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Switzerland THE NEW SCHAFF-HERZOG 194

days; a petition for the prevention of the disturbance of the celebration of the day of prayer by military assemblies; the minimum amount of material to be taught and memorized in the instruction of the young on the part of the church, and the provision of concrete materials for the same; religious instruction in the gymnasia; care of the newly confirmed; restriction of divorce; and regulations against games of chance and lotteries. In 1905 there were, in the cantons of the Reformed State Church only, 953 churches with 1,030 clerical positions. In the cantons dominated by the Roman Catholics there were 30 Reformed churches, 23 of which were organized and supported by Protestant aid associations. In the principal cities and in the canton of Bern (8) there are together 27 French churches. In cantons Vaud, Neuchaatel, and Geneva are 16 German pastorates.

Theological instruction is given by the theological faculties of Zurich, Bern, Basel, Lausanne, Geneva, and of the academy of Neuchaatel. Ecclesiastical instruction is no longer bound

4. State of to an official confession of faith in any

Theology Swiss Evangelical State Church, but and rests on the general recognition of

Religion. Evangelical truth, as expressed in the ordination and synodal vows, or, more or less briefly, in the provisions of the church con stitutions. The use of the Reformation catechism is also not obligatory, and no longer generally em ployed, and in preparation for confirmation, the pastor is free in most cantons to adopt his -own method, or to select from one of the many of greater or less merit that are available. Theological and religious diversities have produced severe and pro tracted controversies in the Swiss state churches. After the strife of supranaturalism and rationalism in the third decade of the last century had been allayed by the influence of Schleiermacher, and the constitutional conflicts of 1830 had diverted atten tion to the practical side of church matters, the "Life of Jesus," by D. F. Strauss, and its adoption at the Zurich high-school, led to a violent reaction, which culminated in the popular- movement of Sept. 6, 1839. This was neither purely religious, nor purely political, but the outcome of deep, relig ious and moral emotion, blended with personal, local, and political interests. Hegel's philosophy and the critical writings of the Tubingen School led to fresh theological and ecclesiastical contro versies. Thus there grew up three church parties: the Evangelical church association, representing a strict Biblical tendency; the association for free Christianity, which is at the heart of the freethink ing, or reform tendency; and, mediating between the two, the theological church society. The influ ence of the Ritschlian theology among the younger men in recent decades has done much to weaken and alter these tendencies. Opposition to dog matism and intellectualism has given rise to a strong aversion here and there to the present or ganization and cultic institutions, without, however, practical results. The organization of free churches has restricted itself to isolated examples in German Switzerland. The principal resource for the edifi cation and revitalizing of the Swiss Church has been

the Bible. In the German parts this is the Lutheran version. Zurich has its own since the Reformation, frequently revised and improved until 1882. Bern had the translation of Johannes Piscator (q.v.) after 1602. A revision instituted for Switzerland in 1836, resumed in 1862 by the Evangelical conference, and again in 1877, resulted in the completion of the New Testament and the Psalms (Frauenfeld, 1893); but it was not adopted by the Synod of Zurich. In Geneva the old translation authorized by the Compagnie des Pasteurs held undisputed recognition and use for a long time (see BmLE VERSIONS, B, VI., § 3). The revisions of this of D. Martin and J. F. Osterwald circulate widely in Neuchatel and Vaud. The Compagnie authorized new versions; namely, of the Old Testament by L. Segond (1874), and of the New by H. Oltramare (1872). Divine service consists of preaching, prayer, and singing. There is no system of pericopes. Liturgies, of which almost every canton has its own, were drawn up partly by the Reformers and based on Roman Catholic prayers or have partly originated in recent times, or have often resulted from the long and toilsome work of the synods. These liturgies, formerly strictly obligatory, can now be employed with more liberty by pastors and churches. Until the nineteenth century, church singing was restricted to the metrical version of the Psalms in four-part melodies. Hymnals have been introduced based on the German in the cantons individually. A new Swiss hymnal (1890) for universal use has been very widely adopted. Solemn holy days are Sundays, Christmas, Good Friday, Easter, Ascension Day, and Whitsuntide; with holiday seasons specially in the eastern cantons for Christmas, Easter, and Whitsuntide. Reformation Sunday is the first in November, and the third Sunday in September is a general day of national thanksgiving, penance, and prayer, celebrated since 1650. The Lord's Supper is administered three or four times a year and on solemn feast days, including the day of prayer, or on the Sunday before or after; but in Basel it is, besides, administered every Sunday in one of the four principal churches. Children's services are held everywhere, devoted either to catechetical or consecutive Biblical instruction. Confirmation usually takes place after the age of sixteen, following a course of catechetical instruction given on week-days. Free associations have exercised a beneficent influence on religious life in Switzerland. The Association of Swiss Evangelical Preachers and Theological Teachers was founded in 1839, for the furtherance, through united action, of the theological and practical interests of the church. This body meets annually at different places, and has branches in the various cantons. In addition to the cantonal assemblies the larger cantons have pastors' societies. Bible societies exist in most of the cantons, that of Basel having been organized in 1804, and also missionary associations, which partly contribute their gifts to the Basel society and partly to the general Evangelical Protestant missionary society organized in 1883. The Protestant church aid societies were founded in 1842 through the Swiss preachers' association. Under the