The body of the church is lighted by windows in the roof, hut these are decidedly of a recent date; what little light its interior enjoyed in its primitive state, was probably admitted from the east end. if any windows existed at all.
How the interior was originally finished, cannot be now determined ; at the present moment it is kept in a very neat and reputable state ; its walls and ceiling are plastered and whitewash.•d, and its area affords sufficient accommodation for the population of the parish." The nave is the portion of the church here alluded to. for the chancel is not of the same material. and is of a later date; the tower is also of wood weather-boarded, with Wirer boards for the admission of light.
Since the above account was written, this unique little edifice has been restored, under the superintendence of Messrs, Wyatt and Brandon ; and in an article on the sub ject, to be found in "The Builder," a short period subsequent to its restoration. the following remarks occur. The writer, in combating, Mr. Suckling's opinions as to the timbers being less than halkrees, says—" We see no evidence of this, for the timbers were evidently left rough, and the dimensions prove them to have been, as nearly as may be, half-trees.' These uprights," he continues, " were laid on an oak sill, 8 inches by 8 inches, and tenoned into a groove 11 inch deep, and secured with oak pins. The sill on the south side was laid on the actual earth; that on the north side had, in two places, some rough flints, without any mortar driven under. The roof-plates averaged 7 inches by 7 inches, and had a gotove corresponding with the sill, into which the uprights were tenoned and pinned. The plates were also of oak. but they and the sills were very roughly hewn, in some parts being 10 inches by 10 inches, and in others 6 inches by 6 inches, or 7 inches.
There were twenty-five planks or uprights on the north side, and twenty-one on the south side. The uprights in the north side were the least decayed. Those on the south side an average of 5 inches of rotten wood to be removed, those on the north about 1 inch only, and the heights of the uprights, as now refixed, measuring between plate and sill, are on the north side 4 feet 8 inches, on the south side 4 feet 4 inches, the sills being bedded on a few courses of brickwork in cement, to keep them clear of damp. The uprights were tongued together at the junction with oak strips. and a most etreetnal means it proved of keeping out the wet ; fir although the interior was plastered, there was no evidence, in an? part, of wet having driven in at the feather-edge junction of the uprights—a strange contrast to many of our mtalern churches, where, with all the adjuncts of stone and mortar, it is found no easy matter to keep out the driving weather ft um the south-west.
" The roof was heavy, an:I wit limit any particular character ; it consisted of a tie-beam, at less than six test from the floor, with struts. The covering was tile." We have given the description of this little church at so great length. because we think buildings erected after this manner would fbrm very good substitntes tbr those un ccelesiast ical-looking structures termed Temporary Churches, 11 hich are become so fashionable now-a-days ; and not only so, but might be even erected as ones, in places where a better could not be provided.
Olsyeihulism.—Although many persons are so th• preju diced against the system as to deny the existence of symbolical meaning in the peculiarst maitre and arrangement of churches, to the unprejudie:d mind there can be little doubt of the fact. It is true that some of the advocates of the system have carried it to too great a length. and have straine I their point to such an extent as to appropriate a deep theological meaning to the smallest details, yet this should not hinder us than giving attention and credit to those who hold themselves within reasonable limits. This idea respecting the :esthetic. eharac ter of' ecclesiastical buildings, has but lately been brought into general notice, but it is no new fancy ; on the contrary, we find mention of it in the writings of the early Christians. The following passage is from the A postolical Constitutions : —" When thou tallest an assembly of the church, as one that is the commander of a great ship, appoint the assemblies to be made with all possible skill ; charging the deacons, as mariners, to prepa•e places liar the brethren, as Cur passengers, with all care and decency. And first let the church be rong,
like a ship, looking towards the east, with its vestries on either side at the east end. In the centre, let the bishop's throne be placed, and let the presbyters be seated on both sides of him ; and let the deacons stand near at hand, in close and small garments, for they are like the mariners and managers of the ship." As we have lwfore remarked, the material structure of the church was from the earliest period considered emblematical of the ark of Noah. Similar allusions to that just quoted, are constantly occurring in the patristic writings; thus S. Ambrose tells us why baptisteries should be octagonal, and Clement of Alexandria gives rules by ct hieh the sold•tion of sacred emblems should he guided ; Eusebhis informs us that Constantine surrounded the apsis of the ehurch of S. Cross with twelve pillars, according to the number of the twelve apostles ; and Hernias, in his visions, represents the building of the spiritual temple under figures wholly taken from the material fabric. But of all writers on the subject, Dnrandus is the most cophals, and is held up as the highest authority in such matters. Mr. Lewis, in his deseription of Kilpeek church, Herefordshire, is one who has of late brought the subject of symbolism into notice; he is one of those, however, who in our Opinion have laboured to apply the system to a greater extent than is warranted by facts; he enlists every portion of the fabric, even to the minutest details, to illustrate his views, and makes. the arrangement of the sacred edifice to indicate the mintithe of theological doctrine. Mr. Poole, in his lectures on church arrangement, does not attempt so much ; he maintains " that ecclesiastical architecture is a language; that it has always, so long as it has deserved its name, aimed at expression ; and not at mere accommodation without splendour, or even at splendour without :t spirit and a meaning : that flout the first it was rational ; that it had a soul and a sense which it laboured to embody and convey to the beholder: that its language was not only expressive, but appropriate; that it aimed not only at accommodating a congregation, but at elevating their devotions and informing their minds." 1 le is of opinion that the greater mysteries of our religion are symbolized in the fundamental design of the structure, while other Christian verities are set tbrth in the minor arrange ments and in the ornamental details. Fur instance, the mystery of the Trinity is symbolized by the thredbld of our churches into nave and aisles, and perhaps in the longitudinal division into nave, choir, and chancel. otherwise the division into nave and darned is said to point out the division of clergy and laity : but the :esthetic principle is more evident in our larger churches ; thus in our cathedrals we have the fm.m of the cross in the ground-plan, also the threefold division of body and aisles, as well as of nave, transept, and choir ; we have likewise the same number of divisions vertically in the lower arcade, triforia, and clere story, as also in the exterior elevation in the central and two western towers. Mr. Poole concludes—• On a review, then, of the filets mentioned, we may safely conclude, that, from the first, there has been a sullident degree of unifonnity in Christhm churches, to indicate a unity of design, which could not be accidental ; that the origin of that unity is to be found in the desire to symbolize the truths of our holy religion in every apt manner, aril, above all, in the sacred edifices of the Ch•istians." " A Gothic church, in its perfec tion, is an exposition of the distinctive doctrines of Chris tianity, clothed upon with a material tbrrn; and is, as Coleridge has so forcibly expressed it, the petrifaction of our religion.''' As church-a•chitecture is receiving a fair modicum of attention at the present dine, and churches are being InnIti plied to keep pare with the requirements of a vastly-increasing popnlation, it may not be out of place, in a wad; which pre tends rather to useful and practical information. than to amusing recreation, to give some rules fir the guidance 4 of those who are called upon to prepare plans and designs for church-builditT.s.