Our parish churches are perfectly unique ; different from what we find elsewhere, they fium quite a national charac teristic, of which an Englishman may indeed be proud. Their origin is attributed to Archbishop Theodore, who noting the inconvenience which arose from the previous practice of sending priests from the cathedral into the neigh bouring hamlets, adopted the plait of distributing each diocese into manageable districts or parishes, with a resident pastor to take charge of each ; he carried out his idea by instigating the Saxon thanes in the erection and endowment of churches within the precincts of their own estates. The plan thus commenced, was found to be so advantageous, that it was carried out and enlarged upon by the succeeding generations. We shall not stop here to in into the form and construc tion of the earlier churches of this island, but refer the reader, as well to the articles above mentioned, as also to that on SAXON ARCHITECTURE, and proceed at once to the general description of a church.
Of the parts or divisions.—There are two parts, and only two parts, absolutely essential to a church : nave and chancel. These it must have, or it is not entitled to the designation of a church ; without the finatter it is no more than a chapel, and without the latter, little better than a mere lecture-room. A church consisting only of the above divisions, is one of the most simple form, few, however, are found without sonic further additions • the first addition is that of a porch on one side of the building, forming a covered entrance into the church. Buildings consisting simply of these three parts are not unfrequent, nor devoid of beauty, although but seldom imitated in the present day. In larger churches, the capacity or the nave is increased by the addition of one or two aisles, more frequently of one on each side of the body of the building. thus dividing the nave transversely into three avenues and atfording greater accommodation for worshippers without enlarging the chancel, as this part does not so much require spaciousness as length. In some eases it is true the aisles were continued eastward, so as to encroach upon the chancel, and sometimes extended its whole length ; the spaces thus gained, Were used tor the most part for chapels, and contained side-altars with their appurtenances. These chapels were dedicated, the one in honour of the Virgin, which was more frequently on the southern side, and the other in the name of the patron or other saint. Churches with only one aisle, are constantly to be with.
Another division of a church which. we have not yet noticed, and which, though not an essential, Barns a most imposing feature. is the tower ; this is situated most usually at the western end of the nave, or at the intersection of the nave and transepts. when the church is cruciform ; and in its most perfect and beautiful state is surmounted by a lofty spire. \Ve have now arrived at the most com plete ffirm of :t parish chard!, which consists of a nave flanked on either side by an aisle ; a chancel at the east, :Ind a tower at the western extremity of the same, with a projecting porch towards the western end of the south aisle. This is the most frequent form of our smaller churches. but not till`, only one; we not unfcequently find them in the shape of a cross, which is doubtless the most appropriate and expressive form that could be adopted in the erection of a Christian temple; but the simple parallelogram is on many accounts the more convenient. nor is it so greatly inferior in symbolical meaning ; for while the cross plan portrays the ent I dein of Christianity, the latter is an evident representation of the ark in which Noah was preserved, which has ever been considered a t? pe of the Christian church.
Of the position of Charrhes.—Almost all the old churches of this country range east and west, having the chancel at the eastern extremity ; nor is this merely a local peculiarity, but a universal custom ; such was the practice of all Chris tians front the earliest ages. It is true, exceptions are to be found, but not more than sufficient to prove the rule. The church dedicated by Paulinus, bishop of Nola, to the memory of S. Felix, is an instance of deviation from the usual position, but of this it is related, that it was not built so as to fitee the east, " as was usual," but so as to turn towards another church previously dedicated to that saint ; and Socrates, describing the church at Antioch, tells us, that it stood in a different posture from other churches, the altar not being at the east end, but at the west. The canonical position is ordered in the apostolical constitutions. When we state that the chancel pointed eastward, we do not mean to say that it faced that quarter precisely ; very few churches indeed do this, the orientation varying in many instances considerably north or south; such variation is said to have arisen front the practice of pointing the church to that part of the horizon where the sun rose on the day of the patron saint.