HESSE.
The grand duchy of Hesse is a state of the German empire, comprising two main portions and eleven small exclaves. The northern division, called Upper
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with an executive committee. A general synod meets every five years. This body is composed of two representatives of each of the decanal synods, a clergyman and a layman, three clerical and four lay members named by the grand duke, and the prelate, who, like the Roman Catholic bishop, is a member of the upper chamber. The consistory is represebted in local affairs by the deans, who are elected by the decanal synods, and, as regards finances, by certain district officials. The executive committee of the general synod is an extension of the consistory.
Salaries of clergymen are paid from the general treasury of the Church. After the candidate for the ministry has spent at least seven 3. The semesters at some German university, Clergy. he is examined in the first instance by the theological faculty of the Uni versity of Giessen. He must then spend a year in the seminary for ministers at Friedberg. He then undergoes a final examination by a special committee, composed of the clerical members of the consistory and of the professors of the semi nary. The duties of ministers are regulated by law; and pastorates are filled by the consistory on petition of the parochial boards. Surplice-fees were abolished in 1891. The pastor must give weekly, three or four hours' religious instruction in the public elementary schools, basing his instruc tion on Biblical history and the catechism. In Lutheran parishes he uses the Lutheran catechism, in certain Reformed parishes the Heidelberg cate chism, and in united parishes the catechism of 1894, which combines the Lutheran and Heidelberg cate chisms.
There is no uniform liturgy for the whole state, though a movement having as its object the preparation of a liturgy acceptable to all 4. Recent parishes is now in progress. Similarly, Reforms. an effort has been made to give church-music a uniform character; and in many places church-singing has been re formed in the interest of a lively popular rhythm. To be mentioned here is the choral book edited by J. G. Herzog, and also his book of preludes. In recent years the interests of the State Church have been furthered by the division of the larger parishes, the erection of numerous new churches, by the ordinance providing for the care of the poor, and by regulations against such sects as the Irvingites, Adventists, etc. Sunday-schools are now common. The Innere Mission maintains some thirty hospitals and a large number of other charitable institutions of an educational nature.
The Roman Catholic inhabitants are under the jurisdiction of the bishop of Mainz. The relation between the Roman curia and the g. Roman Hessian government was established Catholics. by the bulls Provida soleraque (1821) and Ad dominici gregis custodian (1827), and the edicts of 1829 and 1830 (changed in 1853). An agreement made in 1854 between the bishop and the Hessian government was repudiated by the curia in 1866. Since then all ecclesiastical relations have been arranged by secular legislation. Both the Roman Catholic Church and the Evan-
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Bibliography: The Kirchenordnung was published at Marburg, 1566, and the Agenda, das ist, Kirchenordnung in 1574 and often, of. Philipps des Grosamiithigen hessische Kirchenreformationsordnung, ed. H. A. Credner, Giessen, 1852. Consult: C. W. Ledderhose, Beytrdpe zur Beschreib ung des Kirchenstaates der hessen-kasselischen Lands, Cassel, 1781; E. Zimmermann, Verfassung der Kirchen and Schule im . . . Hessen, Darmstadt, 1832; C. B. N. Falckenheiner, Geschichte hessischer Stddte and Stifter, 2 vols., Cassel, 1841-42; A. L. Richter, Die evangelischen Kirchenordnungen des 16. Jahrhunderts, Weimar, 1846; C. W. Köhler, Handbuch der kirchlichen Gesetxpebung, Darmstadt, 1847; W. Münscher, Versuch einer Geschichte der hessischen reformirten Kirche, Cassel, 1850; F. F. Ferteeh Handbuch des . . . Kirchenrachts der evangelischen Kirche im . . . Hessen, Friedberg, 1853; L. Baur, Hessische Urkunden, 5 vols., Darmstadt, 1860-73; A. F. C. Vilmar, Geschichte des Konfeasionstandes der evangeli schen Kirche in Hessen, Marburg, 1860; F. W. Hassen eamp, Hessische Kirchengeschichte, 2 vols., Frankfort, 1864; Beleuchtung der Declaration über den Bekenntnis stand der niederhessischen Kirche, Cassel, 1868; G. W. J. Wagner, Die vormaligen Stifte im . . . Hessen, Darmstadt, 1873-78; H. Heppe, Kirchengeschichte der beiden Hessen, 2 vols., Marburg, 1876; $ Köhler, Kirchenrecht der evangelischen Kirche . . . Hessen, Darmstadt, 1884; A. B. Schmidt, Kirchenrechtliche Quellen des . . . Hessen, Giessen, 1891; J. Friedrich, Luther und die Kirchenver fassung der Reformatio ecclesiarum Hessix, Darmstadt, 1894; W. Köhler, Hessische Kirchenverfassung . . der Reformation, Giessen, 1894; W. Diehl, Zur Geschichte des Gottesdienstes in Hessen, Giessen, 1899; KL, v. 1931-58.
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