The Principles of Gothic Ecclesiastical Architecture Part 14

[211-*] "Our churches stand full of such great puppets, wondrously decked and adorned; garlands and coronets be set on their heads, precious pearls hanging about their necks; their fingers s.h.i.+ne with rings set with precious stones; their dead and stiff bodies are clothed with garments stiff with gold."--Homily against Peril of Idolatry.

[215-*] In the injunctions given by Bishop Ridley, in the visitation of his diocese A. D. 1550, occurs the following: "Item that the minister in the time of the communion, immediately after the offertory, shall monish the communicants, saying these words, or such like, 'Now is the time, if it please you, to remember the poor men's chest with your charitable alms.'"

[216-*] Dr. Cardwell, in his editorial preface to the reprint of the two Books of Common Prayer set forth in the reign of Edward the Sixth, observes, "The communion service of the first liturgy contained a prayer for the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the bread and wine, and a following prayer of oblation, which, together with the form of words addressed to the communicants, were designed to represent a sacrifice, and appeared to undiscriminating minds to denote the sacrifice of the ma.s.s. Numerous, therefore, and urgent were the objections against this portion of the service. Combined with a large cla.s.s of objectors, whose theology consisted merely in an undefined dread of Romanism, were all those, however differing among themselves, who believed the holy communion to be a feast and not a sacrifice, and that larger cla.s.s of persons who, placing the solemn duty upon its proper religious basis, were contented to wors.h.i.+p without waiting to refine."

[218-*] Fox's Martyrology.

[223-*] In compliance with the queen's letter, the following directions were sent by the commissioners to the dean and chapter of Bristol:

"After our hartie comendacons.--Whereas we are credibly informed that there are divers tabernacles for Images, as well in the fronture of the roodeloft of the cath^l church of Bristol, as also in the frontures, back, and ends of the walles wheare the comn table standeth, for asmoch as the same churche shoulde be a light and good example to th'

ole citie and dioc. we have thought good to direct these our lres unto you, and to require youe to cause the said tabernacles to be defaced & hewen downe, and afterwards to be made a playne walle, w^th morter, plast^r, or otherways, & some scriptures to be written in the places, & namely that upon the walle on the east end of the quier wheare the comn table usually doth stande, the table of the comand^ts to be painted in large caracters, with convenient speed, and furniture according to the orders latly set furthe by vertue of the quenes ma^ts comission for causes ecclesiasticall, at the coste and chardges of the said churche; whereof we require you not to faile. And so we bed you farewell. From London, the xxi. of December, 1561."--Britton's Bristol Cath. p. 52.

[224-*] In the chancel of Bengeworth Church, Gloucesters.h.i.+re, is a table of the commandments, with the letters cut in box-wood. This has the date of 1591 upon it.

[226-*] These are engraved in vol. xx. of the Archaeologia, and, from the general style and mouldings, appear to have been constructed in the latter part of the fifteenth century.

[230-*] The symbolical turning towards the east whilst p.r.o.nouncing the Creed is adverted to by St. Cyril. In the Apostolical Const.i.tutions, book ii. sect. xxviii., the attendants at public wors.h.i.+p are enjoined to pray to G.o.d eastward. The custom of turning to the east at prayer is noticed by many of the early fathers of the church, and among them by St. Basil, who remarks, "As to the doctrines and preachings which are preserved in the church, we have some of them from the written doctrine; others we have received as delivered from the tradition of the apostles in a mystery. For, to begin with the mention of what is first and most common, who has taught us by writing that those that hope in the name of our Lord should be signed with the sign of the cross? what written law has taught us that we should turn towards the east in our prayers?....

Is not all this derived from this concealed and mystical tradition?....

We all, indeed, look towards the east in our prayers."--Basil, Epist. ad Amphiloc. de Spiritu S. Whiston's translation in Essay on the Apostolical Const.i.tutions.

[231-*] Funeral Monuments, A. D. 1631, p. 701.

[232-*] Printed in Strype's Life of Parker. In the same paper the communion table is noticed as standing in the body of the church in some places, in others standing in the chancel; in some places standing altarwise, distant from the wall a yard, in others in the middle of the chancel, north and south; in some places _the table was joined, in others it stood upon tressels_; in some the table had a carpet, in others none.

[235-*] "The position of the table had now become the token of a distinct and solemn belief as to the nature of the eucharist, and was therefore treated as a question of conscience and an article of faith."--Cardwell's Doc.u.mentary Annals, vol. ii. p. 186, note. The extracts given from the injunctions have been princ.i.p.ally taken from this work.

[240-*] The unostentatious and laudable practice of bestowing alms to the charity-box has long fallen into disuse in most churches; but within the last few years charity-boxes have been set up in some of our churches, and this commendable custom is again gradually reviving.

[242-*] Neal's History of the Puritans, vol. iii. p. 170.

[244-*] Cardwell's Conferences, p. 272.

[250-*] Hickeringill's Ceremony-Monger, (pub. 1689,) p. 63.