for house-rent, and the deficit is made up by the «Oplysningsvaesenets
fond»; but if the above-mentioned income brings the receipts of
the office up to 2800 kr. or more, no additional sum is given.
According to one of the acts of 1897, the churches and churchyards
in Norway will all, with a very few exceptions, in a short
time belong to their congregations. By laying by the church tithes,
which are to.be discontinued after some years,' and by the addition
of the royal tithes,, the former bishop’s tithes (the greater part of
which the state appropriated at the Reformation, and which are
to be discontinued at the same time), a ehurch-fund will be formed,
of which the proceeds will go towards the maintenance, fitting-up,
etc., of the church. The deficit will be made up by the parish or
the municipal funds. The chief superintendence of the churches
falls to the king, and no church can be erected, or church-yard
laid out, nor either of them altered or done away with without
his consent. The diocesan board (see above) superintends the
churches in .each diocese, and the superintendence of the local
church is in the hands of the priest of the parish and two men
appointed by the Municipal Council.
Amongst the religious efforts, most of which call forth general
interest and liberality, may be mentioned, besides the more local associations
for the care of the poor and sick, the missions to the Jews and
the heathen. These are principally concentrated in the following
societies and associations: 1) the Norwegian Missionary Society (the
oldest, founded 1842, and the largest); field of labour, Zululand, Natal
and Madagascar, 61,948 Christians, 48,161 school-children, annual
income about 500,000 kr., about 80 workers in the mission-field;
2) the Norwegian Church Mission by Schroder (a branch of the-
foregoing, established in 1873), 3 workers in Zululand, last year’s
income .8380 k r.; 3) the Santhal Mission in India (also supported
by Sweden and Denmark), 2 Norwegian missionaries, 9721
converts, annual income from Norway, about 40,000 k r.; 4) the
Norwegian Lutheran China Mission Association (founded in 1891),
12 workers, about 30 converts, annual income about 50,000 kr.
The other missions are not permanently organised.
In conclusion is given a-survey of the labours of the Norwegian
Bible Society (founded in .1816), for the last 5 years. In 1894,
27,438 Bibles were disposed of; in 1895, 30,823; in 1896, 40,524; in
1897, 47,017; and in 1898, 54,868.
BIBLIOGRAPHY.
T. H. Aschehoug. Norges nuvcerende Statsforfatning. 2 Udg. Kristiania 1892.
(Vol. II., p .-476—91).
Reports (6 in all) from the Royal commission, appointed Oct. 4, 1890, and
especially:
Indstilling til Lov om geistlige Enibedsmcends og Kirkesanger es L 0nninger. Kristiania
1894. (Sth. Forh. 1896, 3 D. b, No. 21).‘ ;
Indstilling til Lov om Kirker—og Kirkegaarde. Kristiania 1896. (Sth. Forh.
1897, 3 D., No.- 28). ,