IN the early days of
Christianity the churches were invariably erected in the basilica form, in the
imitation of the pubic buildings of the period. The basilica was not unlike the
average church of to-day, for it consisted of an oblong hall corresponding to
our nave, and aisles with galleries, separated from the nave by rows of
pillars. At the east end was a small semi-circular apse, in which the
magistrates sat when the building was used as a court of justice. This was
divided from the body of the hall by a screen of lattice-work, the progenitor
of our modern rood-screen. In the Greek Church, this has developed into a lofty
wooden wall, gorgeously painted, which entirely prevents the congregation from
seeing the Altar, except when the chancel doors are thrown open at certain
parts of the Service.
In some of our English cathedrals the barrier is just as
formidable, but in most modern churches it has dwindled to the chancel-rail at
which the congregation kneels to receive Holy Communion. In medieval times the
idea of the cruciform church arose, and large numbers are still built in that
shape for the sake of the symbolism. It is not a good plan for practical
purposes, for if the church be of any size, the people at the lower end of the
nave are too far from the Altar, and most of those in the transepts can neither
see not hear. An attempt to improve their position was made by the invention of
the hagioscope—an opening in the corners of the tower walls between the
transepts and the chancel; but it was only a very partial remedy.
The important points are that every member of the
congregation should hear what is said. These are exactly the desiderata in a
theatre also, and I think that in planning our ideal church we should do well
to profit by the experience of theatrical architects. Our building must
certainly be lofty, and I feel that when we can do so it is better to dispense
with galleries, though I recognize that they are inevitable where it is
necessary to accommodate a large congregation on a comparatively small site.
Adequate ventilation, heating and lighting arrangements are also imperative.
The Right Rev. Irving S. Cooper, Regionary Bishop of our
Liberal Catholic Church in the Unites States of America, has submitted to me a
plan for a building intended for our own form of worship which seems to me to
have much to recommend it. I reproduce it herewith, with his explanation of it.
(Diagram 12)
Whatever form it takes, when it is built our Church must
be consecrated. The Service used for this purpose will be found in our Liturgy.
The address with which it begins will explain its objects and method.
It is the immemorial custom of holy Church to consecrate
the building in which her services are permanently to be held; and it is for this
purpose that we are net together to-day. Our first step in this ceremony is to
endeavour to purify the mental atmosphere of the building by the use of holy
water and of incense, so that worldly thought and influence may e banished from
it, and our thoughts during our first procession should be devoted to that end.
Having performed the ritual of purification, we call upon Almighty God to
consecrate and to hallow its various parts to the purposes in His service for
which they are destined, and to that end we anoint with holy oil certain special
centres of influence. In that second procession of consecration our minds
should be strongly fixed upon the idea that this church shall be not only a
place free from selfish or worldly thought, but definitely an active centre of
good and holy thought—not merely free from evil, but actively good. When this
great act of consecration has been duly performed, we at once begin our first
Service—the highest and holiest Service that we know—the Holy Eucharist which
Christ Himself ordained. In the course of this celebration the third procession
will take place, and the sacred Host will be borne round the Church as a
crowning benediction. During that time our hearts should be filled with deepest
adoration to our Lord and with heartiest thankfulness for His wondrous love.
Remember, than, these three keynotes of the different portions of the
Service—first purification, secondly consecration, and thirdly adoration and
thankfulness.
The first section of the Service begins with a prayer that
the building may be so purified by the influence of the Holy Spirit that no
evil thought may enter therein. To that end the Bishop takes the aspergill, and
standing before the Altar sprinkles it thrice with holy water; then he moves
round the Altar, sprinkling it all the time, and after that turns to the people
and asperes them. then a procession is formed, which passes all round close the
to the walls of the church, the bishop sprinkling them plentifully with the
holy water. Meantime a hymn is sung—usually “Onward, Christian Soldiers”.
The purification being ended, the consecration begins with
a beautiful prayer adapted from the Irvingite Liturgy.
God the Father, God the Son, God the Ghost, X accept, and X hallow and X
bless this place to the end whereunto we have separated it, even to be a sanctuary
of the Most High, and a church of the Living God. The Lord with His favour
graciously regard our work, and so send down His spiritual benediction and
grace, that it may be unto Him the house of God, and unto His people
worshipping therein the gate of heaven.† R. Amen.
The Bishop then goes to the Altar, and with chrism makes
the sign of the cross upon each of the five crosses carved upon the Altar Stone.
He then anoints the cross upon the tabernacle and the Altar-cross with chrism,
and says:
O God, Whose wisdom mightily and sweetly ordereth all
things, lookdown, we pray Thee, upon the handiwork of Thy servants, and fill
this house with heavenly wisdom, that they who serve Thee here may be so filled
with the Spirit of wisdom and love that they may constantly labour to raise Thy
people from the darkness of ignorance to the light of Thy holy truth.
Wherefore do we X
consecrate and X hallow this Altar
to the glory of God, to the perfecting of humanity, and in honour of His glorious Martyr, the holy St. . .
.In the Name of the X Father, and of
the X Son, and of the Holy X Ghost.† R. Amen.
When that is finished the Altar is dressed, the chalice
and paten arranged upon it as usual, and the candles lighted; and the Bishop
then censes it in the usual manner. A procession is formed, and again marches
all round the church, singing the hymn, “Blessed city, heavenly Salem,” and
stopping at each of the crosses—for in place of the awful pictures called
Stations of the Cross which disfigure Roman churches we put upon our walls
crosses to represent the seven Rays, thus carrying out still further an idea
which I shall fully explain when writing about the Altar-stone.
We arrange them to correspond as far as possible with the
jewels inserted in the latter. The cross on the door of the tabernacle is taken
as that of the second Ray; that of the first Ray is erected as nearly as may be
in the center of the church; that representing the fourth ray is placed in the
south-east, and that of the fifth in the south-west; that of the seventh in the
west, the sixth in the north-west, and that of the third in the north-east (Diagram
8). Each has engraved upon it the symbol of its Ray, and a tiny speck of its
appropriate gem is embedded in it. When, as sometimes happens, an already
existing building has to be adapted to our use, the orientation of the church
may be inaccurate; in that case the relative position of these crosses should
be maintained, though the points of the compass may have to varied.
It is unfortunate when the Altar is not set in the east,
as it imposes additional difficulties upon the angelic helpers in the work
which they do at our Services. When the church is properly oriented, they utilize
the etheric currents which are always flowing over the surface of the earth at
right angles to each other—north and south, east and west; but when the church
is set askew, they have to drive their lines of force across the earth-currents
at all sorts of odd angles. It can be done, of course, but it needs much more
exertion; it is like swimming against the tide.