastly different from what it was in the beginning of Christianity],b it were very absurd to expect they are now bound to observe those [obsolete] Laws of Modesty our Saviour at first prescribed [them];c and perhaps those Laws too were by him designed only for the [those] Primitive Times: For in truth, it would have been ridiculous for Fishermen and Weavers ambitiously to seek the Precedence of Noblemen [a higher place]; who were to earn their [daily] Bread with the labours of their Hands, or to subsist on voluntary Contributions.
Once very rich and powerful.
Now [though] the Authority and Revenues of the Churchmen is very great [quite respectable] [in all those Countries that ever were under the Papacy];d yet their Riches and Power are no where so great as in Germany, there being few of them [in the Empire]+ whose Dominions and [domestic] Equipage is not equal to that of the Secular Nobility. And <41> their Power [jurisdiction] and Authority over their Vassals [subjects] is of the same nature. And many of them are also more fond of their Helmets than their Miters, and are much fitter to involve their Country in Wars, and their Neighbours in Troubles, than to propagate true Piety.25 [But however],e in these later Ages there are more than there were in former times, who are not ashamed to take Orders, and [only] once or twice in a year to shew the World how expert they are in expressing the Gestures, and representing the Ceremonies of the most August [holy] Sacrifice [i.e., the Mass].
Now much diminished.
They possess the greatest part of the Lands on the Rhine.
But then, whereas of old their Estates equalled, if not exceeded, that [the domains] of the Secular Princes, the Reformation of Religion, which was embraced by the greatest part of Germany, and <whose seizure of ecclesiastical goods was confirmed by the Treaty of Passau, the Peace of Augsburg, and later by> the Peace of Westphalia [in the year 1648],a have strangely [considerably] diminished them; for in the Circles of the Upper and Lower Saxony the Churchmen have very little left: But then, in the Upper [southern] Germany (if you except the Dukedom of Wurtemburg) [they escaped better].b Now the reason of this is this; The Saxons being more remote, did not fear the Efforts of [Emperor] Charles V. so much as the other Princes, who were awed by his Neighbourhood to them, and oppressed by his Presence: Besides, in Saxony their [Churchmen’s] Dominions were intermixed with [those of] Potent Secular Princes, and consequently lay exposed to their Incursions; but in the Upper [southern] Germany <and in Westphalia> they were seated nearer one another <and better suited for rendering mutal assistance>, and [especially] on the Rhine, which is the most fruitful part of Germany, they <42> were possessed of the whole Country, except what belongs to the Elector Palatine, whichc as it interrupts that beautiful Chain of Church-Lands, {has for that reason alone, I perswade my self, been looked on by them with an evil Eye.} //This their Neighbourhood has in the mean time contributed very much to the preserving them from the Reformation, one of them assisting another to expel that dangerous Guest, till the French at last, by a just Judgment of God, (though a Catholick Nation, as they call it) came in to revenge their Contempt of the True Religion, and has laid the far greatest part of these populous well built fruitful Countries in Ashes twice or thrice within the Memory of Man, and now especially in the year now current 1689. But to return to our Author.)\\26
The Ecclesiastick Electors.
Mentz, Trier, and Cologne.
The Bishops.
Mitered Abbots
The Prelates that are not Princes but vote in the Diet.
