The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1877-07-22
PROTESTANT DIFFICULTIES IN GER
MANY

A considerable hutter bas been occa
| stoned in Prussian Protestant circles by
certain serious disagreements which have
broken ont among the heads of the Protes
| tant Church in the province of Prussia. II
| will be well to bear In mind that there II
no National organization of the Protestant
Church in Prussia. 1t is distributed into
provinces, the affairs Of the Church fol
each province being administered by con
eistory composed Of clergymen and laymen,
the whole under the Jurisdiction of the gov
/ ernOr of the province, without whose con
currence, or in the last resort the concur
renee of the Minister Of Ecclesiastical AT
| fairs. nothing can be done. In this way,
the King of Prussia ia absolutely and per-
Aonally the head of the Protestant Church
for each of the provinces, and exercises an
| authority and Interference in it's affairs,
which seems to be greater than the power
of the State over the Church in Eogland.
1t is unnecessary to say that the Prussian
like other Protestant Churches isinternaity
torn asunder by the doctrinal differences
between the adherents of the old andards,
and tho friends of progressive modern
free thought" Less than two years ago q
memorial was presented TO King William,
requesting that the use of the Apostles
Greed might be dispensed with in divine
service. The old King was very much
shocked and panied by this evidence Of the
advance of unbelief The Minister for
Ecclesiastical Affairs, DR.. FAlk, and some
of the chief officials in his department,
themselves Protestant ciergymeu, are re-
puted to favor the "liberal" current of
opinion.
Last winter the differences between
them and the Presidesr of the COnsstory
of Brandenburg became SO serious that the
President DR.. Hegel, requested the King
to relieve him from his Office of President.
The King took time to consider, and
rafprrrl ha nj fn I~ Fall 70
upon it. He received the report, and
seems to have waited over two months
before coming to a decision. At length,
few days ago, he addressed an autograph
letter to DIR. Hegel refusing to permit his
resignation. In this letter the King refers
to the progress Of infidelity, to the Apostles
Creed, in the profession of which he and
his ancestors, and all the members of his
house, have been baptizad and confirmed"
AT such time he cannot dispense with the
services of an official "whose steadfastness
in earnest faith" is known to him. To do
80 would be to assist in the spread Of erro-
neous notions among his people. TIE
King communicated this letter to DR.. Fslk
and to DR.. Hermann, the head of the de-
partment council for ecclesiastical affairs,
stating at the time that "at this critical
period of the Evangelical Church, he ex
pects that they will not only GO operate
with his decision regarding President He
gel, but will also stand by him with all
their strength" The whole incident has
occasioned the liveliest discussion at Ber-
lin. 1t is viewed as q fresh indication of
how the Emperor King would act if free
from Bismarck's influences. Because it is
no secret that the Chancellor was of one
mind with DR.. Falk and DIR. Hermann, and
opposed to the President of the Consistory.
There is nothing wonderful in THE. No
one believes that the patrons of the Cultur-
kampf have embraced their policy out of
love of Professionalism but from pure hatred
of Catholicity. Meantime the Hegel busi
ness is reckoned as victory for those who
are not friendly to the Chancellor.