THE

BIBLICAL REPOSITORY.

No. II.

APRIL, 1831.

ART. I.-THEOLOGICAL EDUCATION IN GERMANY.

By the Editor.

PART II. Course of Study at the Universities.

We have seen in the former part of this article, that teachers in the universities and all those who engage in the practice of the various professions in Germany, are directly or indirectly dependent on the governments of the respective states, not only for actual employment, but also even for the previous license or permission to enter upon any profession or course of life. So far as it regards our present subject, all those who desire to become teachers of theology in the universities, or pastors of churches, have to submit themselves to various examinations required by the government, before they can make any application for employment in either of these capacities. Those who are preparing to become preachers, have also to pay attention to the subject of Pädagogik, or the science of school-keeping; inasmuch as every pastor is ex officio required to inspect and superintend the school or schools within his jurisdiction. To enable the reader the better to understand the several steps and gradations of this ministerial preparation in Germany, it will be proper here to exhibit a brief outline of the constitution of the German churches, and thus shew the manner in which the civil power directs and controls all the internal as well as external regulations, and all the movements, of the ecclesiastical community. In doing this, we shall chiefly advert to the present system No. II. 26

of the Prussian government, as the most extensive and complete ; premising only that the description will apply mutatis mutandis to all the other states of protestant Germany.

In Prussia (as also in France) the whole subject of ecclesiastical affairs, public instruction, and the profession of medicine, is assigned to a particular department of the government, called the Ministerium der geistlichen, Unterrichts- und MedicinalAngelegenheiten, the head of which takes rank with the other ministers of the crown. This ministry, or rather department of the ministry, has the direct and entire charge of all ecclesiastical matters; controls the consistories in the several provinces and appoints all the members of them; and, either immediately or through the consistories and other subordinate branches of the government, appoints or confirms to all vacant ecclesiastical places or parishes. It has also the entire charge and control of all the universities, gymnasia, and other seminaries of learning of every species; appoints all the professors and instructors of every kind; and if it does not itself appoint the village schoolmasters, it fixes at least the necessary qualifications, without which no one can be permitted to become a candidate even for that humble office. The minister, of course, represents the king, and acts only in the king's name; and it is therefore through him and his department, that all rewards are bestowed in these several branches of the body politic; whether consisting in an increase of salary, or in promotion, or what is more frequently the case, in the bestowment of some title or appellation of honour, a strong love for which is a predominating characteristic among all classes of the German community.

For the purposes of its civil administration, Prussia is divided into ten provinces. These again are subdivided into districts, varying in number according to the size of the provinces. In each province there is a government, having in some respects jurisdiction over the whole province. In each district there is also a government, in some respects subordinate to that of the province; but in most instances standing in direct communication with the several departments of the royal ministry in Berlin. In each province there is also a consistory, which has charge of all ecclesiastical affairs throughout the province. It is intimately connected with the provincial civil government; the president of the latter being always president of the former. To the consistories belongs exclusively the examination of candidates for the ministerial office; except that sometimes, in order

to alleviate the burden which comes upon them from this source, a commission is established at a university, before which the first examination may be held. The consistory has also in many, if not most instances, the disposal of vacant livings within its jurisdiction. The location of the consistory is usually in the capital of the province. In the several districts, a clerical member of the consistory is attached to the local government; and this is then charged with the various questions of local ecclesiastical policy, which occur within its bounds; or, at least, it has concurrent jurisdiction; and it would seem that questions relating to practical points are referred at will, either to the government of the district, or to the consistory of the province. In case of doubt, however, the district government does not refer the subject either to the consistory, or to the government of the province, but goes directly to the ministry of the king.

Between these consistories and governments and the pastors of the churches, there is still another intervening class or office, viz. that of Superintendent. To the office of pastor in a particular church, is associated the duty of superintending the neighbouring pastors and churches and the schools contained within a certain district. These districts are usually small, and the number of churches, various. In one sense these Superintendents are therefore bishops, in as much as they have an oversight over the churches; but then this oversight seems intended only to enable them to make report to the higher powers; for they have themselves no power of introducing improvements, nor of correcting abuses. In Saxony, indeed, they can examine and license the teachers of common schools; but this is not the case in Prussia. They have nothing to do with the confirmation either of adults or children, except in their own church; for this is every where the office of the pastor. They seem indeed, in Prussia at least, to be merely the organs of communication between the government and the lower clergy. The government seems never to communicate directly with a pastor; although the opposite is not true. A pastor may apply directly to the government of his district, or to the consistory; but the answer always comes to him through his Superintendent. The extent to which the power of the lower clergy is limited, will hardly be credited in this country; but it is illustrated by the following circumstance. In 1829 there was in Halle a great musical festival; in which the most distinguished singers and musical performers of northern Germany took part, to the num

ber of more than five hundred. It was desirable to obtain for their accommodation the use of the largest church in Halle ; but this could not be granted, either by the vestry of the church itself, nor by the Superintendent, nor by the magistracy of the city; nor indeed by any authority less than that of the district government at Merseberg. The use of the church on such an occasion for the performance of secular music, was indeed a great departure from the ordinary practice in regard to churches, and impinged so much upon the prejudices of the people, that a complaint was afterwards lodged with the ministry in Berlin against the government at Merseberg, for having thus abandoned the church to an unholy use. This complaint was made by orthodox and conscientious men, although the feeling which prompted it was common to many others along with them; but coming at that particular juncture, when it could not fail to be mixed up with the difficulties which were already in embryo at Halle, it cannot appear to our American feelings in any other light, than as highly injudicious.

In some of the states there is also the title of General Superintendent, or one who has the general oversight throughout a province. His duties, however, are chiefly nominal; or they consist at most in visiting occasionally the jurisdictions of the other Superintendents. Thus in the Grand-Duchy of SaxeWeimar, there is a General Superintendent at Weimar, (formerly Herder, now Röhr,) and another at Eisenach, who are also the heads of the consistories in those places. In Prussia the title does not exist, except in the instance of a single person, who was appointed to that station a year or two since, with a jurisdiction over several of the Superintendents in the vicinity of Berlin. As a substitute for these officers, it would seem, and in consequence of his known preference for the English episcopal system, the king of Prussia has within a few years nominally appointed three bishops; but he has assigned them no general episcopal duties, and no episcopal jurisdiction. They seem to be merely a species of General Superintendents, with a more dignified title.

This then is the general system of arrangements in Prussia. The king's ministry retains the charge of all the universities in its own hands; it appoints all the professors and instructors, and prescribes the requisitions which shall be made on all those who will enter upon the sacred office, or become theological teachers. It appoints also the consistories, and commits to them the charge