Editing Protestant Union (section)

==Guidelines of the Protestant Union==
[[File:Urkunde protestantische Union.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Document establishing the Protestant Union signed 14 May 1608, now in Bavarian State Archive (''Bayerische Hauptstaatsarchiv'')]]
Intending to strengthen the security provided by the [[Peace of Augsburg]], Protestants formed the union in 1608. Its leaders created guidelines and agreements to live by as follows:
#Each member shall keep in good faith with the order and their heirs, land and people, and no one shall enter into any other alliance.
#Each member of the union should keep a secret correspondence effectively to inform each other of all dangerous and offensive affairs which may threaten each other's heirs, land and people, and to this purpose each will keep in good contact with one another.
#Whenever important matters arise that concern the well-being of the union, the members of the union will help each other with faithful advice in order to uphold each and every one as much as possible.
#The wish of the union in matters concerning the liberties and high jurisdictions of the German Electors and Estates should be presented and pressed at subsequent Imperial and Imperial Circle assemblies, and not merely left to secret correspondence with each other.
#The union shall not affect our disagreement on several points of religion, but that notwithstanding these, we have agreed to support each other.  No member is to allow an attack on any other in books or through the pulpit, nor give cause for any breach of the peace, while at the same time leaving untouched the theologian's rights of disputation to affirm the word of God.
#If one of the members of the union is attacked, the remaining members of the union shall immediately come to his aid with all the resources of the union.{{sfn|Hofmann|n.d.}}