Page:History of the Thirty Years' War - Gindely - Volume 1.djvu/178

 the Bohemian crown-this should be divested of all power to act with severity, so as to secure the self-government of the lands severally. These retained, too, their freedom and independence of action in all political, financial, and military affairs. Finally, provision was made for the election of Defensors in each land, who should exercise a kind of oversight over the King, who was to be elected; they were to see to it that he observe the new constitution, and, if he should not observe it, to call them to resistance. Eight cases were specified in which resistance was declared to be justified, among which were violation of religious liberty and illegal appointments to the highest positions. At the close of these provisions, which embraced all the Bohemian lands, the Diet of Bohemia so regulated for itself alone the right of building churches, that all the inhabitants of Bohemia, without distinction of rank, should enjoy the right to build evangelical churches. The right to build Catholic churches should, on the contrary, be limited to the nobility, the knighthood, and the royal cities. On the 31st of July the session was closed, and the “Act of Confederation,” which all who took part in its enactment confirmed by a solemn oath, was made public in Prague.

Between Bohemia and Austria there was also, during the days immediately following, a treaty concluded. The Protestant Estates of Lower Austria had transferred their sessions from Vienna to Horn, and continued them in the latter place, where, under the promptings of Tschernembl and in union with the Upper Austrians, they had resolved to take part in the General Diet at Prague. In the treaty referred to, Bohemia and Austria bound themselves to a common defence against all enemies which should assail the prerogatives of the Estates and the