The Brandenburg Recess: Resolutions agreed to by Frederick William ("the Great Elector") and the Brandenburg Estates in the Recess of July 26, 1653 (1653)

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14. Fourteenthly, We will make no decisions nor take steps in important questions crucial for the welfare of the country, or its reverse, without the foreknowledge and advice of Our loyal Estates, and will also conclude no alliances that would or might involve Our subjects or peoples, without the advice and consent of the Estates in general. In such important cases We will convoke the Estates to meet for consultation and will set out on the agenda the points of Our proposals.

We will at all times willingly listen to Our loyal Estates if they have any submissive request to make of Us, hear this with due attention, and deal with it with gracious good will.

[Art. 15 stands apart. It seems, like Art. 13, to have been an answer to complaints from the Electors’ own subjects (on his crown domains), with which the Estates were not concerned:]

15. Fifteenthly, We will, as earlier Reverses stipulate, not sell or pledge any more of Our Electoral estates and domains, but will buy back and redeem those pledged as soon as possible.

[ . . . ]

[The next articles, a very long series, deal with questions which are treated here as matters of law. They range over a very wide field, and many of them are purely technical, providing for more Courts of Justice, eliminating conflicts of competence, etc. Others, however, are of great political and social importance, especially those which confirm the legal domination of the privileged Knights and burghers over their subjects. Conspicuous among these are Arts. 20, which confirms the lords’ jurisdiction of the first instance, and 22, the opening of which provides penalties against a “subject” appealing against his lord’s decision without sufficient cause, while the concluding paragraphs, among other things, expressly reaffirm the condition of serfdom where it already exists and place the onus of proving his freedom on the subject. Other articles favorable to the lords are 28 and 31.

In Art. 16 the elector promises to enlarge the personnel of the Kammergerichte of Sollin and Küstrin, and lays down principles to be followed in the appointment of judges. Art. 17 restricts the competence of the Consistorial Court, and Art. 18 extends and safeguards the right of appeal. Art. 19 lays down that Reverses have the force of law and must be so treated.]