# Lehre und Wehre_St. Louis Missouri_April 1860_S127
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

Church and Contemporary Notices. 127

...of the Word with decisiveness, but not bureaucratically, rather in a spirit of paternal and brotherly love. It is quite natural that the visitation rulings drawn up in this way do not find approval everywhere, and in individual cases have even aroused lively opposition; but it is precisely these that enliven the whole work of visitation in our province and make it a true driving wheel of the entire ecclesiastical activity, forging a close, real bond between the church authority and the subordinate clergy, and dispensing blessing in every direction."

Grand Duchy of Weimar. An insight into the, with only a few exceptions, lamentable condition of the Weimar church is afforded by the following excerpts from the Weimar Kirchen- und Schulblatt [Church and School Gazette], as they were communicated in a report of the Ev. Kirchenzeitung [Evangelical Church Gazette]: "Variety in the liturgy has never failed of its salutary effect; this proved especially true at the celebration of the Lord's Supper, where exhortations to the communicants, delivered in verse with dignity and emphasis, make a deep impression on the hearts of those appearing at the Lord's table. Some of these exhortations, which I make use of, I here submit to the reverend brethren in office for their assessment: Exhortations to the Communicants. I. On Maundy Thursday. 1. Over Jesus' head hovered fearfully heavy the weather of fate. Persecuted virtue trembled; nowhere did innocence find a rescuer. Every hour grew darker, and the day of sorrow drew near, when the Lord — by sure tidings — saw shame and death coming upon Him. Full of dread was the awaiting of all the torments that lay in wait for Him. 2. Yet it was not the sufferings threatening Him — rather those He loved — that made His devout heart feel the bitter woe that grieved it. — "Friends! should I not be anxious?" He said; — "I must part from you! Enemies who thirst for my blood arm themselves for my suffering; wickedness arms evildoers, and a friend is my betrayer." II. Draw near with loving heart, friends of Jesus, to the altar! Whoever still glows with vigor of life, and the old man with silver hair, high and low, poor and rich — we are all alike here." In the Weimarer Zeitung, on the occasion of a report on the meeting of the Teachers' Association, the following was found: "A special section of the Teachers' Association is the association created by one teacher for teachers. The motto of this association, which is ever expanding, is: harmless cheerfulness, honesty, brotherly feeling, and good-humored wit. For this purpose the members of this fraternal union assemble once a year, hold free exercises of speech on themes given out by the chairman, in which they are to develop logic, poetry, and humor as far as possible."

The Official and Salary Conditions of the Protestant Clergy in Bavaria. All the parishes of the Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Bavaria, says a correspondent in the Ev. Kirchenzeitung, are divided into five classes, in which the clergy advance according to age and worthiness and, upon applications for positions advertised in the official gazettes, are promoted. The starting positions carry 400–800 florins, the second class 800–1200 florins, the third 1200–1600 florins, the fourth 1600–2000 florins, the fifth 2000 florins and upward. The number of starting positions is the larger; that of the two highest classes by far the smallest. Yet for some years the starting parishes have, through a state subsidy, been raised to 500 florins, and thereby the great distress of many clergymen has been partly relieved. Still, the situation of many, especially those without means, given hard beginnings, long-delayed advancement, an increasing family, and under the pressure of illness and misfortune, is often a pitiable one. It has been shown in the public papers that of a pastor's 500-florin salary, after deduction of what he must unavoidably pay out in taxes, collections, literature, the widows' fund contribution, the pastoral-support quota, servants, etc., no more than 300 florins a year remain for the maintenance of himself and his family. That, now, is the first fruit of a course of study lasting ten to twelve years, and of an equally long waiting period as a pastor's assistant or curate, with about 300 florins as vicar's or curate's salary. Of this latter salary one cannot complain; for vicars and curates, without family and without their own household, or at most with a quite simple one,