Stones of the Temple; Or, Lessons from the Fabric and Furniture of the Church

70

The rubric in the Service for the Public Baptism of Infants directs the priest, if the godfathers and godmothers shall certify that the child may well endure it, to dip it in the water. In the first Prayer Book of Edward VI. the priest is directed to "dyppe it in the water thryce."

71

Acts xvi. 15, 33. 1 Cor. i. 16.

72

As at Dorchester and Warborough in Oxfordshire, and Brookland in Kent; each of these have very elaborate mouldings upon them.

73

At Llanvair Discoed, Monmouthshire.

74

The Font at West Rounton, of which we have given an engraving, is one of many examples of this. The Centaur, the arrow from whose bow is just about to pierce the monster, probably represents the Deity conquering Satan, or perhaps the continual conflict of the baptized Christian against sin and Satan. The other figure may represent the Divine and human natures united in our Lord. This exceedingly curious Font was discovered during the recent restoration of the little Norman Church of West Rounton, Yorkshire. It was found under the pulpit, of which it formed the base, having been turned over so that the bowl rested on the floor, and so carefully plastered that there was no external indication of its original form. It has now been restored to its former position near the south-west door of the church.

75

Ezek. iii. 7, 8; ix. 4. Rev. vii. 3; ix. 4; xiii. 16; xiv. 1, 9; xxii. 4.

76

βαπτἱζω [baptizô], to baptize, ἁνἁ [ana], again.

77

"God planted a garden eastward;" man went westward when he left it; he turns eastward to remind him of his return. Almost every church in England is built east and west, with the altar at the east.

78

Phil. ii. 10.

79

Canon XVIII. 1603.

80

"Many monuments are covered with seates, or pewes, made high and easie for parishioners to sit or sleepe in, a fashion of no long continuance, and worthy of reformation." – Weaver's Funeral Monuments. Temp. James I.

81

It is likely that the idea of a gallery at the west end of the nave, was first suggested by the gallery of the Rood Screen at the eastern end.

82

At H… church, Kent, for instance.

83

Chertsey, Surrey.

84

One of the churches in Edinburgh, for instance.

85

2 Chron. vi. 13.

86

Nehem. viii. 4.

87

As at Magdalene College, Oxford. "Formerly, when the annual sermon was preached on the feast of the nativity of St. John the Baptist, from the stone pulpit before the chapel of Magdalene College, Oxford, the whole area before it was covered with rushes and grass, to represent, it is said, the wilderness: and doubtless also for the accommodation of the hearers; the seats being set for the University authorities." —History of Pues.

88

Such an one formerly existed near the cathedral of Exeter.

89

Parker's "Glossary of Architecture," part i. p. 171. At the west end of Boxley Church, Kent, is a Galilee. There are very few – if any – other churches in which the ancient Galilee is to be found.

90

Many of the wooden pulpits have dates upon them. The earliest of these is A.D. 1590, on a pulpit at Ruthin, Denbighshire.

91

"The Churchwardens, at the common charge of the Parishioners in every parish, shall provide a comely and honest pulpit, to be set in a convenient place within the Churche, and to be there seemly kept, for the preaching of God's worde." —Injunctions given by the Queen's Majestie, 1559.

92

It seems most probable that the last of these was the real object. In some old discourses the following phrase is met with: – "Let us now take another glass," meaning another period of time to be measured by the hour-glass: and the preacher reversed the glass at this point. Ancient hour-glasses remain in the church of St. Alban's, Wood Street, City; and at Cowden, Kent. The iron frames of hour-glasses still remain in the churches of Stoke Dabernoun, Surrey; Odell, Bedfordshire; St. John's, Bristol; Cliff, Kent; and Erdingthorpe, Norfolk, and doubtless others are to be found elsewhere. The Queen has lately presented an hour-glass of the measure of eighteen minutes for the pulpit of the chapel royal in the Savoy, to replace the old one, which was destroyed in the recent fire.

93

Some few of these sounding-boards are, however, very handsome. At Newcastle there is, or lately was, a sounding-board which was a representation of the spire of the church.

94

Gentleman's Magazine, vol. 1. p. 364. Preaching-Crosses are also at Hereford, near the Friary of the Dominican (or Preaching) Friars; and in the churchyards of Iron Acton, Gloucestershire, and Rampisham, Dorsetshire.

95

See a curious letter on this subject in the Gentleman's Magazine, vol. 1. p. 527.

96

See Walker's "Sufferings of the Clergy," p. 310.