11. Ecclesiastick States, which are [not yet]a come into the hands of the Protestant Princes, are these: The three Archbishopricks of Mentz, Trier, and Cologne, which are three of the Electors, and the Archbishopricks of Saltsburg and Besanzon in Burgundy {; for, as for Magdeburg, it is [now] a meer Lay-Fee}.27 The inferiour [simple] Bishopricks are, Bamberg, Wurtzburg, Worms, Spires [Speyer], Aichstad [Eichstätt], Strasburg, Constance, Au[g]sburg, Hildisheim, Paderborn, Freisingen, Ratisbone [Regensburg], Passaw, {Trent}, Brixen [in Tirol]+, Basil [Basel], Liege [Lüttich], Osnaburg, Munster, Curen [Chur] [in Curland].b The Master of the Teutonick Order28 has the first Seat amongst the Bishops. And we must observe too, that in our times there are sometimes two or more Bishopricks united [in the same Person]+, either <43> because the Revenues of one single Diocess were not thought sufficient to maintain the Dignity and Splendor of a Prince’s Court, or that they might by that means be rendred more formidable to those that hated them [their rivals]. The Bishoprick of Lubeck is very little better than a part of the Patrimony of the Duke of Holstein, and all the Country has also embraced the Protestant Religion. Amongst the [Abbies which are called Prelates],a are these; Fuld [a], Kempten, Elwang, Murback, Luders, the Master of [the knightly order of] St. John, Berchtelsgaden, Weissenburg, Pruym [Prüm], Stablo, and Corwey. The rest of the Prelates, who are not Princes, are divided into two Benches, that of the Rhine, and that of Schwaben or Suabia, [one of each of which has a]b Vote in the Diet, and they are esteemed equal to the Counts or Earls of the Empire.
The Earls and Barons of the Empire
12. The Estate [condition] of the Counts, or Earls; and Barons [Freiherren] of the Empire, is also much more splendid and rich than that of men enjoying the same Dignities in other Kingdoms. For they have almost the same Priviledges [rights] with the Princes, and the ancient Earldoms had [have] also large Territories belonging to them; whereas in other Kingdoms a small Farm or Mannour shall dignifie its owner with that Title. Yet the Division of the Estate amongst the Brothers has damnified [hurt] many of the German Families, [and]c is only to be admitted in Plebeian Families, for its Equity and Piety sake. Someothers have been equally ruined by the [Carelesness and Luxury <44> of their Ancestors],d and their prodigal Expences.
Have 4 Votes.
Their Names.
At this day, the Earls have four Votes in the Diet, one for Wetteraw, another for Schwaben, a third for Franconia, and the fourth for Westphalia. The Earls which are known to me, are these; NASSAU, {OLDENBURG},29 FURSTEMBERG, HOHENLOHE, HANAW, SAIN [SAYN], WIT[T]GENSTEIN, LEININGEN, SOLMS, WALDECK, ISENBURG, STOLBERG, WIED, MANSFELD, REUSSEN [REUß], OETINGEN, MONTFORT, KO[E]NIGSECK, FUGGER, SULTZ, CRONBERG, SINTZENDORF, WALLENSTEIN, PAP[P]ENHEIM, CASTELL, L[O]EWENSTEIN, ERBACH, LIMBURG, SCHWARTZENBURG [SCHWARZBURG], BENTHEIM, {OSTFRI[E]SLAND, (who is now made a Prince)}30 [RHINE, and WALTS],a RANTZOW, and perhaps many other[s], whose Nobility is not to be prejudiced by my silence. And as to those I have named, I pretend no skill in the marshalling of them according to their proper Places. There are also many Earls and Barons [in the Hereditary Countries belonging to the Emperor, who being of late Creation, or subject to other States, have no Place or Vote in the Diets of Germany, and therefore are not to be mentioned here].b
The Free Cities make a College in the Diet.
13. There is also in Germany no small number of Free Cities, who are subject to no Prince or State [estate], but are immediately under the Emperor and the Empire, and are therefore called IMPERIAL CITIES. In the Diet they constitute a particular College, which is divided into two [classes, commonly called] BENCHES, that of the Rhine, and that of Schwaben. The Principal of these are, NORIMBERG, AUGSBURG, <45> COLOGNE, LUBECK, ULM, {STRASBURG [Argentoratum],} FRANKFORD, RATISBONE [Regensburg], AIX LA CHAPELLE, or AKEN [Aachen], <and Straßburg, which awaits its return to the Empire;> [of lesser status are] [METZ]+, WORMS, SPIRE [Speyer], {COLMAR},31 MEMMINGEN, ESLING [Eßlingen], HALL in SCHWABEN [Schwäbisch-Hall], HEILBRON, LINDAW, GOSLAR, MULHAUSIN [Mühlhausen], NORTH HAUSIN. The rest have reason rather to pride themselves in their Liberty than in their Wealth.
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