While saying this, we do not mean to deny that there was a strong repugnance amongst the early Christians to everything that had been connected with paganism, and that the application of the basilica was rather a matter of necessity than of choice. When Constantine legalized Christianity, the Christians numbered somewhat considerably, and no doubt increased rapidly upon that event ; many who previously favoured that religion, but were fearful of' the consequences of an avowal, now openly professing it. Churches were needed more than ever, and they had not skill wherewith to erect them ; what could be done ? where were churches to he found, while new ones were building ? were there any existing buildings that could be adapted to such a purpose ? The pagan temples were not fitted for such uses, even had there been no repugnance to their origin ; but the basilicas would answer the purpose well, as tar as their construction was concerned, nor were there equal objections to them on the score of their previous employment. What more likely than that they should be used at least for a time, until new structures could be erected ? The counter-argument arising from the absence of any examples of such adaptation of the civil basilica, may be accounted for without much difficulty : they were destroyed, to afford materials for new structures in other sites. The principal cause of their destruction or removal, is to be sought in the veneration of the Christians for the graves of the martyrs. On this subject, Mr. Knight says :— " From the custom which had originated in the catacombs —from the habit which the primitive Christians had acquired of visiting the graves of the martyrs ; it became a matter of necessity to associate the church with the tomb, and to pro vide a place of worship below ground, as well as above. This, in several instances. was accomplished at Rome by placing the church immediately above a part of the cata combs, as at San Lorenzo and Santa Agnese ; or, as at St. Peter's, by placing the altar immediately above the spot to which the mortal remains of the apostles had been removed.
"The practice of associating the churches with the graves of martyrs, was the cause of their being frequently placed in situations which had little reference to public convenience ; namely, without the walls of the cities to which they be longed ; for, as executions usually took place without the walls, and as the martyrs were often buried, or supposed to have been buried, where they were put to death, the wish of that age could not be accomplished without frequently placing the churches in remote and insulated situations. Thus it was that Constantine placed the church of St. Peter adjacent to the circus of Nero, though the city of Nome was, at that time, at some distance from the Vatican Theo dosius, for similar reasons, placed the church of St. Paul at an equal distance from the city on the opposite side. At that time, a liability, which afterwards exposed insulated churches and their frequenters to much peril, did not exist. At that time, the interior of the empire was still inviolate, and those who built the Churches never imagined that the day might come, when their descendants could not go out of the walls without being liable to attacks, and when the churches themselves would be exposed to insult and injury. Little did Constantine imagine, that men of a newer religion than his own would ever reach and deface the cathedral which he had planted within sight of the metropolis of the world." The existence of such a feeling amongst the early Chris tians, coupled with the circumstance of the tombs of martyrs being usually without the walls, and the prevalent custom of employing the materials of old buildings for the construction of new, will account, as we think, satisfactorily for the want of more tangible evidence of the conversion of the heathen basilica to Christian uses.
While we contend thus far, we do not wish to ally our selves with those who maintain, that the arrangement of churches was derived from that of the civil basilica : there is no doubt a similarity of distribution and a certain analogy between the purposes which each division in either building served ; still, there are strong grounds for believing that such disposition in the churches arose from the natural requirements of the religion, rather than from any extra neous influence. The description of the several orders of' penitents, and of their positions in the church, as above given, is sufficient proof of such being the case, for that was written during times of persecution, before Constantine had ascended the throne ; the division into parts, therefore, was determined long ere any basilicas were given up for Christian worship. it is not improbable, however, that the
form of later churches was derived from that of the basilica; for it must needs be, that either some existing form was copied, or an entirely new idea originated. That the latter was the case is very improbable, from the nature of things, almost all novelties having emanated, in some degree or other, from things previously existing : but, besides this, such an occurrence was more especially improbable at the period alluded to, when art was falling to decay, and its influence was not strong enough even to retain previous acquirements, much less to originate new. The main features in the churches erected immediately after the establishment of Christianity, with the exception of Constantine's circular buildings, were those of the civil basilica : there were some few alterations and additions, it is true, to adapt the form to the requirements of the church; but these were at first not very considerable, although extended farther in after times. Of these were the atrium and out-buildings; and, in later times, transepts. With regard to the latter, it has been argued by some. that they are to be found in the civil struc tures ; at least, in the internal arrangement ; but this we think almost too nice a similarity. There was, indeed, a cross-passage at the end of the nave, so to speak, but we can scarcely set it down as the prototype of the transept. The cross-form originated in Christian symbolism ; nor does it appear even in churches of the earliest date. The Apostolical Constitutions allude to churches us being in the form of a ship, and such seems to have been the actual shape of the first buildings. The cross-plan was a gradual development. At first, we find the cross a prominent feature in the inter nal decoration, as at St. Clement's, where the paving of the nave is arranged in that form ; and afterwards forming an essential office in the construction, as in the Byzantine churches, and the later basilicas. We are of opinion, then, that, at the onset, civil basilicas were employed for Christian worship, though rather as a matter of necessity than choice; that the division and disposition of parts observable in the early churches was not derived from the basilica; but that their form and construction was so derived ; and that hence was developed the form of churches in after ages.
As regards the styles of architecture employed, the earliest constructions can scarcely be said to belong to any style ; they were composed of the ruins of heathen structures, pro miscuously heaped together; columns from one building, entablature from another; or even one column from one building. and the next from a second ; and not unfrequently the shaft or base of one column with the capital of another : columns of different heights and proportions were huddled into the same row, and the difference of level made up either by stilting or cutting short. The Byzantine churches, with their square plans and spherical roofs, are the first buildings which can be said to possess any style, and these were chiefly confined to Asia Minor, having little influence in Italy until the sixth century. (See, BYZANTINE ARCIIITECYuRE.) Shortly alter this, the Lombards established themselves in Italy ; and although they brought with them no architecture of their own, they gave a somewhat novel character to the buildings erected by them, the difference being prineipallly in detail. This style prevailed in the north of Italy up to the end of the twelfth century, at the commencement of which some marked alterations were introduced. (See, LONIBARDIC AnemmTECTCRE.) To this succeeded that most perfect form of Ecclesiastical Architecture, pre-eminently termed the Christian style, which has prevailed, with sonic interruptions, ever sinee; we need scarcely add, we allude to the Gothic, or pointed, which for its solemn grandeur, as well as for its perfect construction, is, of all, the most appropriate for a Christian temple.
We have now arrived at the conclusion of this inter esting subject, and for any further information must refer to such articles as CHUECII, CATHEDRAL, GOTIIIC, and SAXON