CHURCH ARCHITECTURE OF.

There seems to be an absurdity in the modern practice of building churches for the ritual of the nineteenth century, on the model of churches designed for the ritual of the fourteenth century. And for a service such as ours, nothing more is required than a nave and a chancel; the only divisions which we find in the primitive Eastern churches. But as we have inherited churches which were erected during the middle ages, it is rather important that we should understand their designed arrangement. We find in such churches a nave ( nav is ) with its aisles ( alæ ); a chancel ; a tower , generally at the west end; and a porch , generally to the second bay of the south aisle. The uses of the nave and chancel are obvious; the aisles were added in almost all cases perhaps, prospectively at least in all, that they might serve for places for the erection of chantry altars, and for the same end served the transepts and chancel aisles, or side chapels, to the chancels, sometimes found even in small churches. To the chancel, generally at the north, a vestry was often attached; and this was sometimes enlarged into a habitation for the officiating priest, by the addition of an upper chamber, with fire-place and other conveniences. But the more frequent place for this dom us inclusa was over the porch, when it is commonly called parvise ; and sometimes the tower has evidently been made habitable, though, in this case, it may be rather suspected that means of defence have been contemplated. In the dom us inclusa , in the vestry, and in the parvise, was often an altar, which not unfrequently remains. (See Altar .) The chancel was separated from the nave by a screen, cancelli , from which the word chancel is derived, and over the screen a loft was extended, bearing the rood —a figure of our ble ed Lord on the cro , and, on either side, figures of the Ble ed Virgin and of St. John. But few rood lofts remain, but the screen is of frequent occurrence, especially in the northern and eastern counties. The loft was generally gained by a newel stair running up the angle between the chancel and the nave, but sometimes apparently by moveable steps. The side chapels were generally parted off from the adjoining parts of the church by screens, called parcloses . The chancel, if any conventual body was attached to the church, was furnished with stalls, which were set against the north and south walls, and returned against the rood screen, looking east. Connected with the altar, and sometimes, also, with some of the chantry altars, were sedilia , in the south wall of the chancel, varying in number from one to five, for the officiating clergy; and, eastward of these, the piscina ; also an aumbrie , or locker, in the north chancel wall. The altar and these acce ories were generally raised at least one step above the level of the rest of the chancel floor, and the chancel itself the like height from the nave. The font stood against the first pillar to the left hand, entering at the south porch; it was often raised on steps, and furnished with an elaborate cover. (See Baptistery .) The pulpit always stood in the nave, generally against a north pillar in cathedrals ; but in other churches, generally against a south pillar, towards the east. The seats for the congregation were placed in a double series along the nave, with an alley between, and looking east. There are a few instances of seats with doors, but none of high pews till the time of the Puritans. The doors to the church were almost always opposite to one another in the second bay of the aisles: besides these, there was often a west door, and this is generally supposed to denote some connexion with a monastic body, and was, perhaps, especially used on occasions of greater pomp, proce ions, and the like. What is usually called the priest’s door , at the south side of the chancel, opens always from within, and was, therefore, not (as is usually supposed) for the priest to enter by : in which case, moreover, it would rather have been to the north, where the glebe house usually stands. Was it for the exit of those who had a isted at ma ? A little bell-cot is often seen over the nave and altar, or on some other part of the church, called the service-bell-cot ; for the bell rung at certain solemn parts of the service of the ma ; as at the words “Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus Deus Sabaoth,” and at the elevation of the Host. If, as is supposed, those who were not in the church were accustomed to kneel at this time, there is an obvious reason for the external position of this bell.