97

S. Luke vi. 26.

98

The Vicar of the church here referred to has lately deceased, and his successor has commenced the much needed improvements. The Vicar's good daughter, who was quite a sister of mercy in the parish, is not likely to be forgotten, though the old pew has gone. A beautiful window of stained glass has been erected to her memory by the parishioners.

99

This phase of the pew system is not over coloured. A few years since, a pew in the nave of Old Swinford Church was so nailed up; but other instances of this might be mentioned.

100

James ii. 1-4.

101

James ii. 5, 6.

102

Sermon by the Rev. E. Stuart, preached at the Church of St. Mary Magdalene, Munster Square, London.

103

2 Cor. viii. 9.

104

Much information on this subject can be obtained from "The History of Pues: a Paper read before the Cambridge Camden Society, November 22, 1841."

105

Stone seats were often placed round the bases of the columns of the nave; examples are at St. Margaret-at-Cliffe, and Challock, in Kent.

106

British Critic; see History of Pues.

107

"'1612, 27 May. – Ye Ch. Wardens meeting together for seekeing for workmen to mak a fitt seete in a convennentplace for brydgrumes, bryds, andsike wyves to sit in ijs.

– Extract from Parochial Books of Chester-le-Street, Durham.

"It is plain that at this period the privilege of a separate pew was confined to persons of the first rank; the rest sat promiscuously on forms in the body of the church, and the privilege is here extended only to sick wives and brides, who sat to hear the preacher deliver 'The Bride's Bush,' or 'The Wedding Garment beautified.'" – Surtees' Hist. of Durham.

108

Blomfield's Norfolk, vi. 317.

109

"Several congregations find themselves already very much straitened; and if the mode increases, I wish it may not drive many ordinary women into meetings and conventicles. Should our sex at the same time take it into their heads to wear trunk breeches, a man and his wife would fill a whole pew." —Satire on Female Costume. Spectator, No. 127.

110

111

European Magazine, 1813.

112

History of Pues, p. 77.

113

"1617. Barnham contra Hayward Puellam. – Presentatur – for that she being but a young maid sat in ye pew with her mother, to ye great offence of many reverent women: howbeit that after I Peter Lewis the Vicar had in the church privately admonished her to sit at her mother's pew-door, she obeyed; but now she sits with her mother again." —God's Acre, by Mrs. Stone.

114

Whittaker's Whalley, p. 228.

115

"We have also heard that the parishioners of divers places do oftentimes wrangle about their seats in church, two or more claiming the same seat, whence arises great scandal to the Church, and the divine officers are sore set and hindered; wherefore we decree that none shall henceforth call any seat in the church his own, save noblemen and patrons: but he who shall first enter shall take his place where he will." – Quivil, Bishop of Exeter, A.D. 1287.

116

In the vestry of the church of East Moulsey is suspended a map of considerable size, showing the land that has been left to the parish for the sustentation of the church. The land ought to produce 120l. but some years since the parishioners engaged in a law-suit respecting a pew in the church, and lost the suit, and the income from the charity land was year by year absorbed in the payment of the debt then incurred. One evidence brought forward to prove the faculty was the following inscription, which is still (or was till lately) over the altar, painted at the foot of a daub, having the Ten Commandments surrounded by drapery, &c.: —

"In lieu of the Commandments formerly written on the wall (when by consent of the parish he made his pew) these tables were placed here by – Mr. Benson, MDCCXII."

117

Gentleman's Magazine, A.D. 1780, p. 364.

118

We are so used to speak of the seats in church, that we commonly forget the more proper appellation of kneeling. This, however, was not always so. An old metal plate formerly on a pew in a church in the diocese of Oxford, has this inscription: —

"№ 83. Vicar and Churchwardens, two kneelings. Trustees of Poor House three kneelings."

119

See History of Pues, p. 37.

120

121

So called, as some suppose, because it could be folded and removed when necessary.

122

Joel ii. 17.

123

Injunctions of Edward VI. and Queen Elizabeth.

124

See Wheatly on the Common Prayer, p. 161.

125

"The earliest examples remaining are of wood, many of them beautifully carved, as at Bury and Ramsay, Huntingdonshire; Swancombe, Debtling, and Lenham, Kent; Newport, Essex; Hawstead, Suffolk." – Parker's Glossary.

There are beautiful examples of brass lecterns at Magdalene and Merton Colleges, Oxford, in most of our cathedrals, and many parish churches.

126

Derived from the French aile, a wing. It is no uncommon thing to hear persons who ought to know better talk about side aisles, as if there were any other than side aisles.

