# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_October 1858_S318
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

318 Hungary.

...catechetical instruction, thanksgiving, blessing. (See Wimmer's Liturgy for the Evangelical Church, Leipzig 1829.)

Before the festivals there are evening preparations, when work is already finished. Sundays are quiet throughout the whole land.

In domestic disputes the clergy are called upon. Divorces occur only among the so-called higher classes, and are extremely rare among the peasant and burgher classes — about one in 10,000 marriages! The opinions of the clergy are authoritative in judicial decisions.

The presbytery meets as need requires, without any oversight whatsoever. So too the church convention, in which all contributing heads of household may take part. Preacher and curator preside. As convenience allows, the congregations of a district form a seniorate, presided over by a senior and a senioral inspector. Four great divisions of the country form the superintendencies, made up of the seniorates, over which a superintendent and a superintendential inspector preside. All culminate in the general convention, presided over by a general inspector chosen from the highest estates. All these bodies divide into presbyteries or narrower committees for particular business, which are ratified by the assembled conventions. Until 1848 all of them met as need required, and settled their affairs without any oversight at all.

Preachers and schoolteachers are elected, called, and installed unconditionally by the heads of household of the congregation. The installation of the preacher is carried out by the senior together with the senioral inspector, in the name of the congregation. All other officials up to and including the general inspector are elected by the congregations concerned through candidacy and elective votes, and until 1848 were installed in their office without further interference. Now a right of confirmation exercised by the Ministry of Worship seems to be trying to assert itself.

Beautiful customs still prevail in families. Household devotions are common. Morning and evening, hymns resound from the houses. The large family Bible, especially in German families, is diligently read. In most congregations it has, unfortunately, succeeded in driving the good hymnals out of the churches and introducing the watered-down ones, among which the Pressburg hymnal in particular is a model of tastelessness and corruption. In the homes, the old core hymns remain at home. The introduction of the good hymnals therefore finds a joyful reception, and certainly no opposition.

For the feast of Pentecost the churches are adorned with maytrees. During Passiontide the Passion history is preached on, and in the town congregations a Passion sermon is held every Friday.

On the 10th Sunday after Trinity, the account of the destruction of Jerusalem is read aloud. On Palm Sunday and Good Friday, Matthew 26 and 27 are used in place of the liturgy, in such a way that after a brief introductory collect, the