# Canons and Decrees of the Council of Trent/Session XVIII/Safe-conduct granted to the German Nation

SAFE-CONDUCT GRANTED TO THE GERMAN NATION,
In a General Congregation, on the fourth day of March, 1562.
The sacred and holy, œcumenical and general Synod of Trent, lawfully assembled in the Holy Ghost,—the same legates of the Apostolic See presiding therein,—pledges faith to all men, that, by the tenor of these presents, it grants and wholly concedes the public faith, and the fullest and most true security, which they call a safe-conduct, to all and each, the priests, electors, princes, dukes, marquises, counts, barons, nobles, soldiers, common people, and to all other men soever, of what state, condition, or quality soever they be, of the province and nation of Germany, and to the cities and other places thereof, and to all other ecclesiastical and secular persons, especially those of the Confession of Augsburg, who shall come, or shall be sent with them to this General ​Council of Trent, and to those that shall set out, or have already come hither, by what name soever they are entitled, or may be designated, to come freely to this city of Trent, and there to remain, tarry, sojourn, propose, speak, treat of, examine, and discuss any matters whatsoever together with the said synod, and freely to present and set forth all things whatsoever may seem fit to them, and any articles whatever, either in writing or by word of mouth, and to explain, confirm, and prove them by the holy Scriptures, and by the words, opinions, and reasons of the blessed fathers, and, if it be needful, even to answer the objections of the general council; and to dispute, or to confer in charity, without any hindrance, with those who may have been chosen by the council, all opprobrium, railing, and contumely being utterly discarded; and, in particular, that the controverted matters shall be treated of in the aforesaid Council of Trent, according to sacred Scripture, and the traditions of the apostles, approved councils, and the consent of the Catholic Church, and the authorities of the holy fathers; this further being added, that they shall not be punished under pretence of religion, or of offences already committed, or that may be committed, in regard thereof; as also, that there shall be no interruption to the divine offices on account of their presence, either upon the journey, or in any place during their progress, stay, or return, or in the city of Trent itself; and that, these matters being concluded or not concluded, whensoever such is their pleasure, or the command and leave of their superiors, if they shall wish, or any of them shall wish, to return to their own homes, they shall forthwith be able, at their good pleasure, to return freely and securely, without any hindrance, obstacle, or delay, without injury done to their property, or to the honour also and persons of their attendants respectively; with the knowledge, however, of those who shall be deputed [hereunto] by the said synod; that so, without guile or fraud, proper care may be taken for their safety. The holy synod also wills, that all clauses soever, which may be necessary and convenient for a full, effectual, and sufficient security in coming, sojourning, and returning, be included and contained, and be accounted as contained, in this public faith and safe-conduct; it also expressly declaring, with a view to their greater security, and the blessing of peace and reconciliation, ​that if, which far be it! any one, or certain of them, should, either on the journey when coming to Trent, or whilst sojourning at, or returning from that same place, perpetrate or commit any heinous deed, whereby the benefit of this public faith and assurance might be annulled and quashed, wills and grants, that the persons detected in such crime shall be forthwith punished by their own countrymen, and not by others, with a proportionate chastisement and a sufficient amends, which on the part of the synod may justly be approved and commended, the form, conditions, and terms of the safe-conduct remaining wholly uninfringed. It also reciprocally wills, that if, which far be it! any one, or certain of this synod, should, either on the journey, or whilst sojourning at, or returning therefrom, perpetrate or commit any heinous act, whereby the benefit of this public faith and assurance may be violated, or in any way set aside, the persons detected in such crime shall be forthwith punished by the synod itself only, and not by others, with a proportionate chastisement and a sufficient amends, to be justly approved and commended, on the part of the Germans of the Confession of Augsburg, who may be present here at the time, the present form, conditions, and terms of the safe-conduct remaining wholly uninfringed. The said synod also wills, that it be lawful for all and each of the ambassadors to go out of the city of Trent to take the air, as often as shall be convenient or necessary, and to return thither; as also freely to send or despatch their messenger or messengers to any places soever, according as the arrangement of their affairs may require, and to receive the said messengers or messenger, despatches or despatch, as often as shall seem fit to them; so as, however, one or more be associated therewith by those deputed by the council, in order to provide for their safety. And this safe-conduct and these securities shall stand good and endure, both from the time, and during the time that they shall happen to have been received under the care of the said synod, and the protection of its agents; and further, after they have had a sufficient audience, and twenty days having expired since they have themselves asked, or since the council, upon that audience had, shall have given them notice, to return, it will, all guile and fraud being entirely excluded, restore them, with God's favour, from ​Trent to that place of safety which each may select for himself. All which things it promises, and in good faith pledges itself, shall he inviolably observed towards all and each of the faithful of Christ, towards all ecclesiastical and secular princes, and towards all other ecclesiastical and secular persons, of whatsoever state and condition they be, or by whatsoever name designated. Yet further, it promises in true and good faith, all guile and deceit being excluded, that the said synod will neither openly nor covertly seek for any opportunity, nor make use of nor suffer any one to make use of, any authority, power, right, or statute, privilege of laws or canons, or of any councils soever, especially those of Constance and Sienna, under what form soever of words expressed; to the prejudice in any way of this public faith, and most full security, and of the public and free hearing, granted by this said synod to the above-named; as it derogates from the aforesaid in this instance and for this occasion. And if the holy synod, or any member thereof, or of their followers, of what condition, state, or pre-eminence soever, shall, which may the Almighty deign to avert, violate the form and terms of the security and safe-conduct as above set down, in any point or clause soever, and a sufficient amends shall not have forthwith followed, and one that may with reason be approved of and praised by the parties themselves; they may and shall hold the said synod to have incurred all those penalties, which, by law divine and human, or by custom, the violators of such safe-conducts con possibly incur; without any excuse or contradiction in this respect.