127

Derived from the Greek, ἁγιος [hagios], holy, and σκοπἑω [skopeô], to view. There are very good specimens at St. Clement's, Sandwich, and at St. Mary's, Gloucester. The latter has three compartments.

128

In some few churches – as at Rottingdean, Sussex – the chancel, by the deviation of its north or south wall from the line of the nave, represent the inclined head of our Lord upon the cross.

129

The German word for piscina is Wasserhälter, water-holder.

130

Derived from the Italian credenzare, to test by tasting beforehand; which refers to an ancient custom for the governor of a feast to taste the wines before presenting them to his guests. The application of the word to this piece of Church furniture is supposed to have its origin in an attempt once made to mix poison with the eucharistic elements.

131

The rubric at the commencement of the Prayer Book concerning "the Ornaments of the Church, and of the ministers thereof," still directs a credence-table to be placed in every church.

132

In Flamborough Church, Yorkshire, a few years since, a white glove was hanging over the centre arch of the very beautiful chancel screen, – perhaps is hanging there still. Sometimes a bridal wreath was hung up with the glove.

133

When the rood screens were pulled down by the Puritans and the chancels were alienated from their proper use, it became necessary, in order to protect the immediate precinct of the altar from general intrusion, to erect around it some barrier; hence the origin of altar-rails, which were first ordered to be put up by Archbishop Laud. There are a few instances of ancient screens of considerable height immediately surrounding the altar.

134

As in Bottisham Church, Cambridge; Westwell, Kent; and most of our cathedrals.

135

Such galleries existed in the parish churches of Whitby, Yorkshire, and of Sandon, Staffordshire, a few years ago, but these have probably been since removed.

136

Rood is analogous to our common word rod. It is a Saxon word, and means a cross.

137

It is a question whether the order in the canons for placing the Commandments in churches was intended to be other than temporary. At the time few comparatively had Bibles or Prayer Books, so there was then a reason for the order, which no longer exists. One of many churches in which the Commandments were painted at an early date over the chancel arch, is Fordwich, Kent; the date is 1688. At Dimchurch, in Kent, there is an old painting of the Commandments over the chancel arch, and a modern one over the altar.

138

As at C… Church, Kent.

139

"Cancellæ are lattice-work, by which the chancels being formerly parted from the body of the church they took their names from thence. Hence, too, the Court of Chancery and the Lord Chancellor borrowed their names, that court being enclosed with open-work of that kind. And so to cancel a writing is to cross it out with the pen, which naturally makes something like the figure of a lattice." – Pegge's Anonymiana.

140

Some of our chancels, however, were originally made considerably lower than the nave. When the church has been built on a slope it has sometimes followed the fall of the ground from west to east.

141

So called from the Latin word sedes, a seat. This position, on the south side of the altar, is in all respects the most convenient for the clergy when not officiating. To sit facing the people is a most painful position for the priest, as the eyes of all the congregation naturally rest upon him; it has, too, the appearance of irreverence.

142

See p. 223.

143

See p. 223.

144

This word is tautological, derived from our common word rere, back, and the French dos, back, from its position at the back of the altar. Many of these altar-screens have in recent years been restored at immense cost, as at Ely Cathedral.

145

In Braburn Church, Kent, an altar-tomb, with armorial bearings around and above it, occupies the very place of the altar itself. In the church of Prendergast, South Wales, large marble slabs with elaborate epitaphs occupy the entire east end of the chancel. The most prominent of these – immediately over the altar – records that the departed "had learned by heart the whole Book of Psalms, and all the Collects of the Book of Common Prayer, with twenty-four chapters of the Old and New Testaments, before she was thirteen years old, and several more after" However praiseworthy and marvellous these accomplishments, this is surely no fitting place for proclaiming them!

146

It is probable that the prayers and the sermon were formerly read from the same lectern. The first authoritative document of which we have record in which mention is made of the prayer desk, is the Visitation Articles of the Bishop of Norwich (Parker), in A. D. 1569.

In the parish accounts of St. Mary's, Shrewsbury, is an item in 1577 for "colouring the Curate's desk." But prayer desks were used at a much earlier time.

147

So called from the Latin word almarium, a closet or locker. The almery had many uses, and is to be found in all parts of the church, but chiefly in the chancel. Sometimes it was used to hold the priest's vestments; and in conventual churches, to hold the gold and silver vessels belonging to the monastery.

148

Gen. viii. 20; xii 7; xxxv. 1.

149

Exod. xxvii. 1.

150

The Council of Epaone in France (A.D. 509) ordered that none but altars of stone should be consecrated with chrism. The custom of consecrating the altar with chrism is supposed to symbolize the anointing of our Lord's Body for the burial. – See The Stone Altar, by Rev. J. Blackburn, p. 46.

151

Rev. vi. 9-11.

152

"A type both of the womb and of the tomb." —The Stone Altar, p. 41.

153

1 Cor. x. 4.

154

See "Prayer for the Church Militant."

155

Queen Elizabeth's Advertisements, A.D. 1564, require "that the Parish provide a decent TABLE, standing on a frame, for the Communion Table." Hence it appears that by the word table at the era of the English Reformation, the slab only was meant. – Parker's Glossary.

156

Matt xxvii. 66.

157

"The seal of the altar – that is, the little stone by which the sepulchre or cavity in which the relics be deposited, is closed or sealed." —Durandus, p. 128.

158

As at St. Mary's Hospital, Ripon. These ancient stone altars may always be known by the five crosses on the table, emblematic of the five wounds of Jesus. Not infrequently, alas! this slab is to be found as part of the church flooring. The altar table of Norwich Cathedral is (or was lately) to be seen in the floor of the nave.

159

"Have you a Communion Table with a handsome carpet or covering of silk stuff, or such like?" —Visitation Articles, Bishop Bridges, 1634.

"Have you a carpet of silk, satin, damask, or some more than ordinary stuff to cover the Table with at all times?" —Visitation Articles, Bishop Montague, 1639.

160

The pall is an archiepiscopal vestment, forming at the back a figure like the letter Y, as seen on the armorial bearings of our archbishops.

161

"All Deans, Archdeacons, Parsons, Vicars, and other Ecclesiastical persons shall suffer from henceforth no torches nor candles, tapers, or images of wax to be set before any image or picture. But only two lights upon the high altar (the only altar now retained in our Church) before the Sacrament, which, for the signification that Christ is the true Light of the World, they shall suffer to remain still." —Injunctions of King Edward VI.

"And here it is to be noted, that such ornaments of the Church and of the ministers thereof, at all times of their ministration, shall be retained and be in use, as were in this Church of England by the authority of Parliament in the second year of the reign of King Edward the Sixth." —Rubric before morning Prayer.

162

Durandus, who wrote about A.D. 1290, says, "At the horns of the altar two candlesticks are placed to signify the joy of Jews and Gentiles at the Nativity of Christ."

In the Sassetti Chapel at Florence is a beautiful fresco painting, by Ghirlandaio (A.D. 1485), representing the death of St. Francis. The painting, which has been copied by the Arundel Society, has all the character of a really historical work, and is particularly interesting as representing an altar with the two candlesticks upon it.

163

Ps. cviii, 1.

164

2 Chron. v. 11-14.

165

Organs appear to have been used at a very early period, and some have thought that allusions to them are to be found in the Psalms of David; but till the commencement of the last century they were probably used in very few country churches. In cathedrals the organ was sometimes placed in the clerestory; its position over the choir screen is in every respect most objectionable.

166

Vestry, so called because it is the place where the vestments of the priests and their assistants are kept. It is also called the sacristy, because the sacred vessels and other furniture for use at the altar are kept there. The keeper of the vestry is properly called the sacristan. This word has now degenerated to sexton.

167

Some of the subterranean and other small chambers in churches, supposed to be chantries or mortuary chapels, have probably been used as vestries. The following is extracted from Neal and Webb's edition of Durandus: – "On eache side of this chancelle peradventure (for so fitteth it beste) should stand a turret; as it were for two ears, and in these the belles to be hanged, to calle the people to service, by daie and by night. Undre one of these turrets is there commonly a vaulte, whose doore openeth into the quiere, and in this are laid up the hallowed vesselles, and ornamentes, and other utensils of the churche. We call it a vestrie." —Fardle of Facions. Printed 1555.

168

Early examples of these chests for containing the parish records may be found in most old churches. Frequently they are of very rude design, and the box is formed of a single block of wood strongly bound with iron hoops. Sometimes, however, they are richly carved, as in the churches of Clymping, Sussex; Luton, Bedfordshire; and Faversham, Kent. The proper place for the parish chest is the vestry, but it is not unfrequently to be found in some other part of the church. We often meet with several large chests of common deal in various parts of the church containing useless papers and other rubbish. The sooner these are swept away the better.

169

See pages 85 and 86 for a description of some of these vestments.

170

It is always lawful, and almost always desirable, to hold "vestry" meetings in some hall or room in the parish, and not in the church vestry.

171

Eph. ii. 20.

172

Pugin's True Principles of Architecture.

173

Durandus.

174

1 Pet. ii. 5.

175

Col. iii. 14.

176

John x. 9.